Outer Banks Seafood Festival Seeking Bands
Outer Banks Seafood Festival organizers are now receiving applications from area bands interested in playing at the October 17th Festival.
In just a few short years, the Festival has grown into a “must-attend” event for thousands of locals and visitors. The day’s live performances and musical entertainment are a key part of the Festival’s appeal, and a great way for bands to connect with a large, appreciative audience.
Application forms are available online here.
If you believe your band has already submitted an application packet for the 2015 Festival, please confirm that the organizers have your information by calling the Entertainment Committee at 757-880-7847. Likewise, previous year performers are advised to submit a new application packet for 2015.
The Entertainment Committee of the Festival will review all packets and make a recommendation to the Seafood Board. The deadline for applications is July 31, 2015.
The 2015 Outer Banks Seafood Festival is presented by TowneBank and the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau.
The year’s Festival will be held on Saturday, October 17th at The Soundside event site in Nags Head. The Soundside, formerly known as the Outer Banks Event Site, has undergone an extensive redesign and enhancement in recent months and looks forward to welcoming guests of the Seafood Festival.
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So many musicians are troubled by your invitation (application) for musicians to play your festival. This has become the exact model musicians have been railing against for years. Perhaps your food providers could apply to provide free food for everyone, with a small deposit required. If the musicians are not good enough to pay, you’re saying to your patrons, “Here, we dug up some chumps who are not good enough to pay, but enjoy them. We’re giving them ‘exposure’. Look forward to swarming your festival.
Before we organize a group of musicians to protest your festival, to heckle any performers devaluing the craft by playing for free for an event you charge money to attend. (actually paying a deposit), we’d like to give you a chance to reconsider your musician compensation model. If your festival can not afford to hire musicians, it shouldn’t feature live music. This is not a defensible model. This usually happens when organizers who don’t value artists, get some great idea to have a contest, or get people to play for free for the thrill of it. Any artist who does that is not a friend to true musicians trying to make a living. You are now part of that problem.
First of all this is not our event. We’re not in charge of it, we don’t book it, we have absolutely no say in how it’s run. We published the same press release that was submitted to all local media outlets. If you had read the post a little more carefully before launching your attack you’d have seen that it is plainly stated that the Seafood Festival is presented by the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau. Take your complaint to them if you wish. Second, as professional musicians ourselves (my wife even has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in music performance) we have gladly played numerous times for free in exchange for exposure. What band do you represent? Are you local? How long have you been a professional musician? If you’re already successful enough to name your own price, why are you worried about this event? Third, if you’re going to organize a protest than at least know who/what you’re protesting before attacking the messenger in the future. To clarify, we (OBX Entertainment) are an entertainment news website. We report on upcoming events and go out and cover many of them. We are not in charge of these events (with the exception of our Outer Banks Halloween Parade, which is entirely presented by us). No one on the Outer Banks does more (for free!) to promote local events and artists than we do. Should we start damanding payment every time a band like yours submits a press release about one of their upcoming shows? We are not “part of that problem”. In fact we’re the greatest ally a band or artisits could have because we are one of the only places they can get “free” promotion of their events. Please read more carefully and do a tiny bit of research next time before attacking the wrong people. Thanks.
Would like information on how to book a band for the Outer Banks Seafood Festival ,, I have one of the “Best” in Virginia….
Just follow the instructions stated in the press release above and submit application through the link provided within. Thanks.
The bands are paid for performing at the Festival and always have been.
Thanks, Matt, for all you guys do.