5 things to consider before booking a tribute act for your restaurant
A handy guide to booking a tribute act for your restaurant in 2023
Hosting a tribute night at your restaurant is a no brainer if you're looking to attract new customers to your business. But where do you start? Here at Henderson Management, we have worked with restaurants up and down the country since 1984. Using our knowledge and experience in booking tribute acts, we have put together a handy list of 5 things you should consider before booking a tribute act for your restaurant...
1. The type of act you're booking
There are a few different factors you should consider before deciding on a type of tribute act for your restaurant, possibly THE most important factor to consider when you're booking a tribute act is your target audience. Try to put yourself in your customers shoes and not let your personal preferences take over when choosing acts to perform at your restaurant.
Check out our popular acts for some inspiration!
2. Booking your act early
When it comes to booking a tribute act, the sooner the better! We would always recommend you begin making your enquiries as soon as you have an idea of the type of act you want at your function (if you're not sure what you're looking for we can assist) and a date. Booking your entertainment 18 months or so in advance will pretty much guarantee the band you want for your restaurant will be available to perform on your preferred date (and if not, you'll have enough time to find another suitable act). As a minimum, booking 6 months in advance is a fairly safe amount of time, however depending on things such as the time of year and day of the week, you may not be so spoiled for choice.
3. Things you'll need to provide for the act
Tribute acts will require a safe, suitable performance space with a power supply close by.
They will also require parking, and ideally easy access at the front of the venue to park and unload. This will ensure they can load in and set up as quickly as possible.
Food and refreshments are always appreciated, preferably a hot meal as they'll be on the go for approximately 12 hours and won't have had opportunity to eat elsewhere.
More established tribute bands may have a ‘rider’ which lists specific hospitality and/or technical requirements which you must meet at your own expense when you book them.
Having a space for the act to get changed before their performance is very important and we would say a standard requirement when it comes to booking a tribute act or tribute band. It should include enough seats for all band members and a mirror. If the band or act need to do costume changes mid-show, the changing room ideally would need to be next to the stage, or a separate 'quick change' area should be considered for costume changes.
4. Nearby residents
It's always a good idea to consider your neighbours when you're planning to book a tribute band for your restaurant. Whether there are houses or other businesses nearby, you'll need to make sure you're not a disturbance to them. This goes not only for tribute acts but for any form of live entertainment, particularly band shows.
Decibel Limiters
Decibel limiters are a great way to ensure your tribute act won't disturb others around you, but only if used correctly! Having a full live band performance at your venue wouldn't be a good idea if you're using a limiter as most live instruments (particularly drums) would exceed the maximum volume limit. Solo tribute acts are a much safer option than a live band if you have a limiter, as a mic and backing track is a lot easier to control and will generally be quieter.
A lot of sound limiters will actually cut the acts power if a specific decibel limit is exceeded. Nothing kills a party more efficiently than sudden silence, so be sure to do make sure a tribute act won't be too loud for your venue before putting up those posters!
5. The cost of a tribute act
We are asked on a daily basis how much tribute acts cost to hire. The cost of hiring a tribute act varies widely depending on numerous factors including the location of your venue and whether or not the act will need to provide their own sound system.
Most tribute acts of a high standard will charge somewhere around the following fees:-
SOLO TRIBUTE ACTS - Approx. £500-£600
DUO TRIBUTE ACTS - Approx. £700-£850
TRIBUTE GROUPS - Approx. £1000-£1500
TRIBUTE BANDS - Approx. £1000-£2500
You will likely be looking at a slightly higher fee for an established tribute act or band with a high level of experience and demand. It's also worth considering the number of members in a tribute band as this can greatly affect cost - hence why the price bracket for tribute bands is much wider than a solo act or duo.