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Book Evan Dando for a Private Event
Booking a celebrity for a private event, corporate event or ticketed performance can be a complex and time consuming task. If you have never hired an A-list entertainer, be prepared to discuss all of the details of your event including, location of event, expected head count, ticket prices, accommodations, duration of event and more.
With Seattle Entertainment Group, we offer transparent and affordable celebrity booking services. It doesn’t matter if you have a small budget or a six-figure allowance, we will help you locate, select and book the perfect entertainer for your event. We have a vast network of industry professionals that are exclusive and we have personally worked with thousands of entertainers over the last two decades.
Our celebrity booking services will help you save time, money and precious energy throughout the entire talent booking process. This includes negotiating, contracting and offer submission. We hold your hand from start to finish. Already familiar with the process? Great! Let us help you get a lower price using our relationships and routed venues across the world.
Bio
Evan Griffith Dando, born on March 4, 1967, is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band the Lemonheads. In addition to his work with the band, he has pursued a solo career and collaborated with a range of artists. His contributions to the music scene were recognized in December 2015 when he was inducted into the Boston Music Awards Hall of Fame. Dando's journey began while he was at Commonwealth, where he met Ben Deily and Jesse Peretz. In 1986, they started a group called the Whelps, which later evolved into the Lemonheads, named after the candy produced by Ferrara Pan.
The Lemonheads made their live debut at the Meltdown House in Cambridge on July 18, 1986, followed by a performance at The Rat on August 19. They recorded their first EP, Laughing All the Way to the Cleaners, which caught the attention of Taang! Records, a local label. The band's first three albums—Hate Your Friends, Creator, and Lick—were all released under Taang!. After the third album, Dando took a brief hiatus from the band due to some disagreements with Deily and joined Juliana Hatfield's group, Blake Babies. However, he returned to the Lemonheads as a drummer after their cover of Suzanne Vega's "Luka" gained popularity and presented them with a chance to tour Europe. Unfortunately, Deily left the band just before the tour, prompting Dando to step up as the guitarist and lead singer. He then brought David Ryan on board as the drummer, and the band signed with Atlantic Records, releasing their album Lovey in 1990.
Dando spent some time in Australia collaborating with friends Nic Dalton and Tom Morgan, who later formed the band Sneeze. Some of the songs he worked on during this period became part of The Lemonheads' fifth album, It's a Shame About Ray. In 1992, The Lemonheads put out a punk-inspired cover of Simon and Garfunkel's classic "Mrs. Robinson" to promote the VHS release of The Graduate for its 25th anniversary. This rendition reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart in December 1992 and was added as a bonus track to the album's re-release. Initially, Dando was not fond of this song being included on the album, feeling misled by his label into recording it. However, after hearing the track featured in Martin Scorsese's film The Wolf of Wall Street, he changed his mind.
Dando gained significant media attention, appearing on several magazine covers, and was even named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" by People magazine. In a candid moment during an interview with Q magazine, he opened up about his past struggles with crack cocaine, expressing regret over it. Later, in 1993, the Lemonheads released the album Come on Feel the Lemonheads, which included popular singles like "It's About Time," "Big Gay Heart," and "Into Your Arms." While on tour in 1994, Dando developed a friendship with the band Oasis and made a brief appearance at some of their live performances. He also had a cameo in the 1994 movie Reality Bites, rounding out a busy period in his career.
SEG does not, nor claims to, represent any celebrity as the exclusive booking agent. Seattle Entertainment Group does not manage any celebrities listed on this website. SEG acts only as a buyer’s agent for venues, event professionals, companies and organizations to book celebrities for corporate and private events, paid commercials, casino concerts, engagements as well as other various appearances. The celebrities listed on this site are for informational purposes only and are intended as a resource for our clients to provide ideas.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Will I need security for my event if I hire a celebrity?
Yes, the celebrity may require you to hire unarmed police or private esecurity. It depends on the status of the chosen celebrity and the type of event. The artist needs protection and everyone’s reputation is in jeopardy if they are not reasonably protected. Sometimes the celebrity will bring their own bodyguard.
Will I have to pay for the celebrity’s hotel, travel and food?
Most of the time the celebrity will expect general food and beverage accommodations for the duration of the event. In more complex bookings, they may want to be fed from the day of arrival to the day of departure. Additionally, hotels and transportation should be provided unless a buyout is included in the offer being submitted before you book a celebrity.
Will I get my money back after I have hired a celebrity and my event is canceled?
If your event is canceled sometimes you can receive a refund or a credit toward future or rescheduled performance in the event of a force majeure. Other times the contract has strict cancellation terms that must be adhered to. We help you outline the cancellation terms in the negotiating process.Â
Can I hire a celebrity for an event myself?
Anyone can hire a celebrity. You will pay more in most cases because an artist can tell if you are not familiar with the process. Always consult with a professional before you book a celebrity yourself. There is a specific process that should be followed.
Will a celebrity prepare a speech or promote my product at the event?
The short answer is yes. The celebrity will help promote your product and deliver a speech if that is included in the deal points when we submit the offer. A celebrity may also post the product on their social media.Â
What happens if a celebrity is late to my event?
Sometimes flights are delayed, it’s the unfortunate part of traveling abroad. As part of the contract process, we help eliminate delays by adding a late-arrival clause that allows you to cancel the performance if an artist is late beyond a certain point. It’s not ideal and it is rarely a concern, but the good news is that you will get your deposit back and you will not be liable for the performer’s final payment.
Can I pick which songs the celebrity performs at my event?
You can certainly create a list of songs you want performed. The celebrity will sing or perform all of the chosen songs or as many as reasonably possibly within the appearance time paid for.
Will a celebrity sing and perform at my private or public event?
Absolutely, there are some requirements to be aware of if you want a musical performance, however. A celebrity may ask you to fulfill parts of their tour rider, which outlines specific types of equipment needed to execute a live performance.
Are there any celebrities I cannot hire for my event?
It depends, some celebrities will avoid certain political affiliations, communities or parties that may be considered a conflict of interest. We will help you determine the potential obstacles before wasting any time.
Will the celebrity I choose take pictures with my family and friends?
Yes, the celebrity will take pictures with you and a small group of people assuming you make time for it during their appearance. If you want a celebrity to appear for an hour, set aside 30 minutes of that time for a meet and greet, otherwise the celebrity may not stick around for longer than what’s stated in their contract.
How much does it cost to hire a celebrity for an event?
The cost to hire a celebrity can vary from artist to artist. Other determining factors will influence the price as well. The deal points we create on your behalf , the location of your event, and duration of appearance can heavily influence the price of a celebrity booking.
Can you guarantee the celebrity will be hired for my event?
In most cases, if the celebrity is available and the offer is strong, we guarantee the chosen celebrity will strongly consider the offer. Sometimes, it makes sense to have a backup plan, however, schedules change and late bookings can be risky. It’s best to have 2-3 celebrities in mind before you start the process, just in case the first is unavailable.Â
When will I have to pay the celebrity to appear at my private or public event?
Typically an artist will be paid in two separate installments. The first payment is a deposit of 50% which is usually paid thirty to ninety days from the engagement. Sometimes the artist will require a full payment upfront, it depends on the scope of work and the notoriety of the celebrity being considered. The final payment of 50% is paid on the day of the event, unless there is a ticket reconciliation that needs to occur.
Will the celebrity sign autographs for my team and client?
Yes, of course. We include signed memorabilia in all of our offers (memorabilia to be provided by the venue or client).
How long does it take to hire a celebrity for a private or public ticket event?
It can take as much as three to four months to confirm a celebrity appearance, or two days depending on the deal points, offer and location of your event. Start the process early – that’s our recommendation.Â
What is the process for hiring a celebrity for a private or ticket event?
The process includes selecting the artist(s), contacting our agency, then creating deal points to include in an offer sheet. Once you have the details outlined, we can discuss the terms with the artist or manager. After the artist agrees to the deal points, a contract is signed, a deposit is made and the performance will happen before the remaining money is paid to the artist.
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