• Professionalism
• Reliability
• Respect
• Being able to travel
• Flexibility
• A great show

Musicians – In this current climate, less is more. So when looking for musicians try and find musicians who can sing for BV’s, Keys players who can play some guitar or percussion.

Flexibility – Flexibility should run through every aspect of your band. From your choice of songs so that you can play to older and younger audiences alike, to set structure, to start and finish times. The more flexibility you have, the easier it is to work with a client and make the event a success.

Repertoire – Your song list should contain songs from every decade and although you will end up playing a similar set every night, clients do like some say in the bands set list for their event. First dances should be offered for weddings and learned thoroughly before the night. Keep your song list updated as you learn more songs and keep all the tempos fast in order to keep the dance-floor packed.

Set List – The song choice on a gig and more importantly set order will make or break the nights entertainment. Classic songs that fill the dance-floor can still bomb if played too early on in the night. ‘Don’t stop me now' is classic end of night song, but putting it in the first half of the first set would be madness. Pay close attention to order and if you're unsure take advice and research, as this is a key area bands let themselves down on frequently.

The Show – Your job in a function band is to get the crowd in the mood to party. However I frequently hear from inexperienced bands on how the crowd were not really ‘up for it’. The reality is, it’s the entertainments job to make the crowd ‘up for it’. At a wedding or party with drink flowing, there should be no excuses to why people don’t want to take off their jackets and get on the dance-floor playing air guitar and screaming Bon Jovi lyrics. First sets can be calmer if people have recently eaten or its early and the drink hasn’t quite gone to their heads, however with encouragement, great songs and a great band things will improve minute by minute.

Promo Material - Business is all about product and marketing. Once your band has a large repertoire of songs and has a great high energetic show it is time to get your marketing ready. Needless to say the better your marketing, the easier things become. Pictures are probably the most important aspect of your marketing as its first impression and it sets you apart from other acts your in competition with. Make the pictures smart and happy. Wear stylish and smart clothes which fit. My advice is to avoid cheesy colourful tie combinations. Smile and show the world you are an energetic band. Don’t forget if you can’t get the pictures right, why would people believe you would get the whole night of entertainment right?

Demo – Nowadays there are no maximum number of demo’s, as domain space is cheap or free so more tracks are usually a plus. Record different styles of music to show off your flexibility. I suggest at least 1 classic song, and 1 modern song. If you have an 8 piece band with brass, then show off the brass with a soul classic. If your band are younger add in a modern indie classic like ‘Mr Brightside’ or ‘Sex on Fire’ and think about some 80’s music which is going down very well at the moment.

Band Fee – So the eternal question….. how much? This is up to you and your instinct. I would suggest working backwards from what you need to pay each musician, and then adding in your outgoings. But remember that if you’re a new band with no history, you will need to prove your worth, price can be increased later when demand is high. Also think about add-ons, DJ options, extra sets, travel expenses, extra musicians etc.

Most importantly don’t forget the golden rule : gigging is a privilege not a right, so if you’re not gigging regularly, then figure out how to be gigging weekly. If you are only thinking of the money, then maybe it’s time to stop and become a chef!