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Topic: Corporate Gigs |
Brad Richard
From:
Chisago City, Minnesota
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Posted 5 May 2022 1:14 pm |
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| David Deloach just mentioned doing corporate gigs in a post. I thought I'd start a new topic so I wouldn't hijack that one. I've done shows around, but not for company gatherings. Is anyone else doing them? David (and anyone else), I'm curious as to how and who you approach to get shows like this. Thanks for your help! |
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Lloyd Graves
From:
New York, USA
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Posted 5 May 2022 2:18 pm
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Not exactly "corporate," but I play at a couple of senior homes irregularly. I'm a physical therapist in real life and interact with the staff there regularly. They found out I have a Hillbilly swing band and asked me to play once. And then again. And again.
I would think that, if you've got any friends with relatives in a retirement home (or a nursing home) you could use that as an "in." The place I play is fairly affluent and we get $100/musician usually. Nothing extravagant but WAY better than a bar or restaurant gig!
Generally though, the more you play out, the more you get to play out.
Thanks for staying this topic! |
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Howard Parker
From:
Maryland
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Posted 5 May 2022 2:18 pm
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Many times it's by registering/signing up with a local entertainment agency.
Company hires the agency who in turn books the qualified entertainment.
h
_________________
Howard Parker
03\' Carter D-10
70\'s Dekley D-10
52\' Fender Custom
Many guitars by Paul Beard
Listowner Resoguit-L |
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David DeLoach
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 5 May 2022 3:08 pm
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I've been doing corporate gigs for over 20 years. Initially with full bands, but in the last 6-7 years more solo stuff.
I really don't have any marketing, web site, etc that pushes my solo gig stuff. I probably should. Most - no all - of the corporate gigs I get come from knowing the people putting on the event - either in the corporation, or the event planner the corporation is using, and then sometimes picking up additional corporate or private party gigs from people who were at the initial gig. I've also played a lot a gigs for free for non-profits and made friends doing this who later hired me for a paying gig. I've also picked up some gigs by including my music on by LinkedIn profile.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/deloachdavid/
I've been able to build up a nice network of folks that use me. I think this comes from being consistently on time, easy to work with, ask them to let me know if volume needs adjusting, flexible (no freak outs if they want me to set up at Point-B vs. Point-A, as had originally been discussed), etc. Also, I feel it is key to make FRIENDS vs. making CONNECTIONS - find out about their lives, buy them coffee or a beer sometime and just talk about life.
Covid was a dry run, but its picking back up. I played 8 great solo corporate gigs in April.
I have a fairly large repertoire and can go up to 4 hours without a repeat. I can do classical guitar, jazz chord solos, fingerstyle, Chet Atkins style, and blues. If they want high energy, I've got a good library of blues/rock backing tracks on my laptop for that. I know, I know, no one likes using backing tracks, but I look at these gigs as a means to an end, and not an end in and of themselves. They pay MUCH better than most band gigs I've had.
My typical rig looks like this:
Classical Gtr --> LR Baggs ParaAcoustic DI --> Mixer
Gretsch, Archtop, Strat --> Fractal FX-III --> Mixer
Laptop --> Mixer (I use a little Mackie 1202)
If there is a house PA, I will run the mains out of my mixer into the house, and take monitor feeds from the house (I use a couple Bose SP-1 powered speakers for monitors).
If there is not a house PA I can use, I send the mains out of my mixer into a pair of big Mackie powered monitors that are elevated on stands, and come out the Mackies into the Bose SP-1 monitors.
Once I haul the gear in from my truck, it only takes about 20 minutes to set up.
Once in awhile I'll go busking downtown. I take a CHEAP Squire Strat and a little $99 Line6 modeling amp that I can run on a camping battery power supply. I usually only make $20-$30 an hour, but this is where I try out new arrangements to see if they are ready to come out of the oven in the corporate gigs. BTW, if I take my Gibson BR-9 lap steel, I usually make a $10 more per hour that if I just take the Strat. 
_________________
https://www.MasterGuitarists.com/ |
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Michael Lester
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 7 May 2022 2:37 pm Corporate Gigs - Political
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Not sure if this would fall under the definition of 'corporate', but we were hired several times for political candidate gatherings - like picnics and barbeques.
They paid well and went off pretty easily. Once we got set up we were generally on our own except for politico's borrowing the mic to bloviate.
Maybe the hardest part of the two hours or so came from the realization that NOBODY was listening or cared that we were there. I know that sounds ego-driven but I don't mean it to be. We just had no experience playing to a completely benign audience. We got used to it though - and took the money.
...Just remembered that a couple of these gigs were 'western' or 'cowboy' themed - like dress like a cowboy. Pretty amusing to see a beefy politician with dad jeans, a red bandana tied around his neck and a $3 straw hat with three fingers of space between the top of his ears and the brim of the hat. Got more than a few chuckles out of it... |
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Brad Richard
From:
Chisago City, Minnesota
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Posted 9 May 2022 3:17 pm
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David - Thanks so much for your in-depth reply. I've been playing nursing homes and other senior facilities for 20 years (plus occasional community events and private parties). These were all one-man band shows with backing tracks I made. I played electric guitar and sang through my PA system. Covid pretty much shut that down, but I'm working on a mostly lap steel show where I don't sing so much. Unfortunately, I'm dealing with a health issue at the moment so I'm kind of on the bench. As I start feeling better I plan on getting that going. I'll probably start with senior facilities as that's what I'm most used to. Plus they're the best audiences ever! No smokin', cussin' or drinkin' and they go to bed about the same time as me  . I'm thinking of doing a "luau" theme (I'll let the activities folks figure out how to do it). Actually, the luau idea might go over well at corp. gigs. Something very different.
Thanks again for your reply.
Brad |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 10 May 2022 7:24 am
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Brad,
I have done several luau gigs at nursing homes.
Some times the places are all decorated out in a Hawaiian motif.
The residents really enjoy it.
There's nothing like watching 80 and 90 year old's doing the hula!
They especially like "Tiny Bubbles".
Erv |
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Brad Richard
From:
Chisago City, Minnesota
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Posted 10 May 2022 1:11 pm
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Erv - Awesome! Thanks for the info. I'll start working on Tiny Bubbles immediately.
Brad |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 10 May 2022 1:13 pm
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Brad,
I usually had to play it twice in a set!
Erv |
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Brad Richard
From:
Chisago City, Minnesota
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Posted 10 May 2022 1:55 pm
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Erv - Do you sing while you play? I just saw a version by Rick Alexander. Wow. I can chew gum whilst rubbing my tummy, but I don't think I can do what he did.
Don't know where a C6 tab might be found, do you! I can tab it out, but would rather not reinvent the wheel.
Thanks,
Brad |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 11 May 2022 6:45 am
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Brad,
No, I don't sing when I play.
All my tabs are written for E9th, no C6th.
Erv |
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Brad Richard
From:
Chisago City, Minnesota
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Posted 11 May 2022 8:29 am
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| Erv - Thanks anyway. |
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