Whether it’s a solo musician for a wedding ceremony or a 18-piece big band for a really brassy social, there’s a multitude of opportunities out there on the Web to find the right combination for your social event.
The first thing to consider when a musician needed to fill your ambition for a successful event becomes available is to book one close to the venue location. Not always possible of course, and it could be very costly to hire musicians who are based miles away or more, but think of the cost. A musician needed and for hire in your area is also much less likely to get stuck in traffic and not make it to, say, your wedding reception. How awful would that?
Size of the venue
Secondly, consider the venue size. Booking a 20-piece band to play in your dining room might not be the best idea. Try to tailor the number of musicians to the size of your venue and of course to the number of guests you are expecting. Thirdly – perhaps most important – the age and music tastes of your guests and the ambience you wish to achieve. A jazz trio, for example, will create a sophisticated and relaxed atmosphere while a soul band will get everyone up dancing.
A musician needed for your event – or several to form an ensemble for that matter – Â can play a mixture of old and new songs to suit everyone’s tastes but it is always a good idea to check this with the band before your event. Some musicians will also take requests but remember that the band may have to learn these songs so do give them plenty of notice when booking.
Price of musician needed reflects his reputation
The price of a musician needed at your event  reflects his professionalism, reputation and experience as a player or vocalist, or both. The cost of an entire band will depend on the number of musicians and how long they are required to play. As a guideline, the cost of a single musician usually ranges between £150 and £300 for most functions. This will be more if they are required to perform longer, say after midnight. If you add this up it should be possible to estimate a solid budget for the musician needed or the band you are hiring. A trio, for example, could command £900 to appear.
Less than £450 and you’d certainly be getting a bargain – but be cautious. You usually get what you pay for and scrimping on the price might mean scrimping on performance quality too. Make sure you have as much information as possible on an band or musician needed to play at your event before engaging them. Professional musicians will have publicity packs with all the information, photos, their repertoire and audio/visual samples of their work you may require.
Professionals charge for their time
It’s a point to remember that you are paying these professionals for their time, which means that even if they are not performing they are still entitled to charge for being there. Keep this in mind when planning your entertainment and try not to have the musicians hanging around for too long. Bands do need breaks however, usually at least 15 minutes for every hour, therefore an experienced event planner ensure these coincide with other entertainment or for time allocated to things like guest speeches.