Night Group Portrait Tips

Ok, dilemna. Friend's DJ group needs a photo. It's not paid, and they only need one photo. It's going in a local paper and possibly online. Cool. But I'm still very green with my flash work, and I can possibly pray and spray, and be fine. However, if anyone has any tips, feel free to throw them my way

I don't know what the setting is going to be. They're spinning at a sushi shop, and we'll probably move it outside for the group photo. I don't know about ambient lights, background anything. I'll find out when I get there. I have a 5d Mark II, 35/2, 50/1.4, 85/1.8. and 135/f2. I'm thinking I'll use the 35 or 50 for the group shot. I also have a 580exII, but no stands, diffusers, nuffing. It's going to be sitting on my camera.

I'll try to look for a spot hopefully without the crap yellow streetlights, as I don't have a gel or anything for my flash, that might screw up my white balance?

While they're inside eating, and spinning and drinking, I think I'll go around and play with settings to see what comes up. but any tips on flash settings, techniques, camera settings would be helpful. Maybe a baseline from which point I customize.

Will it be in color in the local paper? If not don't even worry about the different light temps. Even if it is color... different light temps mixed can look cool.

You're maxed out with fast glass... i would say pick a higher iso that you can live with (acceptable noise) and use the flash sparingly as an accent or light fill. If you can shoot in raw and process later, you can of course mess with the wb later. If you mix flash and ambient that'll be hard to correct, so maybe shoot a few without the flash as well.

Not sure if it's in color. But they have an online component, so that'll probably be in color. Two of the subjects are actually graphic designers, so possibly they'll muck with it before submitting it.

Good idea bout trying some available light only, even if available light is some street lamps