Conan

[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1490180006' post='3262869'] [url="http://www.youandyourwedding.co.uk/forum/receptions/how-much-does-a-live-band-cost-roughly/298872.html"]http://www.youandyou...hly/298872.html[/url] [/quote] This is an oustanding post/answer. Mods - could this maybe be made a sticky? [color=#444444][font=Proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif][size=4] [size=4][font=comic sans ms,cursive]"It really can be a bit "how long is a piece of string" to be honest. I used to be involved with the co management of the band my ex partner played in and have posted some guidelines below for you to consider. Not all are applicable, but some might just give you some pointers as to what to do.[/font][/size][/size][/font][/color][color=#444444][font=Proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif][size=4] [size=4][font=comic sans ms,cursive]1. Have an idea what kind of music you want. Do you want a mix of all genres or something specific (70's disco , Motown etc). This will also help you when searching for a band if you have an idea of what you want. You can then just Google 70's Disco or Motown etc. 2. Many bands have videos on YouTube or tracks on souncloud. Listen to the video with head phones on. What is the quality of the music like? What is the video quality like? How many views has the video had. What comments are there below it? 3. Use an agent if you want to but bear in mind that with an agent you are usually paying a further 15% + 20% VAT on top of the bands fee. Agents web sites are useful to gain an idea of what budget you might need for your chosen type of act though. 4. Check out the FB page and website of the band. Does it look professional/do the MP3 tracks sound good (again, listen through headphones). 5. Be realistic about your budget. Id a decent DJ costs about £300 then a five piece band may be about £1,000 or more. However, the band might be able to put music through their P.A when they aren't playing which could save the additional cost of a DJ. It's worth giving an idea of your budget when you first enquire. 6. How quickly did they respond to your enquiry? If they get back to you quickly then they are obviously professional and keen for business. 7. What else do they offer you? A first song for you and your groom? Interim music through the PA (saving the cost of a DJ), do they have lights, PA etc 8. What kind of equipment do they have? If they need to hire a PA in that will add to the cost. 9. Where are they based? Are they prepared to travel? Will they need to stay overnight nearby? All these will add to the cost. 10. Any good band should be prepared to visit your venue or at least talk to them before the event to check load in and set up times/power availability/stage set up. The last thing you want on the day when you are being all glam and loved up is a burly drummer tapping you on the shoulder saying "ere love where do you want me to set up!" (You're wedding event manager won't be impressed either, he/she wants to concentrate on you and your guests). Ask your band if they have a stage set that they can give your wedding planner outlining space needed and where evreything goes on the night. 11. What kind of outfits do they wear? Are you happy for them to play in jeans and T shirts or would you prefer they wear something befitting your wedding (stagewear or suits) 12. Visit your local wedding shows. Many bands perform there and may offer a discount to people who visit on the day. Plus, they will have paid to be there. If they are prepared to invest in their promotion it says a lot 13. Ask the band if there is anywhere that you can see them before you book (they might have a regular public gig they can comp you in on). There are lots of excellent bands playing in pubs and clubs up and down the country, Maybe do a little research by going out to see some of them and speaking to them whilst you are there? (also a good excuse for a night out with your intended!) 14. What kind of deposit do they need 15. If your wedding is far in advance will they allow you to pay instalments to help with your budgeting 16. If the quoted price is not within your budget, be honest about what you can pay. If they are free on the date and local to you, they may just meet you halfway as any gig is better than none, after all this is how they make their living. This goes back to my point about giving a ball park idea when enquiring. There's nothing worse than setting your heart on a band and then finding them too expensive for the budget you had in mind.[/font][/size][/size][/font][/color][color=#444444][font=Proxima-nova, Arial, sans-serif][size=4] [size=4][font=comic sans ms,cursive]17. It's always a nice gesture if you are prepared to provide refreshments for the band (usually a plate of buffet food and a single drink is enough), but be firm and agree in advance what you will do. It's your wedding and they are working for you that night, so they shouldn't expect free drinks all night 18. When you receive a quote, it may cause a sharp intake of breath, but bear in mind you are paying for what tends to be a 12 hour day when everything is taken into account (travel, setting up, sound check, playing , knocking down etc-most of which must be done seamlessly so as not to intrude on your day). It's not as simple as turn up, play and go home! 19. You may want to consider paying the band up front a couple of days before. At midnight when everyone has had a great day and all you want to do is go to sleep (remember, you will have had a long and full on day), and prepare for your honeymoon, the last thing you want to think of is paying someone. If you would prefer to leave it until the night, then perhaps delegate this to someone else like your dad or brother/best man? 20. If you have any questions between booking and the wedding, don't worry about dropping the band a line or ringing them. There is often a long gap between the two things and it's good to have contact to reassure you everything is in hand. Any good band should periodically contact you about things anyway and be prepared to provide receipts etc. Try and always deal with one person from the band-they usually have a designated person who deals with bookings 21. Do your band have PAT tested equipment and public liability insurance? Lots of venues will want this. It says that the equipment is maintained properly and is one less thing for you to worry about! Above all, remember the band is a big part of making your evening memorable for you and your guests, so they should be respectful of that and go out of their way to make everything from booking to performing stress free and enjoyable."[/font][/size][/size][/font][/color]

All sounds very sensible to me. After all, it's your life and your time. You should be the one who chooses what you do with it

[quote name='dlloyd' timestamp='1490183314' post='3262928'] I thought I had posted in this thread... where has it gone? [/quote] Likewise!

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1490180706' post='3262880'] The popular songs like "Sex On Fire" are what a covers band audience wants. Music they know and can drunkenly dance and shout along to. It's all very well playing a more individual set, but unless these songs are also well known by your audience then you might as well still be playing stuff you wrote yourselves. IMO playing covers isn't the easy ride it is often made out to be. From my brief stint, I found that learning 20 songs meant having to play and think like 20 different bass players, and that some were far easier to "get" than others and it was by no means obvious which were which until I actually got around to working out what I needed to play on each song. Also playing covers has ruined several songs for me that I used to like a lot when I was just listening to them, to the point where I never want to hear them again for the rest of my life. [/quote] All valid points Sometimes very straightforward bass lines can be awkward purely because the player who wrote them has a very different style to your own. Two that I am struggling with (for different reasons) are below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgPSpVUg0iM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLwmJr6XpJk

I probably did know that.... but so many great and influential artists have popped their clogs in the last few years I had lost track... RIP George all over again!

[quote name='Adrenochrome' timestamp='1490178243' post='3262825'] Whether you do covers or originals, IMO it only works when you can put songs across convincingly with confidence. If the typical pub setlist is your thing, then play it loud and proud! Don’t let people tell you that you CANNOT have successful paid pub/club gigs if you break away from the usual though. In recent years I’ve gigged songs by Opeth, Lady Gaga, Alice In Chains, Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, Black Stone Cherry, Flock Of Seagulls etc as well as a couple of original numbers, all with success and repeat bookings. But you can’t do material like that half-heartedly, play it like you mean it, take care of the details, get anyone who possibly can singing harmonies, don’t miss out the tricky bits of songs or take short cuts. [/quote] I like your style! Ever play in the North East of England?

I hate these thread titles!! I automatically assume that the person referred to has died! Great stuff though!

[quote name='walbassist' timestamp='1490175801' post='3262783'] So it's not playing covers per se that you don't like, it's the kind of covers being proffered by this particular band? If that's the case then I'd keep looking for a band that matches your choice of genres better. [/quote] Indeed. And this is why I have just formed a covers band playing material that I like, enjoy playing, and has an audience. I know that it has an audience because when my previous originals band played a few covers (in this genre) they always went down well and got people up/interested. Sadly, the original material rarely did so. What wonderful genre is this, I hear you ask? Well, it is a difficult one to pin down exactly, but predominantly pop/punk/new wave stuff from the late seventies up to around the mid nineties. Interesting, quality songs from a wide range of acts including The Stranglers. Joe Jackson, Martha and the Muffins, Bow Wow Wow, The Mission, Tom Petty, Talking Heads, Julian Cope, The Jam, The Cure.... Not that I would object to playing in a popular covers band playing more predictable material, but that's just not what I fancy at the moment. Also, thinking about it, a lot of pub audiences comprise people in their forties and fifties. The music they listened to when growing up is mainly from this period. Obviously, you can't please all of the people all of the time, but it's a start. In the originals bands, all the work was done in rehearsals and it takes ages to get songs right. With covers, everyone does their homework in their own time and rehearsals are simply for polishing arrangements, harmonies, keys and stuff like that. It is a much more "efficient" way of working IMV. I may well find that after a while i yearn to play original material again - but if it involves playing gigs (which we generally have to pay for) to "crowds" numbering less than a dozen; then frankly I'm not holding my breath.

Depends on your motivations. For me, I would rather play to decent crowds of people enjoying themselves. If you can't get that from originals bands (and i never could) then covers may be an answer. Maybe not a permanent answer, but it may at least be a welcome change. Give it a try. What have you got to lose?

[quote name='Dave_the_bass' timestamp='1490090357' post='3262014']Main reason for quitting was the singer. He had delusions of grandeur on a band level and delusions of adequacy for his vocals/stage presence. [/quote] I hear you. I recently quit my originals band (after seven years) for exactly the same reason. Oh and he was a tw@t as well.

Herbie Flowers? Also, listening to Ron Blair's work on early Tom Petty albums, I would say that he used flats on his (1964) Jazz bass. What is a taboo?

I thought prog already had a bad name?

Cheers

I have a similar problem with my MIM Fender Geddy Lee Jazz, so these suggestions are useful. Where would one get these shims of which you speak?

I'm not sure I really have a "tone". I change the sound to suit whatever band and/or song I am working with at the time. Generally though, Fender (or similar) Jazz bass with both pickups, and tone, on full. Amp settings fairly flat or with a boost to the mids. Very little distortion/crunch/grind (call it what you will!). I can't actually think of anyone else with a similar core tone. I'll give it some thought though... Maybe Jonas Reingold...

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1489752797' post='3259456'] With this method do you think you will have booked your initial 12 paying gigs within the 6 months time limit? Blue [/quote] To be fair Blue, that is[b][i] your[/i][/b] arbitrary measure of success. I'm not sure many others on here would be so specific. What if it takes seven months? What if there are only 11 gigs? Or if one of them is not paid? Would that make the band start-up unsuccessful?

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1489740878' post='3259305'] Sometimes it's better to go for a superior frontman over a better singer. [/quote] Agree totally.

[quote name='Chris2112' timestamp='1489689327' post='3259037'] ...that dreadful bass tone in 'Handy' by Wishbone Ash [/quote] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNJqVW2L5is[/media] I quite like it, but it is playing more of a lead/solo role than most of his more normal bass sounds...

You can (shock, horror!) even try roundwound strings on a P bass.... Try nickel plated ones if the stainless steels are too bright.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1489746318' post='3259365'] 1. Pick a genre that I like that also has a dedicated ready-made following. [/quote] Ah, but that's the awkward bit isn't it? Try something too "new" and it will be difficult to find your own niche. Make it too similar to existing bands and you will always be accused of ripping off someone else and will end up competing with them for gigs. Also, to be fair, it is near impossible to tell how much of an audience a particular genre will have in your local area until you actually try gigging that material. By that time you could have invested months in the process of finding musicians, rehearsing and tracking down suitable gigs - not to even mention attracting/informing that potential audience and getting them there on the night. It's one of the main reasons why I have decided to go down the covers route for now. Playing a few covers in my previous originals band gave me a good idea of the type of songs that went down well at gigs. Also, the covers circuit tends to have existing venues with their own "captive" audience - people who go to the Ferret and Firkin every Friday because they know there will be a band on, and in most cases they will be decent. It is a massively frustrating business!

Having just recently formed a covers band, I would say that there is some excellent advice in this thread - but at the end of the day every band is different because it is made up of individuals, and individuals are different. Everyone has different skills, experiences, desires, expectations... You'd think it would be simple, but no

[quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1489611370' post='3258416']....ram-a-llama ding dong? [/quote] Alpacas are quivering with fear just reading that!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSbBvKaM6sk