Before you book a band

What do I need to keep in mind before booking a band?

Produced vs Live

As production costs are becoming increasingly affordable well produced promotion videos increasingly become the norm. Those are produced in several steps. The audio is recorded in the studio at first & then mixed. This means that it is tuned and usually overdubbed with extra tracks. Then the video is shot and matched to the audio.

While there is nothing wrong with a good promo video to showcase a band, sometimes more time and effort is spent in the recording studio than in the rehearsal room which is unfortunate. When booking a band make sure you understand the difference and compare the live takes you can find. Because that is the sound you will actually get in the end. If a band has no live videos and only produced material you should really wonder why that is.

Price

Professional bands can be costly. Many non-professional follow this trend. No one should artificially inflate or exaggerate price which frequently happens in this industry. Find out who you are dealing with. Maybe talk to the person over the phone or meet them. Are they an educated professional and have a solid understanding & background in the music industry? And remember: someone saying "I have worked for over 20 years in this industry" means very little. Would you trust a doctor who has no credentials to show but will try to convince you with the same line?

Double Booking!

Here is where professional vs non-professional can be very important. Unfortunately double bookings happen all the time and what is worse than finding out a week before your wedding or party that the band got double booked a year ago and you had no idea (and neither did the band because they forgot to put a booking in their calendar or simply forgot about it).

Packages

Music packages can be an excellent way of saving money, time and stress. Again be aware of what you are getting offered. A professional band will recommend other professional services and not try to "upsell" you their own members-service several times over wanting to get paid more. Variety is a good thing and will mean better quality!

Performance Quality

If you are able, go and see the band perform live. If that is not possible then (again) find live videos with the original (and not studio produced) audio. It will at least give you a much better idea already. Make sure they fulfill important keypoints of a professional band. That way you are getting the real deal. And if a band will sound great on a live take you know they will sound brilliant on the gig and deliver what they promise.

The wow factor

Not every band suits every occasion but a good band will have enough material to turn any party into an unforgetable experience. Make sure you watch out for the wow factor, the spark, something unique. You will know when you hear & see it!

If you have any questions feel free to get in touch with us! We are happy to advise you on anything music related.