1. Any band can participate to the Festival, provided that they can play live.

2. All bands enrolled have the right to perform their show within the limits established by the different locations, in full acknowledgement of these regulations. The management reserves the right to reject or revoke the enrollment and refuse to refund the enrollment fee in the following cases:

a) Bands who share more than half their musicians with other bands enrolled in the same season of the festival
b) Bands that fail to complete the enrollment form properly or who provide erroneous, false, illegible or incomplete data.
c) Bands who contravene these regulations shall be disqualified.

3. Mechanical and digital equipment, as well as phonographic support, may be used, provided they do not represent the main aspect of the show itself. (For example, singing along to a DAT tape whilst three keyboard players mime does not constitute a ""live"" band).

4. There are no limits to age or musical genre for participation.

5. A waiver for special and/or incidental reasons may be requested by local management with exclusive reference to the minimum number of players for each band. The central management shall accept or reject one or more bands made up of less than three musicians at its discretion..

6. In any festival performance (with the exception of the finals), the number of bands per concert will range between six and ten. The management can change the number of bands playing on a specific day according to organizational needs.

7. Every band has a maximum performance time for its show. This performance time is allocated by the management and shall be the same length for each band per show. In case of organizational needs the above maximum time may be either increased or decreased by the management.

8. This period will include the changeover time (the time for the band that has just played to get off the stage and for the next one to get on). These arrangements will be discussed in detail during the technical meeting.

9. All bands shall follow the instructions given by the management on changeover time and concert duration. The time will be monitored by the stage manager or by a management representative who can stop the concert at any moment at his/her own discretion. In other words, if you are given a thirty-minute set, it is not permitted to perform an encore afterwards. If this were to happen, the management would be forced to 'pull the plug'.

10. There is no minimum duration for each band's set.

11. Up until the final, the audience represents the only judge the bands need to convince in order to pass to the next step. They vote for the evening's winners with a QR code system that each guest receives at the cash desk of the club by showing his ticket.
11.1. Vote starts with the opening of the doors, ends after the last band’s performance.
11.2. One QR-code allows to vote only one time during the concert for at least 2 bands. It is not possible to vote for only one band.
11.3. If the guest loses the qr-code it won’t be possible to get a new one. If the Qr-code does not work, after a double check by Emergenza’s staff at the doors, the guest will receive a new working one.

12. During the regional and national finals the QR-code voting system is complemented by parallel judgement of a professional jury.

13.1. the bands position shall be classified from first to last place based on the amount of votes they received by the end of the evening.
13.2. Classification shall be made known to all bands at the end of the concert from the stage.
13.3. In case of a dead heat or a tie, both bands will qualify for the next round.

14. A band that has been eliminated may be allowed to qualify at a later stage in extreme circumstances only. For example, if the band that won their heat split-up, the band that came second may be asked to replace them. The management shall notify any such decision to the band(s) in question.

15. The Festival provides lists of bands and the locations in which they are performing. However, these may be modified during the Festival according to the number of bands that enroll, those waiting to be enrolled or depending on the availability of clubs, theatres and venues where the concerts are to be held.

16. During the first meeting , the management, according to the Festival coordination needs, assigns date and time of the first performance. Once a schedule is assigned, it cannot be modified, except in extreme cases, (where proof will be required) and only if this is congruent with the organization

17. Performance and soundcheck times shall be made known by the management. It is essential that these schedules be adhered to, with bands always arriving promptly on time for their soundchecks.

18. Any delay at rehearsals, concerts or meetings (even if made by only one member of the band) is sufficient reason to disqualify a band from the Festival. Expulsion is at the discretion of the management.

19. Each evening (starting from the second phase), the schedules will always be allotted by the organization. This will be done according to an exclusive and unquestionable judgment made by the management. However, these will be given by fully respecting the results obtained in the first round.

20. There shall be two meetings held before each performance. The first being an organizational meeting, and the latter a technical meeting. All band members must be present at both of these meetings (and on time!).

21. The absence of even one musician, or a delay caused by just one musician, shall be sufficient reason to disqualify the band to whom they belong.

22. All the information given during the meetings is considered to be received and agreed by the whole band, even by the absent members. The band takes the responsibility for any organizational and technical problem due to the incorrect or incomplete information given by the representatives of the band to the absent members.

23. Emergenza will provide sound and lighting equipment, as well as relevant engineers.

24. Emergenza will provide drums, bass and guitar amplifiers, microphones, monitors, and all back-line equipment.
24.1. Emergenza provides a standard cymbal set consisting in hi-hat and ride.

25.1. Personal instruments (guitars, basses, keyboards, etc.) must be provided by the band, same goes for personal effects (pedalboards, preamp, vocal processors, etc.)
25.2. Drummers should bring their bass drum pedal, snare, drumsticks and cymbals not included in the standard set provided by the festival (24.1)

26.1 The band has to carefully and properly approach to the venue’s backline and furniture.
26.2 In case of damages, the bands will have to manage directly with the venue for disputes and agreements about refund.

27.1 The soundcheck schedule will be agreed upon at the technical meeting according to the needs of the management and of the technicians.
27.2. Sound check schedule can change depending on technical and organizational factors.
27.3. The band has to be present at the club at least 30 minutes before the agreed soundcheck time. In case of delay, soundcheck will be delayed or canceled.

28.1. Registration of the participants is done on the official festival’s website www.emergenza.net
28.2. Participants have to fill the registration form with correct information. In case of incorrect information, registration will be ignored and deleted.

29.1. After enrolling, Emergenza will contact the band by email or Facebook to set up a first meeting during which the band will be explained about the rules and the philosophy of the Festival. Attending the first meeting does not force the band to take part to the festival nor compel the management to enroll the band.
29.2. In case of positive decision the local manager enrolls the band, communicates the dates and time of the first concert and receives the guarantee deposit of 30 euros.
29.3. The agreement to participate in the contest made even by one representative of the band is extended automatically to all the other current and future members. The absent members are considered to be informed about the general rules of the festival and are obliged to them.

30.1. During the first meeting the band receives a block of tickets for a cheaper price than the door.
30.2. The band is not obliged to sell tickets, being aware of the rule which at 31.3. letter d)

31.1. During the first meeting the band makes a deposit of 30 euros that guarantees to the Festival (to the organizers, to the venue, to the audience, to the other participants) that the band will be present for the gig and that is seriously intentioned to take part to the competition, ready to properly prepare the show and work to gather audience.
31.2. The deposit is refunded on the day of the last band’s concert in the frame of the festival at the end of the night after the official results (the day of the first gig if the band doesn’t make it to the semifinal step. In the day of the Semifinals if the band doesn’t pass the step. During the soundcheck the day of the Final if the band passes the semifinal step).
31.3. The deposit is not refunded in the following cases:
a) The band performance doesn’t take place for reasons that do not depend on Emergenza (the band retires from the competition, does not come to the show, comes to the show but refuses to play, etc).
b) The band loses partly or fully the tickets which at 30.1. (Each lost ticket must be payed to the festival).
c) The band does not return the unsold tickets before the opening of the doors the day of the concert
d) The band gathers less than 10 people to the gig (sells less than 10 tickets).
31.4. In case the band loses the deposit as described in 31.3. b) , c) or d) and passes the step, in order to proceed in the competition will have to make again the deposit to guarantee the next step.

32. The refund deposit as regulated in point 30 is valid for all the steps of the competition.

33. Should the organization have to cancel or postpone a concert, the management shall propose a new date. If a band is unable to participate on this new date, they may withdraw from the festival and their deposit shall be refunded.

34. Should a band need to change a concert date, the organization will make every effort to accommodate them. If the new date is not suitable for the band, then a refund shall not be issued.

35. If a band chooses to withdraw from the Festival once a concert date has already been issued, then their deposit will not be refunded.

36. If a performance to be held in a specific venue should be moved to another venue (in the same city or district) the band will not be entitled to refund in the case of its non-participation.

37. Due to serious reasons the management reserves the right to change the performance location with advance notice 8 hours before the beginning of the concert.

38. All musicians are personally responsible for being aware of these regulations and complying with them. This will allow the management to provide an effective service to every single musician.

39. Failure to read these regulations will not justify non-compliance; it is therefore understood that upon enrollment each member is in agreement with, and will abide by said regulations.

Any lawsuits (whether civil, criminal or administrative) against the companies that own the Festival trademark and manage the Festival performances, including those disputes referring to events that took place during performance and that may not be directly linked to these regulations or to the Festival development, shall be referred to the Court of Canberra (Italy) as Court of jurisdiction.
Therefore, any lawsuits submitted to a Court of jurisdiction other than the above Court of Canberra shall be deemed to be null and void, with the exclusion of any lawsuits and disputes notified to the companies and to each organizer and manager of the Festival under a Franchising agreement, who already took on all legal responsibilities towards third parties upon signing the Franchising agreement itself.

Do not forget that Emergenza is first and foremost an occasion for fun, and an opportunity to express ones individual musical ideas in absolute freedom. Moreover, all Festival staff will do their utmost to make each show a success and a highly professional event. If the above rules seem restrictive, it is because they are in place to prevent a minority spoiling it for a majority. Emergenza stands for music, fun and freedom. If you require any further information, do not hesitate to contact our Organizational Secretariat.