Wedding Bands

At Around Town Entertainment we get asked a lot of questions about booking bands and what you should be looking for or thinking about with regards to finding the most suitable one for your event. And, how do you know that they are going to be any good? After all, many functional bands do not perform in public events so it can be hard to see live. So, to point everyone in the right direction we have come up with the following things to check and be aware of before you hire a band for your event.

Weddings are private events and seeing a band before you book them for your big day is difficult in ‘normal’ circumstances. Now more than ever, couples are having to get used to booking their musicians online without being able to see them play before.

Here are our best tips for booking a band without seeing them live!

Do you like the band?

It may sound obvious but 99.99% of the time your choice of band will be based on whether you like them or not. Yep, very obvious. But, what is it you like? Do you like the photos? The audio? Does the band have a great video that shows them in action? Or, is it a mixture of everything? Either way, these constituent parts add up to the same thing… the band’s marketing. How a band markets themselves says a lot about them (apart from the fact that they look and sound good). If they have taken the time to have professional photos taken, recorded audio in a good quality studio, and, daft as it may sound even bothered to spell check their write-up, then the band has invested in their product… themselves! And, if they are prepared to do this to a high level then it means they are serious about what they do and want to portray the right image. It is a common belief that if somebody has invested in themselves then they are more than likely to be invested in by others.

It is one of the first things that artists sign up at Around Town Entertainment will look for when vetting bands – how serious are they about what they do and have they taken the time to sound good, look good, and pay attention to the finer details. After all, these are the people that will be representing Around Town Entertainment at weddings and corporate events so we have to consider these things carefully.

Video First

How a band markets themselves says a lot about them. If they have taken the time to have a professional showreel put together along with high-quality audio, then the band has invested in their product… themselves!

We know that when couples are looking for bands, they will often gravitate towards watching a video before anything else. When watching a band’s promotional video, look out for how the band interacts with each other, how energetic they are, and the general look they are portraying.

Does this match what you had in mind for your wedding band?

And, if they are prepared to do this to a high level then it means they are serious about what they do and want to portray the right image. It is fair to assume that if somebody has invested in themselves then they are more than likely to be invested in by others!

Read Reviews

The next thing to look out for is what previous customers say about a band.

Chances are if they have lots and lots of great feedback then it means they have lots of experience! Some of our bands are so experienced and have even clocked up hundreds of 5-star reviews with happy couples up and down the USA. Our top tip here is to of course look for bands with a high number of 5-star reviews, but do your research and also look deeper.

What do the reviews say and can you draw any conclusions about how the band will act on your big day from previous customers?

You might find out that a band is particularly friendly, punctual, fun, or any number of things from reviews alone!

Industry Approved?

So, what happens if you love a band… but they don’t have hundreds of reviews?

Booking a band online isn’t as difficult as you think. You just need the right signals to know that the band is good enough before you have them on your big day.

One really important signal is if they are approved by the ‘industry’. By this, we mean websites and businesses such as ourselves, Around Town Entertainment.

To understand the quality of a band, we must stress that not every musician has a place on our roster. 96% of artists who request a place on our roster are turned away by a diligent artist sign-up team! This means that the 1% who are accepted are a fantastic addition to any event and have our full confidence and backing.

The Setlist

Another very important thing when you are looking to hire a band online for an event is to check the songs that they perform.

Although a band may be dubbed a ‘cover band’ or a ‘wedding band’ there are still varying types.

For example, some bands concentrate on mainly modern and more contemporary material, whereas others perform a mix from the 1950s/60s right through to the present day.

This isn’t to say that one band is better than the other, it just means one may be more suited to a specific event!

If you aren’t able to experience these songs in a live setting, look at what the band has in its repertoire to help you decide if they are the right kind of style for you.

Speak To An Expert

As much as bands will try to answer every possible question or address any potential concerns with their video, promotional material, setlists, and FAQs, we understand that couples sometimes have a few more questions before pulling the trigger on their chosen wedding band.

At Around Town Entertainment, our experienced entertainment experts are on hand to answer any questions about your musicians! We speak to and deal with our top acts daily and will be able to answer any pressing questions you have about your musicians.

Maybe you’d like to know what else is included in the price, how the whole thing works or just want a professional opinion.

It is always worth having as much information as possible so you can make an informed decision on your wedding band!

Are the logistics covered and are there any extra ‘freebies’?

And, that brings us to the final point… logistics, practicalities, and sweeteners. A professional band will have experience performing everywhere from stately homes to hotels so they should have everything in place to make sure that playing at your event is easy and stress-free. This means that they should be fully self-contained as far as equipment goes (PA, Lighting where relevant, Backline Equipment such as Guitars, Drums, Microphones, etc.) and they should have all the relevant paperwork and documents in place to ensure they are legally allowed to perform at your venue. The 2 main things they should have are PAT certificates, which will cover their electrical equipment and ensure that safety checks have been made, and, Public Liability Insurance to cover the band from an insurance point of view. Occasionally, a band will also be asked to provide a Risk Assessment, which assists with additional health and safety concerns for a venue.

It is also worth seeing what extras the band may be able to offer or have included in their package to make the deal more enticing. Because it is a competitive industry, and lots of bands are more than aware of this, many have augmented their product by adding options such as free jazz cocktail music, the use of extra microphones for speeches, etc. So, if any of these are going to be of genuine added value to you and would help you make a decision when choosing, be sure to ask what a band can offer.

We hope these pointers have been of some use and will help you find the perfect band for your event. But, if you have any further questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact one of our Entertainment Coordinators here who will be only too happy to help.

Backyard weddings are unique and intimate, and when the weather is good, a great reason to have your event outdoors. After all, there’s no place like home! At-home events have become more popular over the last couple of years; but, for as long as we’ve been performing, couples have been hosting incredibly beautiful and sweet backyard weddings. We enjoy the atmosphere that a wedding back home creates! If you and your loved one are looking to tie the knot in a one-of-a-kind and totally ~you~ setting, and maybe save some money along the way, a backyard wedding is the way to go.

Now let’s focus on your party! Live music brings the sentiment of human connection and personalization full circle, and we really can’t imagine a backyard wedding without live music to set the tone. The guest count of your wedding will help determine how many band members you should have. We offer a cocktail trio or duo option, which is perfect for an intimate soiree or cocktail party where you and your guests can converse in a relaxed environment. You can also customize the instruments to fit your vision. If you plan on having a dance floor, we suggest a 7-12-piece band to guarantee that your guests will be dancing all night long! Here are a few tips to get you started.

PERMISSION

As obvious as it may be, the first step is to check you’ve got permission to have outside entertainment. Lots of venues across the USA have dedicated areas for outdoor weddings, from ceremonies and drinks receptions to marquee receptions, but some may be restricted to indoor weddings due to location, space, and noise restrictions.

If you’re not holding the event on your property or at a licensed venue, then you’ll need to get the landowner’s permission to host live entertainment. If the owner doesn’t legally have permission or a license for live music on their land, this is something you’ll need to discuss with them directly.

TIME OF YEAR

Having your entertainment outside can be exciting and interactive for your guests, but only if your guests are outside too! Something to consider is the time of year you’re getting married. If your date is during the gloomier months, you’ll have to think about the practicality of having your guests outside.

Planning is required but it’s by no means impossible! You can provide heaters, an overhead cover, blankets, and more. It’s also a good idea to let your guests know to bring coats too. It sounds rather cozy if you ask us!

It’s the same situation for a summer wedding; if you’re getting married during the peak summer months with (we hope) scorching weather, provide some shade for your guests and have plenty of sunscreen alongside the hand sanitizer!

WEATHER

Unfortunately, one thing none of us can control is the weather. BUT… we can prepare for it! Outdoor areas for weddings can be kitted out with gazebos and other outdoor shelters to make sure both guests and entertainers are kept dry during rainy days and in the shade during sunny days.

SOUND RESTRICTIONS

Depending on the location of your wedding, your venue may have sound restrictions. For larger venues with vast surrounding grounds, rules may be different compared to a venue in the middle of the city or urban residential area. Restrictions may include a live music curfew or a volume or decibel limit.

Even if your venue has noise constraints, it doesn’t mean you can’t have outdoor entertainment it just means that certain act types will be more suitable for your wedding like an acoustic act. There are hundreds of acts and countless styles to choose between so it’ll narrow your search!

YOUR GUESTS

It’s always important to think about the audience for your chosen entertainment, AKA your guests. Some entertainers, such as string quartets or jazz ensembles, set a relaxed atmosphere and keep conversations bubbling as your friends and family drink a glass of champagne during your drinks reception.

If you’re after an energetic entertainer to get involved with your guests, you may decide on a magician or roaming band to focus your guests’ attention whilst you’re getting your photos taken. Your theme and the size of your celebration are additional considerations when choosing your act.

OUTDOOR ENTERTAINMENT REQUIREMENTS

POWER SUPPLY

Booking a band or performer that requires amplification means you need power. If you’re using the outside space of a venue then they may already have suitable areas where a power supply is easily accessible. If there’s no ready supply of power, some acts can provide battery-powered equipment if notified in advance, so be sure to ask.

The good news is, that there are plenty of acoustic acts who can put on a memorable performance without any power – some may even roam amongst your guests!

Check out our recommendations below or have a browse through our acoustic wedding bands

PERFORMANCE AREA

Similar to the above, you want to make sure your musicians are set up somewhere where they can be seen and heard so everyone can enjoy them as much as possible!

Your venue may have a designated area for live performance or you may need to pick the ideal spot for them to set up. The sound of music travels further in open areas but you’ll want to have a good view of the show.

Your act will require a flat and dry surface to ensure their safety and the protection of their equipment. Once they have that and a power supply (if required) they are nearly set to get entertaining!

SHELTER

Your band or musicians need an overhead cover to protect them and their equipment from the elements. It doesn’t matter if it’s a gazebo, marquee, or homemade tarp bivouac, as long as your performers are sheltered from the burning sun or the incessant rain (or both), they’ll be ready to give you and your guests their best performance.

PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE

Your venue may require your act to hold Public Liability Insurance (PLI for short). Luckily, all of our acts hold PLI up to £1m cover, with certificates available on request.

Backyard weddings are amazing and memorable, so we hope these tips will jump-start your planning with live entertainment in mind – and we hope we can contribute to making your special day that much more fun!

Have an upcoming event for your business and want to entertain your employees and clients? The event is a gift to them and the company, and the entertainment you select should represent that. Live party bands that are versatile, professional, and have immense talent can provide you with everything you need to throw an amazing event. However, it isn’t always easy to find a live party band that can ensure an upbeat party while maintaining a professional atmosphere. 

We want to save you the time it takes to research and find the right band. We’ve compiled a guide on what to look for when hiring your live party band below.

CONSIDERS THE DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS 

A business can be composed of groups of people as young as 21 to groups in their mid 70s. These different age groups will most likely not enjoy the same genres of music or decades of music. A live party that finds a way to cater to each varying age group to have them on their feet, dancing to the beat is crucial. A band should have information on how they combat the obstacle of differing age groups and music tastes. For example, We deliver renditions of both old-school and contemporary R&B, Disco, Pop, and Rock songs during the events they cover. This can allow for the alternative introvert as well as the hip-hop extrovert to have a great time together.

PERFORMS APPROPRIATE RENDITIONS

Even if your corporate event is more informal than most, the live band needs to be aware of the fine line between inappropriate and fun. Not all guests will tolerate explicit language or suggestive songs, and successful performers will be able to accommodate that. We have a wide array of classic, age-friendly & appropriate songs that your guests love; however, any songs your business may not want to be included in our performance won’t be sung! Everyone deserves to enjoy the hits without feeling any hint of discomfort, and we’ll guarantee that will be the case

BLENDS WELL WITH OTHER ACTIVITIES

Booking a live party band does not necessarily mean your employees and guests are expected to dance all evening. The band’s purpose is to accommodate guests eating hors d’oeuvres, having cocktails at the bar, networking amongst each other, and dancing as well! We know exactly how to fuse their performance with other activities at a corporate event for a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere.

HAS PERFORMED SIMILAR EVENTS 

No matter how much research is done on a band, the best point of reference is a video of their live performance! If you’re considering a large party band for your corporate event, they should have videos of past event performances readily available for you to watch on their website. Groove & Tonic has multiple videos of our engaging performances and our guests grooving to the tunes on our site! 

Budget Accordingly 

Remember that most professional musicians have a great deal of time and money invested in their abilities and their equipment. A professional musician can have as many years of schooling, just like a doctor or lawyer. 

Musicians usually work as independent contractors meaning they are responsible for their health insurance, self-employment taxes, retirement plans, and other expenses that you may take for granted.  

Not only does playing music on a professional level take a great amount of skill – but it is also physically demanding. All of this is to say that your hired musicians deserve to be compensated accordingly. 

With that being said you don’t have to break the bank to get the band you want.  You must come up with a realistic budget for live music for your event. This budget should be largely based on the number of performers you are looking for, and how long you expect them to play. 

There are a few other elements that go into a live music budget that you might not otherwise be aware of.  Please note that not all of these fees will necessarily need to be a part of your budget, but the more you know the better off you will be when negotiating:

Watch out for extra fees

An ethical bandleader will not try to add in additional costs, but once in a while you’ll get a leader who tries to charge a more than realistic amount. Although some leaders may not be willing to share information on how they pay their musicians, fortunately, you can use the above table to figure out if you think they’re charging an unreasonable amount for their services. As always, though, the cornerstone in this business is communication: If you feel you’re being charged an unreasonable amount, you can always ask the bandleader to explain why he is charging so much. If he gives you a reasonable explanation for his fee, then it’s probably legitimate.

The wedding or special event date is set, and you’ve found a venue —now you can get to the music! At this point, you have probably decided that a live band will bring your affair to life in a way that is out of this world! It is crucial to strategically figure out how to maximize the value of your live band. There are several things to consider, and we’ve listed them below. 

Remember Why You Hired a Live Band

Hiring a live band is a surefire way to make your wedding or special event unforgettable. The event planning process can be tedious and lengthy, so if you get frustrated throughout the process, it is essential to remember why you hired the live band in the first place. You may have always had dreams of you and your spouse dancing the night away, or maybe your company party needs a boost from the routine plated dinner of holiday parties of the past. Whatever your reason, you have now recognized the need to boost the energy of your event and that there are several reasons to hire a live band. Remembering your “why” is an intangible yet vital way to maximize the value of your live band. 

Choose the Right Size Band

The next step to maximizing the value of your band is to choose the right size band from the start. Bands come in all shapes and sizes, but some factors affect your choice in the size of your band. The first factor to consider is your budget.

Consider Your Budget

In most cases, a 7-piece band will be far less expensive to book than a 12-piece band. You must pay more musicians if you book a larger band, and you may also need more space at the venue to allow them to perform. If you need more venue space, the expense may increase to accommodate a larger band. We always recommend that you work with an entertainment booking agent early on in the wedding planning process to help you navigate through these types of considerations. Local and regional agencies have usually collaborated with local venues. The agents have a pretty good idea of the type of band you will need to fit the budget and venue space. 

Consider Your Vision

When choosing the right size band, your vision should still be at the heart of the decision. If you have always wanted to experience a live band with horns and specialty instruments, by all means, you should have what you want. If you want specialty songs and unique music genres for your event, there are opportunities for that too. Our wedding band provides a diverse song list that includes Top 40, Motown, the classics, etc.

Only Hire Professionals

If you want to get more bang for your buck, you have to hire a professional band. You cannot “maximize” your live band if you’re starting below zero and have to worry about your band’s professionalism or capabilities. Lateness and inexperienced musicians make for a very taxing experience. As a side note, you should know that every musician is not experienced enough to understand the cadences of performing for a wedding. The nuances of knowing when to play, and learning the types of songs to play at different times of the night — are all skills that are honed through experience and leadership of other seasoned professionals and booking agencies. 

Setlist Management

For example, it may be tempting to nitpick at a setlist if you are provided one in advance, but this is an example of why professionalism is a critical quality in the leadership of your live band. Outside of highlighting a few of your favorite songs and deleting songs that make you cringe, a professional band leader should be entrusted with the responsibility to choose the best songs for your crowd and the freedom to perform them at the right time, based on their experience of performing during several events — not just your one event. While this seems like the opposite of freedom in your choice, leaving the bandleader to handle these factors relieves you from having to worry about micromanaging. The band leader will use their experience to set the right tone throughout the changes of the night, keep the party going, and possibly bring a few songs out of the archives – songs you may not have even considered. So trust the professionals to do what they do! 

And while it may be tempting to hire the cool cover band you heard at your local lounge, make sure you do your homework and check references before committing — and paying a deposit!

Group Your Vendors to Save Time and Money

Grouping your vendors is an unseen gem within the wedding planning process. Most people don’t realize that wedding professionals work with several different vendors regularly and have connections that allow them to provide clients with more options than they may have expected. Many of our clients have saved time, and money and increased efficiency by booking multiple vendors through an agency. Lighting is often an additional service offering we provide when clients book bands, and here’s why:

Expand Your Lighting Options 

Lighting was not always a primary focus, but in more recent years, lighting has evolved as a necessity for weddings and special events. Most bands provide simple uplights around the dance floor to help draw people to the space where they can dance. Lighting also enhances safety measures because the same uplights are usually placed near large speakers and expensive equipment to avoid accidents. While most bands only bring about four uplights for this purpose, many clients end up renting additional lighting for the reception hall.

Consider Add-On Options

Add-on options are slightly different from booking multiple vendors. When you exercise an add-on option, and you are booking a live band, you have the option to get multiple services from this one vendor. For example, when you book the live band for your reception, you can ask your booking agent about using the same musicians to perform during your ceremony or cocktail hour. In most cases, the key player from the band will play music throughout the ceremony or while guests enjoy cocktails in the lobby of the reception hall. This works well because those musicians would have already been on-site and available to perform during your big day. Share your vision with your booking agent and allow them to come up with different options that can work in your favor and get you everything you want (and need) for your big day.

Enjoy the Night

This is the final (and most important) way to maximize the value of your live band – enjoy the night! All of the hours of planning and pulling things together should amount to something amazing and enjoyable. Without this factor, your efforts will be for nothing. You’ve invested in time and money, so make sure you find the time to enjoy the music and the energy from the live band. And don’t forget to enjoy the presence of your guests and loved ones!