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.
