LM2 Entertainment Blog

In the current economic climate prospective clients have rightly become ever more value conscious. Wanting to see the band live before booking and have the ability to ‘touch’ and ‘feel’ what they are paying for has become the norm rather than the exception in the sales process.  Ultimately the question of ‘why does the band cost what it costs’ is one that we find having to be answered more and more.

The market of course decides the fee of any live band. Demand and supply tussle and ultimately decides the bands fee and sorts the wheat from the chaff. There are further hidden costs at play here that influence demand and supply that are not always understood by prospective clients and need an explanation.  We always like to quote an all in fee for our bands and ultimately absorb the costs of travel and accommodation if needed.

This only really scratches the surface though. A professional function band must have a fully functioning, reliable quality PA system. In a competitive market place we believe this must be offered as standard. The upkeep and maintenance of a professional standard PA comes at a cost. Loading in and out the gear from venues week in week out takes its toll on the equipment. Maintenance is essential and can, over time be costly. A further not insignificant cost is the running and maintenance of the tour van – servicing, tax, parking permits and not to mentioning the ever rising cost of fuel all add to the continually stretching budget. Quality professional musicians come at a price. The standard of any bands performance comes directly from those on stage. While the best musicians have had to feel the squeeze as well the time does come when the bottom line is reached. At that point quality will suffer as the best won’t be available at the fees being offered to them.

In Part 2 of this series we’ll take a look at some of the other hidden costs of running a professional function band.

“The client has no right to choose songs for the bands set list”

This is simply wrong.  It’s vital that client’s receive value for money in all areas of booking a live band. Giving them the option to pick and choose songs they would like to hear is as important as giving them the unquestionable choice of what time they would like the band to start performing.

Finding the balance between what the client wants played and what the band knows works can be a difficult one to strike. Experienced professional function bands should have an understanding that they work in a client facing industry and that it’s vital they do their very best to accommodate the choices and requests of their clients.  In our experience clients don’t tend to come up with lists of obscure choices but ones that the band would have played anyway, making the balancing act an easy one for the band. Any choices that are so obscure that they’ll plainly spoil the flow of the set need to be dealt with in professional manner by either the bandleader or bands representative explaining to the client why one or two of their choices won’t work when put into the wider context of the rest of the set list.

Moreover great function bands will have in-depth experience in being able to modify their intended playlists during the set, should the need arise ie they’ll ‘read the room’ and react accordingly.

It is vital bands gain the trust of their clients and this starts from the point of enquiry. If trust is gained between the clients and the band, the band has the ability to make the right song choices for their set benefiting the event as whole .

“You have to see a live band before you book them”

This is a no brainer, surely.

Why would you NOT see the band before they show up at your event? You want to be able to get a sense of their style, their performance, their sound. You want to know what you’re getting for your money.

Well yes, but also no.

As event management and party planners become more high profile the demand from clients to have something fresh, exciting, different and unique might be forcing you to plan without your safety net. Instead of relying on old contacts, you might find the need to explore new ones, and unfortunately showcasing a live act isn’t always going to be possible. If they’re high in demand, for example, they could be on the road every weekend and you’ll likely be at an event. Public venues to showcase function bands are few and far between these days as licensing laws are tightened and budgets cut. In pushing the boundaries of what you offer you might have to take a few risks. But this is a risk that can be managed. Use your networks, new and old, to make sure you know what you’re getting.

• The quality of the media. A fully professional band should have great quality audio and video. You should be able to see it on their or their  website or request a DVD which in turn you can present to your client.
• Testimonials. Bread and butter in our business. Other event managers you know or have worked with may well have worked with the band before. Ask around and more importantly ask questions. Like minded previous clients will be able to offer an honest appraisal. The bandleader or their representative should have a plethora of previous clients they could put you in touch with. If not, alarm bells should start to ring.
• Social networks. If someone’s had a great night, or a bad one, the likelihood is the first thing they’ll do is go on Twitter or Facebook. See what fans, or critics are saying about the band online. First point of call is the bands Facebook page…
• Chat to the bandleader or their representative. Part of their job is to instil you with confidence and tell you about their ability to make your event great. However, trust your instincts. Do you feel there might be a lack of experience? Do they “get” what you’re looking for and the questions you’re asking? Don’t be afraid to think that you just don’t gel so look elsewhere.