Voodoo Blues Band

Scottish Wedding Bands and Musicians

So, you are having a Scottish wedding and would like to hire a wedding band? Well, before you even start looking at bands, you should have a serious think about what type of music and band you would like at your wedding. This will save you a lot of time and ensure you hire the most suitable band for your wedding.

In Scotland, there are essentially four main types of bands you can choose for your wedding. Pop Covers, Ceilidh, Jazz, and Tribute Bands. Each band has it own advantages and disadvantages. So let us take a look at each type in more detail.

These are the normal types of wedding bands in Scotland and they play songs recorded and made famous by other artists. Most cover bands, who specialise in weddings, will play a wide range of hits from the 1960′s right up to current chart hits. As weddings comprise of a fairly broad range of people and ages, the cover band’s plan is to play a wide range of music that will keep everyone happy. Although many cover bands may include a little bit of Ceilidh music or Jazz, they do not tend to specialise in these genres. The typical Pop Cover band will do about fours hours at a wedding and take a thirty-minute break.

Ceilidh Bands concentrate in providing Scottish ceilidh dances for for the wedding, such as The Gay Gordons, The Military Two-Step, and Strip The Willow etc. If the wedding party is from Scotland, then they will know the dances because most of the dances are taught to Scots when they are at school. However, if there are many people at the wedding who are not Scottish, then the band may have to teach the steps and call the dances (remind people what to do during the dance). The good news is that most of the dances are very easy to learn and can therefore be picked up very quickly. Again, the typical Ceilidh band will play for about four hours at a wedding and take a thirty-minute break.

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A good wedding Jazz Band will play a mixture of jazz standards and swing music e.g. Bobby Darin and Sinatra. Many good Jazz bands are very versatile and can include some Pop Covers and Ceilidh dances. However, their main forte is Jazz. The typical Jazz wedding band will again do about four hours at a wedding and take a thirty-minute break.

Whereas a Pop Cover Band plays covers from a wide range of artists, the typical Tribute band will concentrate in covering one particular band. This could be Abba, Robbie Williams, Take That, Slade, Queen – or any band that you could possibly think of. So, if you are a fan of a particular band, then a tribute band may be the ideal choice for you. Usually Tribute bands only do about two forty-five minute sets, so if you are having a tribute band, then you may have to hire another band or DJ to cover the last two hours at your wedding reception.

These then are the main types of bands that are popular for weddings in Scotland. Which band you choose will depend on the type of music you like and, just as importantly, the type of band you think your family and guests will like.

The easiest way to find out if your choice will be acceptable to most guests is to do a little research. For example, if you really want a particular type of band, then ask your friends and family what they think. Do they like that type of music? Would they get and dance to that type of music?

By asking people you will be able to build up a picture of which type of band will be the most popular with your particular family and guests. The important thing to remember is that each wedding is different and the band that played at your friend’s wedding may not be the ideal choice for your wedding.

If you would like some expert advice on the matter, then go to a reputable Entertainment Agent in Scotland. If the agent is good, then it will cost nothing, and you find him an invaluable source of information and assistance, when it comes to choosing the right band for your wedding.

Remember, you are never going to please everyone at your wedding. However, by spending a little time thinking about what type of band you want and which band would be most suitable for your guests, then you will increase your chances of keeping the vast majority of people happy and dancing all night.

Have a lovely Scottish wedding!

Source: ArticlesBase.com

Top Tips for hiring a wedding band in Scotland ?

Planning marriage in Scotland is an extra bonus for couples planning a wedding. Scotland is blessed with an especially rich and diverse cultural background, of which popular music plays a large part. Scotland has got its own especially distinctive musical legacy, and you should like to at least take that into account when planning your wedding entertainment. This is especially important if you plan to adopt a conventional theme for a wedding reception, or in case you have quite a few more mature guests present.
We’ve come up with a checklist of points you should give consideration to before arranging a wedding band in Scotland.

Agencies – Head to a responsible agent. Despite the fact that it may look impressive, be very wary of National British agents that have an countless catalog of bands on their books since they can’t possibly vet and manage all of these bands and artists and the level of quality of what they are supplying. It is much better to select an agent that is based regionally as they are much more likely to have to very best range of wedding bands Scotland can offer. It is often very difficult to schedule for customers to see professional function bands beforehand as they usually play at private events, so generally you are relying on the reliability and integrity in the agent. Usually the agent would have vetted all the wedding bands on the books, and their bands should be 100% reputable. In some cases agencies will hold frequent wedding band showcases giving couples the ideal opportunity to see a number of wedding bands performing at the same event. This is highly recommended as it offers you the opportunity to opt for the band that you feel will interest nearly all of your friends and family members! You will be needing to choose the style associated with wedding band you might like to play and sort of tunes you feel will go well with you together with your friends and family. You should pick a wedding band that is capable of entertaining a wide age range, as a wedding and reception is commonly really the sole event that would have such a huge selection of the sexes. In case you are not able to get to listen to the group that suits you performing live, be sure that you ask for a demo CD of their music. They will be ın a position to supply these without trouble including testimonials from previous weddings and occasions.
The Timetable – It does not matter how well you arrange your night, the service might possibly overrun, speeches could possibly last a bit longer than planned, the dinner might take half an hour longer than you imagine. Allow a little room for manoeuvre and be flexible. Allow adequate time for the band to get going especially if your dinner is in the very same room the band will be performing in. If the band is to get going in the same space as the dinner, make sure that you have left them a period of time to set up with no getting in the way in which of the guest visitors. Nearly all bands will usually need at least 45mins to get going and sound check.
Communicate with the band! – Regardless of whether or not you arrange through an company, make contact with the band directly through e mail or telephone. It is often soothing to speak to the band personally well in loan of your wedding and reception, to discuss the bands needs and the selection of first dance. Most experienced bands are happy to learn a track of your choosing for a first dance so long as it can be adapted to the bands line-up, but don’t leave this until the last minute! Professional bands are really busy over the summer months so the even more notice you can give them the better, and certainly no less than a couple of weeks.
Do the band provide recorded music? – The majority of bands ought to be able to provide you with this, although it’s worth asking just in the case. This will generally mean an iPod or similar device being played in between the bands’ sets and most likely discuss the choice of tunes and styles beforehand.
Equipment – Check that the band’s equipment is of a top quality and PAT proven, because a number of venues will request to see that band’s PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) certification to demonstrate that their equipment has already been tested and declared risk-free. Ask the band with regards to stage lighting – this can make a huge difference to the feeling of any party. Your guests are more likely to prefer to boogie under some appropriate disco lighting ınstead of the full glare within the venue’s primary lights or near entire darkness.
Has food been arranged for the group of musicians? – It is likely that your band will be at your wedding venue for 6 hours or even more and additionally they will have been loading and unloading before that. They will certainly probably want to be fed ultimately and it is typical procedure for the couple to offer food or something to eat or let them enjoy the evening buffet.
Your Venue – Most wedding venues in Scotland are able to cater for a live band but it’s worth verifying they have adequate power sources readily available for the band to make use of. Generally a full live band will require more than a single 13amp socket! Yet another aspect to consider when deciding upon a wedding venue is checking whether or not they currently have a noise limiter in place. These are electronic devices that some venues have installed that indicate to the band (ordinarily via a traffic light system) any time they are performing louder than the venue can permit. Some wedding bands will adhere completely to this and additionally turn their volume down to a level that is within the limit set or more the meter will lead to a temporary power cut to a band’s equipment. Nonetheless other bands that have a complete line-up with drummer together with bass player will have difficulty performing at a minimal volume level and might possibly decline to perform at such a venue. A power-cut can easily cause long term harm to their costly equipment!! If your wedding venue has a Noise limiter set up it’s vital to let the band know before you reserve them for your big event. Most venues have a specified area for bands to set up in. It’s advisable to verify with them that this area will be accessible when the band arrives. In cases where your wedding venue is not used to having wedding bands on a regular basis, make certain a suitable space is going to be left clear for when ever the band turn up. After setting up ones own equipment, the band will need somewhere to get changed and also to keep their belongings. Quite a few venues, particularly hotels, may have a spare room or conference room that they will likely be pleased to allow the band take advantage of.

Finally – Getting hitched is one of the most extremely significant occasions in any one person’s life, as well as being simply natural to wish to celebrate it in the most luxurious way possible. Whether or not your big day is a bit of a way off, you have possibly given some thought to the wedding party and entertainment. Your entertainment is not surprisingly an fundamental component of any wedding celebration, and selecting the most ideal one will substantially contribute to the success of your wedding event.

Source: ArticlesBase.com