Top 6 Tips For Booking A Band From A Musician
As musicians, we understand that booking a band for a wedding, a party, or a Corporate Event for the first time is a bit overwhelming. If you’re in this position, don’t stress! We’ve got years of experience in organising and planning live entertainment, and we’ve put together a few hints and tips for anyone interested in booking an act for an event. Be it a wedding, a party, or a corporate event, our award winning jazz musicians never dissapoint! Here are some pointers worth noting down!
1. BOOK EARLY
People often ask “How far in advance should I book my band?”. The simple answer is “As soon as possible!” You might be surprised to hear that the best bands and musicians are often booked up a year or more in advance. So If you leave it until the last minute, you risk being disappointed with the limited choice of what is available. We advise to start searching for a band/act as early as possible: if you find a group you love, get a quote and if you are happy they are the band for you…BOOK THEM NOW!
2. DO SOME RESEARCH: WATCH PROMO VIDEOS
When you are looking for bands, make sure that you watch their promotional videos. Why? It displays an accurate representation of how the band look, and how they will perform. A lot of bands often have a montage video which will allow you to hear multiple songs which ultimately gives you a better idea of how they will fit in with your event.
Bonus Tip It’s worth noting that many bands have the option to book a smaller version of the band in the video (perfect for wedding ceremonies or champagne receptions) or even to add extra band members for an even bigger live sound. These additions will obviously change the cost of hiring the band, but don’t be afraid to ask them if they can do that for you.
In short, band videos will help you make a quick decision on whether the band would be suitable for your event, so make sure to watch a few!
3. READ THE INFORMATION ON THE BAND’S WEBSITE
This might sound very very obvious, but if you’ve booked a jazz band, don’t assume or expect them to play Justin Beiber song, or for a rock band to play Madonna. You’d be amazed at how often this happens and it’s usually because the person booking the band hasn’t actually read the information about what kind of music the band will play. It usually leads to someone asking the band halfway through if they can play something else, and when they can’t, the crowd are then disappointed with the band, despite it not being the bands fault!
The best way to avoid this and to have a great time is when investigating acts, always read all the information available. A good website will point out what genres of music the band performs, the instruments they play and will give you an insight into what they offer and their previous experience. For example, on our Scottish Jazz Collective website, you’ll be able to see our showreels, quotes from happy clients, and awards that our musicians have won. This is one of the easiest things you can do and it is usually the best way to confirm whether you like the band, and if you’re interested in booking them.
4. REQUESTING SONGS
A lot of bands will offer to learn a special request for the client, such as a walking down the aisle, a first dance or last song of the night. Often, this won’t incur an additional fee, but always double-check this with the band’s. It is always good to have a dialogue about which songs you dislike and which songs you would love to be played at the event. Don’t forget that musicians are talented professionals who know how to read the audience, and know when to slow things down or pick things up. If you’ve discussed in advance what music you want to hear, you won’t need to worry about what they play.
5. WORKING WITH YOUR VENUE
The venue is usually the first item on the event planning to-do list. If you already know that you want a band to play at your event, then ask the following questions before booking:
Do you allow live music at your venue?
Venues need a license to have live musicians play at their venue so they are insured for bands to play. Almost all venues will have one, but one off chance that your chosen venue doesn’t, then you would have to choose between having a live band or your venue.
Is there a sound limiter ?
Venues sometimes control the volume at which live music can be performed. To monitor volume levels, venues use sound limiters, which in some can cut the band’s (and sometimes the entire venue’s) power if a specified decibel limit is exceeded. Needless to say, neither you or the band want the venue going completely silent mid party! Make sure you check with your venue whether they use a sound limiter and pass the information to the band, and some venues have a dedicated sound engineer who will be able to answer all your questions. Another solution is to book an acoustic band, who can perform at venues with sound limiters without compromising the quality of their performance.
How big is the performance area?
There should be a defined space for your band to set up and perform, and you want to make sure that there are plenty of accessible plug sockets to set up their equipment. If the venue has an established stage area, this will most likely all be in place, but always check if there is a designated space for the band to perform. Check this in advance with the venue and you’ll avoid having to figure out on the day where the band will play. Use some common sense too: an 8 piece band is unlikely to fit on a 3m x 3m stage!
6. Be Prepared To Feed The Band A Meal
And by meal, we do not mean a sandwhich! This is something that often gets forgotten in planning an event but it is standard practice to provide a hot meal for the band at an event. It doesn’t have to be a Michelin 3 Star dining experience (although that would certainly be well received!), caterers will be familiar with the situation and will often offer a cheaper meal for suppliers.
From the band’s point of view, they often depart home at 3pm to travel to the event, spend an hour or so waiting for speeches to finish, an hour setting up and before you know it’s 8pm and they are playing until midnight. Chances are they aren’t leaving the event until 1am and possibly not getting home until 3am, so it’s understandable that they are going to need a hot meal to keep them going. Ultimately, a happy band is a happy event!
We hope that this has answered some of your questions and removed some potential stress about booking a live band!