Wedding Music
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Soul and Motown
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Solos and Duos
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| Older articles: |
| Top 10 mistakes when hiring a band |
| You want cheese on that? |
| A brief history of all that jazz |
Every year 1311 Events.net receives hundreds of enquiries from brides and event organisers who have simply left everything too late. The typical wedding season tends to properly start around the 3rd weekend in May and last until the 2nd weekend in September and the most popular day to get married is on a Saturday. Naturally, everyone is clambering for the best value bands. If budget is important (See A live band? What's the point?), then book as early as you possibly can. Currently many bands are taking bookings up to 2 years in advance. There are benefits to be had as well. Bands can often be cheaper when booked a long way ahead and some artists even achieve notoriety by then. I remember taking a booking for Jamie Cullum 3 months before he signed his first record deal in the U.S. Boy was the wedding client happy when he realised who he had performing. Suffice to say Jamies' fees are considerably more these days, too! Don't worry about the band not being around in 2 years time. Book through a reputable agent like 1311 Events.net and the band is legally contracted for your event for your peace of mind (see no.4). Another benefit of booking a band early is if you have some special requests the band will have enough time to learn them for your event. Last minute bookings will make this impossible.
2. Booking the wrong sort of music.
Some music is easy to allocate for key events. If you are looking for music for the service or ceremony then the most popular is a string quartet. For those that want to make that part of the day extra special, book a gospel choir. It's not cheap but they are sensational!! Be prepared to take a handkerchief with you though because the emotion and spirit of the event will probably make you cry - for all the right reasons. You'll need around 5 singers plus keyboards for a proper choir. Don't be misled by companies offering 1, 2 or 3 singers - that ain't a choir!
Most people look to jazz for the reception in the form of a solo singer with backing tracks, a pianist or a small jazz trio playing jazz standards or Dixie jazz (yummy!). You might like to consider something different for the reception - perhaps a Spanish or classical guitarist, a steel band in the summer or even stick with the classical artists you have booked for the service. They are often great value as performing for an extra hour often costs only a fraction of their initial fee.
It's the evening entertainment where the most mistakes are made. Think about your guests. You may absolutely adore Tamla Motown but will granny or the kids? Your boss may be a huge big band fan but if attendees are expecting to network at the event, trumpets and trombones will drown the conversation. A certain genre of music might not be danceable enough. It's worth remembering that a band will have breaks (see no.6) and if a DJ is not present, they will put on CD's or an ipod whilst they are not performing. This allows you to dance to music that the band may not have in their repertoire. Make up a compilation CD for the band and 99% of them will be happy to play it for you. If you book early enough (See no.1) the band will usually be happy to learn a few special numbers for your event.
3. Not enough space.
We all love the idea of a great seventies band with a stonking brass section but your room is packed to the rafters with tables and chairs and there is nowhere for them to perform then we simply can't have one without making concessions. It's best to ask the venue what performance area is available on the day. Typically, a 3-4 piece bands will need around 4 x 3m of floor space. 5-6 piece bands 5 x 3m and 6 x 4m will cater for any band up to 12 strong. It's probably worth considering access and staging although most bands are happy for same-level performances.
4. "The band has cancelled on us."
Wherever you book your entertainment, make sure it is secured by a contract. 1311 Events.net provides booking forms for both you and the artists so everyone has peace of mind. The last thing you want to worry about is having to find a last minute replacement. This is probably the key benefit of using a professional booking agency. We would recommend steering well clear of anyone that does not provide a booking form for your event.
5. Set up.
It's often the case that an event is a long way off yet and timings aren't quite finalised. You will probably have some idea of how the event will run e.g:
4pm: Guests arrive for the reception
5 pm: Dinner
7pm: Speeches
8pm: Dancing
If the evening band is playing in the same room as your dining area then it is important that one considers whether the band will disrupt the event if they need 2 hours to set up. Around 80% of bands can set up in approximately 45 minutes. However, for the best experience for bands with a lot of equipment to get ready, it may be worth paying the extra cost of having them set up before guests arrive.
Your event is hugely important to you and your guests. You want it to be a fantastic do and you may need to ask the band for a favour at some point in the day e.g stay a little longer, use their microphones for speeches etc. You simply have to look after the band whilst they are with you. They may seem to be getting paid a lot for the event but their day starts long before the performance itself. (See no.7) The band will need a break if they play more than an hour of music. Please, remember to provide them with some hot food and soft drinks. Your agent or bandleader should advise this at the time of booking and advise of any dietary requirements etc. They will also need a changing room with a sink and a mirror- not a public loo - somewhere safe to leave their equipment and chill out when they are not performing. If the band is well looked after you will get the very best out of them.
7. Expecting too much for your money.
Lets say that a decent 6 piece band costs £1800 including an early arrival of 3pm. This may seem a little expensive? If we break it down and base it on a finish of midnight, we can soon see that compared with many other professionals, the fee is pretty good value:
No of hours on site: 6 x 10 hours on site including packing up their equipment
plus 6 x average of 2 hours travel = £25 ph pp. This usually includes £1000's of equipment, skilled performers plus the travelling costs involved. This is a fraction of the cost of a plumber or solicitor and will make a lot more people happy. Musicians will do their very best to make your event a success but they do need to be treated with the respect that their training, skills and experience demands.
8. Sound restrictions.
Many venues are introducing sound limiters to protect the building or their local community. Always check with your venue whether there are any restrictions on having live music for your event. These should usually be advised when securing your venue but it is worth checking to avoid disappointment.
9. Bombarding the band prior to performance.
You've booked the band in good time and can't wait for the big day. They are excited about it too and want your event to go well. However, they don't want to hear from you every day with snippets of information, changes in times, special requests and technical questions. You've probably got plans to make and set in stone in the run up to your event. We recommend that you ask for the bands technical specifications should you need them (such as electrical supply for an outdoor event, required equipment for an overseas performance), let them know as soon as possible about any special musical requests (please don't keep changing your mind - it can take hours to rehearse each song) and then let them concentrate on their forthcoming performances. It is highly likely that they will have other events prior to yours and most bandleaders will prefer to talk through all of the details around 3 weeks prior to the event and have all of the information at once so as not to forget anything. This way you can finalise your arrangements without having to notify them of any changes if you decide to change your plans. Besides, you probably have a 100 other things to do.
10. Booking too late. (See no.1)
We simply can't reiterate this enough. Make this a priority. As soon as you have decided to hire music, find them and book them as soon as you know they are right for your event. The benefits are enormous and this gives you even more to look forward to.
Happy hunting
Blame it on the boogie - Michael Jackson
I will survive - Gloria Gaynor
Dancing Queen - Abba
I'm in the mood for dancing - The Nolans
Don't leave me this way - Communards
You sexy thing - Hot Chocolate
Saturday night - Whigfield
Ooops upside your head - Gap Band
Timewarp - Damien
Reach - S Club 7
Macarena - Los del Rios
The one and only - Chesney Hawkes
Barbie girl - Aqua
The final countdown - Europe
The grease megamix - Jivebunny
Star trekkin - The Firm
Agadoo - Black Lace
What an atmosphere - Russ Abbott
The birdy song - The Tweets
Save your love - Renee & Renate
This old house - Shakin' Stevens
Saturday night - Whigfield
Do the bartman - The Simpsons
cheesetastic@1311events.net
The style of these groups, and many others of the period, is often referred to as New Orleans jazz or Dixieland. It is characterized by collective improvisation, in which all performers simultaneously play improvised melodic lines within the harmonic structure of the tune. Louis, as a singer, is credited with the invention of scat, in which the vocalist makes up nonsense syllables to sing improvised lines. Other notable performers of New Orleans or Dixieland jazz include clarinetist Johnny Dodds, soprano saxophone player Sidney Bechet, trumpeter King Oliver, and trombonist Kid Ory.
Other styles popular during this period were various forms of piano jazz, including ragtime, Harlem stride, and boogie-woogie. These styles are actually quite distinct, but all three are characterized by rhythmic, percussive left hand lines and fast, full right hand lines. Scott Joplin and Jelly Roll Morton were early ragtime pioneers. Fats Waller, Willie "The Lion" Smith and James P. Johnson popularized the stride left hand pattern (bass note, chord, bass note, chord); Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis developed this into the faster moving left hand patterns of boogie-woogie. Art Tatum is considered by many to be the greatest jazz pianist ever; he was certainly one of the most technically gifted, and his harmonic insights paved the way for many who came after him. He is sometimes considered a precursor of bebop.
The mid 1930's brought on the swing era and the emergence of the big bands as the popular music of the day. Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie led some of the more popular bands. There were also some important small group swing recordings during the 1930's and 1940's. These differed from earlier small groups in that these featured very little collective improvisation. This music emphasized the individual soloist. Goodman, Ellington, and Basie recorded often in these small group settings. Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, and Ella Fitzgerald were important singers in this era. Most of these musicians recorded in small groups as well as with big bands. The blues was, as in many other styles, an important element of this music.
While, as with previous styles, much use was made of the blues and popular songs of the day, including songs by George Gershwin and Cole Porter, the original compositions of the bebop players began to diverge from popular music for the first time, and in particular, bebop was not intended to be dance music. The compositions usually featured fast tempos and difficult eighth note runs. Many of the bebop standards are based on the chord progressions of other popular songs, such as "I Got Rhythm", "Cherokee", or "How High The Moon".
The development of bebop led to new approaches to accompanying as well as soloing. The standard quartet and quintet formats (piano, bass, drums; saxophone and/or trumpet) used in bebop have changed very little since the 1940's.
The cool jazz style has been described as a reaction against the fast tempos and the complex melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic ideas of bebop. These ideas were picked up by many west coast musicians, and this style is thus also called West Coast jazz. This music is generally more relaxed than bebop. Other musicians in the cool style include saxophonists Stan Getz and Gerry Mulligan, and trumpet player Chet Baker. Stan Getz is also credited with the popularization of Brazilian styles such as the bossa nova and samba.
After cool jazz was established, the scene soon moved onto 'free' and 'modern jazz' which shaped the jazz club scene for years to come before 'jazz funk' became popular and formed the roots for many modern day artists in the music world. Jazz continues to develop its fusion with other derivatives such as rock before bringing the contemporary 'modern jazz' to the fore.
Throughout its history, jazz and blues form the basis for much of today's music from rock and roll to funk and soul and enjoys periodic reflections to its roots through many popular artists of our time.
All artists and/or their agent have given their express permission to appear on this website. All information is correct at time of publication. © 1311events.net