Hiring a saxophonist: what the venue needs to have ready
A checklist for organisers hiring a saxophonist: power, sound, where he stands, lighting, and the small things venues forget.
Most of what goes wrong at a performance has nothing to do with the music. It is a socket that is not there, a chair nobody put out, or a standing position from which the musician cannot see the MC.
This is the list of what to have ready when you hire a saxophonist — written for the organiser, not the player.
Where he stands
About two square metres of clear floor, level and not slippery. Obvious enough, until you meet a fabric-covered stage or a floor that has just been mopped.
Three conditions for the position:
- A clear sight line to the MC or whoever gives the cue, without having to turn round.
- Not directly in front of the main speakers. Stand in front of them and the horn microphone will feed back.
- A way in and out that does not cross the seated guests, if he has to come and go several times.
Sound
The most important item, and the most often missed, because sound companies prepare for voice and playback rather than for a wind instrument.
Agree with them in advance:
- A separate channel for the horn microphone. Sharing the MC’s channel means every adjustment for the MC changes the horn as well.
- A monitor speaker facing the playing position. Without it he cannot hear himself over the room, and will play louder or softer than he should.
- Time for a sound check — fifteen to twenty minutes before guests come in.
Power
A socket near the playing position, for the wireless receiver or an effects unit. If the position is far from power you need an extension, and the cable must be taped down — a cable running between dining tables is a real hazard.
Somewhere to prepare
A small room or a screened corner to change, assemble the instrument and warm up. A wind instrument needs a few minutes of blowing before the programme — doing that in front of guests both spoils the entrance and wastes the warm-up.
That space also holds the case and personal belongings for the evening, so it should lock or be watched.
Outdoors: three extra factors
Garden and beach receptions are increasingly common, and they impose conditions an indoor room does not.
- Wind. Wind across a microphone produces noise that is very hard to fix afterwards. The microphone needs a windshield, and if possible the playing position should face into the wind.
- Sun and heat. A horn left in the sun goes sharp, and hot metal cannot be held. The playing position needs shade.
- Thin sound. Outdoors there are no walls to reflect, so sound disappears quickly. The PA has to be specified for open air, and the monitor matters even more than indoors.
If rain is possible, the fallback plan has to be agreed beforehand — not discussed once it starts raining.
Two times, kept separate
The plan should state, separately:
- When the musician arrives to set up and sound check.
- When he starts playing.
Writing them as one time is the most common reason a sound check gets cut.
A short list to send the venue
If you need something brief to forward to venue management, five lines will do: two square metres with shade, a socket nearby, a dedicated sound channel, a monitor speaker, and a lockable place to prepare.
When you send the details of a performance, describing the venue and the sound conditions up front shortens the exchange considerably.
