Northern California Bluegrass Society

* Deadline for Band Applications*

Deadline for Band Applications for the 2017 GOF is “December 31^st, 2016″

It’s that time again!  Any band interested in performing at the 2017 Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival  (the Bands will perform August 11^th,12^th, 13^{th )} needs to submit the following materials and information by December 31^st, 2016 to:

NCBS

C/o Penny Godlis

481 N Santa Cruz Ave. #242

Los Gatos, CA  95030-5300

Band Recording: Ideally the recording (CD or cassette) please no DVD’s, should have at least five songs and represent the current membership and performance style of the band.  It doesn’t have to be quality- just clear enough for the band committee to make a good and fair evaluation.

Band Photo: Prior to the festival we feature photos of performing bands both in this magazine and in promotional materials. Please submit a photo of your current band that you’d like to see in publication (and indicate who is who on the back of the photo).  Avoid dark photos that don’t scan very well.  Photo size is not that important.

Band Description:  Pretend you’re a reporter for this magazine who is doing an article on your Band , and write a few paragraphs describing  your group.    Some important information you might provide in your description includes:

.  Names of band members and instruments they play, vocals (leads or harmonies.)

.  Style of music you play (traditional bluegrass, old timey, contemporary, originals, etc.)

.  Brief biographical “story” of each member

.  History of your band

.  How you came up with your band name

.  Recordings you’ve done (don’t worry, most bands at GOF haven’t recorded yet)

.  Interesting places at which you’ve performed

.  Regular gigs you’d like readers to know about

Both the GOF committee and this magazine will use these materials to help promote the festival and your band.  We aren’t expecting fancy layouts or custom-printed materials – a simple letter is just fine.

1. Contact Person:  We need the name, phone number, mailing address (and ideally e-mail address)

of the band’s “agent” or key contact person.

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

1. When you can Perform: Please let us know which days your band can perform at the festival.

Please check all that apply:

___     Friday        August 11^th (music from   3 pm – 10 pm)

___     Saturday   August12^th (music from 10 am – 10 pm)

___     Sunday      August13^th (music from   9 am – 5:00 pm)

Remember the music begins at 3:00 pm on Friday.

Comments:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

The more flexible your band is for scheduling the greater your chance of being booked.

Some frequently asked questions:

Can our band use previously submitted or published materials?

All bands MUST submit a recording, photo, and band description, BUT you can certainly use previous tapes, photos, and band descriptions if they accurately reflect your current band membership, performance level, and information.  We’d prefer a new set of materials though, since last year’s band applications/press kits may not be complete anymore.  Please call Penny Godlis (831-423-2154 home phone) or (408-234-7641 Cell Phone) if you have any questions. Or email me at pennyag44@gmail.com

Are New Bands Welcome?

Definitely!  The band committee is always looking for new bands to feature at the festival.  The GOF was started mainly to give up-and-coming local bands a venue to perform for a larger bluegrass audience.

We’re an established local band and have played at GOF several times–do we still need to send in an application?

YES!  To be fair to everyone, all bands need to apply by the deadline to be considered by the festival committee. If all of the Band members are the same and you wish to use a previous year’s band packet, please call or e-mail Penny Godlis before the deadline.

Questions:

If you have any questions about the band application process, please contact Penny Godlis at  (831-423-2154 Home phone) or  (408-234-7641 Cell phone) email pennyag44@gmail.com

(Note the new e-mail address).

Late Applications:

When we receive the Band packets we work very quickly to get a lineup for publication.  Bands that apply late may be put on a waiting list.

Thanks!

A “new” historical building and other improvements will await bluegrass fans at the San Benito County Historical Park for the 2017 Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival. The historic Palmtag Cutting Shed has been moved to the park and reassembled. It will be a good place for jamming and other festival uses. In addition, there will be an electrical upgrade and improvements to the stage roof. There is also good news about the park water supply.

The Historical Park was first used in 2016 for the GOF Festival following some improvements made to accommodate the event. The San Benito County Historical Society and San Benito County Parks plan additional upgrades in coming years.

The 24th annual festival will be held August 10-13, 2017.