Bespoke entertainment, personally arranged
Over the years, I’ve often found myself doing rather more than simply turning up and playing at an event.
People I’ve met through my work as a musician have asked me to recommend other performers, put together entertainment for an evening, advise on how an event should be structured, or simply take care of the whole thing so that they don’t have to.
I’ve organised events for private clients and celebrities, often because they already knew me personally and trusted my judgement, my knowledge of the music scene and my ability to make things happen.
Band on the Run is an extension of that.
I’m now offering this service more formally through my website.
Finding the right people
I have a large network of musicians and performers built up over many years of working in the music business.
Some are people I’ve performed alongside; others are artists I’ve encountered through the wider music scene. I know the kind of work they do, what they’re like to work with, and where they are likely to fit best.
So if you’re looking for entertainment for an event, you don’t necessarily need to know exactly who you want.
Tell me what you’re planning, and I can help you work it out.
I can suggest artists and acts based on the type of event, the venue, the audience, the atmosphere you’re looking for and your budget.
I can take care of the whole thing
One of the advantages of using me to arrange entertainment is that you don’t have to deal with several different musicians, agents and suppliers yourself.
Depending on what you need, I can take care of:
- finding and booking the appropriate artists
- discussing fees and availability
- advising on the type of entertainment that would work best
- helping to design the musical and entertainment programme
- advising on timing and positioning of performers
- coordinating between you, the venue and the artists
- making sure everyone knows where they need to be and when
- and, where appropriate, being there on the day to help everything run smoothly
I’ve spent enough time performing at events to know that good entertainment is not just about finding good musicians.
It’s about putting the right people in the right place at the right time.
A brilliant band playing at the wrong moment can be less effective than an average band playing at exactly the right moment.
That’s where experience matters.
Building the day properly
The best events usually have a natural sense of progression.
You might begin with something elegant and unobtrusive as guests arrive, move into something livelier for a drinks reception, introduce another style during dinner and then build towards a band or other act later in the evening.
It doesn’t necessarily mean having lots of different performers. Sometimes one carefully chosen act is all that’s needed.
But when several acts are involved, the way they are placed throughout the day can make an enormous difference.
I can advise on what should happen where, and when.
That might mean deciding where a harpist or guitarist should sit for a ceremony, where musicians should move afterwards, whether a band should already be set up before guests arrive, how long each performance should last, and how to avoid awkward gaps while one act finishes and another gets ready.
These are relatively small decisions, but together they are what make entertainment feel effortless.
On the day
For larger events, I can also be there personally to coordinate the entertainment.
If there are several acts appearing throughout the day, I can make sure that each one arrives when they should, knows where to set up and is ready at the right moment.
While one act is finishing, another may need to be moving into position elsewhere.
Equipment might need to be shifted. Musicians may need access to a different part of the venue. Timings may change slightly as the event unfolds.
Rather than leaving the client, wedding planner or venue to manage all of that, I can take responsibility for the entertainment side myself.
The aim is that you don’t have to think about it on the day at all.
A small, bespoke service
Band on the Run is deliberately small.
It isn’t an entertainment directory, and it isn’t an agency offering hundreds of acts and expecting you to choose between them.
What I’m offering is much more personal than that.
You tell me what kind of event you’re creating, and I use my experience and contacts to help put together something that suits it.
That might involve one exceptional musician, several different acts across the day, or a complete programme of entertainment.
Either way, I remain closely involved.
For me, that’s the whole point.
It’s less about offering an enormous choice, and more about helping you make the right choices.
Experience from the other side
Because I’m still a working musician myself, I’ve experienced events from the performers’ side for many years.
I’ve seen arrangements that work beautifully, and I’ve seen very expensive entertainment undermined by poor timing, awkward positioning or a lack of communication.
I understand what musicians need in order to perform well, but I also understand what a client wants from the day: for everything to feel natural, well organised and enjoyable.
Band on the Run brings those two things together.
It’s the same kind of service I’ve offered privately to selected clients in the past, but I’m now making it available more widely through my website.
Tell me what you’re planning
You don’t need to have worked everything out before getting in touch.
You may already know exactly which kind of performers you want, or you may simply have a venue, a date and an idea of the atmosphere you’d like to create.
Either is fine.
Tell me a little about the event and I can help you think through the possibilities.
From there, I can recommend the right people, organise the bookings, help structure the entertainment and, if required, be there personally to make sure everything happens as it should.
The idea is simply to give you the best possible music and entertainment experience, without making you manage it yourself.
Contact me to tell me your plans; we can set up a call to talk more about your event ad ideas.