Its well to remember that while some amateur and semi-professional bands may offer attractive lower rates than professional bands, you may end up getting less quality service, a smaller repertoire of music and songs at your event and no back-up plans should something go wrong at the last minute.
Busier and professional hire bands will usually have a lot more experience to call upon when compared to those less in demand – therefore the more experienced bands are likely to be able to cope with changing demands at the event much easier than a less experienced band.
What services for the band fee
As the saying goes, you only get what you pay for, but if your band is priced at less than £200 per member then you should probably question why the fee is so low. Are they offering all the services you need or are they not including some services you don’t realise you need? If the standard fee includes equipment hire ask what sort of equipment is going to be supplied. Sensation Band uses the very best quality sound equipment and have an in house sound engineer on hand throughout the event. Travel expenses are nearly always quoted separately with bands if the event is further than an hour from where they are based. Average bands play may not offer the flexibility or playtime you require, so this is worth ascertaining from the outset. As a minimum, we offer two hours of playtime with our smallest band sizes. This is fully flexible and should be used as you wish, for example, say, three 40 minute sets within a five-hour session. With our bigger bands, we can offer much more laytime, with the options of ‘full coverage’. This means entertainment throughout the event.
Each event is of course unique in its own right and many hire bands may waver a bit when it comes to providing an exact price. However, as professionals, they are running a business and should be more than happy to give you a specific no-obligation quote along with links of them performing live (be wary of studio sessions for getting a true impression of how a band really sounds). If a live band can’t evidence to you before booking how good they are then you would do well to be cautious about taking matters further.
Professional hire bands
Every function band has its own image, repertoire, line-up and reputation and there may be some hire bands that simply are not suitable for your event. For example, a band may sound great when you see them in a pub but will they have the right mix of wedding repertoire or the professionalism and experience to make your event run smoothly? Most professional hire bands for private functions have a mix of repertoire that they can match to your individual requirements. Any live bands that you consider for your wedding reception, birthday party or anniversary celebration should be able to provide a list of past client testimonials and venues at which they have performed in order to demonstrate their high calibre and wide experience.
A good example of high calibre entertainment in hire bands is London’s SensationBand. Outside of the capital, they provide live band performances in places like Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, West Midlands, Glasgow, Liverpool, Nottingham, Sheffield, Bristol, and Brighton.
SensationBand travel anywhere
In fact, the professionals comprising SensationBand are happy to travel anywhere in the world for a wedding event, private party or corporate entertainment. Obviously, in such cases, travel expenses and accommodation costs may apply. Details of their activities can be found on the band’s website, easily located via Google search, which has links also to their Twitter account and Facebook fan site.
Featuring the UK’s top musicians of the moment, individually SensationBand members have played with some of the biggest names in the UK and Global music business – the late Amy Winehouse, Robbie Williams, Kylie, Tom Jones, Gorrilaz, Mark Ronson, Basement Jaxx and many others who have played on the largest stages and the biggest music festivals around the world. Carefully selected for their versatile talents and the energy they bring to each and every performance, the SensationBand would certainly be a mind blower at your event. They’re in the premier league when it comes to UK hire bands.