Archive for April, 2010

Duo’s & Trio’s for Functions and Large Events

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

Having written a blog post on wedding bands I thought I’d branch out this week into different types of musical entertainment available and also that we’ll start to move away from weddings – there’s a huge array of events we can cover so in my posts I’ll avoid mentioning just weddings!

Largely in this post I’m going to mention duo’s & trio’s though if you are thinking of booking a solo act then feel free to read my next post for my suggestions.

Solo, duo’s & trio’s are available UK wide and are a fabulous entertainment addition to any type of celebration, of course weddings included here but we’re talking corporate functions, professional events, birthday parties or any gig that requires professional musical entertainment. Why? Personally I think you get extra value if you can afford to stretch to such a band in the first place as I think duo’s & trio’s offer a little more by way of different singing styles, offering harmonies and they’re most likely going to have a larger support band too.

You also have specialist bands (again, we’ll cover that in one of my future blog posts) that can offer you tributes to a favourite band or to a favourite type of music – this can be themed to your function and famously is a memorable way of adding ambience and atmosphere to a larger function or event.

Negatives:

I just had to mention that there are some drawbacks to booking duos & trios – but not many – because my posts wouldn’t be neutral if I didn’t, and because I think at the early stages in planning any large event you need to weigh up all avenues before going ahead with bookings.

* Specialist bands or duo’s & trio’s can be expensive and larger deposits required compared to other forms of musical entertainment

* Larger bands may not suit a smaller more personal venue, or indeed there may be noise limits at your chosen venue

* Its doubtful that bands will play without breaks so an extra part of your budget and your planning will be taken up with who or what can play in the intervals

* Larger deposits may be required

Hopefully that helps you if you’re planning an event this year or next, keep coming back as I’m updating my posts again soon

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DJ Agencies – Don’t Just Book DJ Smith Out Of The Yellow Pages

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

From around £200 upwards you can hire DJs through DJ Agencies who can help you plan your entertainment whether it’s a party DJ, wedding DJ or you need a corporate DJ.

If you contact DJs directly you may find that DJ has a particular set that he/she plays regardless of your tastes so if you choose to approach it in this way then I’d suggest you contact three to four and compare their playlists, check to see if they can offer you some different era’s of music and if they are happy to play requests at your party.

Should you choose the option to approach DJ Agencies you may have a little more choice, I’ve listed a few of those options you might face below:

Corporate DJs

Expect high end presentation and high quality sound & tunage with experience in attending large venues and of course your DJ should be well used to dealing with a tough dance crowd!

Corporate DJs should offer variety though as not all corporate events are at large venues, as well you know! So check that your DJ can alter the set to provide the same great atmosphere at a smaller more personal venue too.

Party DJs

Whether its your local party DJ or Pete Tong you want at your bash then you need to think about one thing, can they play music you want?

Do you want heavy house for a young crowd that’s hard to please or do you fancy pop music for the varied ages of guests at your party? Ask the right questions and you’ll end up with a party that’s remembered for all the right reasons.

Wedding DJs

DJ Agencies always have an option to offer a DJ and often a compere for your wedding reception. The best thing about an agency is that they can arrange travel and overnight stays for the DJ you have chosen so that you can focus on other important aspects of organising your big day.

I hope this helps you see just some of the different DJs available because booking a DJ isn’t just about booking DJ Donkey that plays at the local pub, its about hiring a professional that caters for your needs and not his or hers!

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