Booking Musicology for your Event
To book Musicology or to obtain a quote please contact the band via email or phone Tom on 01252 627807.
Please provide details on the nature, date, location and timings for your event.
We look forward to hearing from you!
So you want to book a live band?
Ask yourself, do they offer the following?
- Reliability
- Versatility
- Fulltime Professional Musicians
- Huge Repertoire of Material
- Point of Contact
- Disco / Background music between sets
- Stage Lighting
- Disco Lighting
- 1st Dance Played by the Band
- Public Liability Insurance
- Professional Quality and PAT Tested Equipment
With Musicology we provide all of the above.
6 Top boxes to tick for booking your dream wedding band!
Live bands are getting increasingly booked over DJ's people love the dynamic and energy of good live music and it really helps create special memories of your wedding party.
For many couples getting married, this will be the first and perhaps only time they will book a live band. The good news is that there are some amazing bands out there and the standard of singing and musicianship can be very high if you choose the right band! Here are some tips to help you make the right choice...
1. Know what you want.
The whole process of choosing a band is much easier if you have a clear idea of what you are looking for. This will save you time and stress and give you the best chance of making the right choice.
Think about the kind of atmosphere and energy you want the band to create. Do you want a sophisticated and jazzy feel or a high energy dancing party? Do you want a particular style, or era of music, or a band that can cover everything from the Beatles to Beyonce? How do you want the band to look?
Space at a venue is often a factor that may determine the size of the band you book. Budget is an important consideration too have an idea of what you want to spend but be prepared to be flexible to get what you really want!
Think about your end goal what kind of experience do you really want for you and your guests? How do you want people to remember your wedding party? Now is the time to do some daydreaming and brain storming. Having a clear mental picture and a good feel for what you want now will help you to make the right decision later on. Don't leave it to the last minute to book quality bands are always busy in the wedding season!
2. Choose a professional band
There are hundreds of bands out there to choose from, some are excellent in every way but unfortunately many are not! You are more likely to get high quality from a professional outfit, as opposed to an amateur or semi- pro band. Pro musicians simply must do a good job their incomes depend on it, so the likely hood is that they will turn up on time and deliver the goods! We get several calls each year from distraught brides who have been let down at the last minute by low budget bands this is definitely a situation to avoid unless you enjoy stress!
Choose a band that has been established for a few years and that is professionally managed, as you will get a better all round service.
You can expect a professional wedding band to have a large repertoire of music in different styles. They should be able to 'read' an audience and satisfy the cross section of ages that you generally find in a wedding audience. Check out the bands' song list (which should be available on the bands website) to see if they have a good mix of music to offer. Versatility is the key. These days a band could end up starting the evening with some Frank Sinatra and ending with The Darkness!
3. Choose a band that is properly run or managed
Having someone to communicate with throughout the booking process and in the run up to your wedding is so important. A pro band usually has a manager or spokesperson who is your point of contact through the entire process.
There will be details through the booking process that need to be properly coordinated. These include arrival and set up arrangements, song choices, your first dance, and technical aspects such as power, staging and noise limiters etc. You need someone you can communicate with easily to sort out the details and advise you well, or you could end up with more stress in the run up to your big day!
Your band should have public liability insurance and all equipment should be PAT tested (electrical testing). Many venues insist upon this now and most professional musicians are members of the musicians union which gives them £10million public liability insurance. Check that your band has a high quality modern sound and lighting system. A band that is managed as a small business is more likely to have all this in place.
4. If possible book a band direct!
This will save you anything from 15 50% on entertainment agency commission. Although there are some excellent agencies out there, many are simply internet shop fronts that don't really know much about their bands and lack the knowledge and expertise that a professionally managed band can offer with a booking direct. Often the after sales service is poor after the booking is made you are passed on to the band anyway to sort out the finer details and you are left wondering what you paid their commission for!
How do you find your band? Personal recommendation can't really be beaten. Referrals from venues, wedding planners, caterers, photographers or other wedding suppliers are also useful they see wedding bands (good and bad!) every week so are generally a reliable source.
Search the internet for bands using search terms such as 'wedding band', 'party band', 'live band', 'function band', 'live entertainment' etc.
Live clips of the band, photos, song lists and general information will all be found on the bands website. Ask for referral letters from previous clients and venues a high quality established band shouldn't have any problem producing these.
5. Get it in writing!
Make sure you get a contract or booking form to confirm your booking in writing. This will leave no room for confusion or crossed wires later on. The paperwork should state the set up and playing times of the band and other details such as venue address and payment terms. Most pro bands require a deposit up front (normally 20-50%) with final payment to be made before or on the wedding date. Musicians function better when they are fed, and most bands ask for food and soft drinks to be factored in.
6. So things go smoothly on the night....
A good tip is to contact your band a few weeks before the event, just to make sure everything is still ok for your booking, to confirm your first dance, make final payment and to generally put your mind at rest! Fixing the bands eating and changing arrangements in advance is a good idea and gives you one less thing to think about on the day, so you can concentrate on enjoying the proceedings to the max!
Get a contact name for the band leader and do give feedback on volume levels. It is sometimes hard for musicians to know on stage how loud the band sounds out front. Typically the band should be at a good volume on the dance floor, but at a level that people can still talk and catch up away from the dance floor if they want to.
'Musicology' pride themselves on ticking all these boxes.
For more information see our testimonials to read what many of our happy customers have to say about the band.
