When you go to watch music, you want to have the best time possible. This is true whether it is seeing a band in your local community hub, or heading to a large auditorium in the capital. You spend ages getting increasingly excited about your trip to somewhere to watch your favourite band and you dream about seeing the artists in the flesh, singing and dancing along and maybe even making a weekend of it!
The venue itself plays a big part in making any gig a success. The band could be outstanding but if the venue lets the whole set down it can be ruined.
Seating arrangements (or standing) – even more important as we open up following covid-19 lockdowns. Often you want to be stood up at a gig so that you can jump around, dance or tap your feet to the music but if the venue is taken up by seating there is often little or no room to do this. But perhaps you don’t want to be forced to stand up (or, like me, you enjoy being able to sit down).
Potentially the most important factor is the sound. Without good acoustics and a good sound system, the band/singer are going to sound terrible no matter how good they are. With the right equipment and positioning of the speakers you can turn a venue into an amazing musical experience for all in attendance, hearing the band equally and making for the perfect gig.
Heating is important – not too hot, or too cold. It’s vital that the venue has an air conditioning system but that they get the temperature right. It needs to be factored in that more people will mean more heat, and the temperature should go up or down accordingly.
Lighting is also really important. If you have a rock band, you want the venue to be a bit darker with the focus on the band itself, while a pop band would want to be well lit with all of the flashing lights and glitter explosions and a jazz band want the darky smoky ambience…
We’ve got some great community venues in Edinburgh and many of them lend themselves to serving up a variety of musical genres with the right seating, lighting, heating and sound.
Get in touch at jon@musicincommunity.org or info@musicincommunity.org if you would like to be involved in our projects or for further information.
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