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Posted

Being a wedding thread, just wondered if any other Basschat members played at one of the weddings for Living TVs Four Weddings program, first aired last night. Goes on for a few weeks so a lot of bands maybe, hopefully not too many discos.
We were on the first wedding last night, Mel Boorman I think being the bride. Not enough footage of the band although a nice split second close up shot of my Shuker 5.

Posted

[quote name='whynot' post='534705' date='Jul 7 2009, 02:30 PM']Being a wedding thread, just wondered if any other Basschat members played at one of the weddings for Living TVs Four Weddings program, first aired last night. Goes on for a few weeks so a lot of bands maybe, hopefully not too many discos.
We were on the first wedding last night, Mel Boorman I think being the bride. Not enough footage of the band although a nice split second close up shot of my Shuker 5.[/quote]

No but my band has been featured several times on that (put's tongue in cheek) well known tv channel 'Wedding TV'....... Oh the dizzy heights of playing in a wedding band......

Posted

[quote name='crez5150' post='534722' date='Jul 7 2009, 02:45 PM']No but my band has been featured several times on that (put's tongue in cheek) well known tv channel 'Wedding TV'....... Oh the dizzy heights of playing in a wedding band......[/quote]
Yes we've popped up on Wedding TV as well so I've been told, although never seen it myself.

  • 4 months later...
Posted

Over on the [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=68808&view=findpost&p=667036"]"Should my Blues Band take a Corporate Gig? NiceGuyHomer" [/url] thread, Maxrossell added this very pertinent point from the booking person's perspective that should be here too:


Maxrossell said:
I've never played a corporate gig, but I have booked a handful of them. The rules I followed:

1. Book a professional corporates/weddings band with lots of experience and great references

2. Said band should have a set made up of about 80%-95% #1 or at least immensely popular chart numbers, and no original material

3. Said band needs to submit the setlist at least one working week before the event so it can be reviewed and possibly modified to suit the event organisation


That's why these acts get paid so chuffing much - you need to be sure that they won't go down like a knackered lift, so the above three criteria are absolutely essential, because when I did it if the band went down badly it was my arse on the line.

I don't know if the dude trying to book you guys is under the same sort of pressure as I was (usually entertaining bosses from California and BAe clients), but as far as I can tell from the description of your act and your youtube video, you don't meet any of the three criteria (except maybe number three, but without the other two it's sort of irrelevant). I mean absolutely no criticism by this, but the bunch of pissed old stoners down my local live music/open mic bar would find a straight electric blues act hard to get into, so a bunch of suits at an event they may not even have particularly wanted to attend is going to be tougher going than damp concrete.

That being said, if you fancy the money then take the gig and hopefully it'll go well, but as you say you're in this for the enjoyment, and I'm not sure you'll get much of that from a crowd who probably think that a blues harp is a big triangular frame with lots of strings on it, painted blue.

  • 3 months later...
Posted (edited)

Our first ever wedding next month

Check the set:

Streetlight manifesto - keesbey nights
reel big fish - Beer
less than jake - all my best friends.....
goldfinger - superman
madness - one step beyond
jesse james - shoes
the specials - little bitch
spunge - kickin pigeons

Check the lyrics to 'Shoes' hehe... I'm still stumped as why you'd want that played at your wedding tho

I'm looking forward to playing. Hopefully we'll get some more Ska/Punk rocker weddings to do out of it if we play well!


Chris

Edited by Basska
Posted

[quote name='Basska' post='776857' date='Mar 17 2010, 12:34 AM']Our first ever wedding next month

Check the set:

Streetlight manifesto - keesbey nights
reel big fish - Beer
less than jake - all my best friends.....
goldfinger - superman
madness - one step beyond
jesse james - shoes
the specials - little bitch
spunge - kickin pigeons

Check the lyrics to 'Shoes' hehe... I'm still stumped as why you'd want that a wedding tho

I'm looking forward to playing. Hopefully we'll get some more Ska/Punk rocker weddings to do out of it if we play well!


Chris[/quote]

is that the whole set? :)

Posted (edited)

I have my first 'wedding' gig booked in a forest up in Scotland, (I have yet to be told the location). The date is in June.

Basically, the couple want a 'festival' wedding, and we are playing along with some other rock cover/originals bands. The money is quite good and we are getting put up and fed/watered.

Quite looking forward to it. Apparently they are erecting a proper stage for it, obviously covered in case of bad weather.

Edited by Musicman20
Posted

[quote name='OldGit' post='777084' date='Mar 17 2010, 10:16 AM']is that the whole set? :)[/quote]

Nahh. We've to throw a couple of our own songs in there aswell. We don't know which ones we're gunna play yet. Going to ask the bride what she wants as soon as we can get a hold of her

Chris

Posted (edited)

[quote name='Basska' post='778177' date='Mar 18 2010, 01:44 AM']Nahh. We've to throw a couple of our own songs in there aswell. We don't know which ones we're gunna play yet. Going to ask the bride what she wants as soon as we can get a hold of her

Chris[/quote]


Sounds like a fun night in prospect :rolleyes:
I assume no traditional family members are invited :)

Edited by OldGit
Posted

I think it's the whole package of family and cake :)

I was looking through my e-mail and I forgot to ask you... Sound reflectors! I need to get 2 from you. I'll PM you when!

Chris

Posted

[quote name='Basska' post='782339' date='Mar 22 2010, 03:52 AM']I was looking through my e-mail and I forgot to ask you... Sound reflectors! I need to get 2 from you. I'll PM you when![/quote]

Feel free :)

  • 1 month later...
Posted

lots of comments about mustang sally

a guitarist I play with at present, told me recently he can't remember a gig in the last 16 years where he had not played it!

Posted

[quote name='lojo' post='843576' date='May 20 2010, 09:37 PM']lots of comments about mustang sally

a guitarist I play with at present, told me recently he can't remember a gig in the last 16 years where he had not played it![/quote]


Sort of an in joke around these parts... :)

  • 5 weeks later...
Posted

We've just been asked to play a first dance at a wedding, Run by Snow Patrol then stop after 1st chorus say "this is sh*t" and play the dance version of Crack the Shutters by Snow Patrol, yes that's the dance-mix version. We've advised the bride & groom we don't think it'll work as it may seem a bit of an in joke, but wondering what the seasoned wedding band players think? Been playing weddings for years myself, and we'll probably try because we don't want to appear arsey about not playing it. Any thoughts?

Posted

[quote name='largo' post='871716' date='Jun 19 2010, 02:01 PM']We've just been asked to play a first dance at a wedding, Run by Snow Patrol then stop after 1st chorus say "this is sh*t" and play the dance version of Crack the Shutters by Snow Patrol, yes that's the dance-mix version. We've advised the bride & groom we don't think it'll work as it may seem a bit of an in joke, but wondering what the seasoned wedding band players think? Been playing weddings for years myself, and we'll probably try because we don't want to appear arsey about not playing it. Any thoughts?[/quote]


They are paying, you've done your bit by saying you don't think it will work.

However what I'd do is have the bride and groom storm the stage yelling "Stop! stop! stop! This is sh1t!!" so it is clear it's their choice to stop playing it and not yours ...

A subtle dfferrence and lot more appropriate, IMV. Then it's her fault and not yours if it bombs ..

  • 3 months later...
Posted

I did my first string of wedding gigs this summer and I'm curious about one thing: as much as i agree with playing all the old stuff (i once played a birthday where all songs released post 1985 were prohibited), why are wedding bands so afraid to play anything from the last 10 years? the 90s i understand, it was either thumping house or plodding indie, but i find 'sex on fire' and 'mr brightside' get everyone up, and black horse and the cherry tree always gets a few ladies dancing :). i think my question is what test does a new song have to pass before it gets added to the list?

  • 6 months later...
Posted

We've got our first wedding bookings coming up this summer and they've all been booked off the strength of the set we take into pubs and social clubs - bit of a mix of everything as long as it's a toe-tapping dancefloor filler. Certainly not shying away from recent stuff.
Many couples getting married now are what? Twenties, thirties? Doubtful many remember the sixties or even seventies. Throw in a few oldies to keep Auntie Ethel happy but give the majority of the crowd what they want...

  • 6 months later...
Posted

I echo most of what the seasoned wedding band performers like myself have said here.
Especially regarding how you treat the gig - you're employed like the caterers and bar to provide A SERVICE.

Regarding newer songs, yeah, we do them too, but there's a simple test it has to pass.
We never ever hear something and just go with it unproven.
It has to prove itself in terms of longevity with airplay on TV and radio.
Once it's proven that, it's good to go.

I give you as examples a couple of recent recruits, Jessie J, price tag - Adele, Rolling in the deep.
All current but already in the public consciousness, so good to go.

Remember, a wedding band's repertoire will be filled with 'classics', a song has to be a classic of sorts to get in for me.

And yes, I've played Mr Brightside, sex on fire and do you want by Franz Ferdinand as part of wedding sets.
They help the younger team get on the dance floor and the 40 something will follow them on, just the way the younger audience will follow the 40 somethings onto the flloor when you're playing young hearts.

The only thing I would counter is that much as you're there to provide a service and some say they're not 'your' audience, I say it's your job to make them your audience. That's the sign of a good function band. Nobody went to the function expecting to be raving about how good the band were and saying how they made the day, but everybody came home having done just that.

One last thing, promise.
You need to be a good player, that's for sure, but your vocals are way way more important than that. EVH solos not necessary and you'll be the only one in the room who's heard of Victor Wootten, but if you have good singers and a tight band, you're already part of the way there.

Enjoy.

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

[quote name='JohnFitzgerald' timestamp='1319362859' post='1412983']

just the way the younger audience will follow the 40 somethings onto the flloor when you're playing young hearts.


[/quote]

You play "Young Hearts" at weddings? As in "What's the use of sharing this one and only life, ending up as someone's lost and lonely wife" :) Tell me you don't do "Band of Gold" as well?

Posted

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1321018111' post='1434406']
You play "Young Hearts" at weddings? As in "What's the use of sharing this one and only life, ending up as someone's lost and lonely wife" :) Tell me you don't do "Band of Gold" as well?
[/quote]
The Ballad of Tom Jones too? This could be a thread - "The most innapropriate wedding songs"

Posted

[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1321023076' post='1434506']
The Ballad of Tom Jones too? This could be a thread - "The most innapropriate wedding songs"
[/quote]

Someone on a (much) earlier post had 'I Will Survive' on their setlist.

'Every Breath You Take' seems to be quite standard. One day I'll get a chance to play Zappa's 'Bobby Brown'.

  • 2 months later...
Posted

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1203498533' post='143530']
We're a slightly rockier modern covers band and we get plenty of weddings. People who are getting married now are (mostly) the younger generation, IMO they don't want WetWetWet and Robson & Jerome. We're doing a wedding in August where we've been asked if we can do some Rage Against The Machine........oh yesss ;)

Si
[/quote]
Quoted for Truth. My previous project to my current ones was the same sort of music, and people in their late twenties and early 30s are the current target audience. Sex on fire, Bon Jovi, Foo's, Muse are all good wedding game now

  • 2 months later...
Posted

Talk about late to the party.....

Yep, we do young hearts at weddings.

People generally miss that line.

All they hear is 'young hearts, run free' and assume you must be talking about them.

So it seems anyway.
It's never failed to fill the dance floor.
Not once.

We live in Scotland, we're weird that way.

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