International Blues Competition Information for the Band

How many passes do I get? You will receive the number of passes for the number of musicians that you registered. What will my artist pass get me? You will have access to all events on Beale Street February 1-4, quarter and semi-final venues as well as both finals at the Orpheum Theater. This pass is equal to the Baby Blue pass. There is no system in place to upgrade a musician pass to a Big Blue pass. Your pass will go on a lanyard. The Blues Foundation will be selling lanyards, to avoid this cost BRING ONE FROM HOME. We registered 4 but decided to bring an extra _______   player, can I get another pass? No, you only will receive the number passes for the number of musicians that you registered. Does my tech, manager and or bus driver get a pass? Can I get a pass for my wife/girlfriend, husband/boyfriend or PARENTS? No, tickets are available on our website and wristbands will be available on Beale Street. Where can I purchase passes? IBC passes are available on our website at http://www.blues.org/#ref=ibc_index. What are the prices for Wristbands? Wednesday – Thursday wristbands are, $10, Friday is priced at $15.   What do we need to bring? You will need your instruments!  Drummers will need to bring cymbals and kick pedal, they may want to bring a snare too. Harp players can bring a harp amp (but does not have to, a guitar amp will be provided). Keyboard players can bring their own keys (but do not have to, an 88 keyed and weighted keyboard will be provided). All other backline will be provided. Please bring a DI if you use one. PLEASE NOTE: The backline in your venue will be based on your registration information! The use of pedals, stomp boxes and other auxiliary equipment is allowed. The use of wireless systems depends on the venue, soundperson and time constraints. The use of midi and looping devices to enhance performances are not (yet) barred from the competition but are frowned on, this Showcase is about LIVE music! Can I bring my own guitar/bass amp? No, please do not ask. All backline will be provided. What brand and model of gear will be available? The equipment provided will be high quality, professional gear that you have played through before. All keyboards will be 88 keyed and weighted. Where do we (I) play? Acts will play two nights in the assigned venue.  Competitors will play in the same venue but in a different time slot each night. Different judges are assigned each night of the quarter finals. You will find out which venue you are assigned at act check-in. You may be assigned a different venue for the semi-final round. What are the set lengths? Youth Showcase is 30 minutes. There will be 10 minutes between acts. Yes, that is just 10 minutes. Everyone needs to assist the following act. We have done this for years and it does work. Keep in mind that you are competing with the score sheet and not the other acts in the venue, network with your fellow musicians and work together. How does the competition in the venues work? The Blues Foundation will provide up to 4 volunteers in each venue. The VENUE COORDINATOR (VC) will be the contact for your venue. That person will direct and manage the stage. Your relationship is with The Blues Foundation and our representatives, not the venue. The TIME KEEPER (TK) will operate the stop watch and alert you when you have 2 MINUTES remaining. You will also be signaled 1 MINUTE, 30 SECONDS and then TIME IS UP. Acts will be penalized one point from its Total Weighted Score for each TEN SECONDS that it runs over. Your time begins when the act addresses the crowd or the first note is played. The time stops when the last note is played or when the last word is spoken. Salutations and closing remarks count as your set time. There is no penalty for using less than the allotted time. At the producing organization’s discretion, a policy of penalty for excessive time loading-in and out will also be applied. The JUDGES ASSISTANT (JA) will be charged with assisting the judges, preparing the score sheets and maintaining the integrity of the scoring. A VENUE ASSISTANT (VA) will assist with stage duties and deliver the score sheets to Head Quarters. Each venue will provide a PA, sound engineer, mics and mic stands. Backline will be provided based on your online registration form, keys and B3s will be available to the acts that requested them. Every attempt will be made to ensure you at least have the basics to perform. Please remember that the word Challenge is in the name of the event! When do we need to be in the venue? Acts MUST be in the venue 20 minutes before the FIRST act begins. You are required to check in with the VENUE COORDINATOR (VC). Make sure a representative is ALWAYS in the venue. Your venue may be missing an act, someone could be sick; the venue could ahead of schedule. (Times in the schedule are only a guide, venues can and do run early) What is the age limit on Beale Street? Beale Street is a Historic Destination. Beale Street rules are: all persons under 18 must be accompanied by an adult after 10 pm. Individual venues may have different rules. All youth showcase venues are open to all ages during the showcase. How can I sell my CDs? Volunteers will be on-site to sell your discs. CD sales will be open from Noon-10 pm Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. 1)      CDs need to be delivered Wednesday to Ugly Juanita’s, 220B Beale Street. (at the bar at Handy Park) 2)     Due to the number of bands involved we are accepting 1 CD title per band. You should bring 100 copies of your most current release. You will check in 15 copies for sale at a time. We recommend you check back often to replenish your stock. Each time your stock has been exhausted, you will be able to collect the proceeds in cash.   3)      This year we will not charge for this service! We do ask that you become a member of The Blues Foundation and/or make a donation to Generation Blues.   4)     Acts can check-out at any time and receive payment and inventory. NOTE: You may not sell discs from or in front of the stage before or after your performance. If someone asks, you may step outside or to the back of the room to complete transactions. The most important act in any venue is the one that is on the stage! CD sales will not be selling t-shirts. We also ask that you do not have anyone walking through the crowd selling your merchandise while you (or any other act) are on stage performing. Give the same respect you expect! Other Points: There will be jams each night in a number of venues. Your venue coordinator will have more information. Go to the IBC page of our website, http://www.blues.org/#ref=ibc_index. Use the links on the left of the page for more information Read and understand the rules. Make sure everyone in you group knows what is expected and required. There are many networking opportunities; we suggest that you plan your activities and socializing carefully. In closing: this is a well-organized event and we run a tight ship! If everyone cooperates, all of us will have a good time. Please keep in mind that this is a huge event; there are 226 acts registered which gives us 748 individual musicians! Your questions are very important but remember you are one of many – please check our website and this email for the answer first! Joe Whitmer Deputy Director The Blues Foundation