Q Branch Archive for posts tagged ‘doctor chocolate’
Party Band
You’re having a parrrrtttaaaay? Well, there’s lots to think about and organise and one of the most important to organise is the entertainment and you need a party band!
Well look no further because you have found one of the best party bands around!
Doctor Chocolate are a 9 piece party band and we have been going for over 25 years. Yes, that’s a long time we know, and you may think that the band is made up of a lot of old farts, but it’s not! It’s full of very talented, experienced and professional musicians who know their craft and are exceptionally good at what they do. Especially when you think that many “party/function” bands have come and gone in that time! We’re still going strong so we must be doing something right, and we are!
What are we doing right? Well, let us tell you!! The sets are full of high-energy, non-stop party hits which are guaranteed to fill a dance floor for the entire evening. The music is stonkingly vibrant with the added energy and input from the brass section. The brass section play in harmony, which fattens out the sound and adds soul and funk to the songs and we ask them to multi-task and dance at the same time! If there isn’t any brass in a song then we add it into the song and “choccify it”. Doctor Chocolate has two high energy and interactive vocalists who have a great vocal range and can adapt to any style and they talk to your guests too! Songs are non-stop so there’s no awkward silence in between songs whilst the band decide what they are going to play next – songs flow from one to the other and the high-energy is maintained throughout.
Not only are we a fantastic party band with a great sound and performance we are professional too. By professional we mean that we are highly respectful of the guests, the venue, fellow entertainers and of course to all our clients. We won’t let you down with bad language, bad performances or by being rude and inconsiderate on or off stage. From the moment you enquire to the end of the event we are extremely well-behaved and polite as well as being great people to work with.
So yes, we’ve been going 25 years but it’s not the same people in the band now as at the start – we’ve evolved and expanded. The band is made up of 9 very talented musicians who all get along with no drama and no egos in sight! We are also extremely reliable and, in all the 25 years of performing, have NEVER let a client down!
Looking for a party band? Need a function band? Want to ensure your guests have the best band and entertainment as well as having music played throughout that will keep everyone happy and dancing? Check out our videos on our website or on the Facebook page – they are all 100% live with no studio editing or recording – just a simple camera in the corner of the room – but what you see is what you get and what you get is a fantastic party band guaranteed to get your guests on the dancefloor and having a great party!
Are you getting engaged this Christmas or New Year?
It’s Chrissssstmaaaassss!
That was written in my best Noddy Holder voice too!
Well, aside from all the Christmas shenanigans that are happening all over the UK this is the time of year, this is the time when we see lots of lovely people feeling the love and popping the all important question to their partners – the big “Will you?” question.
It’s easy to see why this is the perfect time for popping the question as there is lots of mistletoe hanging everywhere, corks are popping and bubbles overflowing, families get together to celebrate and the warm fuzzy feeling sets in meaning it’s a perfect time to ask!
Doctor Chocolate are a 9 piece party band and we have had the pleasure of playing for engagement parties and weddings all over the UK and abroad.
If you are looking for a long engagement but want to have a massive celebratory party then get in contact for a quote – Doctor Chocolate will bring the party and all the equipment so that you have a fantastic night of celebrating with your friends and family.
If you are planning a short engagement and are looking to book quality entertainment for your wedding day then we can certainly help there too!
Whatever your needs – we guarantee that you are booking one of the best bands in the South West and you will have non-stop, high-energy sets for your celebrations – we bring all the equipment, lighting, PA system and definitely bring along the party!
Who are Doctor Chocolate? Well, we are a 9 piece party band consisting of male and female lead vocals, drums, keys, bass guitar, lead guitar and 3 piece horn section of trumpet, saxophone and bass trombone.
We perform for two hours (2 x 1 hour sets) with a short break inbetween. The sets are full of non stop party hits – a really great mix of songs from the past 6 decades with a Doctor Chocolate twist to them. When the band are not playing we have recorded music to ensure you have music all night long. The band are interactive and fun with a front man who will guide your guests through the evening and get everyone involved.
So congratulations on the engagement!
Now we need to sort out the party! Contact us today by phone on 0796 7709018 or email sarah@doctorchocolate.co.uk or via our facebook page Doctor Chocolate.
Book a wedding band
Are you looking to book a wedding band for your evening celebrations?
You need to find an established, reliable and fun wedding band, a wedding band that has experience in engaging with all ages and personalities, a wedding band that can get everyone on the dance floor and having an excellent time!
Things to consider:
Guests. You have sat down and gone through all your friends and family list and have either managed to narrow the guest list down a bit or decided just to have a big party and invite everyone along. Whatever the size of your guest list there will be people there with different likes and dislikes on music, different ages, different backgrounds. You will have people that just want to sit and watch everything that is going on, and some guests who will want to throw themselves on the dance floor the minute the band start, and other guests who want to hang out around the bar and wait to dance until “a bit later on”. You need a band that understands the diversity of your guests. An experienced band that is used to ensuring that all your guests are involved from the start in the evening is paramount to the success of the evening. A disinterested band who just goes through the motions is NOT what you need. An experienced band who is lively, engaging, interactive, fun, plays all the right music and responds to your guests is what you need. You need Doctor Chocolate.
Music. You may love grunge. You may love swing. You may love classical. But your guests may not share that love of music. If you are certain that your passion for a certain style of music is played then consider having part of the afternoon/evening dedicated to that genre but then swap over to a party band who will appeal to everyone of your guests and get them involved in the evening too and having a great time. Unless all your guests have the same taste of music as you then you could end up with some making their excuses and leaving the venue early. The way to avoid this is to have a party band that knows and understands the evening format and how to engage with your guests and involve them all in the evening – someting in the sets for everyone – and ensuring that your guests stay for the duration and shout for more! You need an experienced party and wedding band like Doctor Chocolate.
Venue. The size and type of venue you have is important if you are considering live music. Many have installed sound limiters which will limit the volume that the live band/dj can perform. On occasions the limiter is set to a ridiculously low level which means anything more than a string quartet will set off the limiter. Others are set to a reasonable level but you may think that only a small band can perform there. That isn’t always the case. Doctor Chocolate are a 9 piece wedding and party band and we have played a large number of venues with sound limiters and small spaces. We have an excellent sound engineer who ensures we stay under the limit so we are often quieter than a 4 piece rock band as a result! Experienced and knowledgeable about our craft ensures Doctor Chocolate can cope without fuss.
Dance floor. Always ensure that there is enough space for your guests to dance and leave enough room for the band monitors so your guests don’t trip over. Also make sure that the dance floor is even and also free from drinks. Doctor Chocolate have played in many marquees where the floors are made up of hessian – which isn’t great for ladies heels when dancing unless they swap them for flip flops! It’s also a good idea to ask your guests to keep all drinks off the dance floor as this can make surfaces slippery but dangerous if drinks are served in glasses. Doctor Chocolate are an experienced wedding band and will always stay in contact with the marquee hire company to ensure that space is left between the stage monitors and the dance floor.
Doctor Chocolate spend hours sorting and compiling a set list. This experienced wedding band know what music works, where and when. Sometimes couples ask if they can choose the entire set list and format of songs but this isn’t a good idea – and we know some bands offer this. The reason it’s not a great idea is that you are only choosing the songs that you like, or you think your guests will like and the band you are booking are so desperate for the booking they will let you do this. But an experienced wedding band knows this isn’t the best way to plan for the evening celebrations as the songs chosen could be under rehearsed, badly performed and not appeal to all your guests attending. You are investing in a wedding band that know their craft, know their music, know their instruments, know their fellow musicians, know what songs work and where in the evening it’s best to play those songs. So use your investment – use the knowledge and experience that your wedding band has and trust them to make the right decision on the evening and you will have an incredible time. Doctor Chocolate know you are investing in them to provide you with the best evening’s entertainment and have the musicianship, experience and knowledge to ensure that the music played in the evening will be the best of the past 5 decades.
Fantastic Wedding at Cleeve Spa
Doctor Chocolate were asked to play for Sarah and Martyn’s wedding at the beautiful Cleeve Spa, Wellington at the weekend. What a venue!
We arrived early and sat outside in the gardens enjoying the last bit of sunshine of the day. At this venue you have the option of being married in the gardens and the set up of the wooden structure with the rustic wooden benches for guests with the aisle decorated with lanterns on hooks looked lovely.
When the wedding breakfast was over the staff moved quickly to clear the top table so that the band could set up. With ten band members we managed to unload the van, set up and sound check within 45 minutes!
The resident DJ was great fun and kept the party going with a good choice of wedding music and built the crowd and atmosphere really well.
In the corner of the room Kooky Booths had set up their photo booth with lots of props, wigs and funky faces – they even had a singing video option which resulted in a queue all evening waiting to use the booth! Great people working this booth so do get in contact with them for a quote and to find out how to add some fun to your event or wedding.
During one song the brass section from Doctor Chocolate slipped off stage to mingle with the guests and promenade around the room – we lost sight of them for a couple of minutes but could still hear them playing perfectly! We found out they had slipped into the photo booth for four cheeky photographs!
It was a brilliant wedding – the floor was rammed packed all evening and the guests were really responsive and up for a party! It’s the first time we’ve had the conga danced whilst playing a bit of Madness – check out our facebook page and you’ll see the evidence and the video footage! Whilst on the Facebook page – pop us a little “like” – and we’ll keep you updated on news and events as they happen!
The wedding of Sarah and Martyn – what a wedding. We wish them both every happiness & health for the future and we are so pleased they chose Doctor Chocolate to be their wedding band.
Woodlands Castle
Doctor Chocolate played at Woodlands Castle in March for a wedding.
This venue is fantastic and rather beautiful for weddings. The evening celebrations took place in the marquee and the staff here were so polite and helpful!
Woodlands Castle is a privately owned wedding venue in Taunton, situated in 12 acres of private grounds surrounded by woodland making the house a secluded haven; yet just minutes from Taunton town centre and sit on junction 25 of the M5, providing a central meeting point between Exeter and Bristol. Woodlands Castle is an eco-friendly green venue, with a stringent recycling policy, energy saving lightbulbs, we try to be as paperless as possible in our booking procedures and we source everything we use from local providers cutting down on carbon emissions.
The venue also has a noise limiter installed as they back onto residential housing. For a 9-piece band this could have proved to be a difficult evening but Doctor Chocolate has invested in a fantastic PA system that is clear and doesn’t have to be ear-piercingly loud! We also have a fantastic sound engineer who was able to twist and twiddle knobs on the mixing desk all night to keep us within the limits that were set!
Come and See Doctor Chocolate Live
Doctor Chocolate would recommend that you go and see any band you want to book for your event! The entertainment on the evening is such an important part of the night and it’s easy to get it wrong. A pub band can be excellent in a pub environment but not all of them are quite so good when booked for a wedding or special occasion. They may not have their own equipment, pa, lighting and have to borrow it all in, they may not be used to such a diverse crowd and they may turn up and perform in jeans and a t-shirt!
You can be sure that Doctor Chocolate are an experienced and reliable band and we are fully self contained with our own top of the range PA system and lighting – and we certainly know how to get a crowd going!
It’s not always possible to come and see us live – most of our events are private bookings so we wouldn’t invite you along to come and see/listen to us in the same way you can be sure we wouldn’t invite anyone along to your event either! However, we do have some open events through the year that are open to the public to come along to – just keep an eye on our Facebook page for details!
Alternatively it may be possible for you to come along to a rehearsal. We get together once a month to run through new songs and ideas/structures for songs. This is where we get to the bare bones of the songs and really thrash them out, make lots of mistakes and run and re run the numbers until they are perfect and ready to be performed in public! If we are having a normal monthly rehearsal then it may be possible for you to pop along and meet us. Just ask for details when you make your enquiry.
Better still – if you want to see what we look and sound like then we’ve uploaded 22 videos to our website. These videos were filmed at a charity event in November 2013 – they are 100% fully live – there is no studio recording here – this is exactly what the band sound and look like at an event! This live recording is a lot better than some bands studio recordings! Have a look for yourself here!
Wedding Band in Bristol
Doctor Chocolate are looking forward to a season of weddings with some fantastic venues to perform in again for 2014! Doctor Chocolate love weddings and we’ve performed at hundreds over the years so we are very experienced in getting such a diverse crowd going. Having been asked to be the entertainment at weddings all over the South West and the UK we are always honored to be asked to be part of such a special day.
A wedding is probably the only time when you have everyone you care about in the one room altogether to help you celebrate such a special occasion. That means relatives, friends and work colleagues all in one room with different tastes and personalities. Doctor Chocolate are exceptional at getting any crowd going and we know EXACTLY what songs work and where in the evening so that we keep the dance-floor packed all night long. We have sets that appeal to every age group from 2-92!
The live band is also very lively as the majority of the band are wire free – so expect to find a brass instrument or two appear over your shoulder. So if you want to guarantee a fantastic band at your wedding that will appeal to all your guests then you know who to call! Contact us now for a competitive quote – but don’t be too long – we’ve had to disappoint many couples this year as the date they chose was already booked up long ago!
Reliable bands
Doctor Chocolate have been on the circuit for over 25 years. In all that time we have never double booked the band on the same night, we have never cancelled an event or turned up later than agreed and we have never ever let any client down. We have covered for many bands that have though and often receive a last minute phone call asking if we are available due to a client being let down by another band! Sadly this seems to happen a lot and it can be a distressing time for you, the client.
However, you can be confident that when you book Doctor Chocolate for your wedding, party, charity fundraiser, ball, prom, festival or celebration of any kind that we will be there on time and perform the very best sets with the best music from the 1960?s to date: disco, funk, soul, rock, rock and roll etc and we can pack that dance-floor all night long!
We have our own top of the range equipment and this is worth over £25,000, all fully pat tested, stage and dance-floor lighting and we also have public liability insurance. We are a fully contained, experienced and professional band. So if you want to guarantee the best entertainment for your event contact us now for a competitive quote!
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 Twitter
Doctor Chocolate, wedding, party and function band in Bristol, are now on Twitter!
Follow us! Tweet us! Re-tweet us! Keep updated on all the news and exclusive pictures from our events!
We’re new to this and would welcome any support so follow the ultimate party band in the South West on @docchocband