Who puts on music pre/break/post band sets?

[Maude]

Just wondering really as I think it really helps get people in the mood but I've noticed a lot of bands don't. 

The Mod/Northern Soul/Ska band I'm in always get the PA up and running first and we have an mp3 player with a setlist of Northern Soul classics on that we play at decent volume while we're setting up. It gets people up dancing and sets the scene for when the band starts, a bit like a support band would do. Then in the break, we always do two sets, we put it on again (not the same songs) to keep folks interested, and again at the end until the PA gets taken down last. 

It doesn't take any effort once a setlist has been put together, it's not like DJ-ing, and means we are supplying music for a good four hours which the pubs love, and the main thing for us is that it gets people up dancing before we even start and they don't drift away in the break. 

I can see it would probably work best for a band like ours with a theme as it can become as big a part of the night as the band but I'd have thought any band would benefit from tailoring an mp3 set to their band for the reasons above. Yet I don't think many do. Even if using an installed PA with resident soundman there's no reason it couldn't be done.

Personally I love seeing Northern Soul dancers enjoying themselves while we're setting up and it makes a tedious part of gigging enjoyable. 

So I was just wondering if we're in a minority doing this. 

Edited August 17, 2019 by Maude

[CameronJ]

I can’t help but think this is very smart. Keeps the punters happy. Happy punters = happy landlords. Happy landlords = repeat bookings. Repeat bookings = a happy band.

[Lozz196]

It’s also a good move as it keeps the theme going for the whole night, rather than once the band is on a break a load of doof-doof starting up, singing about hoes and gold chains, or The Wurzels top 10 hits one after another.

[uk_lefty]

We do it too. We don't play a single particular genre or era of music but it's all a mix of stuff we think will get people dancing. We play some disco classics, some dance songs and a few cover song ideas to see how people react. The silence or the sh!tty music supplied by the venue often clashes, far better bringing your own and as has been said before you're then providing constant entertainment rather than just the 2x band sets. 

[jazzyvee]

i do depending on the venue. it also helps to keep the songs we play being played by the venue's DJ  

[Maude]

28 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

It’s also a good move as it keeps the theme going for the whole night, rather than once the band is on a break a load of doof-doof starting up, singing about hoes and gold chains, or The Wurzels top 10 hits one after another.

This is the main reason we do it. We have a bit of a following and they're all of a certain type, although this 'scene' encompasses many genres, there's nothing that will clear Mods, Skins, Rude Boys/Girls, Soulboys/girls etc quicker than some pumping dance beats or some Ed Sheeran type stuff. 

[gary mac]

@MaudeIs there a good N.S. scene in Cornwall?

[Maude]

Just to add to the above post, nothing clears/confuses a bunch of Ed Sheeran fans quicker than floor full of Skinheads dancing to 54-46 Was My Number 😂

[uk_lefty]

32 minutes ago, jazzyvee said:

i do depending on the venue. it also helps to keep the songs we play being played by the venue's DJ  

If I had a pound for every time...!

[steantval]

Our drummer puts his phone on random play rock tracks through the PA.

[Maude]

@gary macWhen I joined the band I was really surprised by the scene, you don't really see it normally then at a gig I was like "Is Shane Meadows filming another 'This Is England' or something?" 

We're on the Cornwall/Devon border, two members from Liskeard and two from Plymouth. It's all largely based around the scooter scene which encompasses those genres mentioned earlier but there is a large amount of activity. Out of all of the sub genres N.S. is probably the smallest scene, Mod and Skinhead being the largest, but proper Skins into it for the music and clothing, not the racist (swear filter would break if I said what I thought) thugs. There's a complete cross appreciation across the whole spectrum of those genres but we mainly put on NS music pre and mid gig as the people that aren't there especially to see us will like it as well, we put in some classic Trojan and Motown as well. 

We've done a few scooter rallies and they are always really well attended. 

There's a couple from Torquay who DJ (Vinyl Avengers) with vinyl and play similar stuff to us but edge more towards Northern Soul, Motown, Stax and Trojan and not so much the Mod (60s and revival) stuff and they are well in demand and always pack venues. 

Edited August 17, 2019 by Maude

[SpondonBassed]

It makes a lot more sense than letting the house jukebox fill the intervals.  I like the idea.

[Silvia Bluejay]

We have our own rockabilly playlist that we use at most Damo And The Dynamites gigs, and occasionally for the Junkyard Dogs. We try to replace the house music with it wherever we are allowed to. It definitely helps, not just because it sets the mood, but also because I have control through the tablet over when to turn it off as the band goes on stage. The bar staff always seem to need yelling at several times before they bother to turn off their (usually) crap house PA to make sonic room for the band.

[Maude]

1 minute ago, Silvia Bluejay said:

 It definitely helps, not just because it sets the mood, but also because I have control through the tablet over when to turn it off as the band goes on stage. The bar staff always seem to need yelling at several times before they bother to turn off their (usually) crap house PA to make sonic room for the band.

This is another very good reason. I had actually forgotten about the usual shouting at bar staff to turn the pubs music off, which they usually only managed by the second or third song. 

[SpondonBassed]

How do you satisfy PRS rules doing this?

[Silvia Bluejay]

5 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

How do you satisfy PRS rules doing this?

The PRS rules in this country have always baffled me. In my youth, when I lived in Italy, every band had to produce and sign the complete list of the songs they would play at every gig, and if they also played recorded music, they would have to list those songs too. The pub would counter-sign, and everything would be promptly sent over to the equivalent of the PRS office, for royalty payment. If you didn't do it, the police would eventually get you and both the pub(s) and your band would be fined.

This country is a bleedin' free-for-all from this point of view. Never seen any band being asked for a list of songs they played live or over the PA. I have no idea how artists get their dues here. Ah, but we're getting our country back from EU red tape, so all will be fine, won't it. 😮

Edited August 17, 2019 by Silvia Bluejay

[Maude]

10 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

How do you satisfy PRS rules doing this?

Much as @Silvia Bluejay, I have no idea. I've never been asked for a list for PRS in all the time I've been gigging. It does seem to be a free for all. 

[scalpy]

1 hour ago, jazzyvee said:

i do depending on the venue. it also helps to keep the songs we play being played by the venue's DJ  

Good shout. We put music on for most events, but if there is a DJ we give then the setlist- which they promptly ignore most of the time. Really grips my proverbial. Us doing the music also helps with the volume war, i haven't met a wedding DJ yet that doesn't make a point of blasting the band out of the water. 

On a more positive note, the band being in charge of the music allows the initial volume to be set at conversation levels, then gradually increased to reduce the 'live drum kit' shock when we start playing. Still not DJ volume either! 

[Maude]

6 minutes ago, scalpy said:

 Us doing the music also helps with the volume war, i haven't met a wedding DJ yet that doesn't make a point of blasting the band out of the water. 

Oh yes why do wedding DJs do that? And they've usually got a lower quality PA than the band which they push beyond its limits. 

My other band has a wedding to do next Saturday with a DJ so we'll see how that goes. 

😀

[Silvia Bluejay]

Regarding payment of royalties, this is what the PRS website says.

TBH, I think an updated version of the old-style Italian printed setlist would still be preferable, and more precise in giving the most popular authors their proper share. In the era of computers, mobile phones and the Cloud it wouldn't be much red tape to contend with.

Edited August 17, 2019 by Silvia Bluejay

[Silvia Bluejay]

Also, I'm not sure how this works in practice:

Quote

Covers bands

We use the sample method of royalty collection for covers bands, where their repertoire is often limited to a specific set of songs that's often repeated. The royalties are not paid to the performers but to the writers of the songs being performed.

 

[Lozz196]

12 minutes ago, Silvia Bluejay said:

Regarding payment of royalties, this is what the PRS website says.

TBH, I think an updated version of the old-style Italian printed setlist would still be preferable, and more precise in giving the most popular authors their proper share. In the era of computers, mobile phones and the Cloud it wouldn't be much red tape to contend with.

When we’ve played in Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Greece we’ve had to do the same as the Italian way, much better imo.

[pintspiller]

The venue's we play at pump their own music through their house system and we wave like mad when we set up and want to start.

[uk_lefty]

9 hours ago, pintspiller said:

The venue's we play at pump their own music through their house system and we wave like mad when we set up and want to start.

Amazing how venue's hire you to do 2x sets of however many minutes which must start at a certain time but when you want them to turn off their ten year old "now" album or whatever it takes ages!! 

[thebigyin]

Nah leave the juke box on....folks have put money in, nothing more annoying than a band coming in and setting up and having to listen to there crap choice of music...unless it's some decent classic 70s rock.