chart-o-tron - The Jamaica Plain Honk Band - How to Be Coordinator/Contact for a Gig

How to Be Coordinator/Contact for a Gig

The main goal is good communication!

Between you and the event organizer

Between you and the band

Be unfailingly positive and enthusiastic when interacting with the organizer

Thank them for the opportunity

Ask them their preferred communication (phone, in person, email, text) and use that

Until you know you have enough musicians committed to coming, tell organizer you “will do your best” and “are optimistic we’ll have enough”, but also manage their expectations in case we don't get enough

Post at GigO as soon as you can, and ideally at least 2 weeks ahead of the event

Use clear, detailed title (event, town, site if possible)

If some or all of the details remain to be ironed out, then state that (but don't let that delay posting it!)

Try to provide some brief information about the organizer’s group or affiliation, and or the nature of the event our performance will be supporting (for example a link to the organizer’s website, or a flyer for the event) Give very clear street address and parking situation

Choose call time 15 or 30 min before set time

• Smaller, simpler gigs 15 min ahead

For multipart gig, make multiple separate GigO events!

For example, a parade and a later stationary set

No later than one week ahead of the date:

Do tally of musicians signaling green or red at GigO

If needed, remind folks to go put their signal in

If specific instruments are especially needed, contact

individual musicians as makes sense

Make the call, confirming or cancelling the gig

• clearly communicate result to the organizer
• clearly communicate result to the band

Once you know the gig will happen

Learn from organizer as much detail as possible about what they want (in person visit to venue with them can be immensely helpful)

Listen closely to organizer’s wishes for tone and duration of performance, to support their event

• Start time, end time
• One continuous set or more than one
• Prefer certain songs or types of tunes?
• Location of band when performing
• Prefer stationary or parading?

Get logistics info from organizer

• Weather contingency? “rain or shine”? rain date?
• If parading: options for storing cases? Secure?
• Parking?

Explain as much of this information as possible on GigO

• Continue updating it as you learn more

Setlist: On GigO least a week ahead

See "How to prepare a good set list"

If you are too busy to put together setlist be sure

to ask bandmate(s) to do it for you!

Payment for our performance

Let the organizer bring up the topic

• If they are hesitant, do not press

Discuss in a complete way, ending with an agreement on the amount they will pay

Amounts vary, so don’t assume anything!

If organizer insists JP Honk suggests the amount, consult bandmates who have experience

We prefer checks made out to JP Honk but otherwise cash is accepted

At the event

When all arrive (or a critical mass) gather everybody in

• Remind of basic gig info & characteristics
• Announce any new or last minute info or changes

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Pro Tip: Minimizing excess GigO emails

Every time you edit any aspect of the event, and then save it (OR GigO automatically saves it, which can occur frequently), another email will go out to all UNLESS you

UNCHECK the “send to all band members” checkbox at the bottom

A good habit: always uncheck that box first, whenever you begin editing the event. Then you can save it as many times as needed without any email being sent. When done editing,

if the edits are major enough that you want to send an email out, go back to the bottom and check the box again then save the event one last time and the email will go out.