Find UK Musicians
LastMinuteMusicians.com is the place to find entertainment for any type of event. Whether it be a solo musician for a wedding ceremony or a 18 piece big band, we can always point you in the right direction. All of our staff are musicians themselves and are always willing to offer any advice or help you might need to find the right musician or musicians for your event.
Things to consider...
The first thing to consider when trying to book musicians is location. It could be very costly to hire musicians who are based 200 miles away or more, so try to get local musicians - musicians in your area are much less likely to get stuck in traffic and miss your wedding reception.
Secondly, venue size. Booking a 20 piece salsa band to play in your dining room might not be the best idea! Try to tailor the number of players to the size of your venue and the number of guests you are expecting.
Thirdly and perhaps most important - the age/tastes of your guests and the ambience you wish to achieve. A jazz trio will create an a classy relaxed atmosphere whereas a soul band will get everyone up dancing! Many ensembles can play a mixture of old and new songs to suit everyone's tastes but it is always a good idea to check this with the band before your event. Some musicians will also take requests but remember that the band will have to learn these songs some give them plenty of warning.
What next?
So how much should you pay?
Generally, the price of your band will depend on the number of musicians and how long they are required for. 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, it should be possible to estimate a reasonable cost for the band you are hiring. £900 for example, 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.
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.
Good luck in your hunt to find musicians!
Not found what you're looking for?
Try entertainment directory as a next step. We have an extensive list of some of the best musicians available. Although based in London, our directory serves the whole of the United Kingdom and we can help you find musicians and bands for most types of event.
