Band Banners

SeaBassSteve · #1 12-19-2010, 12:58 PM

Hi guys

Just wondering if people had any experience of buying band banners for going on a wall behind the band?
Basically, trying to work out what is the best value for money, and what will last and survive gigs? PVC ? Canvas? Etc etc
(for the record, I have the artwork, and am also trying to work out an approximate size for general pub use...)

SeaBassSteve · #2 12-19-2010, 01:01 PM

oops, thought I was in band management forum .... cough cough

although any gig stories related to band banners could be a laugh too xD

neurotictim · #3 12-19-2010, 01:04 PM

Having a band banner is humorous, all by itself.

We got one - it's PVC, black background w/white lettering, and it's near impossible to hang up. We have yet to play a place that we didn't have to somehow jury-rig the thing, sometimes with hilarious results.

This show was the only one without a problem, because of duct tape. And even then, we should have taped it down or put weight on the bottom, because it was flappin in the wind.

:sigh:

snyderz · #4 12-19-2010, 01:12 PM

We use a 5'x30" banner. It is a vinyl material with gromets. Vinyl letters and graphics (blue on white, very easy to read), and it has now held up beautifully for 3 years. Just roll it up (don't fold it). If the wall behind us is wood, we use large push-pins through the gromet holes. A couple bars that we are regulars at actually put hooks in the wall for us to hang the banner. We always carry bungee cords, as they work well to hang the banner if there is something to stretch the banner to. The only funny story we have is at one bar, we had to tape up the banner, and it must have fallen at least 5 times during the gig.

timber22 · #5 12-19-2010, 02:31 PM

It's a crappy picture, but you can see ours in the background. We had the artwork and I had it made by JDJen here on TB. Real good quality at a nice price.
Heavy vinyl material with grommets. It's holding up well.

undeadbass · #6 12-19-2010, 03:02 PM

Our banner is vinyl. Looks much bigger when it's not so high above the band!

I<34080 · #7 12-19-2010, 03:08 PM

Am I the only one who thinks they're kind of tacky? Nothing against bands that use them, but I've yet to see one and think, "Good decision on getting that banner."

undeadbass · #8 12-19-2010, 03:35 PM

We actually picked up the banner specifically for that show. We were playing side stage at Jones Beach Amphitheater opening for Jimmy Buffet. We decided to have our label go all out with promo stuff, such as sunglasses with the website on it, tons of download cards, and that banner.

Ripley · #9 12-20-2010, 11:23 AM

If you don't mind a little cross promotion on your banner, talk to a local beer distributor. They made a free one for us with a PBR logo on it, which is fine because I drink a fair amount of PBR when we play. (Keeps me in touch with the regular folks in the bars, dontchaknow!)

walker rosewood · #10 12-20-2010, 11:32 AM

the band I run sound for has some mesh type banners that hang on our speaker stacks. They don't affect the sound at all, but they still piss me off.

May I suggest consulting with your drummer about a custom kick drum head with band logo instead?

SeaBassSteve · #11 12-20-2010, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I<34080

Am I the only one who thinks they're kind of tacky? Nothing against bands that use them, but I've yet to see one and think, "Good decision on getting that banner."

I do have the advantage of the fact my band logo is absolutely KICKASS....

SeaBassSteve · #12 12-20-2010, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ripley

If you don't mind a little cross promotion on your banner, talk to a local beer distributor. They made a free one for us with a PBR logo on it, which is fine because I drink a fair amount of PBR when we play. (Keeps me in touch with the regular folks in the bars, dontchaknow!)

Now that sounds like a good deal!

essentre · #13 12-20-2010, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snyderz

We use a 5'x30" banner. It is a vinyl material with gromets. Vinyl letters and graphics (blue on white, very easy to read), and it has now held up beautifully for 3 years. Just roll it up (don't fold it). If the wall behind us is wood, we use large push-pins through the gromet holes.

Same here.

thatbasskid597 · #14 12-21-2010, 02:23 AM

My band just had a 2.5' x 6' vinyl banner made. It has six metal gromets, and is mounted to a pvc stand(think soccerr) with legs. Its just tall enough to clear the celling in most bars. The pvc isn't glued, so it just pulls apart and the banner gets rolled up, easy!

julio.gamiz · #15 12-21-2010, 02:45 AM

We have a vinyl one, 1 x 3 m, with rings. Cost us around €100.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...id=94949123851

NicJimBass · #16 12-21-2010, 07:34 AM

Having worked in the sign industry for almost a decade, and having been in multiple bands over the years, I can give some insight.

It seems as though most bands think bigger is better, until they actually see the end result, and have to deal with transporting/ maintaining the banner. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that 1" of letter height = 10' of maximum impact viewing distance. That's maximum impact, not total viewing distance. Being that a lot of bands play small bars, this translates into a much smaller and more manageable banner than what they may end up with. A banner 2' tall by 5-6' wide is more than enough to get the point across.

When it comes to designing a banner or logo, most sign shops can do the work, and usually charge much less than a design firm. Granted, you may have to spend a little more time to get the desired end result, but if money is a concern, it's a viable option.

Someone above hit the nail on the head when it comes to vinyl/PVC banners- NEVER FOLD THEM!!! Always roll them up!!! I can't tell you how many time people would bring a banner in for a date-change or name-change, and the thing was almost in shambles because they thought it'd be a good idea to fold it! Best thing to do is buy some PVC pipe from Lowe's or Home Depot, add a couple ends to it, and put the banner it there when it's not in use. It'll extend the life of the banner almost indefinitely, especially if you keep it clean and out of direct sunlight, when possible.

Most sign companies offer 2 types of banners- vinyl-lettered and printed. Both have their pros and cons. Vinyl-lettered banners are inexpensive, and work great if your band logo is really simple... mainly words, or words and a simple graphic. The downside is that after several years, the vinyl (especially calendered) tends to shrink, leaving the adhesive behind. Makes the banner look crappy. Leaving it in direct sunlight will speed this up considerably.

Printed banners are pricier, but allow you to put way more on the banner than vinyl alone. If you have a complex logo, with a very distorted font, shadows, photos, gradients, etc., printing is the way to go. However, just like vinyl, printing has a finite life, and will start to fade after several years. Again, direct sunlight will affect this process as well.

Besides vinyl/PVC, banners can be made with a mesh material (as noted above) which for larget banners can reduce the weight considerably. The trade-off is that the image will be somewhat muted, as there is less surface area for the image to be printed to. Another material is nylon, which is slightly lighter than PVC, but looks great, and is easy to maintain. If it's a printed banner on nylon, you can fold the banner without doing any damage in the long run.

Manndreas · #17 12-21-2010, 06:20 PM

Caca de Kick · #18 12-21-2010, 07:22 PM

We had two banners made, same image just flip-flopped. I built X shaped folding stands for them out of pvc tubing, and we set the banners on each side of the stage infront of the amplifiers.

a sort of closeup of one banner.

slaps76 · #19 12-21-2010, 07:31 PM

I had a banner made for a band I was in, and found out half the bars we played, there was no way to hang it.

So the new band I'm in, I bought an electronic scrolling LED light. It's only a couple feet long, and since you can't hang it like a sign, have to find a place to prop it. So you have to be closer to the stage to see it if the place is busy since it's usually chest high somewhere, but it's going to grab your attention, and I have it to scroll the band name, then website, over and over. AND, can use it for multiple bands!

Jim Campbell · #20 12-21-2010, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neurotictim

Having a band banner is humorous, all by itself.

We got one - it's PVC, black background w/white lettering, and it's near impossible to hang up. We have yet to play a place that we didn't have to somehow jury-rig the thing, sometimes with hilarious results.

This show was the only one without a problem, because of duct tape. And even then, we should have taped it down or put weight on the bottom, because it was flappin in the wind.

:sigh:

gromets-zip ties-a few fishing sink weights....problem solved