Would/does your band do WEDDINGS? Are they that bad?

[retslock]

If you haven’t seen it yet, I recommend “The Complete Book Of Jobbing” written by Steve Hashimoto - a bass player from Chicago I believe. It is very funny - he speaks from experience obviously - and if you’ve done weddings you will see the truth in it. It’s a good read.

 

[BazzaBass]

There seems to be quite a bit of "dislike" out there for playing weddings. Curious why this is exactly? Have done the bar/restaurant/winery scene for a while now, along with special events, so exploring other options. Have not formulated my question very well, but you get the idea.

My band has considered doing more modern dance music, as well as 60-70's disco/funk stuff. Doing so mainly because we like the music, and people really seem to love our handful of dance tunes (Uptown Funk, LeFreak, Bust a Move, etc...), it always makes them dance. But we also talked about how more playing opportunities might open if we leaned in that direction, and so weddings came into the conversation.



Peace

I’ve always like @Jimmy4string scale
Best and worst paying bands
1. Wedding\ Corporate
1 A. Tribute band (can do really well or not well at all depending)
2. High end bar band -good harmonies, good show -including lights, dress the part -good musicians
3. Low end bar band
4. Garage\ Dad bands
4 A. street minstrel
5. dude at home playing with computer

 

[dbsfgyd1]

There seems to be quite a bit of "dislike" out there for playing weddings. Curious why this is exactly? Have done the bar/restaurant/winery scene for a while now, along with special events, so exploring other options. Have not formulated my question very well, but you get the idea.

My band has considered doing more modern dance music, as well as 60-70's disco/funk stuff. Doing so mainly because we like the music, and people really seem to love our handful of dance tunes (Uptown Funk, LeFreak, Bust a Move, etc...), it always makes them dance. But we also talked about how more playing opportunities might open if we leaned in that direction, and so weddings came into the conversation.



Peace

The band I work with in Richmond plays hits from the 40s to today, gets wedding gigs mainly because of our diverse play list, but this bunch can also rock in a bar with the best of them when needed. Think of this, we can cover cocktail music, a dance band, to a power trio, to disco, to power pop, R&B, and Motown.

On our last gig, we played in order as we closed out a set: I Want to Dance With Somebody, As Time Goes By, Tennessee Whiskey, Don’t Stop Believing, Uptown Funk. One thing for sure, swapping genres at a drop of a hat keeps your head in the game.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

View attachment 4042756
View attachment 4042755

At the end, everybody said we were the best wedding band ever. We yelled "That's because we're not a wedding band." Here's a couple more pictures:

Yeah, you bet we're a bar band.

Just for fun: Dr B diggin' the scenery.

 

[jmlee]

 

[the yeti]

I want to add to my post that I think the dislike comes from the fact that many people are still thinking weddings gigs are what they were in 1990. Having to be able to sight read, having to have the ability to play ANYTHING on the spot, playing for 4 hours straight, yada, yada...

Most of the successful bands in my area AREN'T doing that. We have a DJ that comes along with us that fills in to make sure music is happening all night - and to be certain that we never miss a request. I understand that some couples may not want that (and we will accommodate them if that's the case), but my experience tells me that most do. It gives them the best of both worlds.

If it's my gig I ALWAYS have my laptop set up for this reason.... not gonna pay somebody to press "play" though.

 

[retslock]

The band I work with in Richmond plays hits from the 40s to today, gets wedding gigs mainly because of our diverse play list, but this bunch can also rock in a bar with the best of them when needed. Think of this, we can cover cocktail music, a dance band, to a power trio, to disco, to power pop, R&B, and Motown.

On our last gig, we played in order as we closed out a set: I Want to Dance With Somebody, As Time Goes By, Tennessee Whiskey, Don’t Stop Believing, Uptown Funk. One thing for sure, swapping genres at a drop of a hat keeps your head in the game.

It’s all music. It’s we who create the divisions.

 

[Joe Nerve]

If it's my gig I ALWAYS have my laptop set up for this reason.... not gonna pay somebody to press "play" though.

Our DJs run the whole show... the intros, the announcements, all that stuff. They also have complete DJ setups - its a little more than just pressing play .

I thought I had a better picture, but the DJ stuff starts at the left. This is what our sound/lights/dj setup looks like though...

 

[the yeti]

Our DJs run the whole show... the intros, the announcements, all that stuff. They also have complete DJ setups - its a little more than just pressing play .

I thought I had a better picture, but the DJ stuff starts at the left. This is what our sound/lights/dj setup looks like though...

View attachment 4043384

Yeah I get that, but the net effect to the person who wanted "song "x" and instantly got it is the same. Cost to benefit is my point.

 

[the yeti]

@Joe Nerve it just occurred to me I'm in the south. People are definitely less discerning about such things here lol. Poorer too. Either way both options work and if you get asked for a Limp Bizkit style rendition of Faith you're definitely prepared lol.

 

[TheDirtyLowDown]

Yes, I've played big and small weddings, both in my current band (funk/jazz/blues) and in a country band, and in an earlier bluegrass band. Yes, the money is good. It's no big deal working up the new material -- we almost always accomodated the requests made in advance, and it's good to make a happy event happier with music and a little more spit-and-polish than we'd normally have at a random bar gig. All cool.

My dislike about being the wedding band is that even the best weddings are usually fraught with stress. The logistics, the complicated decorations, the food and clothing, the family drama including embarassing drunk uncles/aunts, etc all add to the stress for the wedding party and planners. It's their party and that's their business, of course, but that built up stress can land on you in a heartbeat if something goes wrong. So you smile and navigate the icebergs when a circuit breaker blows in a 'historic' old venue, or one of the groom's friends decides that he's a singer and wants to sit in, or the bride requests that you play louder but the bride's mother overrules on account of the grandparent table, etc.

I'm always happy to play and watch people dance, especially 20-somethings in the younger wedding parties, but I'm also a little more on edge than I am otherwise.

 

[friskinator]

Does the band get to eat? Who doesn't love those mini quiche things?

We rarely got to eat the same meal as the guests. It happened occasionally if there was a buffet, but for the most part, our food was a depressing sandwich tray or pizzas. The client “forgot” our food on more than one occasion, which was fun when the venue was a golf resort in the middle of nowhere.

We had some wedding gigs that were overall positive and fun where were treated extremely well, but also very many where we were treated like “the help” and not talent. I don’t really miss doing them in general.

 

[electracoyote]

We rarely got to eat the same meal as the guests. It happened occasionally if there was a buffet, but for the most part, our food was a depressing sandwich tray or pizzas. The client “forgot” our food on more than one occasion, which was fun when the venue was a golf resort in the middle of nowhere.

We had some wedding gigs that were overall positive and fun where were treated extremely well, but also very many where we were treated like “the help” and not talent. I don’t really miss doing them in general.

That is dependent on the leadership. My musicians were treated with respect and ate well at all private events where food was served. Usually, I negotiated a plate or trip to the same buffet as the guests, plus a couple of drink tickets, and put it in the contract. Once in awhile we had to settle for a "vendor meal" box lunch or the client sprang for pizzas for the band, but those were the exception and only if the money was crazy good. For extra $$$ my players understood they might have to settle for a PBJ or bring their own. Sometimes we had time to run down the street for a decent meal, and because of the price I negotiated, the client paid for it whether they realized it or not. All that and much more is negotiated and contracted in advance by the BL. It's true that if you let the client take advantage and twist you around their finger, they will do it.

Someone made the point earlier that private events can be stressful, and that is true, especially the really deep pocket stuff. Even in the ideal the expectations are high and the details seemingly endless. All of these clients expect the perfect day, regardless of the fee, and they can sometimes be a little over-demanding to the point of unreasonable. Sometimes it stems from ignorance; most of these clients rarely plan parties, don't work with entertainers often, and they can inadvertently paint the entertainment into a very tight corner without realizing it. But in the process of making sure you can do your job without stressing out your players, there is nothing wrong with a gentle primer in hiring a band and outlining some steps the client can take to remove some of the pressure. I would explain to the client that the less pressured we are, and the more the logistics favored us, the better product and dance party we could deliver, and whenever possible those details were outlined in the contract. That usually did the trick, but I have declined to contract with some clients because of unreasonable and inflexible expectations. There is no point agreeing to a bad fit, having a horrible experience, and risking your reputation in the process.

 

[friskinator]

That is dependent on the leadership. My musicians were treated with respect and ate well at all private events where food was served. Usually, I negotiated a plate or trip to the same buffet as the guests, plus a couple of drink tickets, and put it in the contract. Once in awhile we had to settle for a "vendor meal" box lunch or the client sprang for pizzas for the band, but those were the exception and only if the money was crazy good. For extra $$$ my players understood they might have to settle for a PBJ or bring their own. Sometimes we had time to run down the street for a decent meal, and because of the price I negotiated, the client paid for it whether they realized it or not. All that and much more is negotiated and contracted in advance by the BL. It's true that if you let the client take advantage and twist you around their finger, they will do it.

Someone made the point earlier that private events can be stressful, and that is true, especially the really deep pocket stuff. Even in the ideal the expectations are high and the details seemingly endless. Those clients expect the perfect day and they can sometimes be a little over-demanding to the point of unreasonable. Sometimes it stems from ignorance; most of these clients rarely plan parties, don't work with entertainers often, and they can inadvertently paint the entertainment into a very tight corner without realizing it. But in the process of making sure you can do your job without stressing out your players, there is nothing wrong with a gentle primer in hiring a band and outlining some steps the client can take to remove some of the pressure. I would explain to the client that the less pressured we are, and the more the logistics favored us, the better product and dance party we could deliver, and whenever possible those details were outlined in the contract. That usually did the trick, but I have declined to contract with some clients because of unreasonable and inflexible expectations.

You are correct. Unfortunately, our agent was only concerned with keeping the client happy and not very concerned with our needs. We had plenty of shows where portions of the contract were violated before we even played, but our BL wasn’t the kind of guy to speak up. And when he did, the agent always told us to just suck it up and do the gig. It’s probably the biggest reason I left the band.

 

[Jimmy4string]

I’ve always like @Jimmy4string scale
Best and worst paying bands
1. Wedding\ Corporate
1 A. Tribute band (can do really well or not well at all depending)
2. High end bar band -good harmonies, good show -including lights, dress the part -good musicians
3. Low end bar band
4. Garage\ Dad bands
4 A. street minstrel
5. dude at home playing with computer

Sadly i tried to push our band up to high end bar band but we never made it past low end. There is a reason we are "hell yeah and the maybes"

 

[the yeti]

That is dependent on the leadership. My musicians were treated with respect and ate well at all private events where food was served. Usually, I negotiated a plate or trip to the same buffet as the guests, plus a couple of drink tickets, and put it in the contract. Once in awhile we had to settle for a "vendor meal" box lunch or the client sprang for pizzas for the band, but those were the exception and only if the money was crazy good. For extra $$$ my players understood they might have to settle for a PBJ or bring their own. Sometimes we had time to run down the street for a decent meal, and because of the price I negotiated, the client paid for it whether they realized it or not. All that and much more is negotiated and contracted in advance by the BL. It's true that if you let the client take advantage and twist you around their finger, they will do it.

Someone made the point earlier that private events can be stressful, and that is true, especially the really deep pocket stuff. Even in the ideal the expectations are high and the details seemingly endless. All of these clients expect the perfect day, regardless of the fee, and they can sometimes be a little over-demanding to the point of unreasonable. Sometimes it stems from ignorance; most of these clients rarely plan parties, don't work with entertainers often, and they can inadvertently paint the entertainment into a very tight corner without realizing it. But in the process of making sure you can do your job without stressing out your players, there is nothing wrong with a gentle primer in hiring a band and outlining some steps the client can take to remove some of the pressure. I would explain to the client that the less pressured we are, and the more the logistics favored us, the better product and dance party we could deliver, and whenever possible those details were outlined in the contract. That usually did the trick, but I have declined to contract with some clients because of unreasonable and inflexible expectations. There is no point agreeing to a bad fit, having a horrible experience, and risking your reputation in the process.

This is the way.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

It’s all music. It’s we who create the divisions.

isn’t that the truth???

 

[2milehighspike]

For me the songs are the deal breaker, if I ever have to play Mustang Sally, Brown Eyed Girl, YMCA, Celebration, and Daddy's Little Girl I think I will hurl.

Dirk

Many years ago I played ina band that did a lot of corporate and wedding gigs that had to play those very songs, along some ABBA gems among others thrown in. Just painful! I’d rather play a biker rally! At least they like classic rock.

 

[Groove Doctor]

An Originals Band I was in played at a wedding reception. The couple met on a blind date at one of our gigs (mutual friend set them up). They both loved our music (acoustic/pop) and that helped spark their relationship.

We played only our original music as background music at the request of the bride and groom. The Groom during his speech even promoted our gigs and CDs for sale.

Yes - we actually did sell CDs at a Wedding.

 

[Joebone]

As a trombonist, when I came off of road gigs to finish college, I played with a high-end wedding/corporate band - I made union scale, I worked a lot, and played with excellent musicians. Two of the guitarists that cycled through that band went on to major pit work for musicals - one is the first-call guy in Philly (and the author of "Standing in the Shadows of Motown"), and the other has been doing Broadway for decades. My trumpet-playing partner in brass remains one of my closest friends, for more than 40 years and a continent away. The band had a strong handle on klezmer - they truly played idiomatically - and I was honored to be the token goy (This of course, after a four-year road experience as the token caucasian). During cocktails and dinner we played standards and could get away with some pretty adventurous stuff, pushing each other, as long as it was mellow. I continued with this band, on and off, for several years when I had gaps, or was off from law school. My chops, eyes and ears were enhanced, and as much as we bitched and moaned about the bandleader/office raking in real money, we all treasured the comradeship that came from playing at a high level, together. Net net - the gig is what you and your fellow musicians make it to be - good players lead to good times.

EDIT - I forgot to mention that the band stayed current with pop and dance tunes, and had an extensive library of tunes and grooves, including well-arranged medleys of tunes from American Songbook writers like Kern, Porter, etc., Motown, and more. We never rehearsed - we regularly sight-read new material on the gig, and also had a bunch of unwritten arrangements - I got the gig (which was usually a tenor sax seat) because I have some ability to harmonize on the fly, and quickly spiced up a lot of these head arrangements. We'd also resort to the Real Book for standards. The band worked a lot because it did stay on top of things, the level of musicianship was high, and the bandleader/front office was well connected within the upper-middle class, along with strong word of mouth. The BL was not a great singer (our drummer, OTOH, sang great, and later led his own band) but a good businessman, and he knew how to run a party and interface with those who hired us. And the band did not do what a lot of WASP-y contemporaries were doing - you have not lived the whitebread life until you've heard "Something in the Way She Moves" done as a sprightly and trivializing two-step. In covering pop tunes, we tried to be faithful to the grooves.