How to Find a Band for Your Wedding or Party
Nov 26, 2009 Resources for Clients
You want to hire a band to play at the next event you’re planning and have no idea where to start?
We’re here to help.
There are several resources available to get you in touch with the perfect band for your event.
- Ask your friends.
There is no substitute for the recommendation from a friend. Roughly 40% of the gigs that Total Eclipse has booked have come from direct referrals by friends and family. Two summers ago, we played for the birthday party of a friend´s daughter. One of the few adults at the party recommended us for an anniversary party another friend was having. Since playing the anniversary party, we´ve booked six more gigs all in the same circle of friends. Chances are a close friend or co-worker will have a recommendation for you.
- Party or Wedding Planners.
If you´ve hired a wedding or party planner to help make arrangements, they almost certainly have a list of bands that they have worked with in the past. Even if you haven´t hired a professional planner, it is possible that a quick phone call or email to one might net you a few phone numbers or web addresses to check out.
- Craigslist.
Place a post in the Musicians or Gigs category on your local Craigslist page. Make sure you list your budget and request audio or video samples from the responders. The more details about the party you can give, such as location, date, time, number of guests, and the like, the higher quality responses you´ll get. You´ll likely get a ton of emails and will have to wade through them, but it´s almost guaranteed that you´ll find someone who can provide exactly the type of entertainment you´re seeking.
- Gigmasters and GigSalad.
These are a couple of online band directories that actually let you hear samples, view photos and set lists, and contact the band all in one place. With Gigmasters, you can even book the band and pay their deposit online. Additionally, they will send you reminders and checklists to keep everything on schedule leading up to the event. View one of the following examples: Total Eclipse´s Gigmasters Page or Total Eclipse´s GigSalad Page.
- Local Music Stores.
Most music (instrument) stores like Guitar Center have a bulletin board where bands put their cards or fliers advertising their services. You could put your own notice up that you are looking for a band. Again, the more details you can provide, the better responses you´ll get. Alternatively, you could ask the employees, who almost certainly play in bands themselves.
- Google Search.
This is likely how you found this article, right? Why not give it a try to find a band to play your event? Try searching for the combination of your city and “party band” or “wedding band.” You could try searching for a particular genre, too. Try “disco band” or “cover band” and see what comes up. It´s worth a shot!
Hopefully by now you´ve been able to find the perfect band for your event. If not, you could always try contacting us for help; Total Eclipse may even be available. You can fill out a gig request here.
Tags: hiring a band, how to find a band, party band, pricing, wedding band
How Much Should We Charge to Play a Party or Wedding?
Nov 26, 2009 Resources for Bands
There are many factors that you should take into account when bidding on an event gig. There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but there are definitely some guidelines that can help you make a fair estimate and hopefully make enough money to make your efforts pay off.
The first thing you really need to do is find out how much other bands in your area are charging to play similar events. You don’t want to price yourself out of competition by charging way more than any other band in town (unless your band has something REALLY special). You want to be careful about severely undercutting other bands around because that can really destroy the market. It’s all about Economics 101.
The next thing that you should do is determine exactly how much time it takes to do a complete setup and teardown of all your equipment, including time for a sound check. You should have a set (base) price in mind that makes it worthwhile to load your PA and light gear, instruments, etc into your cars and set it all up.
The next item on the list is distance and travel. Is the event outside of your local travel area? Is it going to require an overnight stay? You will need to factor in these costs.
What type of event are you bidding on? Private parties, weddings, and corporate events all have different budget ranges. Clients who are hosting an anniversary or birthday party at their home aren’t going to be willing to pay as much as a wedding party who is throwing a bash for 200 of their closest friends and family.
If you want, you can set your price based on an hourly rate with different rates for different types of events. Be sure that you include an overtime rate in the event the party lasts longer than scheduled, or you’re asked to stick around and play more.
You can also base your bid on the number of people who will be in attendance at the party. This is a similar concept to how caterers would price an event.
Whatever methods you choose to determine your price, don’t forget to put everything in writing and work out all the details of payment in advance so that there are no issues later.
Real world example:
Total Eclipse uses a combination of these methods to determine how much to charge.
Typically, we use a base price for the setup/teardown time. Then we add a reasonable amount per band member for travel outside of a local 100-mile area radius. Finally, based on our research of the local music scene, we estimate a dollar amount per guest. For instance, where we might estimate $8 per guest for a birthday party, we could estimate $20 or more per guest for a large wedding.
Tags: fees, party band, pricing, wedding band
