Professional and laid-back? At first glance, the two terms don’t seem to go hand-in-hand. Immediate thoughts might suggest professional means rigid, strict and uber-organised. First thoughts when considering the term ‘laid-back’ might suggest a lack of urgency, a lack of focus and non-committal. However, we fall into both categories and not only do we feel that it is possible to do so, we believe it to be vitally important.
We cannot stress enough how importantly we view each and every booking we take. We always discuss requirements with our clients, ensuring we understand exactly what is expected of us. This addresses set-lists, performance times, set-up times, special requests etc. We always send out a booking confirmation form, clearly stipulating what we will provide, our payment terms and our contact details. There are no hidden surprises and no ambiguities when we confirm bookings. We contact clients a month prior to every booking to confirm these requirements haven’t changed in any way. We always arrive at gigs in good time and pay the utmost respect to guests and venues whilst setting up and sound-checking. If we need to arrive early at venues to do this, we are happy to do so and ensure this is addressed and agreed at the time of booking (something which clients often do not consider at that stage, which is one of many examples where our years of experience is really beneficial). We are friendly, accommodating and very happy to chat with everyone we come across. We consider all of this to be the professional element of the service we offer and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Additionally, we are very laid-back. We certainly do not mean that in a negative way, rather that we are calm, measured and very rarely flustered. Our experience means we deal with minor issues (which do arise from time to time) without getting stressed and anxious. We realise that the timings at gigs, particularly at weddings, are not always adhered to but we expect this and certainly do not throw showbiz tantrums if the exact times on the original booking form need to change slightly! We are very happy to offer bespoke sets should the client require it, rather than sticking rigidly to the sets we advertise. We believe this is our duty in providing a first-class service to all our clients. The balance between professional and laid-back is certainly achievable!
And yet another 500-word count draws near. Thanks for reading and, as always, please do get in touch if there’s anything you’d like to ask us or anything you’d like us to address as a future blog post.
Becci and Mick