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Band Riders....

Jules

Formerly known as "nachoman"
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brighton by the sea
Any of you gigging band types got a good ‘rider’ template fro weddings, party & corporate work. I’m trying to put one together for Fat45 and was wondering if there are any ‘industry standard’ versions- stuff like vehicle access/parking, secure changing area, time windows for sound check, get-in & get-out, plus obviously food, water etc…. Just looking for a comprehensive check list to make sure I don't miss anything out
 
You need to make it very clear that when you specify a 1953 vintage, 1954 is not a viable option.

(You know some smart*** was going to reply didn't you?)

Seriously

One important thing for us was that there was actually a raised stage area, so many "events' think all they need do is shove you in the corner of a dance floor. Not only does it make a lousy show, it invites drunks to fall into you ir poor beer down the bell of your saxophone.

Secure dressing room is so important, and so many promoters think "it doesn't matter".

The problem with riders is what happens when it's wrong. The options are generally to either (1) refuse to play and have the hassle of a small claims court, or (2) to just play anyway.
 
To be honest its very rare we ever get problems but its more for things like- bear in mind sound checks are noisy so you can’t make speeches in the same room (we had a very nasty incident relating to the latter which has gone to court, oh joy- a –not so- great way to start the years’ gigging) , & ensure we’ve got reasonable vehicle access. Matters of logistics as much as trying to make cheeky demands on our clients.
The raised stage one’s good- though might be tricky in practice considering some of the places we’ve played …..
 
The raised stage one’s good- though might be tricky in practice considering some of the places we’ve played …..

Yes, but you include in the Rider:

If any of the above conditions are not possible, please discuss in advance with the management.

I once turned up to a gig and there was no food and no stage. This was at a University hall, where they could easily have got some rostrums. I could see an already drunken mob in the room, no way I was going to set up on the dancefloor.

So we refused to play.

The social secretary rang our agent thinking he would tell us to stop fannying around and do the gig, but luckliy he just told her to get us some Pizzas, beer and soft drinks and find a stage, or else just pay us, if not he'd sue.

We got the food and the (by now tearful) social sec found a rostrum within half an hour.

The thing is we'd just driven from Newcastle to New Cross with only one quick stop at Leicester. I didn't think we were being awkward by asking for what they had agreed to provide.

This was only ever a problem with amateur promoters, I'm sure you find the same. I think it's good when someone has obviously got little experience staging an event to just tell them politely in advance the rider is not just a few optional extras for the divas, it's a necessary part of the gig.
 
"This was only ever a problem with amateur promoters, I'm sure you find the same."- true, the real variable is dealing with a slighlty drunken best man at someone's wedding- ususally in a barn or some sort of village hall.... this info's really aimed at them more than the pros.
 
Ok- here's my letter for clients, anything missing?

-Vehicle parking for up to 3 vehicles within easy access of the playing area (we
travel reasonably light but drum kit and keys can be quite bulky to move)
- A reasonable time window for us to get set up and work with the PA engineer to
ensure the best sound for the venue we’re playing in (this shouldn’t take more
than
an hour but note that it is likely to be quite noisy and disruptive)
-Also, is it possible to check in advance and inform us if the playing area is
governed by a sound limiter
-A secure ‘back stage’ area. Somewhere we can safely leave instruments and
changes of clothes for the duration
-bottles, or glasses of water for on-stage use (its thirsty work!)
- A light meal per band member would be appreciated (please liaise with us re
this)
- Can we also have a contact name of whoever will be dealing with on the day
(best man, event organizer etc).
If you have any further queries re the above please contact us immediately to
discuss them
We look forward to seeing you on
 
I wouldn't know how to put it, but if you have to be on site for hours before playing, you need somewhere to stay.
 
Ah yes.. the green room..... had some very odd ones of them in my day. A splendid wedding gig the other summer where we’d been given a table and chairs- plus a steady flow of food and bottles of wine- away from the main marquee and in the middle of a field of shoulder high wheat. Lovely afternoon and early evening waiting for the speeches to end while Fat45 high command progressively turned into something resembling the Mad Hatter’s tea party from Alice in Wonderland…….
 
Ah yes.. the green room..... had some very odd ones of them in my day. A splendid wedding gig the other summer where we’d been given a table and chairs- plus a steady flow of food and bottles of wine- away from the main marquee and in the middle of a field of shoulder high wheat. Lovely afternoon and early evening waiting for the speeches to end while Fat45 high command progressively turned into something resembling the Mad Hatter’s tea party from Alice in Wonderland…….

Sounds like something out of a Peter Greenaway movie! Our best was the staffroom of a very ancient, respected and expensive public school, with creaking floors and redolent with the scent of polished walnut and leather chairs - into which, since they had omitted to provide us with any food, we brought 10 rounds of gorgeously smelly fish and chips......
 
My personal best was sitting with the father of the bride, that requested me to play the gig on his Super20.
Other arrangements involved a house on the beach for the band, a room in castle (with guns) and a van.

Good old days....
 
Sounds like something out of a Peter Greenaway movie! Our best was the staffroom of a very ancient, respected and expensive public school, with creaking floors and redolent with the scent of polished walnut and leather chairs - into which, since they had omitted to provide us with any food, we brought 10 rounds of gorgeously smelly fish and chips......
Yer not wrong! Re old public schools- we were breifly in with a couple of Oxford Colleges and managed to score their summer ball gigs... And, boy, does an oak panelled dining hall have ropey acoustics for an amplified band!
 
I always thought that "band riders" were female fans who stayed all night.
 
The best one for me was a wedding in Versaille. The riders included Ferry tickets, hotel rooms, diesel costs and all meals for the journey. We were each presented with a bottle of good champagne by the father of the bride and a crate of Stella by the best man - and we got paid for the gig!!!
It was a laugh watching the Brides father in the full dress uniform of a General in La Legion Etrangere bopping away to Dr Feelgood and Chuck Berry numbers.
 
The best one for me was a wedding in Versaille. The riders included Ferry tickets, hotel rooms, diesel costs and all meals for the journey. We were each presented with a bottle of good champagne by the father of the bride and a crate of Stella by the best man - and we got paid for the gig!!!
It was a laugh watching the Brides father in the full dress uniform of a General in La Legion Etrangere bopping away to Dr Feelgood and Chuck Berry numbers.
Result! We've scored some pretty good gigs in France but never anything of that magnitude- I remember being put up in a hotel on the Peripherique during the Paris world cup- the occupants of the hotel- me and my band plus the entire Cameroon supporters club, we arrived hours after the Cameroons had been knocked out of the World Cup..... took us a while to work out why the entire palce was filled with dejected looking guys in African robes.....
 
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