It’s likely you’re visiting us today as you’re looking for ideas for entertainment for your event. You’ll see that the website has been set up in a way to help walk you through the thought process, starting with the types of entertainment, finding the right band, right through to booking and what to expect on the day.
Putting on an event is more than just the performance. Every step of the way we pride ourselves in firstly using our experience to be supporting you to make the most of your entertainment but with exceptional organisation to give you piece of mind and minimal work throughout.
Hopefully the website gives you some support and information to enable you to make the right decisions, however I’d be more than to speak to you any time to discuss your event and provide some advice.
Like many who we speak to, if you’ve never organised musical entertainment before, the prospect of organising everything can be quite daunting. With so many options out there to consider it can be tricky working through this to get it right for your event whilst making the most of your budget. As a result, many people understandably opt to pay the extra and go through agencies for this piece of mind. I aim to provide you with some basic tips for working this through. Today there are so many options, ranging from DJs, karaoke, novelty acts, ensembles and bands. Just thinking about bands, you have originals, general covers band; those that focus on specific genres or tributes, acoustic or jazz sets, and they could be playing to backing tracks or a full band. So which one do you choose? This is dependent on so many factors, so where do you start? The following provides a guide to finding the right entertainment for your needs.
The first thing I’d suggest thinking about or even writing down is - what do you want the guests to walk away from the event feeling? What type of experience do you want to create for them? How would you like the guests to be engaged during the event?
The second thing would be to think about your limiting factors. This could be the available space, the demographic of the guests attending, any venue restrictions such as sound limitations, your available budget and the time of day the event is taking place. Once you have an idea of the experience you are looking to create you can then start looking at the options versus what you are trying to create and offsetting them with any limitations. Here’s 6 areas I would suggest considering.
Let’s start with when the event is happening during the day. For events during the day, you might find that your guests want to catch up and chat, therefore lighter entertainment that creates the right vibe would probably work best. This could simply be background music through a PA, an acoustic act or jazz band. For the evening you might opt for something a bit heavier like a DJ, karaoke or a band when the audience have had a few glasses of wine inside them and want to get more involved and engaged in the entertainment.
Next let’s think about the music. You might be looking to create a specific experience that is linked to certain type of music genre. Therefore you might straight away narrow this down to an originals band, tribute or act specialising in certain genres. Over the last decade the tribute market alone has exploded with many top tribute acts to choice from. On the flip you might be want to cater to a wider breadth of music taste. Weddings and parties where you have a diverse age range tend to opt for this route. In this case DJs or general cover acts are preferred. So do you go for a DJ or a band?
The next thing to look at would be any venue restrictions in sound and how much space you have available. In some venues there may be a noise limiter which cuts the electrics if volumes go over a certain dB levels. In this case it’s best to rule out larger live band especially those that include acoustic drums. Many acts including Destination Groove who’ve gone through the hard experience of this would typically turn down events at these venues due to the disruption it causes. In this case, entertainment where the overall volume can be tightly controlled would work bests. Therefore DJs, karaoke, acts with backing tracks or bands with electric drums would be better options. However be aware that the lower volume may affect the overall atmosphere generally.
The next thing to consider is the space and venue setup. Bands tend to take up quite a bit of space, so for venues with very limited space, you might be better off considering a DJ, karaoke or solo/duo act playing to backing tracks. Also make sure you consider the dance floor as a lack of space will hamper the experience you create. Destination Groove or other professional bands will be able to provide a floor plan of the required band space and dance floor. Since we’re taking space, a common area that’s regularly overlooked is not considering where your guests will naturally congregate. People tend to hang around bar areas so if your entertainment is separate or in another room you’ll dramatically lose the impact and value of the entertainment.
Another thing to consider is the budget. As you’d expect, compared to a DJ, the price of bands would typically be significantly greater due to the number of people. DJs would typically range from £100-500, with bands anywhere between £300-3000. Remember that these costs cover the performance, waiting times, setup and pack up, travel time and organisational costs. I’ll discuss what to look out for when looking for a quality band in the following video.
If you’re not limited to anything we’ve discussed so far, think back to the experience you’re wanting your audience to leave with. Whilst there are many top DJs, a band is able to provide the visual look, performance and live sound that can really provide an engaging focal point or centrepiece for your event. However if you are paying the extra money for a band, you want more than the right music played. Much of a bands impact comes from the band actively performing, looking the part and engaging with the audience. In addition having the right setup and lighting can make a dramatic difference. I cover what to look for in a band in a following video.
So I hope this has given you a general thought process for what to consider when choosing the right musical entertainment for your event.
At Amanda’s Music Events, we believe that entertainment is the heartbeat of any event. We are passionate about delivering unforgettable experiences that leave a lasting impression.
Whether you’re planning a small, exclusive event or a massive festival, we promise to provide you with top tier talent that elevates your occasion and creates memories that resonate long after the final encore. We can tailor to any event and any budget.
Contact us today to discuss how we can make your next event unforgettable.
