New York-Hudson Valley

Have to preview band AT a wedding?

I'm on the verge of booking a band I really like. I saw them at a showcase at a studio and was completely blown away by their performance. A friend of mine got me nervous when she insisted that I need to see a video of them performing at a wedding. She said the band can come across completely differently and not know when to play music to keep the crowd alive. This happened to someone else she knows.

When I asked for video from the band, they sent me a link to their facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Live-Wire/60288332303?v=app_2392950137

I don't think any of these are specifically at a wedding, but there are many photos of a very involved crowd. And all reviews I've seen are glowing.

Anyone have an opinion on this? Thanks!

Re: Have to preview band AT a wedding?

  • probablykateprobablykate member
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Why don't you just ask the band to give you some examples of how they typically keep crowds engaged and react to the crowd at a wedding.  Like you are interviewing them for a job.  If they just say "oh we pay attention to the crowd," press them for more details of how they do it, or for an example of when they noticed the crowd was losing interest and what they did to regain interest.

    If they have a good example or two, chances are they are good at it.  If they don't, either they are inarticulate, or they aren't good at it. 

    Or maybe I'm tired and have been doing too many interviews at work :)

    Either way I wouldn't stress about it too much.
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • edited December 2011
    I think if you have a good feeling about them and they perform at weddings on a regular basis, you should be fine.  Your friend may have had a problem if the band does not typically perform at weddings.  Some bands sound great at bars but aren't used to dealing with a wedding.  The band we used, The Touch, does a mix of weddings and bars and we loved them.  They were professional and knew how to organize things for the wedding, but weren't just a typical wedding band either, if that makes sense. 
  • edited December 2011
    Ditto pp's. They need to know how to read the crowd and not just play from their personal favorite hit list. Every wedding is different. Some tried and true standards work for most weddings, but definitly ask what they would do if someone wasn't dancing. And have they ever experienced that. Each band has probably experienced this at one point. See what kind of answer they give. Be very vary if they say it has never happened. (Like after salad, what do they do to get people on the dance floor if there is time before pasta.)

    Good luck!


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