Booking a live band for a wedding or other special event can seem like a daunting task, but rest assured, it doesn’t need to be. In every Australian city, there are numerous bands for hire with a variety of sounds and genres to suit every taste.
Prices will vary greatly from one band to another but you can find one to suit every budget and it will make your party, wedding, corporate function, formal or Christmas party a night to remember for everyone in attendance.
With live bands, you often need to book quite far in advance so do your research early to ensure you get the one you want.
Some of the best ways to find and book a band are to get a recommendation from someone who’s hired them in the past or see them play a live gig and then keep their details for future events you might like them to play at. Ask within your network of friends and family for bands they’ve used and whether they’d use them again.
Australia loves live music and luckily most towns and cities have a plethora of live music options, especially larger cities. If you’ve got some time to research before your event, take a weekend in Melbourne to cram in as many live performances as possible and then ask your favorites after the gig if they’re available for hire. That way you’ll know exactly what you’re getting and if they’re local, that means less travel expenses. Remember when you’re booking a band that you’re not just paying for the band to play. You’re paying for them to be transported to your event as well which can add plenty of unnecessary costs so it’s best to hire local talent.
You’ll need to decide the best size for the band in accordance with your event. In some instances, a one-man show might be best whereas other events would benefit from a whole band and a variety of instruments. Think about who will be in attendance and what they might prefer.
If you don’t want to get out and about and want to sort it out quickly there’s always the trusty world wide web. Several websites cater for wedding and event band hire with every type of band available at your disposal. www.entertainmentnow.com.au has a wide range of performers available for hire in several different states.
Several websites have easy online booking forms, giving an estimated quote before you purchase. The range of services include wedding singers, professional DJs, live cover bands, soloists, duets, trios, karaoke machines and jukeboxes, and string quartets. Most are available for hire within most of the major cities.
Once you’ve made a selection ask for demo tapes or try to find the band’s performances on www.youtube.com so you can get a feel for what they sound like live.
Lastly, before you pay for the band, ensure they’ve offered you a contract and read carefully to make sure you agree with the cancellation policy and all terms and conditions. Be wary of bands that don’t offer a contract and ask to have one drafted up to protect yourself.
