Many years ago I played for a showband that played quite a few posh black tie events. We used to have to spend most of the night in the kitchen with a plate of curled up sandwiches. The band leader would always be out there schmoozing with the guests, while we had to stay out of sight.
These days, on the rare occasion we play at an event with a buffet, we tend to get first dibs because we'll be playing straight afterwards