We are the Background Music - Best Approach?

[solarfly]

I have a three-piece band (guitar, drums and bass). We play a healthy mix of jazz (eg. Sunny, Sissy Strut, Red Baron, Mercy Mercy), some R&B influence (eg. Just the Two of Us, What's Going On), some contemporary (like Jack Johnson) and a bunch of originals that range from jazz to contemporary rock.

We've been hired to be the background music at a "talking volume" during intermission at a concert event this weekend, and playing in the lobby. We have a good reputation at several local gigs for managing our volume and dynamics to suit the environment, so we get invited back alot, but those gigs were more relaxed on requirements. This gig, the customer has real expectations on how the band blends into the lobby at intermission. The drummer likes to get into dynamics and snare work typically, and I've had to make it clear what this is, so he realized he needs to go with a small 3-piece jazz kit, a sweet ride and a hi-hat. Maybe a small crash for some flavor. Any slap parts I'd normally do in a song I've worked out some nice walking grooves. We're the background, not the show this time (so "Stratus" is probably out!). So for overall sound balance, where the customer wants background music at a level where 200 people can talk with each other during intermission, what's the right approach to getting our sound levels right at sound check? We don't have a sound guy this time. Half the songs are instrumental and half have vocals. How do I feel out how our level is matching the customer's expectations to where everyone is having a good time?

This is also in a community that has big houses and decent money for hiring bands at private parties, so it's a bit of an advertising opportunity for the band as well. We'd like to attract at least one or two gigs out of it, so we don't want to kill all of our personality, but I think it's a good opportunity to show our ability to adapt to different gig requirements.

 

[Guitalia]

The highly experienced keyboardist of my last band told me that the key to playing background music gigs is, rather than working up a set, to play just one song for chorus after chorus after chorus of free-form improvisation. One song. He said, "Once you've started playing that song, don't stop until the manager tells you to or it's time for a break."

That might be enough to get you other background gigs. But if you'd like to get other kinds of gigs out of that job, I'd ask the organizer whether it would be OK for you to do one or two slightly more attention-seeking numbers (wording it differently, of course). I'd limit it to one or two, though. (The fact that you asked would probably guarantee you more jobs with that booker.)

Otherwise, the drummer should use brushes. No vocals. The objective should be to play so quietly that the event organizer has to ask you to turn up. It will probably require some effort to suppress the look-at-me impulse, but it can be very freeing to play at a volume near absolute zero.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

I'm kind of amazed anyone still hires live bands for this kind of work. Type "royalty free background music" into your favorite search engine and see what comes up! I haven't done one of these in years, but I do remember "No Vocals." If you can work something out with your client to actually showcase yourselves for a song or two, that would be great--sounds like a potentially lucrative market. But if not, I fear there will have to be some "personality" removal to make a go of it.

 

[skwee]

I feel like prior to the show would be a great time to do that soundcheck in the space/get the presenter to give you the volume directive.

 

[crguti]

The good thing with ‘background music’ is that nobody is listening, so if you stop playing or make mistakes nobody really cares. But back to your question, is the drummer who dictates how loud the music is.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Best thing is always a wireless or extra person with good ears. Do a sound check before everyone gets there. Get a dB app for your phone.

 

[akrachanko]

Having played many gigs like this in the past, I can agree with @Bunk McNulty that 'no vocals' was usually the best way to go, even if not required. Another big recommendation is that the drummer use lighter sticks, or even brushes. If you can bring the volume of the kit down, then everything else will usually follow, if the band is made up of good listeners. I can also confirm that stretching songs out works really well in this situation. We used to play Chameleon by Herbie Hancock, and Back in the Chicken Shack as 2 of our tunes, and we would solo over Chameleon for like 20 minutes. On Back in the Chicken Shack, we would get bored and start changing the key. We once walked the whole way through the circle of 5ths until we were back in C where started it. That got a hilarious nod and cup raise from an employee, who I'm guessing was a fellow musician. It was a great time.

 

[DirtDog]

As a five peice country-rock band, we found ourselves booked for a gig like this. The organizer spec'd a country band, but really wanted a jazzy-country-lounge act. To add to it, the room was three walls of concrete and one of glass! Acoustics were horrible for music. After a few touch and go numbers at the start, we had to quickly adapt our dynamics and setlist to the occasion. Measuing the ambient SPLs in the room fully occupied, it was between around 90 dBA. I challenged the drummer to keep his volume to 85 dB and the rest of us to play accordingly. Of course, the guitar was a challenge! Mindset had to change from centre of attention to sideshow. That was probably the hardest part...

The most interesting part was converting our southern rock numbers into jazz-lounge numbers by dropping the BPM by 50% and loungifyingthe lyrics. I think we must've played the chorus to Sweet Home Alabama about 15 times. I was lead vocals and I felt like Ronnie Van Zandt channelling Tony Bennett! LOL. Our keys player was the hero of the night for a change - he's used to that solo piano lounge thing. Luckily, the crowd dug it and so did the organizer.

 

[electracoyote]

One thing that will make you seem "too loud" is too much low end. Not to be confused with overall volume; you can probably get away with a little more volume if the low end is tamped. All electric instruments need to roll off the lows, drummer needs to mute or damper the kick and floor tom. Try to sonically imitate the in-house small-speaker P.A. system in the ceiling. Since sound absorption and baffling will be a factor depending on how many people fill the room, ask the event planner/talent buyer to monitor your sound throughout the event and let you know if it needs to come up or down. That takes some of the blame off your shoulders. No matter how carefully you sound check an empty room, it will change. And unless you're tied into the house P.A. (a possibility worth checking into), you will seem louder to the folks closest, quieter to the folks farthest away. Seems obvious enough to us, not so obvious to our clients, so you'll need to remind them. (In rooms where I could not tie into the house system I often used wireless powered mains and set them in the farthest corners; this let us set our "stage volume" lower and get more consistent coverage of the entire room and control volume better.) I'm not sure I understand the "no vocals" advice; if the vocals are mixed into the music appropriately and not blaring above, that should be fine. My bands have gotten away with it many times. Again, roll off the low end on the microphones as well. It's a no-boom zone. I can't imagine cutting all vocal songs from your playlist or hastily trying to fill in those melody lines instrumentally. And any musicians who have issues with turning up above the rest need to get it in check, and drummer/all need to avoid the temptation of dynamic spikes. Drummer sets a consistent volume ceiling, the rest of you need to adhere to it.

 

[JRA]

No vocals

 

[bass12]

At one of the recent wedding gigs I played the cocktail set was done by a pianist/singer who was using tracks for the drums and bass. I think using tracks for a cocktail set is super lame but his vocals didn't seem to be getting in the way. Having said that, almost all of the cocktail sets I've played have been vocal-free and I do think that approach works best in most "background music" circumstances. I too would recommend the drummer try using brushes or, at the most, Cool or Hot Rod-style sticks. Get a long cable and go out into the room during sound check to see how things sound away from the band. Also, something I've seen a lot is soloists not playing appropriately for the occasion. They'll be ripping through solos, squeezing in as many notes as possible, when what would better suit the mood is something melodic and unobtrusive. "Unobtrusive": that's pretty much the name of the game where these kinds of cocktail gigs are concerned. Oh, and look sharp. Part of the reason people hire a band to play for a cocktail hour is the look. Add an air of sophistication to the proceedings and you are more likely to get additional bookings. Good luck!

 

[dalkowski]

Tell your drummer to bring brushes only. Hot Rods maybe.

 

[mrcbass]

+1 on no vocals and db meter. If you can get there well before people do so you can experiment with getting your balances right levels low enough. Maybe some rods for the drummer (or Ekit even better) to keep his volume down. Play to each other rather than trying to involve the crowd.

 

[nomaj]

Tell your drummer to bring brushes only. Hot Rods maybe.

+1
Brushes (as long as he can play the "swirl") will automatically bring the volume down, and make it easy for everyone else to tuck in at a very low volume level.

 

[Peavaria]

What Bass12 said. You NEVER have to apologize for being overdressed!

 

[voodoobassist]

Surprised no one has suggested the drummer go to hand drums. A cajon and maybe a few percussion toys would work nicely in this situation.

 

[mikewalker]

... I'm not sure I understand the "no vocals" advice; if the vocals are mixed into the music appropriately and not blaring above, that should be fine. ...

Vocals by their sheer nature of containing actual words simply attract too much attention, and distract from the room conversation. Maybe if it's just very light scat-singing...

 

[electracoyote]

Vocals by their sheer nature of containing actual words simply attract too much attention, and distract from the room conversation. Maybe if it's just very light scat-singing...

I've been at many public and private events where vocal music was being played lightly in the background and I did not notice people getting distracted to the point of losing their train of thought and being unable to converse. Sometimes it even happens when the band is featured and trying to get vocals and lyrics across to the audience, and the audience actually gabs so loud they drown out the singer!

I have not worried about this at many similar events and it was not a problem for us, the audience, or the client, and I certainly wouldn't cut my singer (and those songs) out of the playlist or make her scat. That might be more distracting than letting her sing. "Why the hell is that girl not singing the words?"

 

[arbiterusa]

So for overall sound balance, where the customer wants background music at a level where 200 people can talk with each other during intermission, what's the right approach to getting our sound levels right at sound check?

The way I do this without a db meter is simple; everyone on stage should be able to talk to each other at normal conversational volume, and you should be able to talk to audience members near you at the same level. Any louder is too loud.

It's REALLY hard to find people who can and will do this, in my experience. I wish more would.

ETA: what others have said: no vocals. You're a soundtrack. Vocals make you the center of attention.

 

[nomaj]

Surprised no one has suggested the drummer go to hand drums. A cajon and maybe a few percussion toys would work nicely in this situation.

Cajons are loud AF. Brushes are far more musical.