Meals
Why does the contract ask us to provide hot meals for acts performing in the evening?
To play at an evening function, with a typical set-up time of 6.00 pm and a midnight finish, the musicians will probably leave home in the early afternoon and will not be back until 2.00 or 3.00 am. These times may even be extended where more travel is involved or where there is an early set-up or late finish. This means that musicians will typically be away from home for 12 hours or more, and this is why they need something fairly substantial to eat to keep them going.
The most convenient option is for the act to eat at the venue, where they can be on hand to see how things are progressing. They would not necessarily expect to be served the food you are serving your guests, as we realise this can be very expensive, but equally a plate of sandwiches is not going to be adequate. We suggest some bar-style meal (such as chicken and chips) or even something microwaved. If it is not possible for meals to be provided at the venue, most acts are willing to accept a meal allowance of around £10 per head, in order for them to get their own food at a nearby pub. Eating from a buffet during one of their breaks is generally neither a popular nor practical option for most acts, as this puts them under excessive time pressure to eat quickly and start playing again.