Today's rant...tiny stages

[el murdoque]

I've opted to price my bands out of weddings. If they're willing to pay my ridiculous price, (usually 5 times what we'd normally get, the band will usually be tolerant of all the idiocy.

That's what I usually do, but we usually do 2,5 times the usual fee.
You get your normal pay for the gig and then you get a healthy sum on top of that as compensation for the pain you'll be going through.

Weddings mean last minute changes. Weird requests. Setting up in the worst possible spaces. Playing to crowds that act like you're annoying them with your volume levels and all such. Charge extra to put up with that and it's suddenly fine.


Here's a positive recollection of mine:
My band was playing a wedding. The wedding was hosted in an ancient windmill that was converted into an event location. The crowd was upstairs. We set up, did a sound check while the crowd was outside for some program point, and then they were upstairs for dinner. We also got fed - but really classy: While upstairs they did fine dining which must have cost a fortune, the musicians got sausages and potatoes.
However, our time table said to be ready at nine and play one set that is exactly one hour long. At five minutes to nine, I put on my bass and tuned it, the room was completely empty except for the band. At three minutes to nine, people started pouring down the stairs, and at nine sharp, the room was packed and we played some 3/4 piece so the bride and groom could open the dance with a waltz (as requested). That done, we played for exactly what remained of the hour and everyone in the room danced and partied. Last song finished, the people poured out in the same speed they came in, we were, yet again, completely alone to tear down the system and leave.
Obviously, the band thing was a program point for the wedding, so everybody knew that from nine to ten, it's band and dancing, so they obliged.
It was quite weird. No warming up the crowd, no encore. Full on dance gig for exactly 60 minutes.

 

[pepj]

Usually, I find, people want you for their weddings because they like you a lot ....enough to mark their special day... and you fit their vision of the event.

And during those initials comms, expectations are set. No one wants to purposely derail the workings of the wedding and you certainly don't want to have to defer to the groom to sort a problem out so both parties, plus the venue need to totally be onboard with how things are expected to work.
And to make sure you are working with people who understand this and can actually deliver, you should charge more so you can inspect the venue before confirming the gig..or work with people with a proven track record succeeding at this game with pictures and diagrams etc

 

[subject42]

No warming up the crowd, no encore. Full on dance gig for exactly 60 minutes.

That sounds like The Dream, to be honest.