Q Branch Archive for posts tagged ‘experienced wedding band’
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.
DJ V Wedding Band
Should you hire a live band or should you book a DJ for your event?
Well it’s all down to personal taste.
But, as with everything in life, there are good and bad DJ’s and there are good and bad bands out there! Of course there are also BRILLIANT bands out there and Doctor Chocolate are one of them!
How do you choose what is right for your event?
BUDGET
Although hiring a live band can cost more – it is definitely worth the investment! A solo performer (usually playing/singing along to backing tracks) can cost anything from £300 plus – we’ve worked with some who charge £850! A live band can be anywhere between £500 – £4000. The cost of the band will depend on the size, how many band members they have, if they have their own equipment or need to hire it in, and how experienced they are. A band just starting out will be cheaper as they haven’t built a reputation and may not be reliable – their experience may be performing in pubs. Doctor Chocolate are not expensive by any means – we work really hard to keep our costs to the absolute minimum so we can pass the savings back to you – but we are not cheap either so you won’t be able to book the band for £500! There are 10 members of the band in Doctor Chocolate (9 musicians and 1 sound engineer). Remember – you may think it’s expensive to hire a professional – but wait until you hire an amateur! This may be the only time you have a spectacular event in your lifetime – make sure you book the right entertainment.
A Great DJ can cost between £500-£1200 for the evening – again depending on the quality of equipment they bring, lighting and how good they are! Other DJs can cost between £150-£300. Please go and see them in advance to make sure they suit your event – and remember you get what you pay for!
Contact Doctor Chocolate to find out how much we will cost you for your event. We will ask you some questions so that we can give you a full and inclusive quote: What date do you want? What time do you want the band to arrive and finish? Where are your having your event? Do you want an early set up or a late finish? From this we can give you a fully inclusive quote. We promise you will be pleasantly surprised as we are excellent value for a 9 piece band and sound engineer – making 10 people in total. Each and every member of the band are enthusiastic and experienced. Our only aim is to provide the best entertainment for your event. In addition we are fully self contained – with our own pa, lighting, pat tested equipment and public liability insurance as standard!
SONG CHOICE
If you want your guests to be able to request songs to be played all night long – then go for a DJ. They will have (hopefully) thousands of songs available on their laptop that they can play for you.
If however you want a live band that can appeal to every generation that attends your wedding, you want the WOW factor, want a band that has a set list that is tried and tested and updated regularly so only the best music from the 1960’s to present day chart numbers are played by a skilled and experienced live band – then go for a live band every time. You can’t beat it for atmosphere and interaction. Doctor Chocolate are the perfect party band for any occasion.
A band can perform any number of songs but be wary of bands that only have a playlist of about 30 numbers on their entire set list. They may not be able to adapt to different crowds and musical tastes. But also be very wary of bands who have list after list after list of songs on their website – can they really play them all? More importantly, can they really play them all well or will it sound like a rehearsal band on the night as they try to cram in as many songs as you’ve requested into the set?
Doctor Chocolate have an extensive list of songs in our set that work well for weddings, corporate events, charity fundraisers etc. Our sets are changed and rehearsed regularly to keep them fresh and new and to ensure that the songs are always played as close to the original – but with a Choccie twist! However, band members choose the numbers in the set. From experience we know what songs work well and what songs don’t work so well for mixed audiences and celebrations. Depending on the event and the type of crowd attending – we will change our sets accordingly. Be assured the sets will be rocking and the dance floor jammed!
ATMOSPHERE
There are some good DJs and we’ve come across some awful DJs. Your DJ should be able to get the crowd going and be interactive and clear when they speak – not mumble into the microphone or be really cheesey! They need to build the atmosphere for your event. Playing record after record is easy but you need them to be able to talk to your guests and encourage them if needed. In addition, make sure their equipment is good enough for the size of your venue.
Doctor Chocolate are excellent at interacting with any crowd and different generations. We know how important the atmosphere can be and our dance-floors are always jammed with guests from the moment we start until the moment we end! Doctor Chocolate bring along our PA system and lighting. Our sound is clear and full – our PA system is top of the range. If you have a larger venue – mention it at the time of booking as we can extend our PA system and hire in some more to ensure the equipment is exactly right for the venue.
Doctor Chocolate interact with your guests. It’s not us on stage and your guests on the dance floor. We have one common aim! We want your event to be THE BEST night! So we interact with your guests, we talk to them and involve them in what we are doing. That way, everyone has an amazing evening.
EXPERIENCED & RELIABLE
If you go for a DJ choose one who has experience! Try to avoid any that don’t bring along a PA system but require you to hire one in, and avoid any that don’t have their own lighting systems – you’ll have to hire these in addition. Get referrals if you can from previous clients.
The same applies to hiring a live band. Choose a band that is experienced in the type of event you are organising. Having the wrong type of band perform at your event can be disastrous. You may love to have a Michael Buble tribute or James Bond Tribute Band. This is great and can add atmosphere to your event but make sure that they also offer a party set as well as your guests will want some variety and want to party later in the evening! We can certainly recommend The Name Is Band – Bond Tribute Band – perfect for James Bond Themed parties and events – performing an hour set of Bond themes and a fantastic party set later in the evening.
Doctor Chocolate have over 25 years experience at performing for all types of events. In all that time we have NEVER let a client down – ever! Our reputation is excellent and over 80% of our work comes through recommendation or people who have seen/heard us before.
To be honest – NOTHING can compare to a live band that is experienced, fun, interactive, sound great, look great and appeal to every generation attending your event! LIVE MUSIC RULES!
Can I see the Band before I book?
Doctor Chocolate have had a very busy summer bursting with some amazing weddings, parties, celebrations, proms, officers mess events and festivals! Visit our Main Website here!
Doctor Chocolate receive requests from clients who are asking about booking the band for their wedding, party or corporate event as booking a band for such an important occasion can be a minefield. There are lots of bands on the circuit and not all of them are great! As we are always out working some fantastic private events it means we don’t have the chance to play for many open events where people can just pop along and see/hear the band.
If you are booking a band for your event you should really go and see them live first – to get a feel of whether they suit your event and theme. You need to be sure they are experienced, reliable, professional, adaptable and most of all – they know how to interact with the guests you have attending for your event! Thankfully Doctor Chocolate are all these things!
Websites can look great! Recordings can sound amazing! But you need to know that the band you are booking are just as good live. Doctor Chocolate have uploaded 22 videos to our website – they were not recorded in a studio, they were not filmed under studio conditions! Any band can walk into a studio and record their performance. They often sound great as the sound engineer who works in the studio can work miracles! Hear them live – that’s a different story altogether!
Doctor Chocolate’s videos on our website were recorded whilst we were playing for 200 people at a charity event in November 2013. If you look you’ll see some guests on the dance floor busting out some moves! The videos and recording are 100% live – we don’t need to go into a studio to look or sound good – we ARE good! See for yourself by watching our videos on the website!
As Doctor Chocolate are out most weekends performing for weddings, celebrations, parties, corporate events and everything inbetween, we don’t get the opportunity to play at open events very often. When we do we publish the information on our Facebook page – join us on Facebook and find out all the latest news and information first! Check out the events page on Facebook and come along to see the band – we do about 4-5 open events a year. Sadly it’s not possible to come along to a wedding to see us – but at least you’ll be assured we won’t bring anyone along to your private event!
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