The doris guide to house concerts

What is a house concert?

In a world where mass marketing rules, it's becoming increasingly difficult for original artists to get their music heard. Enter the house concert – an opportunity to support the independent music. Even as we grow used to being entertained in large venues or via technology, many people relish the simplicity and sense of community they feel attending a musical concert in somebody’s home.
 
Hosting a house concert
Basically, the ingredients for a house concert are (a) 30 to 60 people and (b) a place for them to sit comfortably and enjoy a private concert by professional artists. (You might be surprised how many people can fit in an average-sized room.) House concerts are as different as the personality and inclinations of the host. You can provide snacks and beverages, or put on a bring-a-plate dinner beforehand. Guests can sit on cushions or chairs, you can provide drinks or have them BYO – it's up to you. We’ve even known people make it part of a Tupperware party or other theme night (sadly, we don’t have a Tupperware song yet, but we’re working on it....).

Why "doris"?
We’ve played house concerts in gardens, on verandahs and in lounge rooms. We love them because they get us so much closer to our audience. We are both solo artists in our own right and bring to our combined performance a wealth of original material and heaps of experience playing live.

Host responsibilities
The host of a house concert has a few fairly straightforward responsibilities:
Invitations:
It's up to the host to invite the audience – friends, relatives and business acquaintances who would enjoy the evening.
Covering the fee:
The host collects money in advance (we can provide tickets if required), although some hosts prefer to pay us out of their own pocket and don't charge their guests.
Stage area:
Where you put the duo is up to you, but we are happy to offer guidance on the best bit of your house for a concert.
Lighting:
No special lighting or other equipment is required. Here again, Doris can offer advice on how to make the most of existing lighting.
Refreshments:
The host usually provides some sort of light refreshment for guests, although of course these can be as elaborate as you want.
Table Area The host provides a small table for doris to set up CDs, mailing list and any other promotional material.
Seating:
There are several ways to seat 40 people in a living room. We had one lady who brought every chair and settee from around her home and arranged them in rows. Some hosts ask everyone to bring a folding chair or a cushion, although this can be a pain to organize unless you get folk there good and early. Other hosts borrow stacking chairs from a school or church hall and get the room set up in advance – in our book, by far the best option. Ultimately, though, it's the host who knows his/her guests and decides how to play it.
 
The fee
The fee for Doris to play an evening house concert is based on door sales of around $10 to $15 per person, although we've known people to charge as little as $5 and as much as $20. Doris has a more-or-less minimum fee of $500 which, as an example, would be covered by 34 people @ $15 or 50 people @ $10. From our perspective, of course, the more the merrier.
 
Host expenses
Doris will contribute 10% of ticket sales to the host's expenses.
 
The performance itself 
The house concert usually begins at 8pm with an introduction by the band, followed by two sets of around 40 minutes each, with a 20-minute intermission. Doris will do a full 'show' – i.e., the same as you'd get at a festival or club gig, but with a more casual, intimate feel. At the end of the show, we're happy to hang around to chat, answer questions and sign CDs.

Other stuff

Kids:
Doris loves kids but in the intimate atmosphere of a house concert, little ones often struggle to sit quietly, which can be a pain for all concerned. Plus, some of our material is a little risqué.
Handling bookings:
It is our experience that people who have parted with money for tickets to a gig will show up, whereas those who have just said "yes" are almost always the no-shows. For instance, we did a gig recently where the host chose not to collect money in advance, took verbal bookings from 40 people, turned away over a dozen phone requests and then had 14 no-shows. Hence we recommend that you collect money for door sales in advance.
The booze thing:
Some people might like a glass of wine during the concert – hell, we've been known to sip the odd SSB or two ourselves – but a word of warning: if you do choose to allow alcohol, be sure to present the evening in the spirit in which it is intended, i.e., as a sit-down concert to be listened to, not a party with a bit of music thrown in
 
Bookings and enquiries 
Please call 0414 862 306 or email by clicking here

 Produced by: Jane Cornes & Margie Hanly in the interests of keeping independent music alive. Especially theirs!