A live FUNCTION BAND how do you approach the evening? Who has prominence? Is it an even billing? Most importantly, how do you structure your night to work together to give the best experience possible to your mutual client?
IS THE BAND YOUR FRIEND OR YOUR COMPETITION? Whilst the idea of booking a band to perform at a function is a great one, a fantastic focal point of the evening, how do we as DJs view bands? Some (in my experience, most) bands are happy to work with a DJ to make the night a success, good communication being the key, but before we get all loved up with mutual musical synergy, take a step back. Could the band be your competition?
Let’s face facts here, there’s a huge difference in what bands charge for a function when compared to a DJ (especially ‘plug & play’ DJs like me). The client has the idea of the band, it’s almost a statement of the grand level of their function, then they see the prices that the band charge. You can almost hear the words “Ooh, I wasn’t expecting it to be that much!” , falling from their lips. Then the bomb drops… “We can supply a DJ too for a small extra charge” .
BOOM! Of course this is appealing to the client: a single source of supply for the evening’s entertainment. They believe that they are onto a winner here! Now, of course, if the band has an arrangement with a professional DJ then, as Delboy would say, “Lovely Jubbly”!
However, unfortunately, it is not uncommon for a friend of the band to simply whip out his laptop and play a few party tunes to close the night out. There’s no interaction on the microphone, no forethought of what will work well, just a guy playing a ‘NOW’ CD or sticking on a Spotify playlist. In those cases, the DJ is the afterthought, and can really ruin a night. WORKING WITH A BAND So, moving on from the thorny subject of bands including a ‘DJ’ in their package, let’s assume you have a booking to play around a band’s sets.
How do you make this work well both for you and your client? First of all, you arrive in plenty of time. Inevitably, you are then pointed into a corner that the band have left for you. Make no mistake, they always take centre stage, so this is where we, as DJs, need to be adaptable.
When planning your setup and lightshow, have Whilst I appreciate that there are several people involved in a band, is the huge difference between the going rate for a DJ and a band really fair? options for a smaller set up that will maximise the space available. Consider a small booth setup, but then placing speakers and lighting stands/podiums at either side of the stage. This helps to give cohesion to the evening: one night of music, not two separate segregated entities setup in the same room.
Next, make sure you are there when the band do their soundcheck, so that you can adjust your level to suit theirs. This is something that, for me, is of paramount importance. A DJ can play all night, a band though, that’s an ‘impact’ act, so they won’t want to be quieter than you. As, equally, you won’t want to sound like an old AM radio after they finish.
It’s also, once again, about the synergy of the entertainment, so that to the client and their guests it all appears like one coherent night of music: planned and professional. Then the biggie! THE PLAYLIST! As sure as it’s important to get oxygen into your lungs every time you inhale, get the playlist from the band of the tracks that they plan to perform.
Also find out what order they’ll be played in and ask if they intend to do a ‘false tab’ (encore) at the end of their night, if so, find out what that track is too! You can pretty much guess most of the songs with function bands I’m sure: Galway Girl? Check! Proud Mary?
Check! A Little Respect? Check! Then the golden rule, when you have that list, don’t play them yourself!
Don’t even entertain the idea of playing one of them, it is simply unprofessional and will be noted negatively by both the band and your client. STRUCTURE In virtually every article I write, whether for Pro Mobile or for the Mastermix Blog, structure is a keyword more often than not. So, how do you structure your DJ set to fit around the live music? I start with the information I have collected from the band.
I have the playlist, so I know what they are planning to play (the key word there is ‘planning’ - nothing is ever set in stone), and I know that they are playing two sets, for example. My approach is then always to portray the band as the stars of the evening. Depending on the event and timescale, I’ll probably start my set in a mellow groove, move up through the tempos and get the dancefloor busy ready to hand it over to the band. I’ll always try to make my last track the same genre as their first track (there’s that playlist coming in useful again!), so that the musical flow is uninterrupted.
It’s always great to hand over to a band with a full dancefloor, if they lose it during their set, I (as the DJ) look better! My next piece of advice is never leave the venue, really, never! If the band hit a technical issue and you’re on hand, you can jump in to save the day. So, with that in mind, have your first tracks ready before you leave your set-up for a wander around the room or venue.
Sudden and unexpected silence at an event suffers an amazing time-stretching phenomenon, every second seems to last for hours! Make sure you are ready if needed… the DJ saves the day! If the band plays two sets, I believe that as DJs we can really make our mark during the build up to the second set. I try to inject loads of energy, making sure every track is on point, adding in loads of crowd interaction so that the audience is ready and raring I try to inject loads of energy, making sure every track is on point, adding in loads of crowd interaction so that the audience is ready and raring to go themoment the band step back on stage RBN ™ SERIES ANY SHOW ANY SOUND BECAUSE YOUR SOUND MATTERS @PeaveyUK PVX ™ SERIES PV ™ SERIES With their compact size, solid construction, multiple flying and mounting options, and vast array of features, Peavey PVX™ Series speakers are rugged, reliable and guarantee best in class performance ready to go the moment the band step back on stage. I may be playing the supporting role, but I need to justify my position and deliver a party.
So I make sure that I always hand back to the band with a dancefloor that has been whipped into a frenzy. So now let’s skip forward. We have made it to the end of the band’s final set, the encore has been done, and it’s the turn of the DJ again. We are met with two possible scenarios: full floor or empty/lacklustre floor.
Either way we are the ones either trying to rescue the night or, more likely, keep the vibe going. This is the key part of our job. As much as the band are the highlight, it’s the last set that people will always remember when they recall the event. By now we should have a good feeling for our audience, guided hopefully by a few decent requests, and be able to give them a memorable finish.
NETWORK If possible, try to ensure pre-gig that the client has asked for the band not to pack down until you have finished playing. It looks very unprofessional and, if they’re earning more, why shouldn’t they act as professionals? Then, if you have got on well with the band, treat this for what it is, a massive networking opportunity. We all love glowing reviews from guests and clients, but what about from other entertainers?
If the band have a website or Facebook fan page, leave decent reviews for each other, exchange numbers, they can now always offer a proper DJ at their next gig - you! Wheels within wheels, back to that single source supply of entertainment. Also, band members are transient, moving from act to act, and some musicians play as part of several different acts at the same time, so getting to know one bass player might just get you a gig with a totally different band!
Every gig with a band is a massive networking opportunity. If you are able to collect a few numbers, a quick catch up call every so often could lead to a gig or a recommendation. I’m sure that we all have the same perception of musicians: they have learned their craft, they are worth their money… the clients certainly think that way, they pay the prices! It’s up to us to show them that we have learned our craft too: reading a crowd, interaction, mixing, music selection… we know we’re not just button pushers, we need others to see it too.
One of the best compliments I have been paid was from a very well-known artist. Chatting postgig he said, “I used to think that there was no skill in DJing, just press play, how hard can that be? Then I saw you, I was wrong, you were a hard act to follow!” Some compliment indeed! Imagine that coming from a successful function band or venue when asked about a DJ while taking a booking.
When an event / entertainment professional recommends you from experience, it’s powerful advertising! There are no hard and fast rules, every gig, every band, every DJ - all different. So let’s be the standard bearers, let’s be the ones that drive the cohesion of the evening, let’s be the entertainers that lead by example, and maybe we can start to get closer to the fees that bands command! if you have got on well with the band, treat this for what it is, a massive networking opportunity
