Monday and Wednesday 'Live at the Harp' Nights
Q. What do you provide?
A. A 14K rig c/w microphones, a sound engineer, full lighting and smoke effects.
Q. What kit do we have to bring?
A. You need to bring all your own individual instruments. One band needs to bring a drum kit (normally the headline band) arrange between yourselves if you need to bring cymbals and/or snares. You need to ensure that you have enough cabs for all guitarists and saxaphones/kazoos etc.
Q. How are the nights promoted?
A. We have regular advertising in the Gloucester and Cheltenham press (Live Wire). We can create and provide flyers of various sizes (in PDF or JPG format for you to print out and distribute to promote the night. You can normally download a jpg file directly from our what's on page. We actively promote the nights during the week prior to and the gig before the night. We advertise the gigs on the net.
Promotion Just remember, getting people to the gig is also your responsibility - We spend time creating flyers so you can do what you do best - play music. Print off the posters and put them up somewhere (not just in your bedroom), print off the flyers and give them to everyone you know (even some old people like parents might like your music). Ask your local shops if they can display a poster for you, chipshops, clothes shops, record shops, newsagents... If you are in college or any other educational establishment or know someone who is - flyers and posters are your tool - use them. The more people you get to the gig, YOUR gig makes it better for everyone - better for you because more people get to hear your music.
Note: Putting up posters around Gloucester is against the bylaws and so is handing out flyers to people you don't know. I've covered my responsibility by telling you this, so if you poster or flyer do it within the law.
I hope you have a pleasant experience playing the harp, if you don't - make sure you tell us. It isn't called complaining it would be real helpful to know.
Q. What's the deal?
A. We recommend you charge £3 on the door. We normally provide the 'collector'. Everyone (except the band members themselves) pay to get in. There are obviously times when people are admitted free, but we would discuss this with you prior to the event. Everyone gets their hand stamped. We (the Harp) get the revenue from the first 20 people or £60 which ever is the greater. This helps to pay for the rig hire (from Sounds All Round). You split the remaining amount as you see fit. If no one turns up, it costs you nothing. From the following examples you can see that the more people you bring the better the night for everyone.
[examples: £3 ~ 100 x £3 = £300 - £60 = £240, £4 ~ 100 x £4 = £400 - £80 = £320]
Q. What do you get out of it?
A. D'oh. Most people attending the gigs will buy drinks (We are a strictly 18+ venue. No ID No Service) - we obviously make money by selling alcoholic beverages and food. We also get to hear bands we wouldn't normally get the opportunity to hear.
Q. Do you like music?
A. D'oh2. Yes.
Q. Can I ring you and a. ask you for a gig? b. ask you a question? c. bug you about stupid stuff?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you get out much?
A. No.
Covers Bands
Q. What's the deal?
A. If you are a covers band you're booked in, you bring all your own kit (we have lights, however check with us first )
we pay you the negotiated rate at booking with either a band member or your agent/manager.
Q. Can we book a night and make loads of money like the live nights by promoting it and get the same deal?
A. Um, let me think... Yep!