Please take a moment to review this chapter. We promise it will be worth your while.
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
One of the most common and truly tragic mistakes is booking a venue before hiring the band. Too many people have discovered after the fact that the band they would die for had been booked for the date in question, or that the venue had certain restrictions that would prevent the band from performing there.
Remember: no matter how prestigious and expensive the ballroom is,
IT WILL NOT HOLD YOUR GUESTS' ATTENTION FOR MORE THAN A FEW MINUTES!
What is going to happen next depends entirely on the entertainment solution you chose.
Before you commit to a venue, make sure it will accommodate the band, allow enough time for setup and breakdown, supply sufficient power for sound and lighting equipment etc. We will be more than happy to lead you through this laborious process, saving you lots of stress, disappointment, and - in most cases - lots of your hard earned money.
Q: This band, that band... What does it matter, anyway?
A: Entertaining your guests it the most important, yet the most underappreciated job!
Even though the cost of the band is just a tiny fraction of what is spent on a hotel ballroom, catering, flowers, photo, and video, live music is way more important than all the above combined.
The group of musicians to whom you entrust the fate of your party, will fall into one of the following three categories: "permanent" bands like ours, "jam-session" bands, or "hobby" bands. By understanding the differences, you will be armed and ready with the right information necessary to discern what type of group you might be dealing with. If you know the warning signs, perhaps you can avoid a disappointing reception with the wrong choice for entertainment. Remember, your reception is a one-shot deal!
A hobby band is a group that usually consists of musicians who simply play music on weekends for fun. A hobby band should definitely not be a first choice. There may be an occasional gifted musician in the midst of a hobby band but one gifted person does not make a great band. Hobby bands are usually less expensive because their members have day jobs and just play music for fun on the weekends. However, there are usually serious logistics problems with hobby bands. Their main focus is having fun playing music on the weekends and there is little time or expertise available to think of things like event itineraries, song requests, and decent sound equipment.
A professional band will easily have $1500-$1800 per performance invested before they even put a musician on stage. So if you get a quote from a band that seems too good to be true, it probably is just that. Remember that the logistics cost for a professional band (sound, lighting, office expenses, legal and accounting fees, transportation, storage, demos, advertising, etc.) averages between $1500 and $1800 per engagement. If a band is quoting something like $2000, they have either skimped on logistics or they are hobby musicians. You get what you pay for!
A jam-session band rarely consists of regular musicians. In this case, the term band only implies that something is "banded" together. Usually, it's a group that consists of the leader and "on-call" musicians who don't necessarily perform together regularly. They may be great musicians individually, but that doesn't make a band. They can't be absolutely sure what arrangement they will use so they usually "wing it". The arrangements will usually be far from the original version of the song, not necessarily a good thing. There may or may not be any background vocals because they haven't had the opportunity to rehearse and decide whose voice fits what part the best. Such bands are sometimes less expensive because they depend on musicians who are sitting around at the last minute before your reception without a “gig” and they will work cheap.
There are two common problems associated with this type. First, in many cases the guys have never rehearsed before. Often, it will take them up to a minute to decide what to play next and in what key. And worst of all, they have to discuss it right in front of the audience. Imagine this happening at your wedding, and you’ll get the picture.
Secondly, they can't usually perform more than 7 or 8 songs per 45-minute set because everyone takes a solo and turns the song into a "jam-session". They are obviously not playing the song per the original arrangement. This is a major contributor to the boredom factor that will cause your guests to lose interest. The fact is, a jam-session band is more interested in entertaining themselves first and your guests second. They wish they had recorded the hits they play, so they pretend they did by re-arranging the songs to the point that they may be halfway through a song before your guests figure out what dance step to use.
It is very difficult for a jam-session "band" or a hobby band to compete with a "permanent band". The truth is that the difference in price between a hobby band and a good professional band is, in most cases, very insignificant. If your guests go home early because you booked a hobby band that couldn't hold everyone's interest and maintain flow, your caterer will most likely wind up throwing out thousands of dollars worth of food that wasn't eaten - perhaps wasting the amount of money needed to have had a professional variety band in the first place. You do your special event the greatest service by booking a reputable professional band that has the years of experience necessary to make your reception flow at the perfect pace. It is well worth it in the long run. You've paid for the facility, room, food, etc. for a few hours. You need entertainment that can hold the interest of your guests until the very end.
Q: What is your fee?
A: Our performances are "custom tailored" to meet your unique set of requirements. The total price will be determined based on various factors, including but not limited to:
- the number of performers
- the location of the event
- the amount of audio and visual equipment required
- the duration of the performance
Please contact us to request a no-obligation quote.