Having a live band for your event can create an amazing atmosphere for you and your guests. However, there are certain situations where booking a band doesn’t add value to your event and can even be a distraction or cause unwanted chaos. The following are factors that are often overlooked, but should be considered before deciding if booking a band is right for your event.
1. Spacing - How much space does a band need?
If you’re struggling to fit everything you need to in your event space floor plan, it might be worth reconsidering getting a band. Having an overcrowded event can be troublesome, especially if it’s a formal, seated event. Guest tables can end up being too close to the band and their speakers, making it uncomfortably loud for them. This isn’t as big of an issue for parties where dancing is to be expected, or if the band is playing at very low volumes. Duos and DJs take up the least amount of room with a minimum of a 2x2m space, with bands taking up at least 2 or 3 times more. An easy alternative would be to ask the venue if they have an in house sound system you have access to and curate a Spotify playlist instead.
2. Sound Restrictions - Does your venue have sound restrictions?
Some venues have strict sound restrictions that prevent music acts from performing past a certain level of volume. Decibel metres that measure the loudness of a room are common in these venues. If the metre hits its limit, it will notify the staff, and in some cases, cut the power to the band. This greatly impacts how well a band can perform, to the point that it might not be worth having a band in the first place. Check if your event venue has sound restrictions. If they do, ask what types of music acts they’re comfortable with. Some venues have rules such as, acoustic guitars only, or no drum kits allowed. Ignoring their rules will usually lead to issues on the night. However, most bands can downsize or change their setup to suit the venue. It’s important to decide what vibe you want from your band, and if it’s possible for them to provide it if there are sound restrictions. For example, a party band might not be able to provide their usual dance set energy with sound restrictions. Clear communication between the venue and the band is key to deciding whether you should have live music or not.
3. Event Run Sheet - When will the band perform during your event?
Running out of time for a band to perform is a common occurrence for an event. A poorly planned runsheet or delays can mean that a band might play less than half of what they were paid to. Does your event have time to fit in a band? A detailed run sheet can help you decide. Music acts are best used during long stretches of downtime of an event such as entrees and dinner, or to get the party started at the end of the night. Bands commonly play sets of music ranging from 20-60 minutes at a time, with a 45 minute set being the standard. Frequent speeches, presentations and other activities throughout the night can disrupt the flow of these sets. Precise planning and execution is needed to fit live music in for these types of events. Alternatively, having a background music playlist instead of a band may help the event flow more naturally between formalities in these situations.
4. Cost - Spotify vs Band
Do you have the budget for live music or a DJ? The rate for hiring an acoustic act or DJ starts around $500 and can go up to $5000 or more for a band and higher end acts. See this blog post on "Ways to save money booking a band for your event". If hiring a music act is out of your budget, your next step down is hiring a sound system (aka a PA or personal address system) to play music through mobile devices such as an iPhone or an iPad. Hiring a PA system starts from around $200 for a basic package that would allow you to connect your phone with Spotify or other music platforms. The advantages of hiring a PA is that it will definitely be cheaper than a music act and you can curate your own playlist of all your favourite songs. The disadvantages are that you would need to operate the gear and the atmosphere created by live music would be missing.
Ticked All The Boxes?
Know all these pitfalls and still want to book a band? then check this out on "How to choose between different live music options for your event".
To find a band in your area visit OzGigs.com.au
This article was written by Stan Wong co-founder of OzGigs and professional guitarist in Sydney Australia with 10+ years of wedding and corporate event experience.
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