DC Riders  FAQ’s and prerequisites for booking.

Information below is a general assessment to the questions asked.  Each individual booking will have its special and specific needs.  What is contained here is a good guideline to go by.

Do you perform for Charity/Benefit Organizations?: Absolutely.  We believe that it is our civic duty to help in our community individually and as the DC Riders.  The general rules are; we'll perform for up to 2 sets (approximately 1.5 hours) (generally 1 set) at no cost to you or your organization as long as all provisions below are made for the band and your organization is recognized and registered.  These events are taken as our calendar permits and we reserve the right to cancel at any time without penalties.

What kind of music does the band play?  Electric Blues, Rock, RnB, & Funk.  We are deeply rooted in the blues and we play pretty much the full spectrum of the genre but not too rootsy.  We play a mixture of original and cover music.  We play live music for dancing, listening enjoyment, and concert performances. 

Is interlude music played during the band's breaks?  We generally do not provide music on breaks.  If you wish us to provide continuous music, arrangements must be made and agreed to in advance.

How many people are in the band, and what is the instrumentation?  The DC Riders are generally a 3-4 piece band that may occasionally add more pieces depending on the arrangements and the nature of the event.  We are basically Guitar, Bass Guitar, and Drums

Where can we see the band play?  We have all of our public gig’s listed on our Calendar on our website at www.DCRidersBand.com.  You can come and check us out at any of them or request a Promo Package from us. 

How much does it cost to hire the band?  This is dependant on a few factors:  When, where (is there travel and lodging requirements), venue's hiring policy, and how long you want us to play.  You should have a good idea of what you want in advance and it’s always good to have seen us so you know what you’re getting for your money. You get what you pay for.

Promo's, Demo’s, and Auditions: Establishments/Clients will normally receive a Promo Packet prior to our performances.  Should you request/require a live audition we request that we audition as a warm up (opening band) to the featured Group or Individual during a regular evening and preferred on a Friday or Saturday.  This is so that the hiring party will get a good indication from their patrons as to how we are received.  We may however do auditions on other nights if requested and agreed upon.

How long does the band play? This is dependant on your needs and our ability to meet them.  In a typical night it will be 45 minute sets with a 15-20 minute break after each set.  This can be anywhere in the neighborhood of 1 to 4 sets.  As a featured band we will normally have a warm up band and then we will play for a solid 1.5 to 2.0 hours.  We may also do 2 shows in an evening for 1.5 hours each with a 45 minute break between shows.  We are flexible and will do what we can to meet your needs.

How much does it cost if the band performs overtime?  We will pro-rate extra sets by dividing the total fee by the number of sets/hours or per a predetermined agreed upon price per set. Encores will be done upon request and with the permission of the hiring party(ies) and establishment/promoter(s) for us to perform up to 2 more songs.  There is no extra charge for encores.

What are the band's contract requirements?  A hand shake is good for us.  Dependant on the requirements of the band we may require a deposit in advance to cover traveling expenses.  Final payment is due immediately upon completion of our performance.  A private dressing/warm up area is preferred if the venue can provide it.  If the event is more than 100 miles from Salt Lake City, we may require you to provide overnight lodging.  This is dependant upon agreement.

What are the space and physical requirements?  This area is critical please read carefully.  Generally speaking the band's footprint is 10 ft. deep by 15 ft wide.  This can be on a raised or flat platform or stage of wood, or cement surfaces.  The area must be clean and dry and if outside, covered.  Depending on the temperature, stage fans or other types of cooling devices may be required. If it is on grass or other surface, a clean dry level platform must be provided as a precaution to prevent electrical shock to any person and for the protection of the equipment.  Should the venue need a sound person there should be an area approximately 30 - 50ft or more depending on venue from stage for the location of the sound engineer and equipment.  

Lighting:  The band will require ample lighting to see the stage, the audience, and their equipment at all times during the performance.  This is required day and/or night.  The band may provide lighting if they are notified ahead of time. This may or may not incur additional costs.

Electrical requirements?  This is a critical area.  Generally the band should be provided two (2), 120Volt 20 amp 3 pronged (grounded) outlets on stage and if a remote sound person is needed, an additional 120Volt 20 amp outlet .  These outlets should be no further than 20 ft from the location of the equipment.  This is with the exception of the Sound System.  An industrial extension cable may be needed and must be provided.  This is dependant on the distance from the power outlet.  If the power extension cords are 50 ft or more from the equipment we may require a 30 amp 3 prong (grounded) outlet.

For outside venues without power take the information you have to your electrical specialist and give them the information.  We  request that you provide a 10kw generator anything smaller we will have to get an agreement that any damage to our equipment will be either repaired or replaced by hiring party(ies) if it is due to inadequate/dirty/inconsistant power.  Our equipment is very sensitive to dirty unfiltered and fluctuating power.  Make sure you can meet our requirements for the band prior to us getting there because if we have any doubt whatsoever on the power being provided we will decline to play and you will be liable for a minimum of half the agreed upon price.  This will be considered a default on your part.

Do you have references? You are your own best reference.  If you’ve never heard us it is advised that you do so before you consider us for your party/occasion. We make no apologies at the end of a performance.  We’ll give you all we’ve got, every time.

How loud is the band?  If you have to ask, we’re probably too loud.  As a side note,  We have never been asked to turn down.  Again, check us out at one of our playing venues.  We are equipped with state-of-the-art in ear monitoring and we do have the ability to play at lower levels but guitar and other amplifiers need a certain amount of volume to perform their best.

What if we don't see a specific song that we want on your song list?  Dependant upon what you’re asking and what your needs may be,  we may learn a song for you if we feel that we can do it well.  If we are asked to do something in Pop or Rap we will politely decline.  The song should at least be a standard within our genre.

How long does it take the band to set up?  This is mostly dependent on the venue, how much equipment we’ll be using, how far we have to move our equipment.  If a full backline or house sound is available we can be ready in as little as 15 to 45 minutes.  Any other situation we may require at least 60 to 90 minutes depending on situation.  This should be discussed in advance.  We prefer so setup well in advance of the downbeat.

Can we have someone out of our party use your equipment? Generally No.  If you need to make announcements, that is acceptable but usage of any of the band’s equipment other than a microphone is a no.  Have a guest that wants to sit-in with us for a tune or two?  Check with us well in advance.  We will make exceptions but generally we do not have people sit-in with us unless we ask them to.

I still have some questions.  How do I get the answers?  Go to our website and drop us an email or call the number listed there.  We’ll get all your questions answered for you.  E-mail: DCRiders@DCRidersBand.com and DCRiders@Live.com