Q Branch Archive for posts tagged ‘booking a band’
Reliable Wedding Band
Doctor Chocolate have been on the professional circuit of function, wedding, covers, party bands in the Bristol and South West area for over 20 years. We are experienced, interactive, reliable, fun, sound great, look great and, more importantly, in all that time not once have we let a venue or a client down.
Sadly, this isn’t the case with all bands. In 2014 we’ve received over 8 last minute telephone calls from couples who are desperately looking for a band for their wedding as the band they booked emailed or telephoned them to say they couldn’t make it! This is dreadful and, after all the hard work that goes into organising your day and evening – the absolute last thing you want to hear.
Your evening entertainment for your wedding can be just as important as the daytime celebrations and ceremony. It is the part of the day when you need to ensure your guests are fed, watered and looked after and have a great evening!
Sadly, Doctor Chocolate haven’t always been able to help out as we have a packed diary of bookings ourselves. For a 9-piece band this is fantastic and we are one of the most hard-working bands on the circuit. But this doesn’t help you when you’ve been let down by a band that isn’t professional and won’t think twice about the implications of letting you down at the last minute!
Please always check out a band before you book them – not all bands are as experienced and reliable as Doctor Chocolate. Nearly every band now have a series of videos and recordings on their website for you to view before booking – please remember that the vast majority of videos have been recorded in a studio with the band having been tweaked to within an inch of their lives by a talented studio sound engineer! Go and see them live! Ask for recommendations and references from other clients! Ask to talk to previous clients if you need to!
Doctor Chocolate have uploaded 22 videos to our main website – each and every one of these videos has been recorded whilst we have been performing live in front of an audience! Not in a studio! they sound great – they look great – and this is what you can expect for your event!
We won’t let you down on our performance and will guarantee you a fabulous night of music and dancing that all your guests will enjoy and talk about for years after! Don’t take our word for it – check out the testimonials on our main website page.
Wedding and Party Band
Doctor Chocolate perform songs from all eras and genres so there is always something for everyone in our sets. Doctor Chocolate perform for two x one hour sets and provide recorded music via ipod for the times when the live band are not performing. Doctor Chocolate are experienced at events of all times, functions, parties, weddings, festivals, corporate events, fundraisers and proms to name a few.
Doctor Chocolate only ever perform as a 9-piece band and always fully live. Ideally we would need space of 12’x15′ to perform in but this is a very rare occurrence and we can fit into smaller spaces as needed – we just don’t fling our elbows out with the dance moves as much!
As an experienced and reliable band we have the knowledge of performing at different events for different age groups and know exactly what is required of us at events and how to get every crowd involved in the evening. As an experienced and professional band people are often surprised at how affordable we are. We are hugely competitive for a band of our size – sometimes a lot less than a 5/6 piece band would charge you! However, we are not “cheap”. We always say you get what you pay for – if you pay peanuts… well, you know the rest!
Book a reliable, experienced and excellent band for your event – book Doctor Chocolate for a vibrant, full and explosive performance that will leave the competition standing….! Visit our main website or like our Facebook page to keep updated on the latest news and events. Contact us for a quote or more information
Follow us on Facebook
Bristol Wedding Band Doctor Chocolate are now on Facebook! Join us and keep updated on all the news and gig dates that are open to the public so you can come along and hear us live.
Most of our functions are private which means we can’t allow anyone else to come along and see/hear the band. However, we have 11 100% LIVE videos on our website – this is as good as seeing us live without leaving your armchair! Recorded at a charity function in Weston, this is how the 9-piece LIVE band look and sound at every performance.
Wedding Band Reliability
Doctor Chocolate are an awesome 9-piece live wedding, party and function band based in the South West Region of England.
We are one of THE most reliable bands on the circuit and, having performed at thousands of weddings and events all over the UK and abroad over the past 25 years, we are delighted to say that we have never once let a client down.
Sadly, we have received calls from couples, charities and events where the band they have booked have either; put their fees up at the last minute, cancelled the gig altogether or just not bothered to turn up on the night! This is disgraceful behaviour but it can happen with bands who haven’t been on the circuit for long, are inexperienced and/or are unreliable. Sometimes we’ve been available to step in and cover the event – hurrrahhhh – but if not, managed to find another band or DJ for the event so that they have some entertainment for guests attending. Whatever the problem we will always try to help.
In over 25 years we’ve ALWAYS arrived at a function on time and we’ve never let any event down. EVER!
- We’ve had the van break down on the motorway whilst on the way to London for a charity fundraising event, found another van to hire, unload and reload and STILL get to the venue on time.
- Been door-deep in snow with the van stuck in the middle of nowhere – but we found a tractor to tow the van to the venue and still managed to be at the venue and set up in time.
- Had our bass player lose his finger in a door whilst setting up AT the venue, and our talented Front Man picking up the bass and doubling up on the night.
So no matter what’s been thrown our way – Doctor Chocolate have ensured that our one and only priority; to make YOUR event the BEST event and ensure everyone has an amazing time – is always carried out!
So don’t take the chance with any other band! This may be the only time you have to book a live band and you want it to be the best night possible! Book Doctor Chocolate for your event and be guaranteed a full-on party that will have all your guests talking about your event for months after – and for all the right reasons!
Wedding Venues
Doctor Chocolate have been performing for 25 years. We are an experienced and entertaining live band and have performed at thousands of weddings, charity event, parties, school proms, college university balls, military events and celebrations over the years.
This means that we’ve played at some amazing venues all over the UK and the South West as well as internationally! From private houses, hotels, country houses, village halls and military establishments – you name it – we’ve probably played in something similar previously.
This experience gives us a real insight in what makes a good reception venue.
Having worked with private clients, corporate agents, agencies, wedding coordinators, Events Managers and venues the length and breadth of the country we also know what the client wants and what the venues expect and we work really hard to make sure everyone is happy!
Here are a few things to consider when you are looking at venues
ACCESS
How easy is the venue to access? Doctor Chocolate have arrived at venues and been able to park right outside the room we are due to perform in. This is lovely and speeds up the set up of all the equipment but it’s not always quite so easy! Other venues are not quite so easy and we’ve had to climb 3-4 flights of stairs, navigate narrow corridors or wade through 8″ of mud to set up in a marquee. This could delay the allocated time for setting up all the equipment and may mean a later start than planned in the evening. Thankfully with 10 people in Doctor Chocolate (9 band members and 1 sound engineer) we can set up super fast but please do consider the access for entertainment when you are looking at venues and advise the band if there are any difficulties.
WEDDING RECEPTION
Another point to consider when booking a live band is the amount of time they need to set up. Doctor Chocolate have this down to a fine art but we do have an awful lot of equipment so always recommend a minimum of 90 minutes in case of any problems at the venue. Our PA is top of the range and there are 9 of us in the band plus a sound engineer, lighting and instruments, so a fair bit of space is needed. If you are having your wedding breakfast/wedding reception in the same room as the band you may want to consider a couple of options: is there enough space for the band to set up and seat all your guests? Do you want the band to set up earlier in the daytime before anyone arrives? Can the band set up after the wedding breakfast/reception allowing your guests to move out of the room and allow the venue and the band time to crack on with the entertainment? Is there another room or outdoor space for your guests to move into whilst the set up is carried out? Any problems then please just ask – we’ve lots of experience and can help you with the schedule for the day/evening.
BAR
Parties work best if the bar is located in the same room as the entertainment. Although the band can still be heard, down the corridor and around the corner, down a flight of stairs etc, having everything in the same room or as near as possible makes for a better atmosphere! Don’t worry though – Doctor Chocolate are an interactive band and with most of the band members on wire-free microphones we will go and get guests and bring them back through to the dance floor if they spend too long at the bar! It’s not a problem for our band but can limit other bands who may not quite as flexible, confident or experienced as well as their being restricted to the stage space.
NOISE LIMITERS
Many venues have had a change of use to allow music and have had to install a sound limiter. Sometimes the sound limit set is really low so only suitable for acoustic performers (no speakers). We have, and we will continue to work at venues with a sound limiter installed but we would need to know the decibel level prior to confirming the event. Sometimes the noise limiter set at a venue is enough for us to be able to perform and still loud enough to create a great atmosphere for you. Our sound engineer keeps a close eye on the limit levels to make sure we don’t go over. Just check the decibel level allowed at the venue before you ring for a quote and we can advise you if it is within the limits we can work in. Sadly if we turn up on the night and a limiter is in place, if the band was not informed in advance, then we maybe unable to play. Find out more on our Frequently Asked Questions page on the website.
EVENING FOOD
If you are planning on feeding your guests in the evening then please do think about the timings and where they could fit well. Doctor Chocolate perform for two x one hour sets and we find guests are more likely to party a little later in the evening, especially when attending weddings as it gives guests time to catch up and have a natter with relatives and friends that they may not have seen for a while. A lot of venues insist on serving an evening buffet at 9:30pm – which is the ideal time for the band to get everyone going. If possible a better time to serve food is before the band start so at about 8:45pm or in the bands break at about 10:30pm. Doctor Chocolate would suggest sets starting at 9:30pm until 10:30pm and the buffet served at this time – bacon butties often go down really well at this time of the evening and keep the energy levels of your guests going – with our second set would start again at 11:00pm and finishing at midnight.
ROOM FOR THE BAND
The band need a bit of space to set up the equipment although Doctor Chocolate have squeezed into some really small spaces in the past. Ideally a 12′ x 15′ space is needed – with or without a stage – we’re not that fussy! Also, please consider where the band will go once everything has been set up – normally we require a room somewhere to get changed, leave our belongings whilst we are performing, and somewhere to sit before we go on and during the break. It doesn’t have to be fancy – a simple meeting room or a spare reception room would be great. With many marquee weddings a private room isn’t always available so we’ve had to change into stage outfits in the back of the van or mobile toilets – it’s not ideal – but we always adapt!
For more information on Doctor Chocolate please visit our website.
We’ve also got 25 videos that were recorded LIVE at a charity event in Weston. The videos are 100% live and give you the opportunity to see/hear the band before you book us if we haven’t got a public event where you can come along and heckle.
Follow us on Facebook to keep updated with our shenanigans and hear our latest news!
Contact us for a quote or more information on the band. We’d love to hear from you.
Unique Selling Points
Doctor Chocolate is a live 9-piece wedding and party band that specialises in playing for ANY event where a full-on party is needed.
We’ve performed at thousands of events all over the UK and we are a seasoned, highly professional live band guaranteed to make your event one to remember – and for all the right reasons!
The majority of the band use wireless microphones and have the freedom of movement. This means we have a unique USP (unique selling point) as we are not confined to the stage area. Our performance is lively, fun and interactive and we like to get involved with the guests at your event, including them in the evening from the moment we start performing to the very end of the evening. Guests have sent thank you notes through on our facebook page telling us that they were dancing and watching the bride dance with the band on stage only to find a trombone, trumpet or saxophone beside them.
So, if you want an experienced and lively band to perform for your event – get in contact! We’d love to hear from you!