Manager, Arsis Productions

Question 1. What are some things a client should know about auditioning and hiring a band or DJ for their wedding before they sign a contract? Do you have a story that illustrates your point?

Answer: Budget enough to get the very best. Most couples pay from $60 to $150 per guest for food and yet they try to hire a band for around $7.50 per guest (based upon 200 guests). This is not very wise since the food will not hold everyone's attention for 3 or 4 hours like a band will. Ask yourself this: The band has to pay for thousands of dollars of musical instruments, sound equipment, lighting, formal wear, etc., office expenses, technical personnel, and the musicians themselves, right? How professional can a band possibly be if they are willing to play at your reception for one-tenth of what the food is costing you? I'm often amazed at how low a client's entertainment budget is in comparison to food and the photographer. Many photographers today are charging $2,500 up to $10,000, and even that is still a fraction of what the food costs per guests. Let's face it, the guests will eat three more meals the next day. In 6 months, they won't have a clue what kind of food you served them at the reception. But they will remember whether or not your reception was a ton of fun. And what kind of photos will the $2,500-$10,000 photographer snap at the reception? Will they be pictures of guests eating chicken fingers or having a blast on the dance floor? The irony is the chicken fingers cost you much more than the pickin' fingers. Yes, the ultimate success of your reception is riding on the "low-bidder", the entertainer. GET THE BEST!!! But make sure you are in fact getting the best. Check their references. Reputable bands and DJ’s have plenty of past clients who volunteer to speak to future potential clients. You can see an example of this at www.mixedcompany.com/letters.html. Sometimes you can see the artist in action if they are performing at a venue that allows visitors. But I still prefer that you speak to at least 2 or 3 former wedding clients and verify that they can serve as master of ceremonies, read the crowd and adjust the music accordingly, play CD’s during the breaks (applies to bands) and that they do it all with class. A very important consideration regarding DJ's is their interactive skills. There are so many "wannabe" DJ's in the market that the quality runs from one end of the spectrum to the other. The main thing you can evaluate a DJ by is how he handles the crowd. Wedding clients often find out too late that they have booked a DJ who talks too much, maybe even talks to little, or makes "goofy" comments all night. Even worse, some clients wind up with a DJ who talks too "goofy" too much. You just have to check them out LIVE, check references, and/or book them through a reputable organization that is known for providing high quality entertainers through their screening process. And finally, bands or DJ’s that have been around 10 years or more will usually have the experience to set your mind at ease regarding their ability to follow the pace of the event and adjust accordingly. After 10 years of performing at wedding receptions they will have seen it all, or close enough to it that nothing rattles them.

Another consideration when choosing your entertainment is, of course, cost. Professional quality disc jockeys will usually cost between 20% and 35% of the professional band rate for a Saturday night reception. Some professional level DJ's in my market charge $800 to $1500 or more for a 4-hour wedding reception, with budget DJ's running as low as $400-$500. If you have a limited budget, or have "overspent" in other areas, the obvious choice may be a DJ. This situation is quite common because most couples don't think of entertainment until all else has been planned. Yet almost everyone agrees that the entertainment will usually make or break the event. Choose wisely. If you can prioritize your budget accordingly, a professional quality band is almost always the better value, as proven by simple mathematics. If you are looking at a professional DJ for $800 (one person), then a 6-piece band (multiply $800 by 6) should logically be $4,800. But many professional bands quote a range of $500-$800 per musician, which can make the band as low as $3000 for a 6-piece group - less expensive per person than a DJ. Plus, there is a bonus. The band will be providing the music "LIVE" whereas the DJ will be replaying pre-recorded (predictable) music. People think that with a disc jockey they are getting the original songs. But the original was performed by live musicians in a recording studio. Most everyone realizes that the recording is never as good as the live performance. If you could have been "a fly on the wall" when songs like Brown Eyed Girl, Twist And Shout, Sweet Home Alabama, Play That Funky Music, Superstition, My Girl, Mustang Sally, etc. were recorded you would have heard what the recording equipment could not capture - especially with the lower technology of the 60's and 70's. The only other option would be to catch the performers at one of their live performances (if they are still touring), but then you are buying a ticket that only allows you to hear one of the artists at a time. And what if you wanted the artist to extend a song so you and your friends could dance longer? My band, Mixed Company, re-creates the sound of each of those artists and more, right in front of you, your friends, colleagues, family, and others fortunate enough to be on your guest list. Furthermore, a band can "read the crowd" and detect just when to extend a song to take advantage of special moments. So if you have prioritized your budget to allow for a "LIVE" band, you are setting yourself up for the best value in entertainment.

Beyond the etiquette/professionalism/experience factor comes the music itself. With a DJ, the quality of the music is predictable. They are playing the original recordings from CD's, one would hope. So one major factor with a DJ is the quality of his sound and lighting system. Was it adequate for the size of the room? Was it in good working order throughout the event? With a live band there are several factors to consider, so I will address bands specifically. The following excerpt is taken from my article entitled, "How do you pick the right variety band? They all say they play a variety. Why is it that all the songs sound the same after an hour or so?" This article can be found by going to www.mixedcompany.com and clicking on the title of the article at the bottom of the main page. Or you can go directly to it by clicking here.

The "Variety" Band

Most well informed wedding clients ask for a "variety band." There is good reason. The guests at your wedding reception will, in all likelihood, be coming from diverse locations, lifestyles, and musical tastes. The primary mission of your wedding reception band should be to provide entertainment that everyone will enjoy. All brides like to see the dance floor full at all times. With a good variety band keeping the show well mixed, you will see your guests entering and exiting the dance floor according to their musical interests. Of course, even the best variety band is not going to please everyone all of the time. However, if your band is doing a proper job of monitoring the response of the crowd to what has already been played, you will see the party gradually building in intensity until the latter part of the reception is literally "wild".

You may have attended a friend's reception and noticed that a larger than expected number of guests left early and, as the night went on, the intensity of the party seemed to die rather than build. This might be the result of a so-called variety band that is actually a specialty band trying to play variety. I'm afraid that the wedding reception market is saturated with these kinds of bands. They are most proficient at one or two particular musical styles but try to play everything because they know that is what discriminating brides want. They might be great at swing and mediocre at everything else. They might be great at country but terrible at rock. They might not be a wedding reception band at all, but a band that happens to play at wedding receptions. Well, that's another article for a later date. The problem might simply be the result of a bride picking the band based upon one style of music but assuming that they can "do it all" when required. After all, their song list showed a variety, right?

There are four basic types of "variety" bands. We will now take a closer look at all four. The first three should be avoided. But even the last one can be the wrong choice if they aren't proficient. By understanding the differences, you will be armed and ready with the right information necessary to discern what type of group you might be dealing with. If you know the warning signs, perhaps you can avoid a disappointing reception with the wrong choice for entertainment. Remember, your reception is a one-shot deal!

The "Pick-up" Band

A pick-up band isn't really a band at all. The term band implies that something is "banded" together. A band is what you think of when you think of Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr as The Beatles. They were a unit that did not change until they broke up. A pick-up "band" is a group that usually consists of the leader and "on-call" musicians who don't necessarily perform regularly with him or her. A pick-up "band" is a group that usually consists of the leader and "on-call" musicians who don't necessarily perform regularly with him or her. A pick-up "band" should definitely not be a first choice. They may be great musicians individually, but that doesn't make a band. They can't be absolutely sure what arrangement they will use so they usually "wing it". The arrangements will usually be far from the original version of the song, not necessarily a good thing, as we will discuss later in this article. There may or may not be any background vocals because they haven't had the opportunity to rehearse and decide whose voice fits what part the best. pick-up "band"s are sometimes less expensive because they depend on musicians who are sitting around at the last minute before your reception without a “gig” and they will work cheap. That’s the real reason for the substitution clause in their contract. A professional wedding band will have a substitution clause too, but for a different reason. They will have backup musicians in case someone is sick. This is used as a last resort to avoid canceling the engagement a week in advance, realizing you won’t usually find a reputable replacement band on a week’s notice. However, the bandleader of the pick-up "band" uses this substitute policy to his advantage. He can undercut the professional level wedding reception bands and still make a killing by using these “less in-demand” musicians. But it begs the question, why are these musicians sitting around without a gig 3 weeks from your wedding day. If they are quality musicians, they will most likely have been booked for 6 months or even a year or more with a reputable band. All this translates into what I call the biggest problem with a pick-up "band", CONSISTENCY. A pick-up "band" is not a great choice for your BIG day! The truth is that there is usually only about $500-700 difference in price between a pick-up "band" and a great professional band. If your guests go home early because you booked a hobby band that couldn't hold everyone's interest and maintain flow, your caterer will most likely wind up throwing out thousands of dollars worth of food that wasn't eaten -- perhaps wasting the amount of money needed to have had a professional variety band in the first place. You do your special event the greatest service by booking a reputable professional band that has the years of experience necessary to make your reception flow at the perfect pace. It is well worth it in the long run. You’ve paid for the facility, room, food, etc. for 3 or 4 hours. You need entertainment that can hold the interest of your guests until the very end.

The "Hobby" Band

A hobby band is a group that usually consists of musicians who simply play music on weekends for fun. A hobby band should definitely not be a first choice. There may be an occasional gifted musician in the midst of a hobby band but one gifted person does not a great band make. The arrangements will usually be far from the original version of the song, not necessarily a good thing, as we will discuss later in this article. Hobby bands are usually less expensive because they have days jobs and just play music for fun on the weekends. However there are usually serious logistics problems with hobby bands.

I was at a wedding reception earlier this year where they had booked a hobby band. They really felt like the price was too good to pass up (it wasn't). They got an 8-piece band for the price of a professional trio. However, the father of the bride found the band just sitting around in the lobby at the time the reception was to start. I heard him ask the bandleader what songs they would play for the first dance and father/daughter dances. What?!!! Discussions about song requests should have taken place weeks or even months earlier. The bandleader should supply an event planning form to capture such information. He should at the very least make a phone call to the client to discuss these details. You don't wait until the wedding day to start thinking about what songs you might play! But it got worse at this event. At 7:30, when the band was supposed to start, the female vocalist and trumpet player had still not shown up. The bandleader relied on a word-of-mouth system of communication, rather than providing the musicians with an event itinerary so they would all be on the same sheet of music, so to speak. The missing musicians finally arrived at 8:30, thinking they were 30 minutes early for a 9:00 start. But things got worse still. All night long the band's sound system had a feedback problem. Being a wedding professional, I could not stand it any longer and I finally approached the bandleader about the sound problem. The sound system was thrown together from different pieces that various members of the band happen to own. It was amateur grade equipment at best. The speakers from side to side didn't even match. I asked if they had a 1/3-octave equalizer. This device is a standard piece of equipment, and is a must have, for any decent sound system. In the hands of an expert, it can rid the sound system of the horrible squeals that make your guests want to leave the room screaming. One of the horn players spoke up and showed me a small black box that was hanging by the wires from the back of the mixing console. He wasn't sure what it was, but thought it might be the device I was talking about. In fact, what he was holding was a reverb unit. It turns out that they didn't even own a 1/3-octave equalizer. And forget hearing the father of the bride as he attempts to make his toast speech. This is just a typical situation for a hobby band. Their main focus is having fun playing music on the weekends and there is little time or expertise available to think of logistics like event itineraries, song requests, and decent sound equipment.

Most professional level bands purchase their own sound and lighting equipment, but they have to amortize the initial cost and maintenance of the equipment into every performance. Renting equivalent sound and lighting equipment costs $1500-$2500, leaving very little left for logistics costs such as equipment storage, transportation, insurance, legal and accounting fees, office supplies, demos, brochures, telephone, advertising, etc. It is common to spend $20,000-$30,000, or more, on the sound and lighting system to get the job done right. You aren't necessarily paying for loudness either. It's clarity at lower volume that is desired. You need a good monitor system for the singers so they sing on pitch. You need speaker cabinets that sound good in even the worst acoustical environments. You need great quality microphones (these run between $1000 and $1500 for wireless models) and cables. When you add in the logistics costs, a professional band will easily have $1500-$1800 per performance invested before they ever put a musician on stage. So if you get a quote from a band that seems too good to be true, it probably is just that. You wouldn't expect a top of the line Mercedes for the price of a Chevy would you? The saying is so often true, and even more so in the wedding market that is flooded with so many "cheesy" bands, "you get what you pay for." When a professional band gives you a quote, you can easily calculate how much the musicians are making. Remember that the logistics cost for a professional band (sound, lighting, office expenses, legal and accounting fees, insurance, transportation, storage, demos, advertising, etc.) averages between $1500 and $1800 per engagement. So just subtract $1500 from the price quoted and you have an approximation of the price of the musicians themselves. If a band is quoting under $2000, they have either skimped on logistics or they are hobby musicians. You get what you pay for!

The truth is that there is usually only about $500-$700 difference in price between a hobby band and a good professional band. If your guests go home early because you booked a hobby band that couldn't hold everyone's interest and maintain flow, your caterer will most likely wind up throwing out thousands of dollars worth of food that wasn't eaten -- perhaps wasting the amount of money needed to have had a professional variety band in the first place. You do your special event the greatest service by booking a reputable professional band that has the years of experience necessary to make your reception flow at the perfect pace. It is well worth it in the long run. You've paid for the facility, room, food, etc. for 3 or 4 hours. You need entertainment that can hold the interest of your guests until the very end.

The "Jam-Session" Band

A jam-session band may or may not consist of regular musicians. They can't usually perform more than 7 or 8 songs per 45-minute set because everyone takes a solo and turns the song into a "jam-session". They are obviously not playing the song per the original arrangement. This is a major contributor to the boredom factor that will cause your guests to lose interest. The fact is, a jam-session band is more interested in entertaining themselves first and your guests second. They wish they had recorded the hits they play, so they pretend they did by re-arranging the songs to the point that they may be halfway through a song before your guests figure out what dance step to use.

The "Permanent" Band

It is very difficult for a pick-up "band", a hobby band, or a jam-session band to compete with a "permanent band". A permanent band consists of a set roster of musicians who work together regularly and are well rehearsed. But, even with a permanent band you need to be careful about a couple of issues. Hiring a permanent band does not necessarily guarantee that your guests won't lose interest. Remember that a major contributing factor to boredom is that the songs tend to all sound the same after a while. You will certainly get closer to the mark using a permanent band but they still have to be competent. Just because they perform together often with the same musicians doesn't mean that they are accomplished musicians possessing the level of versatility needed to keep the audience interested. Examine their demo CD closely and try to see if they are really showing off their versatility. What you really need to book is a permanent band with professional musicians.

A good demo CD will have between 10 and 15 demo selections (usually a minute or so each). If a band is really a variety band, they will be more than willing to include enough different types of songs on the demo to give you an accurate idea of their diversity. If the demo CD has less than 10 songs and they are mostly of one or two styles, this should be a warning. They may refer you to a song list that shows a big variety of styles, but, if they are really capable of playing all those styles uniquely, why didn't they include them on their demo CD? One other pet peeve of mine is when a band has a female vocalist sing what would generally be known as a "guy-tune". I have had many brides share that same concern with me when they tell me their "war stories" about looking for bands.

In Summation

I believe the ultimate wedding reception band will be a variety band consisting of regular members (the permanent band). But the main reason that your guests will lose interest in your band can boil down to one major fact. I have seen this hold true for many years as we refined the sound of Mixed Company. If the band is well rehearsed and plays each song as close to the original arrangement as possible, your guests will tend to enjoy themselves more and stay longer. It is easier for your guests to identify the songs when they sound like the original, complete with background vocals and all. If they recognize the songs, they can sing along, hum, tap their toes, or participate however they wish. And the best part is, they know what dance step to use. The Mixed Company band members regularly have guests approach during a break and comment about how the songs were so mixed up they can’t wait to see what they might do next. We have even heard comments like, "each unique style sounded like a different band entirely." Moving from jazz to country should be very obvious but I have heard bands who somehow manage to make a country song sound like a jazz standard.

Of course it is always a good idea to see the band "live", if possible. This is not always possible due to timing, and many events are closed to outsiders. Weigh the demo CD against the song list and see if they are really a variety band or just a band that has a variety song list. If you do see the band "live" be careful not to judge them strictly based upon whether the dance floor is full. For one thing, even the best band can encounter a "dead" crowd. And earlier in the evening the band will most likely be playing "dinner music" and the guests will be catching up on things with friends or relatives. Some crowds, for religious reasons among others, may just enjoy listening to the band. Try to determine whether it's the band that is boring or the crowd. Look for toe tapping, head bobbing, etc. and decide if the band sounds good to you. Would you be inclined to dance if it were your event? The best time to see the band is about halfway into the reception when all the visiting is over and the guests are ready to have a party. Some bands have video demos and this can be helpful, if it is real. Many videos are simply the band lip-syncing to their audiocassette demo. To me, the only difference between that type of video and a cassette with a photo of the band is that the people in the photo move. I prefer a video of the band’s live sound, or even a video of an actual wedding reception. You will see and hear the emcee, the music, the spontaneity, and even a wire or two. You see the real deal in the comfort of your living room, without crashing someone else’s reception.

Question 2. Receptions can take place after a morning wedding or late in the evening. How should a couple's choice in entertainment/music change according to the time of day? How does the wedding style/budget affect choices?

Answer: Afternoon weddings are less expensive as a general rule. This is probably the most common reason to have an afternoon wedding. Many wedding professionals will extend a discount of 20 to 40 percent if your afternoon wedding/reception allows them to still accept an evening booking. The afternoon receptions will usually be 2 to 3 hours at most. Most of the guests will not be in the mood for "getting down" in the afternoon so a small instrumental combo is a very popular choice for entertainment. The entertainer is mostly creating atmosphere in this case. The music usually consists of jazz standards and easy listening. I will admit though that the Mixed Company band has had some great receptions that started at 3 or 4 in the afternoon with dance music, so there is always an exception to the rule. We had such an experience just recently with a 3 to 7 p.m. reception on a Sunday afternoon. The particular client insisted on the full band and high-energy dance music. It was a blast!

Question 3. What are the popular trends in reception music? How does this affect a couple's choice in selecting a band? How should a couple decide what to request? How does cost enter into the picture?

Answer: One popular trend for the past several years has been brides and grooms requesting country songs for their first dance. However, the interesting twist is that they don’t want the songs to sound like country songs. The reason for this is that many of the country songs have great lyrics and therefore say what the couple wants said. But they don’t want their guests hearing some "twangy" first dance song. When a client makes this request of me, I always ask, "Do you want it to sound country?" Mixed Company is highly noted for accurate renditions of the original popular recording, so I need to know if the clients wants the band to stray from that.

Another strange trend is clients hiring a live band but asking for the first dance to be played from CD. This trend is a result of clients hearing so many jam-session bands in the wedding market and they are afraid of their first dance being ruined by some band not playing it right. I have had numerous requests this year about this. The Shania Twain song, From This Moment On has been the one I am most requested to play from CD. I had one client who had heard Mixed Company before and they knew we "play ‘em like the record." They were worried that we would include the 45 seconds of "bedroom talk" that Shania Twain has on her CD at the beginning of the song. I assured the couple that we break our own rule if necessary to maintain the class of the reception. We do not do the "fluff" at the beginning of From This Moment On. Still some clients are just concerned about the first dance not sounding authentic, since it is perhaps the most scrutinized song of the event. We played the CD of From This Moment On for one client for their first dance, starting it at 45 seconds in, to avoid the bedroom talk. Later, as a last dance for the couple, the band played it live. The bride and groom were very sorry that they didn’t have the live version for their first dance. It wasn’t really their fault though. They were just so jaded by the influx of cheap-sounding bands in the wedding market that they couldn’t believe Mixed Company was really different. Check out how authentically your band plays the songs. If they have a consistently good sound on other similar songs, there is a good chance they will do just fine for your first dance. But you must hire a professional level band to pull this off. See my article entitled, "Budgeting For A Band."

Still another trend is the bride and groom leaving early. Many leave after the bouquet toss. This is often at the end of the third hour of a 4-hour reception. Many bands and facilities will assume that the party is over. Don’t allow that. Communicate to the bandleader and facility management that your guests will come back and party for the last hour after they see you off. That last hour is usually a wild time so don’t cheat your guests out of it. Even better? Break the trend and stay the duration yourselves. We had a couple that left, drove around the block a few times, and returned to the party to enjoy the last hour. It was great!

Question 4. What are some of the most unique/unusual entertainment choices a client has requested for their reception? What was the result?

Answer: I have had requests for a heavy swing mix in the music. This isn’t necessarily unique or unusual, but many of the guests won’t know how to REALLY dance to the authentic swing music and therefore you see a few couples dancing and many just watching. It is best to just tell the band to read the mood of the crowd and adjust accordingly. You don’t want to dictate a certain style of music to the point that your entertainer is stuck with the dilemma of either pleasing you or pleasing your guests. You can’t hold a crowd for 4 hours with one style of music anyway. For more about swing music and how it can affect your reception see my article entitled, "What About The New Swing Music Craze" at www.mixedcompany.com/Swing_Music.html.

I have had clients request a heavy mix of country. One wanted 70% country and 30% rock and roll. I turned it down because it is almost a sure recipe for disaster. Don’t get me wrong. Mixed Company can play a heavy country mix, when it is appropriate. For example, we sometimes shed the tuxedos and book under the name Southern Standard Time. This is usually for a corporate theme party. Anyway, this particular client did hire a band to play 70% country. It wasn’t a "classy" event in the end. But you can sneak in some country along with everything else and nobody starts feeling left out. Once again, unless all of your friends and relatives are from L.A. (lower Alabama - just kidding!), you will almost always alienate many guests into leaving early if you pick too much Country and/or Southern Rock. By the way, to be fair, I must mention that country crossover is not a problem. For example, songs by Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes, Trisha Yearwood, Faith Hill, and Shania Twain that have made it onto the pop charts can be good choices for a reception.

The fact is, you can have a wild party at a formal event and still do it with class. It takes a combination of things to make it happen. A great band, a handsome facility, and a good crowd are part of the recipe. Just be careful not to dictate the schedule of events so tightly that you don’t leave room for the natural flow of the event to take over. I can’t stress that last statement enough. Rely on the experience of your entertainer to pick the right moment to break for the cake cutting, bouquet toss, etc. Plan your cake cutting, toasts, bouquet toss, etc. during their breaks. This way your band or DJ has the freedom to play a little longer set if they need to take advantage of what I refer to as "natural momentum".

Question 5. What are some of the common pitfalls in selecting entertainment for a reception? Do you have any anecdotes that illustrate the Do's and Don'ts of reception entertainment? I’m looking for things that may have been prevented with advanced planning or expert advice. The if I knew then what I know now...stories.

Answer: Most good variety bands and DJ’s book 6 months to one year or more in advance so don't wait until the last minute to go looking. Many book on a first-come-first-served basis too, so don't tarry too long making a decision or you may end up looking again and again and then end up with a lesser quality act for perhaps the most important day of your life.

The Venue...Another pitfall can be coordinating the band with the facility. Make sure the band has the time, space, and power they need to do their best job for you. I have an article that covers this in detail at www.mixedcompany.com/Recep_Facils.html.

Staging...Another very common pitfall is presentation, especially when it comes to staging, as in a platform from which the band can perform. This is so overlooked in the wedding market. Wedding clients all say they don't want a cheesy band, yet they will inevitably expect the band to run all of their wiring across the floor of the hotel or country club ballroom, creating an obstacle course/health hazard for the performers and an awful presentation of what might otherwise be a great band. And then they sometimes wonder why the musicians just stood there like statues while performing, rather than moving around and creating the atmosphere of excitement necessary for a great party. A great party starts on stage! But many wedding clients insist on a big dance floor and stick the musicians in a tight space surrounded by wiring that resembles a plate of spaghetti. The fact is, due to legal liability, the wiring for the sound and lighting needs to be neatly tucked away under staging and taped down in any exposed areas that are not covered by staging. But beyond the safety and legal aspects of staging, is the way it presents the band. A band on the floor, no matter how skilled, will appear as less professional. Even the "cheesy" bar bands usually perform from a stage. A band on a stage, even if lesser-skilled, appears more professional and will be taken much more seriously by your guests. But why not have both the stage and the highest caliber band and stack the deck in your favor on the biggest day of your life? A final perk the stage provides is to serve as a type of focal point that commands attention when necessary. When the master of ceremonies and/or musicians are making announcements from floor level it is often difficult for your guests to focus on who is speaking and what is being said. Announcements simply tend to be ignored, unless you have the sound turned up to "blasting level."

Dressing Room...Another pitfall that could be considered as a sub-title under presentation is the dressing room. Consider this: You may think it unreasonable for a "wedding band" to demand a dressing room. Why can't they just change into their performance attire in a public restroom? Do they think they are famous or something??? Well, how would you feel if you were standing in your underwear in a public restroom with the very audience that you are about to perform for walking in on you? Not only is it degrading for the performer, but it is a "tacky" way for your guests to get to know the band. Many of the bands in the wedding market create their own troubles, and jeopardize your event, by being "too flexible" with regard to important details. If you communicate with the bandleader and make sure that the details are covered in the planning stages, by the end of your reception, your guests will be thinking that you did hire someone famous, but they must have been listening to the wrong radio station and missed hearing them.

One final thought regarding professional courtesy. The wedding entertainment market is so competitive that it has kept the prices for entertainers relatively low when compared to food and facility pricing (not as many facilities to pick from). That’s good for you the client. But it makes it difficult for high-quality entertainers to justify their existence over time and many leave the wedding market, causing the next wedding client to pick from the vast array of leftovers. As you search for just the right entertainment, you will see what I mean. It can be a very frustrating process, listening to ten demo CDs or CD's, sorting through references, and then not finding anything that measures up. While the wedding market is flooded with entertainers, the number of high-quality professionals in it is surprisingly low. How low are the prices? Well, bands and DJ’s don’t charge you a forced gratuity or even sales tax. Many of the other wedding professionals will. Yet, it is the entertainer who is the key to whether your reception is over in 2 hours or 4. They are usually the lowest priced provider in the budget and yet, so much of the money you spent for facility and food goes to waste when your reception ends early due to lack of interest. The entertainer is often expected to provide the sound equipment, lighting, etc. and, in the case of a band, instruments and payroll for 4, 5, 6 or more musicians. So much is riding on the "low bidder" - the entertainer. Do yourself and the entertainer a favor. Treat them with respect as you would your wedding coordinator, photographer, etc. Make sure they are included in the count for food and refreshments. By the time they start your event, a professional entertainer will have already spent as much as 2, 3, or 4 hours getting set up (3 to 4 hours for most professional bands with lighting and sound equipment). Most often there is barely enough time after sound check to get dressed, much less to get something to eat so they are re-energized for the performance. Don’t force your entertainer to leave the premises to go find something to eat in record time. If something happens to your entertainment personnel, their skill can’t be replaced on a moment’s notice. If you show your respect by arranging for food and refreshments during their break, you will naturally elevate their emotional bond to your event and that will almost always translate into a more energetic performance. And if your entertainer does a great job, show your appreciation with a tip. A good guideline for the tip amount is 5 to 10% of their fee. Remember, they aren’t even charging you sales tax. They will end up settling that with the IRS out of their pocket.

Question 6. Is a wedding client out of line if they ask that the names of the individual band members be listed on the contract?

Answer: I understand your concerns. You are concerned that the band might replace someone before your event takes place. The fact is, the lower a band's price the more often they lose musicians to higher paying/higher-priced bands. You simply get what you pay for. For example, a sound system like most reputable bands use can rent for $2000 up to as much as $3500 in my area. There is no way for a band to remain competitive in the wedding market if they must bear the cost of renting the sound system. In the professional music world it is the concert promoter's responsibility to supply the sound and lighting system, per the band's requirements. We publish Mixed Company's sound requirements at www.mixedcompany.com/mixedcompanystagelayout.html for that purpose. But since most wedding clients are not concert promoters, many bands will supply the sound system themselves. Imagine how difficult it will be for them to afford great musicians after paying for the sound system. The bandleader will usually purchase his/her own equipment and pay it off over time, amortizing the initial cost and ongoing maintenance into every performance. Next he/she will attempt to charge enough above the sound system expense, advertising, demo production, etc. to still hire the best musicians. Some will be so bold as to charge enough to hire the best while many will buckle to market pressures and compromise. The ones who compromise usually find themselves training replacements a lot, or simply resign themselves to the fate of becoming a pick-up "band". For more about pick-up bands read my article at www.mixedcompany.com/Variety_Band.html.

Because of the financial pressures of the wedding market, and the reality that musicians may move on to "greener pastures", it is not common to put the individual band-members' names on the contract. As a bandleader, I cannot force anyone to continue to work for me any more than IMB or Microsoft could force someone "not" to quit. But what I can do is charge enough to attract and keep the best musicians, so they have no reason to leave. Furthermore, I do meticulous planning with the purchaser to be sure there are no surprises at the engagement that can cause musicians to become stressed. When than happens one time too many, a bandleader can find himself searching for a replacement, even if he/she pays well.

Even famous bands like the Eagles have changed members over the years. But the Eagles are still awesome! Bear in mind that a successful band is larger than any particular individual. Any great band will almost always be better than the sum of all its parts. We have seen that time and again in pop music. For example, Chicago lost their original guitarist and their original bassist/vocalist in the 70's and 80's respectively, yet they maintained a great success and are still popular today. The lead singer/bassist's solo career faded while Chicago continued their success. Later Chicago even replaced their original drummer. Mixed Company opened for Chicago during their 30th year and they sounded better than ever with new guitarist, bassist/lead singer, and drummer. But James Pankow, the trombone player, has always done a great job managing the band and making sure that replacements are as good as, or better, than the musician they replaced.

So the measure of the quality of a band has to do with the quality of the leadership more than anything else. Because of the way Mixed Company has treated its musicians we have enjoyed a 16-year history of success and have spun off two sister bands that do the same thing. That is not to say that we never replaced anyone, but we always made sure the replacement represented an improvement.

All that being said, I have never seen a private event band list its members by name, whether the band was well known or not. The best measure of the band is in its history of pleasing audiences. Check their references. Even if they changed personnel, is their track record one of consistent quality? Reputable private-event bandleaders maintain a call list of "hired guns" who can step in on a moment's notice and cover for any position. As we say in the business, the show must go on, but especially when someone's wedding day is hanging in the balance. If you booked a band 14 months in advance, you would not want to receive a phone call to cancel the engagement the day before your wedding, because some bone-headed bandleader had no hired guns trained and ready to cover for a sick musician, right? That actually happens quite a bit, when people book a friend's band or some group of hobbyists. I will let you in on a secret. Many times when these bands call to cancel, with a claim that "the lead singer is deathly ill and cannot be replaced on such short notice", it is actually a lie. I am sorry to have to admit that of my peers, but it does happen. I have had numerous clients call me while still in tears, telling me some sob story about their band canceling. I had a call two years ago from a client whose band canceled on just a few days notice. They told her their lead singer had cancer and could not be replaced in time. Let me translate that for you. Another client had offered the band more money, and they had no contract to obligate them to fulfill their commitment to the bride who thought she had everything "squared away". Ironically, the bandleader was a "friend" of her father. I did not tell the bride what was really going on because I did not want to stress her any more than she already was. I was actually able to put a band together for her, using some hired guns, which was nothing short of a miracle, given such short notice. I am so thankful that, even after 16 years in this business, I have never had to call a wedding client and cancel an engagement. I have never even had a band show up late. What is even better is that I was able to supply a great band for a bride who was at the end of her rope because of some unscrupulous band. I expect a lot from me and I expect the same from those who staff my bands, so I hope I never have a reason to revise this portion of this article.

My best advice to you is to book a very reputable band and be sure to demand a solid contract. If they are legitimate, expect to pay a 50% non-refundable security deposit at the time of booking. That is common. You don't really book musicians, you actually buy their time. In order to set aside that time for you, a professional will want to have some type of guarantee so he/she will be safe to turn down other offers for the same date and time slot. They would still rather perform for full pay, but if you canceled them they would still have at least half pay to fall back on and maintain their livelihood. For a wedding in my area, one should expect to pay between $3000 and $7000 for a reputable, professional band, depending upon how large a band you book. Even at $5000 for example, a band would only cost $25 per guest for 200 guests. You won't even find catering for that price, except maybe Sonny's Bar-B-Que or something like that.

I hope you have found these Q's & A's helpful. Please feel free to contact me if you have a question I have not covered in one of these articles. I make this advice available for no charge, as I endeavor to raise the bar of excellence with regard to wedding entertainment.

Doug McAlexander - Arsis Productions

E-mail: doug@arsisproductions.com

Links to other related articles:

Do you like this Web site? Why not tell a friend about it?