I would love to know how payments work when engaging with an agency? Say Don Casino or Blackburn. Are they paying per contract or is the cruise lane paying the artist and the agency is owed their fee? Or a third possibility, is the artist contracted through the line and the agency paid directly by the line?

@Sev Abi on most lines the Musical Director will have comms with the technical staff and signal what is occurring on stage. Usually the tech staff will pick up the change anyways, or at least realise the show has gone off script, but the communication from the MD will confirm exactly what the headliner's intent is. This is one of the crucial roles of the MD. Failing all else, you can add the title of the next song into the banter, move on to the script you would use for the next song. This is usually enough context for one or many of the techs to pick up where you are at and what you intend to do next. As they are all on radio comms they will communicate this seamlessly with each other. It's the job of the production staff and band to ensure the act looks and sounds great, and to the very best of their ability they can accommodate real time changes on the fly. They do it every night, and usually without breaking a sweat.

Loving this community! I just came across it. I come from a showband background where I was the MD for many guest ent shows over the years. One day I thought, ‘heck I can do that!’ And I’ve been writing my shows ever since. You’re right in saying there need to be some sort of story arc, a link that ties everything together. Cruise audiences also want to learn about the performers- where they came from and how they ended up on stage. Looking forward to getting involved in this community! Cheers from Australia