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Live bands for weddings

The choices of wedding entertainment and music can vary a lot from person to person, but most wedding reception music includes jazz or classical of some sort, followed by a more 'dancey' wedding band for the evening entertainment. Our wedding bands cover the whole of London so check them out if you live in the big city! If not, we've got the rest of the UK covered with our selection of UK Wedding Bands. Try searching for "musicians London" if you can`t find what you are looking for.

Wedding Entertainment

Choosing the right wedding ceremony music and wedding reception music is essential to the success of any wedding so hiring a quality wedding entertainer and wedding music band is paramount! For other services like wedding dj's, please visit our entertainment services page.

Entertainment directory

Our UK entertainment directory covers the whole of the UK and is packed full of jazz bands, string quartets, function bands, harpists etc. that can be booked for public or private events. You can also book party bands, Latin bands, rock and pop bands, singers, guitarists and pianists. Live Bands for Hire. View our complete list of members or start a new search from the navigation bar near the top of any page.

Find a Band

Hiring a live band for the first time can be daunting! If you are looking to find a band in London or the surrounding areas, we can help. If you are at all unsure about any of the bands featured on our site, or if you have any questions related to booking live music in general, we're always happy to help. If you need help finding the right band for you please get in touch via our contact page. We have a specific page for Birthday Party Bands which features some of our picks. You can also watch video clips of our bands in action on our band videos page.

Popular Dates in 2013

Every year there are a few dates which get booked up really quickly. Here are some dates in 2013 that we expect to be very busy so if your event corresponds to any of these then please make sure that you arrange all of your entertainment as early as possible.

Spring Bank Holiday Weekend: 25th - 27th May 2013

Summer Bank Holiday Weekend: 24th - 26th August 2013

Tribute Bands

Tribute bands are always popular at events –everyone enjoys dancing to covers.  Make sure you think about the range of guests that will be at your event.  You might not want to book a Bon Jovi tribute band at an event with your grandma present!

Function Bands

Function bands in London are simply live bands that perform at functions.  The function could be an awards ceremony, party, dinner, conference – pretty much any event that requires live music... As there is quite a wide range of styles and standards, shop around a bit and you will find the right function band for you.

Wedding Bands

Good live wedding bands are versatile in terms of style and usually try to cater for the wide range of tastes your guests are likely to have. Please see our wedding music page for more information about wedding band hire. as well as tips on how to plan your perfect day.

Live Music Regulations in the UK

If live music is performed at in a public setting you may need to think about the regulations that govern live music in the UK. Music licensing is a hot topic at the moment as there have recently been changes to the Live Music Bill. There is now an exemption to the Licensing Act that applies when "the live music entertainment takes place in the presence of an audience if no more than 200 persons". The changes should be hugely beneficial to young musicians who are looking for experience performing live as well as to smaller venues. To be safe, it’s best to check with your venue to make sure live music is permitted and they have any relevant permission required in their local area.

Equipment

Most live bands for hire are self-contained so will provide their own instruments and sound equipment. Some have lighting systems, but most will charge extra for this or recommend a third party supplier for you to use. If you are booking live music abroad it is more common for the larger equipment (like drums, keyboards, PA system etc.) to be supplied by a local hire company.

Transport & Parking

Live bands tend to have their own transport by car, van or tour bus. They normally require parking close to the venue and will need to get as close as possible to load in their equipment.

Band Riders

Lots of bands will have a rider that they can send to you before you book to check their exact requirements. They will probably ask for soft drinks and a meal (depending on the event times). Musicians often have a long journey to and from events so a good meal is always appreciated – remember a hungry musician is not a happy musician so won’t give their best performance!

Entertainment Agency

LastMinuteMusicians.com entertainment agency is a one-stop shop for all your entertainment needs! Our London-based band agency can provide live entertainers to perform for wedding ceremonies and receptions, or music for parties / corporate events. We also have entertainment articles to help you with event planning as well as our entertainment resources section.

Corporate Entertainment

Live entertainment for a corporate party can be booked online for corporate events held in London and the South East. When you are organising your corporate event entertainment it is likely that you will want to book live music bands as well as a corporate entertainer or two (such as a magician) to keep your guests entertained. Lots of our London wedding bands are also well suited to corporate events.

Live Entertainment

Function Bands for Hire in London

The majority of the function bands we manage are based in London. If you are looking to hire a London function band, or you are in a London or UK function band yourself, please get in touch. We get a lot of enquiries for Covers Bands and Party Bands for weddings, parties and events.

Jazz bands for hire in London

If you're looking for a wedding jazz band or need to hire UK jazz bands for any purpose at all then we can help. We specialise in supplying the best London jazz musicians available today. Whatever you need a jazz band for we can supply one! You can hire jazz musicians instantly online if your event is to be held in London. You could also hire a cocktail pianist or book a jazz trio.

PA System Hire

If you want to hire a PA system (sound system) for your wedding or event then we can help! We have two preset systems that can be booked instantly online. Visit PA Systems Hire for more info. We also supply karaoke systems, jazz groups, bands available, organists, wedding singers for all events. See the entertainment services page for more of our hire services and also to find musicians and Musicians in London.

Bands to Hire

How to choose your band for hire and how much should it cost?

Choosing a band for hire is a major part of organising your event and making the right choice can often mean for your guests the difference between a successful, memorable occasion and a wasted evening out that should quickly be forgotten.

There are, however, thousands of bands out there, as well as numerous agents trying to convince you to part with as much money as possible. Here follows some advice to help make the right choice and avoid the price pitfalls.

Deciding on style and some ideas.

The style of band you choose to hire will reflect the atmosphere you are trying to create at the event. You may be interested in our article on live music entertainment, which will offer more information on this. Style will firstly reflect the purpose of the music in the event; background music, dancing, show case, homage etc and will secondly be in keeping with the tastes of the expected guests.

Any themes designed into the evening should also be reflected by the choice of musical style. For example a rat pack band might be suitable to accompany a 50’s theme night or a movie stars evening, but would not be suitable for an English country garden, or 70’s disco!

For background music, options may include a jazz trio or swing band, a woodwind ensemble or cocktail piano player. A tribute band, 60s-00’s band, function band, funk band or Latin band might cater for dancing, although other popular choices to hire are a big band, a ceilidh band with caller or even a Mexican Mariachi band!

So how much should you pay?

Generally speaking, the price of your band will depend on two things: a) the number of musicians and b) how long they are required for. Remember that you are paying professionals for their time, so even if they are not performing they are still entitled to charge for their time. Keep this in mind when planning your entertainment and try not to have the musicians hanging around for too long.

By the same token, however, bands will also need breaks, usually at least 15 minutes for every hour and an experienced event planner will plan these to coincide with other entertainment or interim periods such as speeches. As a guideline, individual musicians will usually charge between £150 and £300 for most functions.

This will be more if they are required for long periods of time. By multiplying this out therefore, it should be possible to estimate a reasonable cost for the band you are hiring. £900 for example, therefore, would be a high price to pay for a trio. Less than £450 and you might be getting a great bargain, but be sure to exercise caution here.

You usually get what you pay for and scrimping on the price might mean scrimping on the quality too. General good advice for any entertainment service is to make sure you have as much information as possible on an act before engaging them. Professional acts will have promotional packs with information, photos, repertoire and normally audio or visual samples of their work. You can find a band for your event today by using our band search.

Significant extra charges to the above are to be expected if you are booking a ‘name’ or if the band use any particular equipment or include spectacular displays in their performance.

Other reasonable additional expenses, which may be added to the total cost, include travel expenses and any parking. It is customary also to provide bands with food and refreshments, so this should also be budgeted for. Good luck in choosing your band for hire!

To find out more, you can read more about us, or browse our blog.