What the band needs on site

Most complications at an event are not caused by the music but by something not agreed in advance. The socket is at the far end of the room, the band area is half a metre smaller than expected, or the room only opens an hour after the agreed time.

So here are our technical requirements, openly and with concrete figures. You can forward them to the venue manager or the production team and they will have everything they need.

Floor area by line-up

The surface must be level, clean and dry. Playing on a slope or on gravel is not possible — neither the double bass nor the drum hardware has anything to stand on.

Power

• One standard 230 V / 16 A socket within 10 metres of the band.
• Total power draw does not exceed 1.5 kW — no three-phase supply or dedicated breaker needed.
• We bring our own extension leads and adapters.
• If the socket is shared with catering or lighting, tell us in advance — hot plates and a 16 A breaker do not get along.

Set-up timing

An hour before the start is not a buffer, it is the minimum. A sound check has to happen in an empty or half-empty room — once guests arrive, only fine adjustments are possible.

PA system

We bring our own active Bose PA including microphones, stands and cabling. It reliably covers events of up to 80 to 100 guests.

For rooms over 100 people and large outdoor productions we require PA and a sound engineer from the organiser. In that case we send a stage plan and input list in advance so the engineer can prepare the desk. More in how many musicians per guests.

Facilities

• Somewhere outside the room to leave instrument cases — a double bass case does not fit under a table.
• Access to toilets and drinking water.
• For events longer than three hours, a space to spend the break out of guests' sight.
• Parking for one or two vehicles within walking distance, ideally with the option to stop at the entrance while loading.

Outdoor events

We are happy to play outdoors, with one firm condition: the band and the equipment must be under solid cover. This is not about comfort — humidity damages wooden instruments and water in the PA ends the performance.

• The cover must protect against driving rain; a parasol is not enough.
• The ground must be level and firm — on grass, drum hardware and the double bass sink.
• Below 12 °C instruments go out of tune, so we plan outdoor events for the summer months.
• Expect a shorter sound reach than indoors.

What we need from you

Six details are enough for an enquiry — with them we send a specific quote within 24 hours:

• Date and start and end time of the performance.
• Venue address.
• Expected number of guests.
• Whether the music is background, a concert, or an evening with dancing.
• Dimensions of the band area and whether the venue has its own PA.
• Any noise limits and the hour by which music must stop.

About the author

David Kleňha is a jazz singer and bandleader based in Prague, performing across the Czech Republic. He leads line-ups from duo to quintet — jazzduo.cz, jazztrio.cz, jazzquartet.cz and jazzquintet.cz — and has played more than 320 events since 2015: corporate evenings, receptions, gallery openings, hotel and restaurant nights, weddings and festivals. More on his personal site davidklenha.cz.

Frequently asked questions