cameltoe Posted July 9, 2013 Author Share Posted July 9, 2013 [quote name='haysy' timestamp='1373371727' post='2136754'] [i][b]What is the best route into playing the wedding circuit?[/b][/i] We play pubs for £200-250. We are a 5 piece pop/rock covers outfit p[size=4]laying [/size][size=4]from 60s to present day tunes with female lead vocals plus sax and keys. I think we are petty versatile so should be able to fit in with the wedding scene but have now idea how to get into it? Any advice please?[/size] [/quote] It'll be a good year-18 months before word gets out about you, eventually someone will have seen you play/ heard about you from someone who has seen you. Be careful what you wish for mind! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haysy Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Thanks for the advice gents, will take it on board. I was wondering if it's worth getting some advertising done on local/regional wedding websites that signpost brides and grooms to wedding services. Has anyone done that? It sounds like it might be expensive, but I haven't researched it yet.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertbass Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Been there, done that, generally a waste of money. As they say, word of mouth is best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBunny Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 [quote name='haysy' timestamp='1373441567' post='2137522'] Thanks for the advice gents, will take it on board. I was wondering if it's worth getting some advertising done on local/regional wedding websites that signpost brides and grooms to wedding services. Has anyone done that? It sounds like it might be expensive, but I haven't researched it yet.... [/quote] Done a few Wedding Fayres and generally they don't pay for them selves, except the ones that give you the attendee list afterwards. When you attend a Wedding Fare you generally sign in with name and contact details. if you can get hold of this, it can be very rewarding contacting people after the event. The only other "bonus" is that there will probably be a couple of Agents there and you may get work from them. Making sure your website highlights that you play weddings is essential with all the right meta-tags. Remember your audience is likely to be from kids to grandparents so a varied set-list is important as usually the B&G want you to play what they want and don't consider the rest of guests. Dood summed up all the essential bits in his reply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 You get asked..and at least that way both parties know the score. If you want to do weddings just for the money, then think again. You need to be seemless and totally set up for it as you don't want to be the bad eggs spoiling the day and mother of the bride will be watching your every move. If you aren't good enough to justify £1000 plus..then think long and hard about whether it is for you and don't be suckered into doing them cheap for £500...unless very close family, etc ...as the wedding photiographer and disco will want more than that fee on their own... My opinion... MOSTLY, too much work for the money and you want to be on £200-300 per man excluding travel exes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 I've recently booked a 5 piece for my daughter's wedding for the, substantially reduced 'mates rates', price of £1,900. They usually go out for a lot more than this and are pretty busy. One of the very best function bands in he country though. All pro live and session players with a list of credits as long as a very long thing indeed My old 11 piece soul band started at about £1,500 and peaked at £3,500 for function events. We'd sometimes drop to £1,100 for smaller events or £800 for family and friends. My wife sometimes books high end function bands and regularly pays £3K plus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 (edited) Forgot to add corporate functions are often a bitch to play - good money but not always that much fun Edited July 10, 2013 by molan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 My old band would start at 2500 and then negotiate UP for extras. We never had any issues with audiences apart from one Irish wedding where predictably enough they all got rat arsed and started pining for the ol' Emerald Isle during a singalong of Danny Boy, Rose of Tralee etc. while we were packing up. Had to take the mic of them eventually (and carefully). Apart from that the punters were great. I think a bit of market research might be in order if that hasn't happened already and be prepared to travel. The one thing I really resented was getting back on a Sunday morning at 3am after a 2 hour drive and having to lug my amp back up to my first floor flat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 [quote name='molan' timestamp='1373488613' post='2138287'] Forgot to add corporate functions are often a bitch to play - good money but not always that much fun [/quote] It stops being a group of mates playing for fun and becomes a professional outfit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1373489156' post='2138294'] It stops being a group of mates playing for fun and becomes a professional outfit. [/quote] I think it's sometimes worse than that. From a personally point of view I think any paying gig should be treated as a professional one (but I totally understand what you mean about the differences). My issue with some corporate gigs is simply that you get treated really badly. Arrive early, get bossed around by an organiser who is, way too often, out of his/her depth, little understanding of simple stuff like needing to sound-check and then sometimes loads of crap from the people who hired you that have decided 'Ernie from the post room' is a fantastic singer/drummer/lead guitarist or, heaven forfend, bass player Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 [quote name='molan' timestamp='1373490402' post='2138313'] I think it's sometimes worse than that. From a personally point of view I think any paying gig should be treated as a professional one (but I totally understand what you mean about the differences). [/quote] I agree and this was the biggest disappointment for me with the band I was in. We started off as a group of friends who survived the demise of one band only for there to be a split in aspirations with one faction wanting to make money and the other preferring to do something we enjoyed. The money making faction won out and the rest of us left as we got fed up with the grind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 That's what I mean. When the money starts to get big, people forget why they're doing it in the first place. There's not a lot of room for egos and people who won't play Sex on Fire due to artistic reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 This is why we don't generally do them....and don't change what we do to accomoidate them. Of course, if they are mates we will have to do one or two things that we rather wouldn't... and also if they are mates...we will do it for a fair price but there has to be give on both sides. If they want us to turn up early, that is a cost....and everything gets more and more finicky. If you going to totally be at the beck and call,.... and some might want exactly that...then you need to factor in a cost there as well. It isn't an £800 gig unless it IS an £800 gig... I find corporate gigs are ok if they look after you well... but if they do that, they may also want their pound of flesh. You have to weigh up what you will do it for and what you will put up with... and this is why we tell them very quickly what WE will do for the money we quote. and then we are quite happy to say ok, get someone else. We never set the band up to do functions nad weddings ..if fact, the exact opposite... so as long as we can get decent money for parties, that is our middle ground. Fortunately, we don't get our gigs out of a book or catalogue and know mostly what we are getting into... The thing is not to be a slave to the gig...but then the money can be tempting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkin Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 [quote name='molan' timestamp='1373490402' post='2138313'] My issue with some corporate gigs is simply that you get treated really badly. Arrive early, get bossed around by an organiser who is, way too often, out of his/her depth, little understanding of simple stuff [/quote] Sounds like a normal day at work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haysy Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 [sup]Thanks for the input and insight guys, will have a careful think about it and our strategy if we decide to go for it.[/sup] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierreganseman Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Hi, I live in Berlin, where the market is way down than anything i've seen (although the cost of life is down, my monthly rent all bills included is £240 and i live alone). In town a corporate / wedding will get you about 200/250 euro per musician. So you basically pay your rent and food with 2 or 3 gigs. Outside of Berlin in cities with more money that rises to about 400/500 euro per person for 2 or 3 sets, and more... I've had some amazing experience, some very bad. A barmitzva, by contract food has to be included for the band.... food looks amazing... BUT they had ordered pizza hut for the band. LOL... etc In Belgium where i gig often, a wedding would be about 300 per musician. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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