Thread: Announcing yourself?

Usually I have a contact person at a gig who sneaks me in to a changing area where I get ready and might start my music etc. I usually enter the room dancing.

I just got a last-minute gig where I'm booked by a secret out-of-town gift-giver (an intermediary is dropping off payment ahead of time). NO ONE at this party will know I'm coming and I have NO contact person.

I know this means I have to boldly march into the room, wrapped in my veil, boombox in hand, and *say something* to the GOH.

I don't usually talk, or at least not much. ,f:: ..c::

Then I have to (horrors) fumble around with my own boombox (maybe I can get a friend).

Can someone give me a script? WTF do I SAY???? How do I find the GOH if no one points him out to me???

What if the GOH is in the bathroom when I arrive?

Guess I should load up on batteries and forget about plugging my boombox in.

When I get these gigs, I insist that the gift giver set up a contact person at the party ahead of time to take care of things in their stead. I explain to the gift giver that the surprise is usually ruined if I have to walk in and set up my own stuff, so they need to find someone at the party to help pull off the surprise. If this person knows the GOH well enogh to hire you, they've gotta know one at least one of the other guests. And if they don't, that in and of itself would make me uncomfortable about what you might be walking into (I don't want you to have to add another sad story to my "Got Sent Home From A Gig! thread).

Besides, who are you going to call if you get lost, or have a flat tire on the way?

Can you take your daughter with you so she can be your boombox lady? I'd ask the silent gift giver who you could speak with when you arrive.

yes - INSIST on a contact person! for all of the reasons laura states.

if you end up doing the gig without one, what I would do is knock on the door and hope that someone other than the GOH answers. then rope them into being your boombox/sneak you in the back door so you can get your veil and zills on person.

The gig is at a country club. I just talked to Kimahri & she recommended I call the place and set up an employee contact to make sure someone knows I'm coming, that I can get in & find the right party.

My plan now is to have a friend handle my boombox, I'll holler out for the GOH and when I find him I'll just loudly & cheerfully say "Joe? Surprise!" and have her start the music.

The go-between who set the whole thing up said there will be children at the party, I was hired *because* my website said I offer family-friendly entertainment and don't do all-boy events. That makes me feel a lot better.

You know, I always think that actually speaking detracts from the performance. Howabout no announcement, you could start with finger cymbals to signal that the music should be turned on, then make a big entrance.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

The gig is at a country club. I just talked to Kimahri & she recommended I call the place and set up an employee contact to make sure someone knows I'm coming, that I can get in & find the right party.

My plan now is to have a friend handle my boombox, I'll holler out for the GOH and when I find him I'll just loudly & cheerfully say "Joe? Surprise!" and have her start the music.

The go-between who set the whole thing up said there will be children at the party, I was hired *because* my website said I offer family-friendly entertainment and don't do all-boy events. That makes me feel a lot better.

Setting up your own contact person is perfectly acceptable too, especially if you don't mind going to the extra effort. A boombox handler is a great idea - I wish I had someone willing to do that for me. Even though I explain the workings of my boombox to the host, they sometimes get confused and have a really hard time getting my music started.

Originally Posted by Bellydancingcaroline

You know, I always think that actually speaking detracts from the performance. Howabout no announcement, you could start with finger cymbals to signal that the music should be turned on, then make a big entrance.

I agree - I usually select music with an intro part to generate curiosity and excitement. Then I sweep in, veil swooping to the ooooh and ahhs.

Good idea, maybe I'll try that. I was just trying to figure out how to get past the intro on my music once I'm standing there in front of the GOH.

Shoot, maybe I won't have a boombox handler. My husband always did that for me, this is my first gig since he left...

well , you just have to get yourself a 30 year old toy boy to do it for you now.

get someone at the gig to at least start the first song for you. even if you have to ambush them and brief them in the corridor, i am sure a waiter/waitress/guest will do this.

you are lucky it is at a club b/c there are usually plenty of employees so someone can handle this.
the club can surely organize an employee to make sure the goh is in the room
get everyone's attention, press play, etc.
just remember to tip them :)

I agree about the not talking bit. While it might seem necessary in order to single out the GOH and all, I think that calling out his name and saying "Surprise!" could bring down the artistic aspect of your performance and leave guests wondering what the surprise is really going to be.... (Think the "Happy Birthday!" routine by that male comedian with a boombox that someone started a thread on a while back.....l;, )

Even if worst-case-scenario, you had to arrive at the venue and flag down some employee there and implore upon them to bring in your boombox, find a plug and press "play", it's better to make a grand entrance dancing than to announce yourself. The person you spontaneously recruited would probably be tickled to do it. You can even get that person to locate the GOH and point him out. I have often just grabbed the party guest nearest to the door when I arrive, and ask that person to show me who the GOH is.

Then AFTER you dance, if you want to wish the GOH a very happy birthday, or whatever the occasion is, it's a much better time to do it.

Two more points in the case of needing to flag down a stranger:

If you boombox accepts batteries, fill it with batteries so that no one has to hunt down a plug. More freedom as to where to put the boombox that way.

Pre-set the volume so that no one has to alter it for you, if that's possible.

Some of the L.A. dancers use a pre-recorded announcement before the first song of their show set CD begins: the first track has a professional (or professional sounding) announcer saying something like "Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to present to you, the fabulous LAUREN!" Of course, it would have to be recorded and put onto the CD as the first track, but not too difficult to do....

Oh, a prerecorded track sounds really cool!

I do have a student volunteer, and batteries for the boombox. I'll get an employee to help me find the right room and point out the GOH, if possible. The student/friend who's coming with me isn't shy at all, so I'm sure she'll be cool with walking into the room and just starting up nice loud music and standing there with the boombox until I enter, while everyone tries to figure out what's going on. heh heh.

the pre-recorded announcement is a great idea!

i'm chuckling remembering my boom box days - I had a whole shpiel I chanted to my helper to make sure they didn't screw things up "don't hide the boom box behind a wall, be sure the speakers are facing the room, be sure to put it some place I can see it as I need to be able to stop the music, on a chair or table is great, don't touch the volume, the start button is HERE right below the little red light..."

a thought - ask the country club if the room has a sound system. I haven't had to bring a boom box anywhere in years it seems. that will be one less thing to stress about. (but bring the boom box anyway just in case!) oh! one other thing - my friend Hasani put a round yellow sticker on the start button of her boom box, to make it easier for the helper to find.

Turned out I didn't need the boombox, we were able to get a party guest/helper to flag down the DJ and get the music going. No announcing, the DJ started my music, I barged in & entertained, danced with the GOH & a few guests, then left them all scratching their heads and going"WTF just happened?"

hee.

nice,at least turned out to be a nice surprise!

that sounds like it was fun. glad it worked out.