Hello Govfest Bands!
Do you want to perform with us? It’s our 20th year, and we once again invite you to perform on fully equipped and professionally staffed stages at great music venues in Toronto and around the province, while supporting great causes like United Way and Ryan’s Well!
To promote participation in this event far and wide amongst the performer community in the Broader Public Service in Ontario, please help us by sharing this message! Govfest would like to expand the inclusivity and participation of musicians, artists and their supporters with increased engagement from various regions and communities, so we welcome your help with this!
Who is eligible to perform in Govfest?
Any performer, band, or musical group with at least one member who is a current or retired employee of the Broader Public Service (such as the OPS, municipalities such as the City of Toronto, the Federal Government, etc).
How do I sign up as a performer or volunteer?
Email us at contact@govfest.ca with a few basic details (band leader’s name, band name) to get on our list and help us with planning. We’ll ask for detailed band information in early September.
Great! Where and when are we playing?
We can’t quite say for sure until we see how many of you there are. We schedule shows on Friday and Saturday nights in November (with some Thursdays). Currently we have booked Fri-Sat November 14-15, Fri-Sat November 21-22, and Saturday November 29 at three great Toronto venues: Monarch Tavern, Lee’s Palace Dance Cave, and the Duke! We’re also expecting to host a show in Kingston, and would love to expand to other cities around the province.
Do you have a Grand Finale? How do I play in that?
We’re looking at Friday December 12 as the date of the Grand Finale! As in past years, playing in the Finale will be based on audience support and fundraising… full details in September.
How long is our set?
Half an hour, with ten minutes of set up time. We try to have four or five bands a night, and depending on the venue we may be able to arrange extra “late night” sets to keep the party going! All bands are offered a soundcheck slot before doors open (typically at 7pm).
What can I play? What styles of music are you looking for?
Anything you want. If you’re worried your act is a bit too “out there”, let me know at contact@govfest.ca and I’ll probably put your mind at ease.
As a performer, do I have to sell tickets?
There are no minimum ticket sales for bands, but as always we are grateful to the bands for their ongoing efforts to help us sell tickets to make this event a success! Once again this year there will be no printed tickets and all tickets will be sold online. The link will be available soon.
How can I volunteer?
We’re providing the equipment for the performances (aka: “the backline”), but that may mean that we can use some help in late night equipment wrangling, looking after video and audio recordings, stage management, timekeeping… skills which the performer community has in abundance. (Right?) And don’t worry, if those tasks don’t strike your fancy, there are plenty of other ways to help as well.
I still have questions!
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our email address at contact@govfest.ca. Over the summer and fall I will organize a few conference calls for any band members who have questions or just want to chat or provide feedback. The first conference call will be on Tuesday August 19 at 2pm (a link will be sent out the day before for bands that have registered).
Onwards!
Darren, on behalf of the Govfest Team
