Advice For Booking Music Acts
This section is designed to provide an outline of the sort of things that need to be taken into consideration when booking musical entertainment.
Style
They key here is to remember that this is not a case of what do you as the booker like, rather what will appeal to your audience, suit the theme of the event or maybe even more practically fit in the available space! Whereas a single piano player or harpist may be the ideal accompaniment to a sophisticated dinner; they may be less than suitable for a child’s birthday celebration. If you are theming an event then make sure the style you use is actually relevant; for instance, a steel band at a Hawaiian Luau may sound tropical, but it’s not Polynesian! Of course one of the biggest factors in style is the age range of your audience. A good tip is to allow an agent or event management team to guide you. Taking advantage of their experience is good sense and makes for good value.
Venue
Space is normally the biggest question on any musical act’s mind, followed quickly by the question of access. Your performing area should be large enough to comfortably fit all the different activities you want to do in an evening without requiring everyone to move equipment. Nothing spoils the flow of an event more than an extended pause while the band struggles to clear drum kits etc off the stage before the next stage occurs in the proceedings. On a practical note entertaining your guests is the key focus for your musicians energy, not carrying their gear up ten flights of stairs or through the crowded kitchen etc!
Technical
You will obviously need to be able to hear your musical entertainment, but often sight is equally important. Unless your music is designed to be background filler, then most musical entertainment has a degree of interactive by play with the audience. This not only enhances the show but also the enjoyment of the audience. Therefore thought needs to go into the subject of stag positioning, lighting etc. Time spent now in communicating with the artistes will pay off.
Key Points
* Communicate with the performers
* Do you have an appropriate style of musical entertainment for the audience?
* Is there good access to the performing area?
* Can the audience see & hear the entertainment clearly?
