Wedding/Corporate Scene-Need tips to get started

[Hambone 70]

It's already been mentioned, but a contract. A legally binding contract. That's not only for your protection, but the client as well.

Extras. Offer something that others don't. We had two giant video screens, one on either side of the stage. We piped live dance floor and crowd video, as well as the stage, via remote pan/tilt/zoom cameras, recorded all video/audio, and gave the bride/groom a professionally edited DVD. They loved it, and it got us plenty of repeat work. We also prepared a slide show of photos and videos provided by the bride and groom (as babies, growing up, with family, etc) and played the slide show to music. The video screens were also very useful for corporate stuff, too. And Christmas/NYE/birthday parties, etc, too.

DJ. Do it yourself between sets. You'll get longer breaks, and you can DJ the popular tracks that you can't play live. Just don't upstage the band by making the DJ music more popular!

 

[seanm]

I notice most of the replies are about weddings. Are there still pockets where corporate events are common? I don't mean the odd 50th anniversary, but year end and Christmas parties?

 

[friskinator]

Also keep in mind that these gigs will often test your patience. They'll usually require a full day of your time (even if you aren't traveling), and they aren't as simple as a bar gig where you set up around dinnertime, play a couple sets, then leave. I did weddings/corporate for a few years, then got tired of the whole thing. Yes, the money is better, but they also demand a lot more of your time and effort.

 

[Hambone 70]

Also keep in mind that these gigs will often test your patience.

^^^This.

Be prepared for unreasonable "bridezillas" and mothers, drunken idiots (you're probably used to that from bar gigs), and completely unpredictable situations (power cuts, etc).

 

[Oddly]

You know you guys are gonna have to play 'mustang sally' ' brown-eyed girl' and 'wagon wheel', right?

 

[guy n. cognito]

Yes to event planners -- why not Food and Beverage Managers? In my experience, they recommend to the event planners, and the richest gigs we got are when big companies like Amazon hold roving corporate events across the country. They don't know anyone locally so they rely on the venue to help them.

Interesting to hear why you think F&B managers are a dead end.

One doesn't go around the block to visit the house next door. Effort better spent on the actual decision makers than those that are employed by them.

IMHO, YMMV........

 

[friskinator]

^^^This.

Be prepared for unreasonable "bridezillas" and mothers, drunken idiots (you're probably used to that from bar gigs), and completely unpredictable situations (power cuts, etc).

Exactly. You have to always expect the unexpected. And it was interesting how many clients were unable to understand how contracts worked. If our contract says we play from 7-10 and your inebriated groomsmen speeches aren't over until 8, that doesn't mean we play until 11. And a lot of venues (mainly hotels) had a hard stop by a certain time, so we couldn't play later even if we wanted to. You'd be surprised how many arguments we got into over that.

On the upside, the gigs were occasionally fun, and people seemed to dig us. But I wouldn't go back unless it was an occasional sub.

 

[Johnny Crab]

@foudufafa : good luck and have fun!

Not specifically "only in this circuit" but we do weddings and corp gigs as they come up.

Weddings have been well-covered in this thread. Yes, I've posted somewhere on TB where we did a wedding in Texas hill country that ended about 30 minutes early when a drunken in-law of one of the wedding parties came spinning onto the stage mid-song and knocked our keyboard/guitarist complete setup down including laptop hitting the concrete slab(survived thanks to a solid state hard drive + luck). All his gear survived.

Corporate?
If any of the band has day jobs(?!) in the corporate world, doors do sometimes open. 90% of the CorpGigs we do are because someone knows someone and/or the person(s) making the hiring decision has seen the band at another event and hired them
BASED ON THAT PERCEPTION(<< ALWAYS be on your game, no matter the gig)
at that gig. We did a CorpGig over the weekend due to meeting a business owner at one of our gigs who liked our band and socializing with us on breaks. That led to being hired for an event.

The other 10% are "luck of the draw" based on a client blindly finding your band's website or contact and getting quick responses to inquiries.

Last note on corp gigs:
There will be a few or many where you(The Band) feel totally ignored. I call these wall paper gigs. No matter what you play, stage energy, etc, the audience is either not paying attention or seems to want to be somewhere else. REFER TO THE BOLDED RED TEXT ABOVE. Many times, we have gotten additional gigs from either the same corp client OR had calls for bookings from folks attending that "boring" event and loved the band(!!!). The wall paper gigs will test you and your band.

Sales-people in the band?
Our manager is an MBA with a day career, likes the band, and coordinates things because we are all friends.
B/L and guitarist have been in sales for over 30 years each. 99% of gigs get initial inquiries and booked by them after clearance via manager of all members available(and/or subs if needed) for a date.

 

[Jazz Ad]

I only can think of 3 advices that haven't been given yet.

* For this kind of gig, clients are looking for a complete package for the night. Make sure you have at least a small but efficient light show and a laptop full of music organized by various styles to provide before and after sets.

* It's important to have a wide selection of classics as well as the newest hits and it's difficult to be up to date for both. I found that it works better if one person in the band provides classics and another one selects hits.

* Have a cajon or a pair of bongos and a couple acoustic guitars ready to walk around tables if needed or when power quits (it WILL quit at some point in some gigs).

 

[PauFerro]

One doesn't go around the block to visit the house next door. Effort better spent on the actual decision makers than those that are employed by them.

IMHO, YMMV........

We work with event planners too -- but there's nothing like being the first one these event planners hear about, on the strength of a recommendation from the first person they talk to -- the person who books the hall and plans the food with them.

If we're going to draw an analogy, it would be like being the spring that feeds the lake.

The reason we did it this way was that I did a survey years ago on how people found out about bands and Dj's for weddings. A huge chunk of the people got their services from the guy they called to book the facility -- the first thing they do. And if there is food, they have to use the catering services of the venue in most cases.

A lot of people plan their own events, so you'd never connect with them if you stuck with people who advertise their services as professional or even part-time event planners.

 

[oldcatfish]

You also need a list of subs to make sure you can cover every gig.

Also, check out every venue wuthin 50 miles that hosts those type of events.

+1 for wedding planners, booking agents and a great website.

You may want to have a smaller version of your band available(3-4-5 piece combo) that can do background music for dinners and such while the whole band plays the dance.

+1 for the sub aspect to not be overlooked. My friend is in a wedding/corporate band. They generally do it as a trio, but sometimes expand. I occasionally get called in to sub as one of the extras. I only do the pop rock and country gigs, but they do jazz too.

 

[Acoop]

List the songs and artists you do, then list the musicians and their experiences and then make the most normal, personable and approachable person the spokesperson of the band. ... Nobody booking a band wants to talk to two, let alone three people. ... You don't need an agent. ... Videos are good but, not whole songs, short clips of your best tunes is all you'll need. ... Remember you're one of many bands they'll be looking at before they settle on a DJ service as they will pay that company the same money, as a whole band, to have some goof, who'll spend the dinner, they didn't want interrupted, setting up, opening his computer, pushing play then spend the night texting his ugly girlfriend. ... It's up to you to sell your band and say you'll do better.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

It's already been mentioned, but a contract. A legally binding contract. That's not only for your protection, but the client as well.

Extras. Offer something that others don't. We had two giant video screens, one on either side of the stage. We piped live dance floor and crowd video, as well as the stage, via remote pan/tilt/zoom cameras, recorded all video/audio, and gave the bride/groom a professionally edited DVD. They loved it, and it got us plenty of repeat work. We also prepared a slide show of photos and videos provided by the bride and groom (as babies, growing up, with family, etc) and played the slide show to music. The video screens were also very useful for corporate stuff, too. And Christmas/NYE/birthday parties, etc, too.

DJ. Do it yourself between sets. You'll get longer breaks, and you can DJ the popular tracks that you can't play live. Just don't upstage the band by making the DJ music more popular!

Not only weddings, but wine tastings are great money makers. And I've found a couple young people who pipe today's hits into the PA during breaks. Sometimes the DJ music will get the younger audience going. I usually start the evening with easy jazz on the PA before we start, at a very low volume. I also created what I call the Vegas set-- an hour's worth of Sinatra-Buble Harry Connick Jr music. Diana Kkrall if you have a female member. It's good moo musi during dinner.

Don't forget a nice looking GLASS jar at the front stage. I usually drop a fiver in it before I start. Some here might find that tacky but there's so much excitement someone always wants to tip the band.

 

[basspraiser]

I am Extremely impressed with the info and advice stated here! It is great to hear from your peers...

From a former DJ and Current bassist... I can say... Have a huge repertoire and be flexible.

A buddy and I formed a DJ company in college and we planned out each gig to the minute (song lists ... What was said when etc...Based on the expected audience of course).. We were engineers... What do you expect?

We even had our text And the song order...Scripted

However... It usually did not work out as we planned it!

On one gig We had so many "off script" requests that I remember literally throwing our song list in the air and says " screw it! We're winging it from now now on based on what fills the Dance floor"

As a bandyou cannot have that huge of a song list.. But the point is... Be ready for the unexpected and be ready to fill requests...

Stay up on the " polular songs" old out new... Whether you (collectively) like them or not.. I've played many many songs I HATE but they fill the dance floor.. And that's what you're paid for...

You need to keep the client happy whether you like it or not....

It's about them ( your client) not you....

Good luck
......Peace...

Rember... It's a business.. And you're there to please your client.. Not you

 

[electracoyote]

I notice most of the replies are about weddings. Are there still pockets where corporate events are common? I don't mean the odd 50th anniversary, but year end and Christmas parties?

Yes, that's why I tend to use the term "formal event" or "weddings and formal events."

If there is a party or event planner, if the event involves renting a venue, hiring a caterer or bartender, and the guests are expected to be in semi-formal, jacket and tie, or tux (black tie), it's a "formal event" to me. Nothing quite compares to the planning that goes into a wedding, but they all require a heightened sense of awareness, experience, and attention to detail from the vendors hired by the client.

If enough people get invited and enough money gets spent, you can bet even a 50th Anniversary celebration qualifies as a formal event. Christmas/Winter Holiday and NYE parties almost always have an air of formality to them IME.

 

[electracoyote]

^^^This.

Be prepared for unreasonable "bridezillas" and mothers, drunken idiots (you're probably used to that from bar gigs), and completely unpredictable situations (power cuts, etc).

My contract has a clause that states if guests get out of control, the client has a short time to get it sorted out and neutralize the situation or we pull the plug. I'm not putting up with unruly guests and property damage, physical confrontation, or even verbal abuse from any client or their guests. We, and our equipment, are not being rented out for abuse. It stays dignified, or we pack and leave, and we still get paid in full.

Interestingly, in over 15 years of formal events, I can count on two fingers the times I've had to tell the client that we are getting close to a situation where I call it a night and contact authorities. Normally, none of the guests at a formal event want to be the one who ruined the night for the client and everyone else, so they all do a pretty good job with self control.

My contract also has a power clause that states the client and venue are responsible for providing reliable power up to code. We need two separate circuits, one for P.A., one for lights, and if the fuses can't handle it and blow, it's not our fault. I have simultaneously run both my large P.A. and lights from one circuit in my house, so it's not unreasonable to expect an event venue to have at least that reliable power. If the power failure is so dire as to damage our equipment, the client must reimburse us the cost of that equipment or repair.

You basically have to be prepared for any eventuality and know when to accept responsibility and when to CYA in the contract and put it on the client if it's out of your control. This goes hand-in-hand with anticipating the client's every need and helping them understand what goes into a successful event. Most of them don't do this for a living, so you are educating them throughout the process.

 

[jive1]

TBr Jive1 is your main man. Check out his posts, threads and bands. Shoot him a PM.
Good luck.

You are too kind. I think he wants advice from someone who has a successful wedding band, and I don't consider myself in that category. But, I'm working on it.

Here's my 2 cents:
First off, remember that this is not a bar band, so don't treat it like one. Many bar gigs are like paid practice, but weddings and private events are often once in a lifetime events. There's a lot more details involved and there's lots more at stake.

- Rule #1 in this business is that you have to be awesome. That is your number one job: to sound awesome. You don't need to have a 1000 likes on Facebook or the ability to pack a bar because no-one cares about your draw. Your friends aren't going to be there to think you sound awesome when you're putting on a mediocre performance. Even if everyone is drunk and thinks your sloppy performance is awesome, your mediocrity will be revealed when the video of the reception is played for future generations. That is the difference with these gigs: they are are recorded for posterity. Treat it like a studio session where everything is done in one take, not like a bar gig where they forgive and forget. Make sure that you have players in the band that can pull it off. If not, replace. Luckily, the jobs pay well so the talented folks seem to crawl out of the woodwork when you have gigs on the books.

- Rule #2 is to be flexible. Be flexible in your time, your repertoire, band configuration, sound and space requirements, resources, etc. Basically, be flexible on just about everything reasonable. With these gigs, you may be spending a lot of time sitting around waiting to perform with long breaks in between spurts of music and then a marathon set to close the night. A wide range of music and big list of songs is a must. My band has a repertoire of around 300 songs and that's standard for this business. We also do one-offs and special requests, as that's also part of the game. Lots of bands are also flexible in their configuration. With my band, we offer ceremony or dinner music as either an acoustic Rock or Jazz duo or trio. We can also do a full 6 piece band with a horn section and male and female vocalists, or a 3-4 piece Rock band. It all depends on what the client wants or their budget.

- Rule #3 is be willing to hold their hand through this. The thing to remember is that these are not savvy music buyers. While a bar owner might hire hundreds of bands, a bride and groom may only hire one in their entire lifetime. A company's event planner might hire 1 or 2 a year. They don't know what's involved in having a band, so that's the job of the band to spell out and address the details. Get the details down in a friendly manner, with the client's best interest at heart. Have a contract that spells out the details, and get a deposit. A contract is worthless without one.

As far as promoting the band, there's already a lot said. But in short, you have to have a good video and the ability to network in many realms.

 

[Iain Duncan]

Wow, tons of great advice in here. I've done a fair wack of corporate entertainment as a juggler so here's a few more for corporates specifically, I don't know anything about weddings.

1) Understand the buyer. For me, it's usually an agent called me, and event producer called them, and the person in charge of the event on the company called them. Everyone in that chain only cares about *not screwing up*. The entire purchase is made on perceived safety of choosing you. So everything you can do to allay any fears helps. This means looking like you have done this lots and are super reliable, and will be a low headache choice. They will always pick a "good enough" act that they trust to make their life easy over the best act. I bought "Event Planning For Dummies", totally worth it.

2) Look expensive. Some acrobats I've worked with who do this lots show up in branded black jackets with their own walky-talkies. It shows right away that they have their act together, and they look like staff when they are setting up.

3) Know your role. You are as important as the rented potted plants and the food and the guy putting in the floor and no more. No diva acts, definitely no tip jars, no fraternizing with the end clients unless specifically invited, no eating and drinking in front of clients unless invited, etc. You are fancy animated singing dancing furniture.

4) No networking for gigs with clients there unless you know the agent is fine with it. Asking your agent for a stack of their business cards is good. Always call your agent and offer them the commission on anything that comes out of their gig. ALWAYS.

5) Don't try to fake anything. Agents are not like end clients, they can sniff out BS instantly. My experience with promo is that poorer quality that is clearly footage of a real performance with a real audience and no edits in the clip is worth way more than fancy video that looks like you could have just given a video crew a bucket of money and shot it in an empty rented theatre. Don't do that, they are really good at sniffing that stuff out, really good. You need to build up a decent list of past client names, testimonials, and media footage of you in real gigs. On the other hand, you can't be obviously taping at a gig, so hidden go-pro cameras and so on are good for this.

6) Just do your job and don't worry about people paying attention. Sometimes the client totally screws up the event and there is nothing you can do to kill on stage. If you let it get to you, it looks bad, so put on your 500 Watt smile and give 'er to the five people still on the dance floor after the endless speech that went on too long and scared everyone away.

That list makes it sound bad, but sometimes the client is awesome and it's a hoot. Other times you just think about the cheque. So always charge enough that you will be happy to be there way longer than they said for more work and still go home smiling.

Hope that helps!

 

[foudufafa]

There is so much good advice on this thread that moderator should consider making it a sticky.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to share their experience and tips. This is gold!

 

[JRA]

I notice most of the replies are about weddings. Are there still pockets where corporate events are common? I don't mean the odd 50th anniversary, but year end and Christmas parties?

i play almost as many corporate events as weddings: they can be holiday parties (year end is big, summer 'company picnic' events ---mostly outdoors, but not always!) or "receptions" where a company pres./v.p./guest is being 'welcomed' for a particular reason (a speech, dinner, yada yada). the parties are often similar to wedding events (the band is a bigger deal) and the 'receptions' are usually low-key gatherings where the band is 'in the corner', so to speak.

although there are lots of exceptions, i find the biggest difference is: wedding customers want a 'memorable' event more often than not. corporate events want a 'dignified' event more often than not. hope that makes sense!