For our new unit I will be playing a creative showcase which will be set up outdoors underneath a marquee which is something I have played within before.
All my previous gigs with college have been indoors up until this point so it makes a nice change, especially because of the weather which seems to draw more people out and about. With my experience of playing Meadowside Music Festival, I know that the audiences seem to come and go throughout the day rather than the fixed audiences indoors that we’ve played too before.
The sound is completely different to what it is indoors which creates a whole different atmosphere for the listener, not only will there be good music from all bands but hopefully great weather too!
Within comparison to the stages we’ve played upon before, this time around we will have finite space, so we must think carefully about the stage layout. This issue will be addressed through my band’s tech spec which I’ll attach as its own PDF document for reference.
We are going to need a back line built upon a Drum Kit and a Guitar + Bass amp, there will also need to be doing backing vocal mics (one within the front line and the other in the back line for our drummer). The front line will have a vocal monitor, front of house speakers and a microphone for our lead singer. Not only do we have to fit all our equipment in the marquee and give each other some leg space, but we also must be able to engage and interact with our audience successfully to put on the best possible performance for our audience.
We will be dressing up in purple representing the man himself but toning it down from our previous hot and heavy costumes considering how the gig will take place outside. If we have cooler clothes we won’t get as sweaty, so we still look visibly appealing to our audience.
Our set will be a fitting tribute to recently deceased legend, Prince and it will contain his greatest hits and a couple songs off his iconic albums Purple Rain and 1999. This is the running order of our set: Cream, Let’s Go Crazy, Take Me With U, Nothing Compares 2 U, Kiss, 1999, When Doves Cry and Purple Rain.
The showcase will take place from 17:00 until 20:00, there are 6 bands playing so each set will have to be 30 minutes each, this is including change over time too.
As of where the marquee is placed, our audience can be in front of us or to each side in which being my left and right. my focus will be engaging with the whole crowd but mainly my wing, this will open the opportunity for the rest of my band to interact with the audience as well which will make our performance more heartfelt. Within college we will have 5 hours a week maximum to rehearse so by the 13th of June we should have a high-quality set which showcases our individual talents, and this only intensifies when we combine as a band.
Ellie Thornton Music 