Music Funding 101
What To Do When A Band Member Can't Make A Show
Although it is a very common (even weekly) occurrence with regular, non-sponsored bands, having a band member or two not show up for a show is somewhat of a different situation when the band is sponsored. This is because the band has agreed to be a "spokes band" for the sponsor, and having the band show up and play properly is part of the agreement that the band made with the sponsor. It's similar to an actor not showing up for a filming, or a quarterback not showing up for a game. But it is going to happen, so I should give both the bands and the sponsors some things to think about before it happens: The TalentFunding.com recommendation is that it should not be such a big concern.
Firstly, sponsors should realize that bands are "entities," and the fans are coming to see the "entity," not the individual members per se. Many sponsors may be used to thinking of spokespeople or employees, whereby if one of them does not show, work cannot be done. But bands can and do function with missing members all the time, even for lengths of time. Bands have no "movie characters" that need to be played, no "lines" that need to be read, and no "speaking" that need to be done by any particular person. So, while fans do get to know individual band members (and even have favorites) fans are still happy to have the "entity" show up and play even if a member is missing. Matter of fact; fans are sometimes sympathetic toward a missing member and will give extra support to the remaining band members (try that with a missing spokesperson).
Secondly, provisions must be made in the sponsorship contract to allow for the situation of missing band members. Some threshold could be set, whereby if a member is missing for more than X number of shows, then some reparations would need to take place. At that point, the sponsor would need to decide if the promotion of his name is really being lessened because of the missing person(s).
But when it comes to the contract, I suggest that the sponsor let leniency rule, especially for bands not receiving a salary, and also for salaried bands performing more than four shows per week for a long period. Bands consider these member changes to be a welcome "break" from the norm (and when using substitutes, a way to make friends and develop backup members). A provision could even be made for a permanently missing member.
Just remember that as long as the "band" can show up (even if it has substitutes), then the same music can be played, the same banners can be hung, the same shirts can sold, etc. Matter of fact, "reduced member touring" and "split band touring" are two advanced touring mechanisms designed to give a sponsor more exposure for the same money, and they both involve band members who are missing from the band.
A third point to bring up is that some performance venues only have enough room for a certain number of performers at one time, and if a band's normal size is larger than this, then one or more members might have to take a night off. Mostly, these are small clubs, rooms, restaurants, and coffee shops. Normally a band might not consider reducing its members so that it could play a smaller club (after all, the whole idea is to play bigger clubs), but a sponsored band has different requirements of where to play; smaller places will need to be considered at times. This especially applies to coffee shops and small restaurants: because there are so many and because a sponsor will want to have as many performances as possible, many bands will find themselves on a "coffee circuit."
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