Does the band provide their own sound equipment?
Yes. We have very high quality Mackie PA equipent, which can be used in various quantites to suit the size of the event. An instrumental ensemble would often not involve a PA system, particularly if the music is to be in the background - instruments such as guitar, bass and keyboards would be amplified by the musician's own 'backline' amplifiers, and trumpet / saxophone / drums would play acoustically. We would make a judgement on what equipment we would need to bring based on your enquiry (please specify approximate number of guests and type of venue if possible) and factor this in to our price quotes.
How much space does the band require?
This is a guide to our recommended minimum performance areas. We are happy to perform on a stage or on the floor, inside or out - although suitable measures would need to be taken if performing outside to offer protection from the weather!
- 1-2 musicians: 8' x 6'
- 3-4 musicians: 11' x 7'
- 5-6 musicians: 14' x 9'
- 7-8 musicians: 17' x 10'
How long does it take to set up?
For an instrumental duo without drums or a PA system, about 10-15 minutes. With drums, about 20 minutes. With a small vocal PA system, about 30 minutes. For larger PA set-ups for bands of 4-6 musicians, allow 60 minutes. For larger PA set-ups for bands of 7-8 musicians, 80-90 minutes would be preferable. Obstructions such as stairs and furniture may increase set-up times.
Will we be required to provide food and drink for the band?
This depends on how far we have had to travel, and for how long we will be at the venue. If the event is local to us (London) and we are only on site for 1-2 hours in total, we would generally be happy not to be provided with food. For events where we have to travel further or are on site for longer, we would normally ask for a meal to be provided. For any booking, we would ask for water and soft drinks to be provided to the musicians.
What would the musicians be wearing?
Our standard dress code for a private booking would be dark suits + ties, but if you require the band to wear black tie this could also be arranged. Similarly, please let us know if your event is less formal and if it would therefore be more appropriate for the band to appear in a more 'smart-casual' attire.
How far will the band travel?
We are happy to travel any distance, although our prices would reflect this. For distances of 150 miles or more, we would normally arrange overnight accommodation (depending on the timings of the booking). The cost of this would be factored in to our price quotes, and we would take care of the arrangement of this.
How do we make a booking?
Please fill in and submit the enquiry form on our contact page as completely as possible. We will reply with our availability and price quotes. If you are happy with our prices and would like to proceed, after any necessary discussion of details we would assemble a contract which would then be posted to you. This would need to be signed and returned together with a 15% deposit to secure the booking.
Can a booking be cancelled?
In the event of cancellation (by you, the hirer), the 15% deposit would be non-refundable. If we receive another booking for the date in question that involves all the musicians that had been booked, we would not ask for any cancellation fee. If we receive a booking for a smaller ensemble, we may require a cancellation fee for the musicians not involved in the new booking. If you cancel a year or more in advance of the event, we would not ask for a cancellation fee. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss this matter in greater detail.
Can the band cancel?
No. The contract which would be signed by us as well as you is a legally-binding document that guarantees that we will provide what you have booked. If a musician is taken ill, or pulls out for another reason such as a family emergency, we will hire a suitable replacement so that the performance can go ahead unaffected. Any additional costs for this would be covered by us.
Will the band be on time?
All the musicians that work with The Jazz Reporters are professional, and understand that lateness is not acceptable and results in a reputation that will damage their careers. We have years of experience of performing at gigs - and getting to them on time, and will always allow plenty of time for bad traffic. As we are merely humans, we can not 100% guarantee that natural disasters such as major floods, snow drifts, land slides and earthquakes will not cause us to be slightly delayed - in these instances we will do our absolute best, and keep in contact with yourself and the venue. You will have been issued with mobile numbers for the band in advance of the event, and the musicians will have been issued with any contact numbers you have provided us with.
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