i've heard of that a lot actually- i've never "first hand" experienced it, but i've never been the one taking calls from clients.
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"Party" gig is actually a wedding
- Thread starter Jim Nazium
- Start date
- Apr 15, 2009
- 539
- 260
- Disclosures
- Sales and electronic tech/piano tech: England Music Center - Clinton IA - now closed
I had that happen once when I was playing keyboards with a country band. A club that we played at on a regular basis hired us for a weekend show. When we got there Friday night the place was all set up for a wedding and the club owner told us that he had rented the club for the wedding. Then we were approached by the wedding party who had a list of things they wanted us to do for them including a setlist of material we were supposed to play for them that evening.
We were nice about it and informed them about our rates for weddings and they responded that they didnt want to pay that much for a band. That's why they rented the club knowing it would already have a band.
What did we do? No announcements, no special music, no extras. We played our show like we normally would and shut down the sound system during breaks in case someone would try to take the stage to make their own announcements (which they did try).
A good time was still had by all and we even made bonus.
We were nice about it and informed them about our rates for weddings and they responded that they didnt want to pay that much for a band. That's why they rented the club knowing it would already have a band.
What did we do? No announcements, no special music, no extras. We played our show like we normally would and shut down the sound system during breaks in case someone would try to take the stage to make their own announcements (which they did try).
A good time was still had by all and we even made bonus.
I do a lot of weddings - and there's quite a bit of time, planning, & coordination that goes in to making a reception run smoothly from start to finish. (This is why many vendors charge more for these types of events).
Hey - if the couple just wants a casual, fun, rockin' party band to do their thing - then it sounds like everything should be cool.
If not, there could be a lot of potential for disappointment. They may be expecting you to emcee all the traditional introductions & announcements, plus direct the numerous obligatory activities throughout the evening. Be prepared to politely decline many of the cliché songs universally requested by drunk people who don't get out much.
I would call the client ASAP and talk down the itinerary, find out their basic expectations, and lay down some ground rules. This could open the opportunity to renegotiate your fee.
My other bit of advice - bring an iPod loaded with a decent mix of hip cocktail & classy dinner break music plus at least a couple hours of upbeat dance & modern party tunes for later in the evening.
Good luck!
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Hey - if the couple just wants a casual, fun, rockin' party band to do their thing - then it sounds like everything should be cool.
If not, there could be a lot of potential for disappointment. They may be expecting you to emcee all the traditional introductions & announcements, plus direct the numerous obligatory activities throughout the evening. Be prepared to politely decline many of the cliché songs universally requested by drunk people who don't get out much.
I would call the client ASAP and talk down the itinerary, find out their basic expectations, and lay down some ground rules. This could open the opportunity to renegotiate your fee.
My other bit of advice - bring an iPod loaded with a decent mix of hip cocktail & classy dinner break music plus at least a couple hours of upbeat dance & modern party tunes for later in the evening.
Good luck!
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- Jan 27, 2010
- 4,141
- 471
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Genz Benz Amplification
That happened to us once, we were playing the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar in Jackson Hole Wyoming. It's pretty much the Aspen of Wyoming. Kind of town where a pack of Ramen is $1.79. We were booked for 2 weeks, at a decent rate, but still a bit less than it should have been considering the kind of money floating around the place.
The first Friday night we arrived at the club to find there was a private party booked. Turned out to be a rehearsal dinner for two millionaire's kids. Texas oil magnates. I talked to a server on a break, and she said they base the price to rent the place on the previous year's sales for the night, then add 20%. So probably between $25-30,000. We got our regular rate. Kind of a rip-off, but we had a contract, and our set times didn't change, so there wasn't much we could do. We did get a couple hundred in tips, so that was a nice bonus, but if I had contracted that gig out privately I would have bid it at $5,000.
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The first Friday night we arrived at the club to find there was a private party booked. Turned out to be a rehearsal dinner for two millionaire's kids. Texas oil magnates. I talked to a server on a break, and she said they base the price to rent the place on the previous year's sales for the night, then add 20%. So probably between $25-30,000. We got our regular rate. Kind of a rip-off, but we had a contract, and our set times didn't change, so there wasn't much we could do. We did get a couple hundred in tips, so that was a nice bonus, but if I had contracted that gig out privately I would have bid it at $5,000.
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When my sweetheart and I get married we are planning to have a pastor friend marry us in front of a couple of friends and family members. I'm 55, she is 63 and we have both been married before. Neither of us want a fancy ceremony.
But we will have a party! (WE LOVE PARTIES!)
We intend to hire a friend's band that plays classic rock and blues, we are not interested in a "wedding band". A lot of the guests will be musicians as well, because that is the crowd that we hang with.
But we will have a party! (WE LOVE PARTIES!)
We intend to hire a friend's band that plays classic rock and blues, we are not interested in a "wedding band". A lot of the guests will be musicians as well, because that is the crowd that we hang with.
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- Jan 27, 2010
- 4,141
- 471
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Genz Benz Amplification
Fair enough. I've never seen one without. Maybe it's a regional thing.
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That's funny, I have been to 10 weddings, and EVERY one the bartender had a tip jar.
Yeah- because every cover band I have been in, has polyester no-iron suits as a requirement.
Seriously? How is that on him- he was simply hired to play a Party??
Logic 101 calling...
If I am hired to dig a mailbox post out; show up and they say they really want me to dig a house foundation. Am I supposed to have a back-up bulldozer ready to do?
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To me, this would be the best way to handle it. I'd show up and do the gig, but any requests on the fly for a wedding we weren't told about I would have no interest in doing. That is why I would want the larger fee for a wedding: so we can prepared and do the job we were hired for well.
It's at Naked Mountain Winery, out near Front Royal, VA. I hope that doesn't mean there's going to be a bunch of naked drunk old people there
Absolutely. It's never been my intention to do anything else.
Only difference between a wedding and a party in these parts is no one brings a shotgun to a party.
It's at Naked Mountain Winery, out near Front Royal, VA. I hope that doesn't mean there's going to be a bunch of naked drunk old people there
.
Let's hope.
So, this is *SOMEWHAT* in the DC suburbs, correct? But it's also at a winery. It sounds like it's likely to be a somewhat more informal party, but these might be people with some means since it's in that general DC area.
I'm still left wondering if this client is trying to pull a fast one on your band, but that's already been touched upon ad nauseum over the course of the thread. Look at it as an opportunity to drum up some more party business.
A house foundation and a mailbox post are incredibly different things. A wedding and a party are not.
Shutting down the sound system is a dick move, IMO. Is it really such a burden to let them speak into the mic a few times during the night?
jive1
Commercial User
It's actually out in the sticks. More Virginia than DC if that makes sense. We played out there a couple of weeks ago. Nice folk, plenty of drawl.
- Apr 15, 2009
- 539
- 260
- Disclosures
- Sales and electronic tech/piano tech: England Music Center - Clinton IA - now closed
awilkie84. Shutting off the sound system a dick move? Would you seriously want people who took advantage of you to save themselves a few dollars climbing on your stage and possibly knock your bass or guitar from the stand to make announcements? If they would have given us SOMETHING I wouldnt have had a problem making announcements for them. But all they cared about was the price and saving some money. And we only wanted a few hundred more to do them a good job. But they didnt offer up anything so I felt justified in playing the "Dick" card.
