Headrow House 10/03/2026 “The Wranglers’ Single Release Show ‘Ghost’”
The overall outcome of this gig was a success. The event ran smoothly, while reaching our ticket target and keeping all those involved satisfied and accommodated. My personal role within this project was primarily the venue liaison, by making sure all details and enquiries were successfully communicated between the venue, promoters, and artists. I chose this role as I have past experience in successfully planning events and felt confident in my abilities to reach out to venues, promptly provide responses, and relay necessary information during the planning process before the gig. One skill within this role that I could have improved was being more knowledgeable on technical terms for tech specs and equipment that are commonly used within the music industry. This caused a few delays in my responses as I had to chase these answers from the other group members, and if I was to repeat this role in the future, I would complete some more prior research. However, these issues had no effect on the planning process but could have improved independence and efficiency.
Event Evidence Video
Video 1
Event Atmosphere
The event atmosphere was lively and energetic, yet cozy and intimate. All of these factors made the night interactive and interesting which grabbed the audience’s attention throughout the event. Before the doors opened, my group put up some fairy lights around the venue for an extra sense of comfort and warmth,(as shown in photo 1d).
The first act was an acoustic duo who played melancholic stripped back songs with really beautiful melodies and harmonies. This was complimented by warm and dim lighting as the audience attentively watched in awe, (as shown at 1:25 in video 1).
The second act was an acoustic band which had a nice mix of these moods within their set. The venue started to fill up while people swayed along to their music following the relaxed drum beat. People began to arrive with their friends and order drinks at the bar which increased the liveliness and conversation within the crowd. (as shown at 2:35 in video 1).
As the headline act began playing, their upbeat country songs made the atmosphere energetic and cheerful. The band played under brighter lights, which was very eye-catching for the crowd, (as shown at 1:05 in video 1). The audience danced and sang along to their songs, which had an intimate feel between The Wranglers and their fanbase (as shown at 1:12 in video 1). During the slower songs, the crowd all switched on the torches on their phones to create atmosphere and interaction with the music (as seen in video 2). The venue felt full and vibrant which left the crowd and musicians radiant as they left the room, or followed The Wranglers to their merch stand at the end of the gig. The merch stand was busy and talkative, as the audience spoke with the band while buying a poster or t-shirt, (as shown in photo 1l).
Video 2
Box Office
The budget was reduced by having members of our group stay on the door to monitor attendance, provide wrist bands, and process on-the-door transactions using a card reader that we already had available, (as shown in photo 2e). For extra monitoring, I requested to have access to the names of those who purchased a ticket online via “Dice” to keep track of attendance, and brought a printed hard copy to refer to on the door, (as shown in photo 2d). Our group made use of a mobile app named “Click Counter” which allowed us to digitally count those who came in and out of the venue to record the capacity, (as shown in photos 2k and 2j). Colour co-ordinated wristbands were also used to separate the over 18s and under 18s age groups, as advised by the venue, (as shown in photos 2e and 2f). Each member took turns staying by the entrance to ensure everybody had an equal chance to complete checks before and during the performances by monitoring stage management and health and safety. Two members stayed on the door at a time for speed and efficiency when processing transactions. Management of the box office could have improved by making a clear schedule of when each member of the group took their turn to stay on the door. The lack of schedule caused some confusion and reluctance as we all ended up having an unequal amount of time on the door which affected their own personal time for monitoring the event.
Security
As venue liaison, I confirmed with Headrow House that security will be provided outside the building which reassured us that we mainly needed to prioritise the security within the venue, (as shown in photo 3b). This was achieved by always having people on the door to ensure all those inside the venue had purchased a ticket by monitoring the use of wrist bands and that the box of wrist bands were kept out of reach by others outside of our group. It was very important to us that the artists’ equipment and belongings were safe, so we made sure to lock the green room door whenever it was not in use and keep the green room key with us at all times, (as shown in photo 3c). We chose to accept card payments only to increase the security of transactions and profits, this meant that all payments on the day would remain safe without the risk of misplacing cash or theft. This method increased the surveillance of profits meaning we could accurately pay each artist.
Health and Safety
All health and safety risks were assessed and monitored before and during the event while referring to our risk assessment that was made in advance. The first risk that raised a concern was a leak coming through the green room ceiling, (as shown in photos 4g and 4h). This could have caused a health and safety risk by causing a slip hazard, as well as falling on the electrical equipment that was stored beneath. Staff were alerted immediately, and the source of the leak above was no longer in use which stopped the leak. The water was cleaned immediately to prevent further risk.
The appropriate measures were taken into preventing overloaded power sockets and disorganised cables on and around the stage, extension leads were used cautiously for plugs, and cables were taped down where necessary or neatly wrapped out the way of the walkways, (as shown in 4f). All equipment was also double checked that it had been PAT tested within the last 12 months. Fire exits were made sure to be clearly in view with no obstacles blocking the exit to ensure a smooth evacuation in the event of a fire, (as shown in 4a). No glass cups were used inside the venue to prevent injuries in the event of breakages, and so plastic cups were substituted, (shown in 4b). The performers only used bottled drinks on stage to be able to seal the drink closed to prevent spillages onto electrical equipment. Sound levels during the performance were adjusted to a safe level with free ear plugs available within the venue for those in need, (shown in 4i).
Production
As we left plenty of time for soundchecks, the bands and sound engineer had the chance to thoroughly make sure that everyone was content with the sound level and quality, (shown in 5b). During the performances, every musician could be heard throughout the venue with no sound issues such as feedback or choppy audio. In-ear monitors and wedge monitors were used by the artists to hear in order to hear themselves and their band mates, along with the use of both microphones and DI boxes for their instruments. A minor sound mistake was the lack of music while the doors opened, this made the venue feel quite unlively and unwelcoming.
Lighting was used appropriately and safely, the venue was well lit at all times which prevented trip hazards and allowed the bands to properly view the stage and their instruments. The lighting requests from the lineup were used to add to the atmosphere without being too busy or bright, and synchronised to the mood of the music for each act.
Artist Liaison
The role of artist liaison was primarily done by Katie and Jack, they were the primary bridge between us promoters and the musicians. They made sure that they had everything required to deliver a successful performance by handling logistics, rider requirements and on-site hospitality to enhance the artists’ experience, (shown in 6c). The artists’ liaisons provided assistance when loading their equipment into the venue, and guided them through timings and guest list requests. Katie and Jack helped to make the green room a comfortable environment by stocking up the fridge with refreshments and continuously checking up on their needs, (shown in 6d). In the event of faulty equipment, they were on standby in case they needed to rent equipment from our university’s facilities desk. Katie and Jack maintained a calm, considerate and professional role to keep the artists happy, which was a high priority for us during this event. An aspect that could have been improved is immediate communication, the artists were not informed straight away that the refreshments were available to them, which affected hospitality for the full duration of the event.
Stage Management
A clear and concise event schedule was made prior to the event, and I made sure to share it digitally to all those involved, including the venue, lineup and group members. It was a priority to have the event schedule be understandable so as to avoid confusion, unpreparedness or delays. In regards to the changeovers between acts, we allowed 30 minutes in between soundchecks to accommodate for any potential contingencies, and 20 mins in between sets to allow equipment to be arranged for the following performance. This showed to be a good amount of time considering the first support act was acoustic and had minimal technical specifications, and several pieces of equipment and backline was being shared amongst the lineup. The headliners provided the backline, and the drummers brought their own breakables, snare and kick pedal, while Murmuration brought their own bass amp and did not require a guitar amp. I communicated this to the venue to make them and the sound engineer aware of our setup. Over email, I liaised with production to make sure it was okay for The Wranglers to take a recording of the front house output from the sound desk. The schedule and communication worked in our favour and we luckily had no interferences, however we had plans prepared in the event of delays and equipment malfunctions.
Online Marketing
After I helped to secure the booking via email, the next step was setting up the ticket link and schedule. We had arranged for the tickets to be announced using the ticket provider “Dice” 6 weeks before the event, to allow 2 weeks for a discounted early bird price to tempt buyers with the lower price, (shown in 8f). During that 6 week period, as the venue liaison, I emailed the venue all the necessary information to ensure a smooth-running programme of the event. This included the event name, listing image, ticket price, announcement date/time and contact/invoicing information. We chose to name the event after the headliner’s new single “Ghost” to increase promotion and anticipation for the gig, which provided an opportunity for the audience to experience a new single in a live setting, (shown in 8b).
We actively monitored the number of ticket sales during the buildup to the event and noticed a significant increase after every promotional activity. An instagram account was made under the name “Northbound Productions” which posed as our promotion company, where the poster was shared alongside behind the scenes rehearsal videos from the lineup, (shown in 8c). This method was successful due to the added insight of what the event would include, by showcasing the artist’s nature and theme. Countdowns were used on the instagram story to add anticipation, (shown in 8g). Improvements could have been made with managing the Instagram account for the event, more outreach could have been beneficial such as following more accounts to increase the exposure of our event.
Promotional Materials
A face-to-face marketing strategy was used by setting up a promotion stand at our university’s common area during peak lunch hour to ensure maximum interaction. We placed chocolates and homemade baked goods to add an incentive for people to approach our stand. This in-person strategy was successful, as it caught the attention of our peers more efficiently, especially those who might be less active on social media, (as shown in video 3).
Posters for the event were printed and placed around the university campus which included a QR code for people to conveniently scan and be taken to the ticket link, (shown in photos 9a, 9b and 9c). As predicted, the ticket sales increased significantly which allowed us to break even and gain profit after the initial venue hire fee. A photographer was hired for the event to allow the artists to further promote their work by using professionally taken photographs on social media.
Video 3
Financial Outcomes
The total ticket sales amounted to 80, with 17 sold during the early bird sale, 37 during general admission, and 26 on the door. Our goal to make enough profit to pay the artists was achieved, and the remaining profit for our team was £86.21.
