Kaitenzushi Jazz Expo @ Sela Bar

Table of Contents

Overview

The Kaitenzushi Jazz Expo is a new, experimental ‘jazz festival in one evening’ taking place at Sela Bar, Leeds.

It’s based on the 20/10 format we’ve been trialling on other nights – 20 minute sets, 10 minute changeovers – but taken to the extreme to allow us to fit SIXTEEN performances in between 4pm and midnight.

About Not a thing.

Not a thing. is a non-profit promotion run by Dan Akers, based in Huddersfield, working mostly in at venues the Leeds area.

Our model is that generally we pay for the spaces, and most promotion activities, so that bands can split door takings equally. We take (and make) no money from what we do, £0. In fact… minus £400-600 a month.

Our goal is to provide spaces for (mostly) new and upcoming bands across a number of ‘alt’ genres – alt-jazz and soul, alt-rock and all its many variants, plus electronic, afrobeat, latin etc.

Check out our Instagram or YouTube to see what we do.

Not a thing. is a t/a of Startling LTD.

Venue Details

Sela Bar - 20 New Briggate, Leeds LS1 6NU

https://www.selabar.com/

Sela is an established basement jazz venue in the heart of Leeds, just reaching 20 years old. It features smaller band setups more often than the larger bands we put on. To support this, we bring a lot of our own kit to augment what they already have.

It’s essential a single large room, with a stage at one end and a bar at the other. There is only one area that isn’t in view of the stage, which is where people go who hate jazz. It’s primarily a seated venue – benches, stools, tables with candles, low and high tables – all the way up the edge of the stage. When the chairs are full, there’s lots of standing space. Capacity is about 120.

For more dancey nights, we have the option to clear the area in front of the stage of table and chairs to create a small dancefloor. This is quite a bit of work as back room storage is limited, so we need to know in advance if bands would like this.

Sela Bar is not an accessible venue unfortunately – it’s accessed via a narrow set of 16 stairs, and there is no wheelchair access.

Toilets are up a narrow set of 17 stairs, and there is no accessible toilet.

Large print menus are available upon request.

For any enquiries about accessibility please get in touch with GM Emily via emilyselabar@gmail.com

Fees

Not a thing. receives the space for free from Sela bar, plus £50 which is used to pay the sound engineer. Bands are paid out of their own pocket.

Sela provide the space, as well as a free drink per band member (from the ‘house’ drinks, beer, wine etc) plus a reduced price pizza deal of £6 for all band members. Their pizzas are amazing.

For this event, we will be charging a door fee of £6, but because the venue is open  to the public it’ll be PAYF. We hope the 15 jazz bands will put off most normal people. It’ll also be NOTAFLOF.

All takings will be split equally between the bands. We have no idea how much this will be but we’ll give it all to you, equally.

Because all the fees are being paid by Not a thing. there are no riders beyond the free drinks.

Equipment & Tech

The equipment available on the night is a mixture of what we bring, and what Sela provide.

The TL:DR version of below is that basically we have a Bass Amp, a Nord keyboard, drum shells and hardware but no breakables. Performers need to bring breakables and all other equipment. We have no guitar amp.

We mic up or DI everything on the stage, even if that mic is never being added into the room mix, because we multi-channel record and video record all nights. These nights are made available on the Not a thing. YouTube channel within 7 days, and the audio & video recordings are available for performers to do what they want with.

We bring:

Zoom L20 – 20 channel desk with 6 independent monitor mixes

A stage box with 20 channels plus 8 channels return.

3 powered monitors

Mics: 2 x SM58, 2 x SM57, Drum overheads, kick mic

All cables

Some mic stands

GoPro 11 for recording

Sela provide:

Main stage speakers

Bass Amp

Drum shells and hardware, but no breakables – you’ll need to bring these

Nord keyboard with stand

Additional mics and DIs, though we tend to run everything DI to the desk.

NOTE: We have no guitar amp or any other store of instruments.

We don’t have any ‘in ears’ kit of our own, or specific instrument mics – though we’re happy to work with these if you let us know what you’ll be bringing.

Additionally, although we can guarantee what we bring – there’s always a slim chance that the Sela kit will be unavailable (or broken) as it’s not in our control, and is used by all the jam nights and performers who pass through.

Load In, Soundcheck & Stage Times

For the ‘jazz expo’ Sela will be letting us in early at 14:00 to set up the space. We will aim to have that completed by 15:30 at the latest. Doors are at 15:45, and the first band at 16:00

We’ll be setting up a ‘shared backline’ for the event, which will need to be on site at 2pm as well. We’ll sort that directly with the people bringing it.

If you know other bands who are playing, to save on there being 10 guitars on site, please share instruments wherever it’s not going to have a big impact on your sound.

All performers need to arrive 30 minutes before their set.

When arriving, please take your equipment to the holding area we’ll have separated off for you. We have limited space, and will be wanting to keep the stage 100% clear of kit that isn’t in use for the current set.

There won’t be any soundchecks – just line checks.

We’ll be doing 10 minute changeovers, so there’s not time for a full check. We’ll capture everyone’s complete tech spec in advance of the night so we’ll know what needs to be on stage. We’ll also do a check with the first band to get levels.

Please be standing ready during the set before yours, ready to swap over as soon as you can.

Sets will be 20 minutes long

We’ll have sets every 30 minutes from 4pm through til 11.30.

After your set…

Please get your stuff and leave the stage as quickly and carefully as possible. You can take your kit back to the holding area.

Sign Up Form

Before you complete the form below, PLEASE READ what is above.

Not a thing. is a non-profit promotion, run by 1 person and a number of helpful volunteers. We pay for spaces out of our own pocket, and make no money from the nights we run.

This means we can only work with bands/performers who put in the same effort as we do, and who are willing to 'do the work' required to make a good night.

Here's what Not a thing. agree to do for any night you play:

  • Always do our best to be nice, respectful and not rude - to treat everyone like humans.
  • Promote the gig on our own website, via our socials, posters at the venue (whenever possible!) and via paid adverts on at least Facebook/Instagram.
  • Create and share promotion assets for the gig with you, for you to share.
  • Be clear about timings, kit and what you need to bring (see above) with as much advance warning as we can give you.
  • Be transparent about money taken, and pay you as soon as all moneys have been paid out from the ticket platform/card provider.
  • Do everything we can to create a welcoming, safe space, take any concerns you raise seriously, and be clear about what we are doing to address them.
  • Do what we can to produce a video/audio recording of the night, and share it both on our socials, YouTube and with you directly.

The following is a list of things we expect YOU to do, as part of our shared agreement. This is the minimum 'work' we think you need to do to contribute to making a good night.

If you don't think you can commit to doing one of the items on the list, please let us know separately and we can discuss it.

  • Always do your best to be nice, respectful and not rude - to Not a thing. and to all other people working on the night.
  • Understand that Not a thing. is a non-profit voluntary promotion, and not a paid day job - we can't always respond immediately.
  • Take part in the shared job of 'promotion' by sharing the provided assets in as many places as possible.
  • Turn up on or before the agreed time - or communicate as far in advance as you can if this isn't possible.
  • Provide a clear tech spec, agree what you are/aren't bringing, and then bring it on the night.
  • Watch as much of the other bands on the line up as you can, and ask others to do the same.
  • Do your best on the night to make it a good night.

Not a thing. CIC.
Company No: 15685867

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