Finding The Right Bands For Hire
Your function can be remembered as the event of the century, a complete disaster, or even worse: Absolutely forgettable! The entertainment at an event can make or break the success. Bands for hire can be found in your area for whatever event you're hosting, whether it's a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, wedding, birthday party, or corporate event. A well chosen live band can bring your party alive.
Lots of people question whether it might be a better choice to go with a DJ. A DJ can bring a ton of music, takes up little space, is able to play most requests, and can cost a bit less. Having 10,000 songs at the ready is worthless if they're not the right songs at the right moment, and bands usually know what works and when it works to get the mood going right. Live music has much more energy and can really make things more exciting if you've got a lot of guests.
So you've decided, it's going to be a band. First of all, get a budget price in mind before you go shopping, and don't go shopping for a band last. If you've spent all your money on cakes, food, and a hall to hold the party, you'll be trying to get a good band on the cheap, and that is not always a good way to go. This is a profession for the entertainer and they don't work for the joy of performing, they need to make money as well. In this arena, you definitely get what you pay for.
Before you go shopping, think about what kind of band you want. If you're holding a Bar Mitzvah, make sure you look for a group who know all the customs. If you're doing a wedding, work with a band with experience in weddings. You'll be able to select from all kinds of genres of music. There's plenty of bands out there that should know all the big hits of the last 20 years or so.
At this point you'll have a short list of groups to work with. It's unwise to hire a band for such an important day without making sure they're the right choice. Have you seen them perform? At the very least, ask for a video, but see if there's any public performances you can drop by and have a listen. Make sure you meet them, and meet whoever will be the MC. If you don't have a good feeling at your meeting, it's likely you wont have a good feeling the day of your party.
You've chosen your band, so now it's important to "dot the i's and cross the t's". Does the band provide a written contract? If not, get one written up on your own. What happens if the band doesn't show? What if they get sick? It's likely they'll ask for a deposit, so what are the terms of that agreement? Is the deposit refundable? Do you hold a right to cancel? All of this is very important and if sorted out ahead of time will save a lot of heartache in the long run.
Ask your band if they have insurance. Insurance brokers offer entertainers special rates for aggregate policies with fairly good coverage. If something happens to the venue, or someone at your party, who is liable? The contract and insurance will make sure you're protected.
If you follow all of these steps, hopefully you can choose from a short list of bands for hire and make the perfect choice for to make your event truly special.
Leona Newport writes for the live wedding party band hire site at http://www.souldesire.co.uk. Finding out about Live Bands Hire will make all the difference to the success of your event. For more information about Hire Live Music please visit here.