Band

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Make sure you find a band that is easy to work with and has a contract that you can easily understand. Also, make sure they have a sound system that can accommodate your needs and communicate with them your expectations for how loud they should play. The Bad Larrys always focus on making sure people can clearly understand and hear the words of the songs.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. The fee you are paying is mostly for the inconvenience of having to drive and setup sound at the show. I think that most musicians would play for next to nothing if they did not have to put so much time and effort, not to mention huge overhead, into setting up a really good sound system for your concert.

Another funny thing is that the musicians usually have the sound set lower on stage and the speakers set in front of them powering out the sound. When people are talking in front of the band, we can here everything you are saying because you are speaking loudly to have your voice cary over the sound of the front of house speakers.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. You should know how long they have played as a band with the members that currently exist in the band... Many bands put together groups on the fly and may not have the cohesion necessary to put on a "Great" show.

You also need to know if they play the type of music you like or will fit the taste of your clients. Is the band "Family Friendly", or do they use questionable language? If you want a specific song played, how much extra will it be?

Here are more general questions...
1) How many sets do you play?
2) How long is each set?
3) Do you require breaks and how long are they?
4) Am I providing food and drinks for the band?
5) What are your power requirements?