Rules
2024 Bay Area Battle Of The Bands Rules
1. Bands must check in with the Heartland Communications representative by 4pm at the main tent and sound board.
2. One representative of the band must be present at 4:15pm for the playing order draw. All band members must be on the festival grounds by 4:25pm.
3. The band that draws the ACE will begin set up at 4:30pm and play first at 5pm. Each band will be given the same amount of set up time, 10 minutes and 10 minutes sound check. (note: there will be two stages)
3. Playing order times.
Ace = 5:00pm – 5:40pm
Two = 5:50pm – 6:30pm
Three = 6:40pm – 7:20pm
Four = 7:30pm – 8:10pm
Winning order of bands announced approximately 8:30pm.
4. You may have any number road crew to assist in set up and tear down as you wish.
Judging
Each category is scored by an individual judge. Judges may compare scores.
Employees of Heartland Communications or the sound company are not involved in judging. Unless a tie break is needed or stipulated to the bands prior to competition.
Categories
Stage Appearance / Presence. (1 to 33 points)
Is the band dressed appropriately?
Style of music match clothes/costume?
Do they just stand there? Are they choreographed?
Are they having fun on stage? Did they have a set prepared?
Musical / Vocal Ability (1 to 33 points)
Songs done in proper key for singer?
Tempos correct?
Vocals on key during harmonies?
Crowd Appeal (crowd size is not a factor) (1 to 33 points)
Did they interact with the crowd?
Were the people grooving to the band?
Applause after each song and after performance?
Total points possible per judge = 100.
In the event of a tie, a coin will be flipped to determine the winner.
Performance Suggestions
Be ready to play at assigned time. You will be introduced ready to play or not.
Have enough road crew to finish setup while band changes clothes/costume.
Have your set planned so there aren’t long gaps between songs.
Playing cover songs is encouraged. We have seen fantastic bands not score well, because nobody knew the music.
Interact with the crowd as much as possible, no matter how big or small, crowd appeal is one-third your score and is NOT judged on size.
The judges are not a part of the crowd, during your performance please do not seek/single them out for a guitar solo or to sing to them. Please do that with anyone else.
Please remember Bay Days and The Bay Area Battle of The Bands is a
sponsored event. Without our sponsors, we could not make these events
happen.
Coolers are not allowed to festival goers, so if you bring a cooler,
keep it in your equipment vehicle and place any beverages into some sort
of container.
In the case of a delay, postponement or cancellation of the Bay Area Battle of the Bands the announcement may not be made until after 5PM on the day of the event.