Party Band: 7 Things to consider when hiring

On your special day or big event, the guests may not remember if the flowers matched the bridesmaids’ dresses, but they’ll certainly remember if the entertainment was any good.

But how do you choose the right party band?  Or should you hire a DJ?  Do you hire who you like or for your guests?  How do you choose the right option for your budget - 13 piece act or ‘one man band’?  

What starts out as something that seems easy, can all of sudden very quickly present many logistical and cost challenges.  So let’s look at 7 things to consider when hiring a party band.

1. Seeing (a party band) is believing

It may seem obvious, but it’s definitely worth checking out a band before booking them. Any decent band worth their salt should have some footage of them performing for you to watch - or a show reel. Sometimes however it’s hard to get a feel for them though via a live performance as the acoustics in the venue often don’t translate that well onto the video’s audio (in addition to crowd noise and people talking) or sound ‘boxey’ via the mixing desk.

If you’re out and about and you see a band you like - then make sure you ask them for their business card after the show (or in a break) or follow them on social media so you can contact them in future.

2. Song repertoire is everything

Definitely ask a band for their full song list to get a feel for their repertoire, as well as a typical set list to see if it suits your wedding or event. If you’re after a party band but their song list is full of Norah Jones and James Taylor songs then you may want to look elsewhere.

A mix of both is good though, if you’d like them to perform over dinner or at the ceremony, then play after cutting the cake and the first dance once it’s time to party. Or hire specific bands to suit each stage of the event, but you may find it is more costly and logistically disruptive with bands setting up and packing down. You’d probably struggle to find an all in one string quartet and party band though!

Our suggestion is to let the band do their job which is to use their experience to entertain - it’s what you’ve hired them to do. A good guide though is from their song list, pick 10 songs you definitely want them to play, and 10 you definitely don’t!

Finally, you might have a first dance song already chosen, which they may or may not know. Most musicians are happy to learn something for your special day but it is always best if they already know it (or play the original track instead) - in my experience it’s such a high pressure moment and may not go to plan if it’s their first time performing it!

4. The more musicians in a band, the greater the cost

Essentially for a band, the more musicians the more mouths to feed. The hire fee, as well as additional expenses such as feeding and watering them at meal times, hotel and travel costs. Band location can be important as many charge for mileage, travel and waiting time.

However, with more musicians, then generally the better live experience in terms of sound, band energy and dynamic. 3 is minimum for a band, if you they have a competent guitarist, bass player and drummer, but a 4-5 piece is more common.

Having said that, in the modern age of live looping, there’s also a more cost effective option to hire a soloist. Think of the likes of Ed Sheeran headlining Glastonbury, just a ‘one man band’ and his loop pedal producing amazing full band sounds - drums/percussion, guitar, bass, keys and backing vocals. Or, hiring a male ‘live looper’ with a female singer (or vice versa) is also an option to broaden the range of sound and songs, with the benefit of the on stage dynamic between 2 people.

If you’re hosting a destination wedding or event abroad, then cost will certainly be a factor. Many people want to hire a band from their home country to get the type of music they want, as it can be extremely hard to find a suitable band on location. Hiring a ‘one man band’ (or woman!) or duo is the most cost effective option, as you’ll need to potentially fly them out and cover accommodation expenses out there. Often the venue or wedding planner can arrange the equipment so that this does not require shipping as excess baggage.

5. Booking direct with the band Vs booking via an agency

There’s pros and cons for both options, but if you know what band you want to hire, then there’s no advantage to hiring via an agent. You can have a direct line of communication with the band representative for booking and any logistical details discussed without the ‘middle man’. You will also save on the agent fee, which can vary between 10-25% in some cases. Not all bands charge VAT either.

The downside is if you don’t know how to go about finding the right band, or have limited time then an agency can help as they’ll have many options to choose from. You can even look on their websites and do some ‘band shopping’ before speaking to anyone as they’ll generally have a band profile with clips to watch and listen to.

Again though, try and see the band before you book them as mentioned earlier to make sure you like them and are suitable for your event. You could also try posting on a Facebook Group too like Professional Function & Wedding Bands UK but you may find you get inundated with responses so be clear about your requirements of what sort of band you’re looking for and location of the event.

7. Band Vs DJ - or both

Having a live band perform can be really entertaining, but generally they’ll play 2-3 sets of party music before finishing up. This is when hiring a DJ can be great, to play some of your favourite floor fillers to see out the night.

It can be logistically tricky though with doubling up on equipment for instance, and quite expensive on top of the cost of the band. A good option is to ask the band to have a party playlist of songs ready to go when they finish from a laptop or mobile device, or provide your own if you’re desperate to bring the party home with your DnB bangers.

A DJ has the advantage of having literally millions of songs at his fingertips for requests and can save on cost and logistical challenges as a one man show. You do however miss out on the live music element - a very different entertainment experience. Equally a good DJ knows their craft and can adapt quickly depending on what is working with the crowd, and what isn’t.