Top tips when hiring a live band

Hiring a live band isn't something most people get up to on a daily basis. Usually a live band is required for parties,weddings and corporate events. This brings an extra dimension to the event, meaning your guests will be talking about it for weeks!
Quality musicians add a touch of class, something you don't get when you've taken your music from your iPod. From the point of view of a corporate dinner, a jazz trio fits perfectly, giving a 'foot tapping' vibe. Your clients have the opportunity to discuss business whilst having the background music to sweeten the deal.

A Wedding is a once in a lifetime opportunity for a bride. The first dance is a magical moment where the bride and groom share their love with their guests. A band can 'kick off' the reception, creating a magical experience you don't get from a DJ.

It's always important to find bands that suit your event. Often, a corporate event will have a well known comedian/band to bring the evening to a close. A DJ/band at a wedding reception should play an extensive range of hits from the 50s & 60s to present contemporary hits so it's important to tailor your band to your audience. This way you can please every generation in your audience and ensure everyone has a great time.

When choosing your band, be sure to do some digging around. A good band will have reviews from previous gigs, videos & MP3s on websites such as ours, and it's worth going with an agency if you can afford to. Whilst it's slightly more expensive, the bands are often that much more experienced & more likely to pull off the evening without a hitch. There are websites similar to ours where users can give the bands independent reviews. It's also worth asking around friends & family as it's not uncommon for a band to be offered a gig because they played the brides friends wedding six months previously.

When booking a band you should always consider how long it will take them to load in/set up/load out. Below is a list of what you should provide for any DJ/band:

* Somewhere safe for the band to park their vehicle so they can safely load in all their equipment. A suitable parking space should also be supplied.

* A meal should also be supplied; hot in the evening and sandwiches or something similar in the afternoon. Free soft drinks should also be supplied.

* The band should have access to a power supply. The band will let you know all their needs prior to the day of the gig.

* If the band are playing outside, you should provide all the necessary items needed by the band to play.


It's important to realise that you must pay the band from the moment they arrive. If you want the band to play from 8pm to 12pm then you must pay them from the time they arrive to set up. It's sensible to allow a band 2 hours to set up before the performance (allowing for any problems to be resolved) and 2 hours after to load all the gear back into the van. The band will insist to be be paid for this, so for example, whilst they are only playing for 4 hours they will be paid for 8 hours. The same goes for a DJ; loading & unloading should be accounted for.

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