What the people say…

Check out this HUGE thank you card we got from Lisa & Lee (from last post)! I have to say this brought a big smile to our faces when this turned up in the office Thanks Guys xxx

And here’s just a little snippet of some customer feedback from the past few weeks…

Undercover Superstars

‘I loved the concept of the Undercover Superstars so when it came to booking an act for the launch party of my Design and Marketing agency deciding who to work with was a no brainer. I have to say, Sera and her team exceeded my expectations in every respect. She came up with a fantastic concept and story behind each “superstar”, briefed them perfectly and even kept the idea a secret from my team!

On the night each and every superstar lived up to their name. they were fantastic actors and their voices gave us all goosebumps. They had even the stiffest of guests moving by the last song and made the night! Anyone that had come under the mistaken impression that this was a networking event soon realised they’d come to a party once the Undercover Superstars got up and sang.

The company was professional throughout all our dealings with them and I would have no hestitation in recommending MIB Music or the Undercover Superstars. They were fantastic.’

‘It all went really well on Saturday, the guest was the best bit!  The friend who was with Rachael (‘the guest’), Graham is good friends with my husband and the look on my husbands face when Rachael stood up to sing was brilliant.

 Everyone joined in, though a little shell shocked!  Rebecca loved it and the choice of songs were great.  The hotel were delighted too as it was the first time that they had ever had undercover waiters and I believe they were helpful and accommodating to your ‘stars’.

I will be passing your details to a friend who was there, who’s daughter will be doing her bat mitzvah in a year or two and you may well get another booking.

 Thank you so much it was really memorable and worked really well.’

 

MIB

‘The band were ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! They could not have been any better, they were very accommodating with the CDs before and between their sets, and had obviously taken on the note about sticking more to 60s than 70s.  Everyone was completely amazed by them, they really couldn’t have been better. The party overall was a fantastic success and throroughly enjoyed by all… thanks so much for your help.’
 

‘What a party! The band were outstanding…I can’t imagine a band that could be easier to deal with…and such a great performance. My boss was super duper pleased with me for finding such a great entertainment act…so I’ll be using you time and time again.’

SuperTrouper Abba

‘Can you please pass on a huge thanks to all involved on Saturday night. It was my wife’s 40^th birthday, it was a great success, which was all down to your girls and Dan’s professional and very helpful approach to the night. Everything went to plan and your staff were absolutely fabulous, all our neighbours haven’t stopped talking about the party.’

Funkadelics

‘We just wanted to send a note of thanks for the excellent Funkadelics on the 1^st April at our wedding. We thought the band were excellent and played a perfect mix of songs to compliment the day’s celebrations.Thanks again and we will definitely recommend the band to friends and family.’

‘We had a great time on Thursday night and the Funkadelics were brilliant! We managed to get everyone onto the dance floor for the final set. Please pass on our thanks.’

21st Century Riot

‘What can I say, apart from I LOVED IT! And most importantly, my hubby did too, which was the plan! You guys are fantastic – great selection of tunes, fantastic chemistry on stage, and got the crowd going more than I could even have imagined….thank you so much!’

Congratulations to Lee & Lisa!

MIB & Undercover Superstars performed at a gorgeous wedding on Saturday, for the new ‘Mr & Mrs Baines’ in Luton. This really was one of the best planned and inspirational weddings we’ve seen, so thought I’d do a small write-up on the occasion…

Lee & Lisa are a great couple. I met with them a few weeks ago, just to over the final details of their Wedding, and I couldn’t believe how laid back (although super excited) they were about the big day. I was even more shocked when I actually saw the effort they’d gone into the create the perfect wedding day! I am sad because I probably didn’t even get to see most of it (as I was running round like a headless chicken organising things all day) but here’s an idea of some nice touches…

First off, the venue was absolutely stunning. I’d highly reccomend checking out the Luton Hoo Hotel - you’d be hard pressed to find a more beautiful place to get married, with such helpful staff too!

When we arrived, guitarist & singer Mike Mayfield was about to start performing on the terrace while guests enjoyed the gorgeous weather, and the even more impressive views. I was really impressed by Mikes voice…and he set a lovely atmosphere while guests milled around chatting.

I also noticed two white doves on the terrace which I thought was a beautiful touch!

At this point, our Undercover Superstars www.undercoversuperstars.com were getting into character. Nadine & Nick joined the guests, pretending to be a couple who met Lee & Lisa in Jamaica last year, and Rachael took the guise of ‘Event Manager’.

The guests all sat down for dinner, while Mike played another set. They were all greeted with favours as they sat down, which was rather originally a National Lottery ticket waiting for each of them! What a fun idea!

After the main course, our Undercover Superstar Nadine shyly approached the microphone that was set up for speeches, and in front of everyone proposed to Nick! The crowd went absolutely mad…I’ve never seen such a reaction! She then launched into a rather painful and terrible attempt at singing to him….to which he replied ‘Of course I’ll marry you, if you stop singing!’  The ‘event manager’ Rachael then presented the ‘happy couple’ with a bottle of champagne, and Nick burst into an amazing rendition of ‘Can’t Take My Eyes off You’…running round the room, climbing on the chairs, and getting everyone singing along and on their feet.

As he finished his song, he lapped up the applause, taking a bow….but over the applause, the sound of ‘I wanna dance with somebody’ started over the sound system. From knowhere appears our ‘Event Manager’ Rachael, and she works the room, singing away (and getting quite a reaction from the table in the corner which I presume was housing all the single men in the room, lol). Everyone sang along and by this point the whole room was up dancing & clapping.

Then, Nadine, our other ‘guest’ jumps up from her table and launches into ‘I’m So Excited’, with the other two getting guests up to dance and whirling them around the room, and then all three singers came together to reveal that they are in fact the ‘Undercover Superstars’ and they had hijacked the Wedding! They then performed two more songs – ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,’ and special request of the bride ‘Hey Jude’.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a reception for singing waiters ever! What a fabulous crowd!

The guests finished their meal and were then entertained by MIB (www.mibband.com), and the MIB DJ, who kept the crowd dancing all night, only to stop for a fabulous firework display and buffet later in the evening, but not before watching the couple’s legendry first dance!

The room at Luton Hoo is split into three compartments – one end with the bar, the long middle for the main wedding breakfast, and the other end room with the band in. Lisa and Lee placed themselves on the middle of the dancefloor, filled the room with dry ice and had the guests locked behind doors in the other middle room. As the ‘new Mr & Mrs Baines’ were introduced, the doors were opened to reveal the couple, their feet covered in dry ice, doing a beautifully choreographed dance to ‘A Moment Like This’ by Leona Lewis. This was enough to bring a tear to anyone’s eye, and to be honest, when the key change came and an explosion of silver confetti burst all over the whole room, I think I actually sobbed a bit! It was truly spectacular and I’m sure a moment none of their guests will ever forget (I certainly won’t!)

Anyway, congratulations to Lisa & Lee and the rest of their families. I hope you had a fantastic day, and thanks for letting us be a part of it!

Sera & The MIB Music team

How to find the right band for your Wedding – Part 3

After reading through the first two articles, hopefully you’ve now got a good idea of what band you’d like to book. Now all that’s left is to sign on the dotted line and get the date confirmed…

Prices

It’s a tough time at the moment, and you’ll obviously need to consider your budget. Prices of bands for weddings do vary, literally from nothing (a bunch of guys who play because they love to – perhaps a friend of a friend of yours) to £10,000+ (usually big session names who have played with prestigious artistes, very experienced, larger bands etc) AND just to confuse you even more, everything in-between.

Only you can decide what your budget is, but I’d say try to allow as much as possible for your band. Quite simply, as with anything, you will get what you pay for! Bands are very ‘recession conscious’ at the moment, and many will discount prices or perhaps give you special offers for extras like DJ packages, extra sets or jazz trio’s – it’s worth asking!

Contracts

You’ll want a contract for your booking (and so will the band), so most professional bands will have a contract they can send you. This will need to state the date, address of the venue, approximate timings and of course fees.

Handy Tip…A lot of bands will charge extra for arriving before 5p.m and finishing after 1a.m…this is worth discussing early on so you can factor this into your budget.

Deposits

You’ll probably need to pay a deposit on booking in order to confirm the date – this can range from 10% to 50% and really depends on the band.

Extra costs and things to think about

99% of bands will ask for a few things for the evening that you will need to provide. Again, this is worth building into your budget now…This does of course depend on the band’s requirements, but nearly always includes a meal for each member (and sound man if they have one), soft drinks for the duration of the evening (a tab on the bar), a parking space, and a room to change and keep out of the way in. These are all factors that are very important when you think the band may have travelled across the country to play for you and will need to be fed, watered and looked after before playing.

My advice is once you’ve found your dream band, get them booked as soon as you can! The great bands in the industry are undoubtedly the busiest, so secure the date as soon as you’re sure of your choice!

Don’t forget to have fun with it – music is the food of love, so what better way to finish your wedding day than with a fantastic band that your guests will absolutely love!

Love & Hugs, Sera

How to find the right band for your wedding – Part 2

So hopefully after reading my last post, you will have decided what style and genre band you want…now how do you find a great one? The first step is to search the internet, wedding fairs and magazines for a number of bands that take your fancy. Contact a selection of bands and ask to see some promotional material.

Handy Tip… Look out for bands who are quick with their communications..with swift replies to emails and who are always on the end of the phone…this is a sure sign of a professional band, and you can be sure that your dealing with a quality act that will be easy to deal with as well as providing with you with a great performance on the night.

Demo Tracks

First things first, you need to hear a demo. All professional and high quality bands will have a number of demo tracks for you to listen to (anyone who doesn’t are unlikely to be any good!) Have a listen to their demo tracks. I’d recommend getting a selection of band demos and you’ll probably find one or two will stick out from the rest. Do you like the vocalist? Does the band sound rehearsed and tight, like they’ve been playing together for years, or does it remind you of your brothers first drum lesson back in the day?!

My recommendation is if you have any musical friends, ask for their opinion! Unfortunately modern technology today means that more inexperienced bands can provide you with a demo which may sound OK to your ears, but once they’re ‘entertaining’ your wedding guests your thoughts may be very different! (I.e I’m the bride…GET ME OUTTA HERE scenario!).

I’d recommend looking for: A great vocalist that you love the sound of!

Try to stay away from: Anything that sounds messy, out of tune or out of time

Video Tracks

Not all bands have a video, but these days it is a trend that is growing and growing, and fair enough too – if you are going to book this band for the biggest day of your life, of course you want to see them in action!

Bands that have taken the time to invest in a good video are usually worth a bit of extra attention because it usually means they a) are an established and busy band who have made enough money to invest in a promo video, and b) are not afraid to show off exactly what they can do!

Take a look at their video footage. Admittedly, sometimes it’s hard to capture that ‘live chemistry’ on video, but a good video will show the band playing live, having a great time, and hopefully an audience having the time of their lives too!

I’d recommend looking for: A video with ‘audience feedback’ clips/interviews is a brilliant idea – what can be better assurance that you’re booking a great band, than real life audience members giving their feedback!

Try to stay away from: videos that are staged like a ‘pop video’… (i.e staged shots that are not a live performance) in my opinion, whats the point of this? You are not seeing the band play live, how they interact together, or how the audience are reacting, which is of course the whole point of seeing their video before booking.

Seeing the band live

This is unfortunately very difficult in this industry…if the band you are looking at is a full time, professional band, the majority of events they will be playing at are weddings and other private events…and as I’m sure you can understand, they wouldn’t be able to invite potential clients to come along and see them play. However occasionally bands do hold public showcase events, so its always worth an ask! If you cant see them play live, this is really why you ask for demo and video footage, however, if you can… Ask yourself….

                 - Can you see this band playing at your wedding? Picture your guests, the bridesmaids in their dresses, your parents and your in-laws…would they be dancing the night away to this band? More importantly, would you be?

                  – Do they sound as good as their demo? Are the vocals in tune? Is the instrumentation in time? 

                  – What about on stage chemistry – are the band having a great time? The last thing you want at your wedding is a band who are bored and hate each other (sounds terrible, but this is actually quite common!). You want a band that love what they do and come across that way on stage!

I’d recommend looking for: A band that are having a great time, interact with the audience and of course play fantastically

Try to stay away from: The classic ‘Rabbit in headlights’ look (!) – a classic sign of a band that have not got a lot of experience

Brochures and Websites

Not all bands have promotional material like brochures or a great website, but if you find one who does, that should surely earn them ‘brownie points’. Any band that has invested time and money into their promotional material is usually worth an extra listen – if they are willing to invest into these things it usually means they are professional, experienced and serious about providing a great service.

Good luck with it!

Check out my next article to read about the booking process

Love & Hugs

Sera

How to find the right band for your wedding

So…you’re lucky enough to have found the partner of your dreams, and now you’re planning the biggest day of your lives so far! You’re probably swimming in a heavenly sea of bouquet designs, table decorations and (my favourite part) making-ever-so-sure you go to as many caterers free ‘tasting sessions’ as possible (just to make sure you get the meal ‘just right’)…its a wonderful time! More importantly it’s a great time for the whole wedding party, your family and friends coming together to help with all-things-wedding!

When it comes to finding the right band for your event, there’s a lot to think about, and much like everything else it’s something that everyone has an opinion about and wants to be involved with! There are a million factors running through your brain…Do I want to find a band that will please everyone, or would I rather have something that will please us (it is our day after-all!)? Do I go for the traditional ‘old men in suits’ vibe or something more modern and funky? How do I know if a band is professional and going to be reliable and (more importantly) put on a fantastic show? My next three blogs are here to help make your decision by going over a few key factors. Obviously finding a band that you love is a personal thing and everyone looks for something different, but if you follow these rough guidelines I think you’ll find it a lot easier to sift through the thousands of bands you may find online.

Think about what style band you’d like

This is difficult – perhaps your hubby-to-be is an avid lover of ‘Megadeath’, whereas you are a big ‘Sclub7 fan’ (they do say opposites attract), and then of course you have the other hundred or so guests to think about, with their mix of tastes! It is, of course, your day, and if you tried to please everyone you’d go absolutely nuts trying to find a band who could play a specially designed playlist of Megadeath, Sclub, Barry Manilow, Spice Girls, Acon and The Killers…to name only a few (not a good idea!). However, heres a bit of a rundown of some great choices…

All round Party Band

Probably the most common band you will find online for weddings. Playing a wide range of hits from 50’s to the modern day, this sort of band will appeal to everyone and are guaranteed to keep your guests up and dancing all night! 

I would recommend looking for: a young, fresh looking band that have a wide repertoire and play a good mix of tunes, including a modern selection for the younger generation (a lot of bands of this style don’t include much modern music, which is a shame as a bit of Killers, Kings of Leon and Robbie Williams always goes down a treat!)

Try to stay away from: Old men in bow-ties who read sheet music and look like if they played too hard they may pass out and need an ambulance to take them home! (unless thats what you want of course!)

Handy Tip…You might be interested in booking some kind of jazz act for earlier in the day as well as your ‘main event’ for the evening –I’d recommend looking for a party band that offers a jazz option, rather than booking two separate bands. This will save you bundles of money, and cuts down your searching time!

MIB Music’s Recommendation – Check out MIB – www.mibband.com

Or www.funkadelics.co.uk

Themed Band

Alternatively, you could go for a more specific themed band if you have more defined ideas of what you want and what you think your guests would like.  There are a plethora of great themed bands out there, which are brilliant fun, and if it’s a theme you really love then perhaps this will suit you better.

Popular ideas for a themed band for your wedding:

-                      70’s disco tribute (always great fun with the cheesy costumes)

-                      80s or Skool Disco tribute (bit of a walk down memory lane is always a giggle)

-                      Motown theme (this is a nice theme that usually keeps the older generation happy as well as the younger guests)

-                      Ceilidh band (fantastic fun, get your granny doing the dance routines!)

-                      Tribute bands (Robbie Williams, Abba, Beatles, Elvis etc)

-                      Rock/Indie theme (VERY popular at the moment, playing hits from Killers, Arctic Monkeys etc)

Handy Tip…Themed bands are great fun, but perhaps it might be worth thinking about teaming them up with a DJ for the night, so while the band will cover all your favourite tunes,  the DJ can cover a wider range to suit the other guests tastes

I would recommend looking for: A themed idea that you LOVE! If you’re going to go for this option, it’s got to be all about you, you, and you! Choose a theme that you and your other half will love, and want to hear a whole evening of!

Try to stay away from: anything too cheap. Unfortunately with this, money does matter. If you’re going for a theme you want to book a high quality act that has an authentic sound, costumes and equipment.

For an idea for themed bands, check out:

www.21stcenturyriot.co.uk for our 4 piece indie/rock tribute

www.supertrouperabba.com for our stunning authentic Abba tribute

www.funkadelics.co.uk offer some great themes as an optional (free) extra, including skool disco and 70s Disco!

Check out my next post to discover the wonderful world of bands and their promo material…

Love & Hugs

Sera

Welcome!

Greetings to you all!

I decided that it would be worth splitting our ever popular blog into two so we could have a specific blog based on Wedding Entertainment….featuring articles and helpful info on all things weddings!

So….if you would like advice on your first dance choice, how to choose a great function band for your wedding, or generally how to deal with booking a band…please do keep in touch and look out for upcoming posts! Here at MIB Music we’ve been working in the Wedding Entertainment industry for many years, and I like to think we are ‘a book of knowledge just waiting to be opened’…..

Anyway, happy wedding planning to you all!

Sera

MIB Music