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
