Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Selecting The Right Bands For Hire

By Lynda McDermont

Your function can be remembered as the event of the century, a complete disaster, or even worse: Absolutely forgettable! The entertainment at an event can make or break the success. Bands for hire can be found in your area for whatever event you're hosting, whether it's a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, wedding, birthday party, or corporate event. A well chosen live band can bring your party alive.

Many debate if it would be better to hire a band or a disc jockey. The considerations to take when looking for each are about the same, but there are differences in the ambiance of the event depending on which you choose. While a live band may be limited by the songs they know, they are much more likely to captivate the audience as your guests may feel as if they're at their own private concert. While a DJ may take up a lot less space with equipment, a band can greatly alter the mood with a much more spontaneous feel rather than pre-recorded music.

Once you've decided that it's a band you want, the first step is to decide on a budget. A lot of party planners make the mistake of hiring the entertainment as the last step. By then, the budget has been eaten up by the venue, caterers, videographer, wedding cake, and more. It's not uncommon for a bride to be to figure on spending only five to ten percent of the budget on the entertainment. Ask yourself, when all is said and done, is the band only five percent important to the success of your party? Of course not! Trying to hire a quality band for less than $500 or so will not turn out well.

Before you go shopping, think about what kind of band you want. If you're holding a Bar Mitzvah, make sure you look for a group who know all the customs. If you're doing a wedding, work with a band with experience in weddings. You'll be able to select from all kinds of genres of music. There's plenty of bands out there that should know all the big hits of the last 20 years or so.

By now you've got a list of potential groups to work with. Never ever hire anyone without going through some steps first. Ask if they're going to be performing any public gigs so you can watch them play. Don't be offended or turned off if they tell you no, many groups do only private parties. The next best thing would be a DVD or video of a live performance. Most importantly make sure you meet them, or at the very least the singer/announcer. A singer in your band will often act as a "Master of Ceremonies", so make sure you get a good feeling of confidence from them. Will they be able to clearly announce the wedding party? Lastly, ask for references to speak to over the phone.

You've chosen your band, so now it's important to "dot the i's and cross the t's". Does the band provide a written contract? If not, get one written up on your own. What happens if the band doesn't show? What if they get sick? It's likely they'll ask for a deposit, so what are the terms of that agreement? Is the deposit refundable? Do you hold a right to cancel? All of this is very important and if sorted out ahead of time will save a lot of heartache in the long run.

Ask your band if they have insurance. Insurance brokers offer entertainers special rates for aggregate policies with fairly good coverage. If something happens to the venue, or someone at your party, who is liable? The contract and insurance will make sure you're protected.

Following all these guidelines, you're on your way to finding the greatest hits from your list of bands for hire! - 2361

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