Pete Academy Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 I played at a wedding last Saturday. I haven't played this kind of gig for ages. The band was a soul/funk cover outfit, and we were due on at 8pm for the first dance. After the first song we continued the set, playing to nobody, as the food was being served. The second set was OK, but it was obvious people were just waiting for the disco to come back on. I must admit I was home before 12 with a hundred quid in my back pocket, but why do people bother with live bands at weddings? Is it just me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stag Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Ive been in this situation before - it tends to be the bride and groom that want you there (and usually book you), and no one else could give a toss if you were there or not. Easy money but kinda soul-sapping... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 (edited) When we play we now tell the the person booking us before the gig when to serve the buffet. ie not when we are playing. We've also been booked purely on the strength of our performance as "it gave the guests something to watch and talk about rather than being deafened and blinded by a disco because the guests aren't the dancing type of people". The only person on the dance floor all night was a 9 year old kid skidding across the nice polished dance floor on his knees. The Bride and Groom loved it and we received lots of compliments during the break and afterwards while we were packing down. As an aside: Two years ago this September we played to an empty room until it got dark, everyone was outside smoking (the ban had just come in). I think there are less smokers now because that is happening less and less and even in pubs people wait till our break to go out for a fag. I also know bands who would refuse to do gigs if the bar is in another room. Edited August 12, 2009 by TimR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassace Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Ah Weddings, doncha just luv em! First thing, very few weddings ever run to time and the people who book you have virtually no experience of putting on a gig. And there are usually kids whose parents like nothing more than dumping them on the dance floor and letting the band entertain them while they, the parents chat to their grown up friends. Very ocasionally things go to plan, no kids, gorgeous women and good tippers. So, assuming the former is the case, just remember that the day belongs to the bride and groom, be very friendly towards the catering and bar people so you'll be fed and watered well, expect the worst but hope for the best, quote a good fee, smile and put on a good show - you might get return (hopefully non-wedding) bookings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamapirate Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 [quote name='bassace' post='567240' date='Aug 12 2009, 07:58 PM']be very friendly towards the catering and bar people so you'll be fed and watered well,[/quote] Watered? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny-lad Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Not sure why some people book bands for their weddings, but it's worth bearing in mind that if you've played in wedding bands, you've had far more experience with what does and doesn't work than the bride and groom would...You can advise them, but they'll want things according to what they have always imagined their wedding would be like (however unrealistic this may be), so there will still be plenty of wedding gigs where the band plays to an empty room! I'd much rather play weddings than work a boring day-job though, even if they aren't the most exciting gigs in the world! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 (edited) +1 to scheduling the band around other events, any speeches and buffets, cake-cutting etc. We usually play weddings for late twenties - early forties so it's a right laugh most of the time. One we played recently was in such a hot venue (upstairs room, no windows or air con) that a lot of the crowd actually stood outside in the pouring rain to get a break from the heat. Not playing there again! Edited August 12, 2009 by lemmywinks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Anything where there's a disco in my experience. They'll dance for the disco and completely ignore the band - or at best politely listen. As usual, you just have to do your thang and take the money with a nice smile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jezzaboy Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Sod weddings, functions and sod functions in general, especially bowling, cricket and snooker clubs. It might be a better paying gig than playing boozers but at least you get a good reaction especially when there are loads of drunk women about!! Jez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 [quote name='jonny-lad' post='567262' date='Aug 12 2009, 08:09 PM']I'd much rather play weddings than work a boring day-job though, even if they aren't the most exciting gigs in the world![/quote] That just makes me want to get back into a wedding band Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 (edited) There's a loooooong thread on the joys and ploys of playing weddings .. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5436&st=0&p=56924&#entry56924"]Wedding gigs thread[/url] Lot s of stuff there. Weddings can be great but it pays to invest a lot of time in the pre-gig management of the bride, groom and future mother inlaws' expectations. The things we all know from playing loads for years are things they never think of (like leaving loads of time for everything so the band can start on time ) 'cos they have generally only organised a few weddings in their lives .. Us experienced wedding bands are the experts and that should be a selling point of your band .... Edited August 12, 2009 by OldGit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted August 12, 2009 Author Share Posted August 12, 2009 [quote name='Stag' post='567206' date='Aug 12 2009, 07:40 PM']Ive been in this situation before - it tends to be the bride and groom that want you there (and usually book you), and no one else could give a toss if you were there or not. Easy money but kinda soul-sapping...[/quote] Great response! The girl singer we had was a friend of the bride and groom. She had also heard that her ex-boyfriend might be attending with his new girlfirend. Our singer sang her socks off, but to no avail, as the aformentioned boyfriend didn't turn up. There was some great totty there, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted August 12, 2009 Author Share Posted August 12, 2009 I worked for an entertainment agency for 2 years, and I'm convinced that the current celeb obsession has something to do with this. People think it's somehow hip to book a live band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teej Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Well, we love playing weddings with Red Jackson. We play loads of them too, so that's just as well. We're not a wedding band, and we don't work with agencies; all of our private clients have seen us or know someone who has and want what we do (40s-50s R'n'B), not a standard weddings/function band. Sometimes it's for dancing, sometimes it's for listening while drinks/canapes are served, sometimes it's both. We get treated royally, paid handsomely and thanked profusely: the rather lovely bride at last Sunday's gig said that it had been better than she'd dared hope for, after we got a roomful of people jiving away to a set that included a long extended harmonica/drums/upright bass boogie jam. So we have fun with the music as well. What's to not like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crez5150 Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 As I'm mostly playing wedding gigs at the moment..... (16 this month alone.... phew!!!!) I'd comment by saying that the fist set is always a tough call..... people are still arriving/greeting people and letting dinner go down. 2nd sets always fill the floor.... Have a look at the wedding bands thread as pointed out by Oldgit... some interesting points. I personally only play wedding gigs now just to annoy the hell out of Bilbo!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 The thing to remember is at a pub gig people come to see you, but at a wedding you're the hired help. I'm not mad about wedding gigsand other functions, but it's better than not playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 [quote name='ezbass' post='567350' date='Aug 12 2009, 09:49 PM']The thing to remember is at a pub gig people come to see you, but at a wedding you're the hired help. I'm not mad about wedding gigsand other functions, but it's better than not playing.[/quote] It's also a captive audience, most of which are on a big night out rather than the usual weekend at the boozer. Wedding gigs are my favourite cos i find them the easiest as everyone is out to enjoy themselves. I don't think we've ever played a bad wedding gig, they've all been more like getting paid to have a laugh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 We played a Weddding the week before last, had a request to do 3 song choices from the happy couple who were fairly hammered by the time we started. Bride's name was Cherie so you can guess the first choice, also Wildwood by Paul Weller which we did as a bossa ( anything we get bored by we just do as a bossa!). Final host's choice was My Destiny by Lionel Richie so we enjoy Weddings on the whole as we get asked to do some material that we would not normally do. As people said before, we always have a bar and food rider which compensates for the fact that no-one really listens to the first set.... Funniest thing was a middle-aged couple were listening and dancing to the first set: the guy asked us for a request: "Miss Dynamite" which seemed a bit bizarre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 [quote name='yorks5stringer' post='567420' date='Aug 12 2009, 10:40 PM']We played a Weddding the week before last, had a request to do 3 song choices from the happy couple who were fairly hammered by the time we started. Bride's name was Cherie so you can guess the first choice, also Wildwood by Paul Weller which we did as a bossa ( anything we get bored by we just do as a bossa!). Final host's choice was My Destiny by Lionel Richie so we enjoy Weddings on the whole as we get asked to do some material that we would not normally do. As people said before, we always have a bar and food rider which compensates for the fact that no-one really listens to the first set.... Funniest thing was a middle-aged couple were listening and dancing to the first set: the guy asked us for a request: "Miss Dynamite" which seemed a bit bizarre.[/quote] Probably wanted the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain version Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctor_of_the_bass Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Did a good one down in Richmond (at The Ham Polo Club) last Saturday, depping with a `rock covers' function band called The Mighty Persuaders. I had a days work in theatre (in Peterborough) till 5:40pm and had to be there ready to go on at 8pm! Luckily my rig had been taken down with the lads in the Transit so I just had to turn up, plug in, tune up and play! Got there at 7:40pm following nightmare London traffic but the speeches carried on till around 8:45, so had a bit of a reprieve there. The regular guitarist and bassist were on holiday so we had Gizz Butt (ex The Prodigy) on guitar - top player and the drummer, Spike T Smith used to play for Morrissey and The Damned. The crowd went crazy - one of those gigs where it just comes together and the energy level just goes up and up! £150 per man - nice! Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_bass5 Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 [quote name='jonny-lad' post='567262' date='Aug 12 2009, 08:09 PM']Not sure why some people book bands for their weddings, but it's worth bearing in mind that if you've played in wedding bands, you've had far more experience with what does and doesn't work than the bride and groom would...You can advise them, but they'll want things according to what they have always imagined their wedding would be like (however unrealistic this may be), so there will still be plenty of wedding gigs where the band plays to an empty room! I'd much rather play weddings than work a boring day-job though, even if they aren't the most exciting gigs in the world![/quote] Too right. We did a wedding recently where we had to play Stand by me as the first dance, then straight in to Chasing cars. that cleared the dance floor pretty quick. The grooms other requests (that we had to lean and didn't even get a thank you) were also the low points of the evening for everyone but him. Once we got back on track the dance floor filled again. We generally have a good crowd but yes, lots of hanging around and bad organization. And dont you just hate it when the bar is in another room down the corridor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 And don't you just love that really optimistic " The meal will be finished at 8 p.m. sharp and the speeches will be finished by 8.30. Yeah right. I've done a few where we've started playing at 11.30 p.m. after the bride and groom had already pissed off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_bass5 Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 [quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='567525' date='Aug 13 2009, 12:33 AM']Did a good one down in Richmond (at The Ham Polo Club) last Saturday, depping with a `rock covers' function band called The Mighty Persuaders. I had a days work in theatre (in Peterborough) till 5:40pm and had to be there ready to go on at 8pm! Luckily my rig had been taken down with the lads in the Transit so I just had to turn up, plug in, tune up and play! Got there at 7:40pm following nightmare London traffic but the speeches carried on till around 8:45, so had a bit of a reprieve there. The regular guitarist and bassist were on holiday so we had Gizz Butt (ex The Prodigy) on guitar - top player and the drummer, Spike T Smith used to play for Morrissey and The Damned. The crowd went crazy - one of those gigs where it just comes together and the energy level just goes up and up! £150 per man - nice! Nick[/quote] Ive played there a few times and its always a good crowd. The women who runs the place is really nice and well organized. lat time we played there it was for a very stingy couple who only had a buffet meal for the guests, wouldn't let the band have any (there was plenty left over), went for the cheapest package yet brought their own cushions, at a cost of £15 each for all the guests. Our contract states that fi we dont get fed we get £10 per band member food allowance so we had to drive in to Kingston to get something. A few weeks later the couple actually complained that the food allowance was included in the fee and we had to give it back. Tossers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_bass5 Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 [quote name='jezzaboy' post='567284' date='Aug 12 2009, 08:42 PM']Sod weddings, functions and sod functions in general, especially bowling, cricket and snooker clubs. It might be a better paying gig than playing boozers but at least you get a good reaction especially when there are loads of drunk women about!! Jez [/quote] A lot of the weddings we do have a free bar, so lots of drunk women, and its nice to see them enjoying themselves. Especially when doing it with their mates 5 ft in front of us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teej Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 [quote name='dave_bass5' post='567641' date='Aug 13 2009, 09:05 AM']Too right. We did a wedding recently where we had to play Stand by me as the first dance, then straight in to Chasing cars. that cleared the dance floor pretty quick. The grooms other requests (that we had to lean and didn't even get a thank you) were also the low points of the evening for everyone but him. Once we got back on track the dance floor filled again. We generally have a good crowd but yes, lots of hanging around and bad organization. And dont you just hate it when the bar is in another room down the corridor.[/quote] You don't [i]have to[/i] learn songs for them. We never do. But maybe that's easier if your set is in a specific genre (especially a 'retro' one) and not a selection of hits from all different genres/eras. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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