Dep Guidelines

Hi there!
These are just a few guidelines which, if you are a pro muso anyway, won’t come as a surprise.

You will probably automatically adhere to them, but just to make absolutely sure, we are going to spell out a few things that matter to us. We are super friendly and down-to-earth, but we find it’s important to ensure things are clear from the word go 😊

1) YOUR BOOKING
Please only agree to do a gig once you are sure that you are available, happy to do the gig for the fee stated, and are able to get to the venue and back by yourself. Once you have received a Band Pencil invite and accepted it, you are officially booked on that gig. And once you’re booked, we do expect you to honour that commitment. It is really not acceptable to pull out of gigs last minute (or at any point for that matter), and if you do, unless the reason is genuine, you would probably be ruining your chances of getting another call from us. It just causes too much last-minute stress and extra work!

2) YOUR GIG FEE
The fee stated in your Band Pencil portal is your full and final fee. It is inclusive of travel and/or accommodation where applicable. You do not get an “extra” for petrol, travel, or accommodation. Please make sure you are happy with your fee before accepting the gig on.

3) PREPARE FOR THE GIG
In your Band Pencil event portal for the gig, you will find a set list (with keys) and a live recording of a gig (for full live band performances) as well as our click / practice tracks for the 3- and 4-piece band options, which use track.
Please make sure you turn up knowing the set.

Vocalists: please ensure you learn all of the songs, not just the ones you are doing lead on. Backing vocals are just as important as lead!

Charts/lyrics are not ideal, but OK(ish) for most gigs, but please make sure your music stand is set low and not in front of your chest, and that you’re not constantly staring at it. If you have to use lyrics must also be in set order before you go on stage as we don’t want you messing apps in the middle of the performance.

By accepting the gig, you are confirming that you are happy to learn our set. It is not acceptable to email us a week before the gig with a list of songs you can’t do.

4) THE FINAL DETAILS
At the time of booking, you will be told the date, location, fee, and any other details we have at the time. However, about one week before the event, once we have done our “Peace of Mind” call with the client and double-checked all final details, Band Pencil will be updated with any last minute details.
You will be added to a Gig Whatsapp group for ease of communication on the day.

5) TRAVEL
It is your responsibility to get to the venue and back. Beat Connection is not responsible for band members’ or deps’ transport. If you don’t drive, you need to arrange your own transport or lift. It is not the band leader’s job to organise your travel.

6) ARRIVING AT THE GIG
It goes without saying, but please arrive to gigs on time, looking smart and wearing all black from head to toe. This is very important, as 99% of the time we perform at formal events and will often be seen by guests before we change into our stage clothes. We simply want to avoid the first impression of Beat Connection being us in jeans and scruffy trainers. We want to look professional from the word go. On arrival, you will be given a Beat Connection polo shirt to wear at the venue.

7) VERY IMPORTANT!
This may sound like a silly point, but if you are a dep, please do not introduce yourself to the rest of the band members in front of clients, venue staff, or guests. The client needs to feel confident that you will do a great job, and if they know you have not met the rest of the band before, they will understandably worry. Of course, we all know that we are experienced enough to pull off a gig unrehearsed, but the client does not need to be concerned about this.

If you end up talking to the client, please bear this in mind. We had a situation a few years ago where a dep told the client he didn’t know the other members of the band. To cut a long story short, the client was furious, threatened to take us to court for false advertising, and we ended up having to refund £2,000. Please make sure this is not you. The best deps look, behave, and sound like they have been part of the band forever.

8) HORN PLAYERS
If you are the only horn on a gig, then just do your thing. If you are part of a section, we will share our charts with you with as much notice as possible.

IMPORTANT: Always bring your own music stand (or iPad stand) and clip light to gigs as we do noty provide these.

9) YOUR PAYMENT
Please submit your invoice via Band Pencil a few days before the gig. Unless otherwise arranged, you will be paid on the Monday or Tuesday following the gig.

Right, that’s it! Apologies for the formalities — we look forward to seeing you at the gig!

Alex and Beat Connection :)