Anybody here work with...........

S

Steve Ferreira

Sophomore
Jan 12, 2011
189
0
16
Toronto, Canada
Looking for some info on the following artists. (riders, gear used, etc...)
I might have the chance to with with these groups, it would be a great opportunity for me to really make my mark and get away from the weekend warrior thing that I have been doing.

Here is th list: Fefe Dobson, Tokyo Police Club, K-OS, Down with Webster.

I have been given the opportunity to quote on these outdoor events and want to have as much info as possible. Trying to have as much info before hand, and doing some research. I need to quote on everything from staging, audio and lighting.

Thanks
 
Re: Anybody here work with...........

Steve Ferreira said:
Looking for some info on the following artists. (riders, gear used, etc...)
I might have the chance to with with these groups, it would be a great opportunity for me to really make my mark and get away from the weekend warrior thing that I have been doing.

Here is th list: Fefe Dobson, Tokyo Police Club, K-OS, Down with Webster.

I have been given the opportunity to quote on these outdoor events and want to have as much info as possible. Trying to have as much info before hand, and doing some research. I need to quote on everything from staging, audio and lighting.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Then the more important thing for you to do is the advance work with the promoters and the band's management. Up front meetings at the venues in question so you can draw up a plan, getting rider info/stage plots/input lists from the bands, and getting your quotes put together after that, so they're accurate and competitive.

Important thing with outdoor gigs-will there be a back up plan for cancellation or move indoors for bad weather?

Best regards,

John
 
Re: Anybody here work with...........

Steve Ferreira said:
Looking for some info on the following artists. (riders, gear used, etc...)
I might have the chance to with with these groups, it would be a great opportunity for me to really make my mark and get away from the weekend warrior thing that I have been doing.

Here is th list: Fefe Dobson, Tokyo Police Club, K-OS, Down with Webster.

I have been given the opportunity to quote on these outdoor events and want to have as much info as possible. Trying to have as much info before hand, and doing some research. I need to quote on everything from staging, audio and lighting.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Hey Steve,
I've worked with K-OS before, shoot me a PM with details about what specifics you need to know and I can probably give you the low down. Pretty easy bunch to work with.

Cheers
Jeff
 
Re: Anybody here work with...........

PM sent.

John,
Those are some good questions to ask, and I was planning on asking what the alternative was for the bad weather. I called the promoter, but haven't heard from him yet.
 
Re: Anybody here work with...........

they're all almost local bands for you :P

K-OS DJ'ing or band? I havn't worked with Fefe since the new albumn, nor Down with Webster since club days ......... Easy folks to work with regardless.
 
Re: Anybody here work with...........

Steve Ferreira said:
Looking for some info on the following artists. (riders, gear used, etc...)
I might have the chance to with with these groups, it would be a great opportunity for me to really make my mark and get away from the weekend warrior thing that I have been doing.

Here is th list: Fefe Dobson, Tokyo Police Club, K-OS, Down with Webster.

I have been given the opportunity to quote on these outdoor events and want to have as much info as possible. Trying to have as much info before hand, and doing some research. I need to quote on everything from staging, audio and lighting.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Be wary. Be sure that you don't put in a bunch of effort to generate a quote that will likely be used to badger larger companies who already have the infrastructure to handle events of this size.

In the Toronto market alone, I have seen several budding young providers be almost bankrupted by taking on shows like this. Do a liability assessment and determine if you really want to take on the responsibility of such an event.

That being said, I have had Fefe Dobson as a support act on one of our tours, and our company has provided for the others to some degree or other.

Asking for riders/band info on this forum may not yield the most current documents. Proper channels should be followed so that you don't do a bunch of work that ends up being outdated.
 
Re: Anybody here work with...........

I spoke with the promoter and he said that they have nothing booked. He is looking for quotes. I mentioned to him that it's hard to produce one without a rider, and he shot me down saying he just needed a quote for stage, genie, audio and lighting. I have contacted some friends that work with large soundco's, and lighting companies. The response is always the same "Do you have a rider?"
If I give them a quote and it's too high, I run the risk of not getting the gig, if it's too low I might have to spend more on x-rentals then what's budgeted, or worse they use that quote to beat everyone else up. If I do this I want everybody in the production side of things getting paid what they deserve. Since I don't own enough gear for this I was just gonna sub everything out.
 
Re: Anybody here work with...........

Steve Ferreira said:
If I give them a quote and it's too high, I run the risk of not getting the gig...
Click to expand...

Sometimes this is the best outcome, especially when you don't know exactly what the event requires.

Anyone who wants to remain in business will bid high on an event with communication problems. If someone underbids you then walk away knowing that the problems are theirs, not yours.
 
Re: Anybody here work with...........

Steve Ferreira said:
I spoke with the promoter and he said that they have nothing booked. He is looking for quotes. I mentioned to him that it's hard to produce one without a rider, and he shot me down........
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Steve,
This promoter sounds sketchy. As Dave A said, be wary of being manipulated as a tool to drive price competition. If the promoter doesn't understand (or even want to understand) that production costs can vary tremendously based on the rider, then that's not a good sign.

Even if you do get the gigs, it sounds like you could end up in a situation where you're caught between providing what was paid for and trying to make the band happy. Good luck going back to the promoter for more money when you can't meet the rider, he'll want you to eat that cost.

It's not always just a matter of being good at what you do. Circumstances like these can easily compromise the "ideal" picture you may have in your head about expanding your budding company into higher profile gigs. Your strategy of coming here to get a head's up on some of these specific acts is fine, but is not a good long term strategy.

Also don't forget that some of the BE's for these acts have existing connections to production companies other than your own. If they have any say in the matter, they are going to go with what they already know. Trying to operate as a loss-leader in order to sway the promoter and talent based on the cost argument is a slippery slope.

I don't want to be Debbie Downer, but you really need to tread carefully. I sincerely wish you well, it's a rough road.

Cheers
Jeff
 
Re: Anybody here work with...........

I'm going to chime in with an opposing opinion. The promoter may be sketchy or he may not.

He needs a quote without having any talent booked yet, because he is still bidding on the talent and their agents are demanding top dollar. So he needs to make as accurate a guess (and even with perfect information, it's still just a guess) on audience draw and expenses. Of course, having riders in hand would help him make that guess, but he's already gotten attitude from the bands' agents, or they laughed at his original offer and he really doesn't want to call them yet again and pester them for riders.

It may seem odd, but often the rider is a big question mark at this stage. Sometimes that's an oversight, sometimes it just gets lost in the shuffle, and then sometimes it is 100% intentional on the part of the band's agent. We're all being rational players in the marketplace, and one sleazy but winning strategy I have been subjected to a number of times is for the agent to wait until there's a signed contract and then spring the backline or outrageous hospitality rider on the promoter/venue. Then the ball is in the promoter's court to fight to get some of those dollars back.

/rant. I've spent time on both sides of the table in this relationship. The guy upstream from you (in your case, the promoter) always seems sleazy or stupid or both. Happily, most of the time he's just playing his cards in the most rational way possible.

My unsolicited advice is to watch the most recent cell-phone live videos of the bands on youtube and give a generic quote based on what info you glean from that, and the expected size of audience. (The promoter ought to at least have that number!) I would be specific as to what the quote does NOT cover, so those items can be added in. Certainly folks here bid festivals from time to time without a comprehensive understanding of every requirement from the talent. That's the situation here.

Asking for riders/band info on this forum may not yield the most current documents. Proper channels should be followed so that you don't do a bunch of work that ends up being outdated.
Click to expand...
As mentioned above, getting riders in hand from the promoter also offers no guarantee that they are current and accurate.

enjoy!

waldo
 
Re: Anybody here work with...........

I spoke with two audio providers yesterday about two shows that promoters are considering booking in November. They were calling me to approve their systems so they could quote the promoter, so the promoter could accurately put together a budget for the show. If the promoter is for real, they can get you the contact info for someone who can answer your questions. I may not know today if I will be 34 or 37 channels, but I can tell you what mains and monitors will be acceptable. Someone should be available to provide you with enough information to put an accurate quote together.
 
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