All You Need To Know When Hiring Cover Bands

It takes considerable attention to detail and loads of planning and effort to pull off an event, especially since it’s a corporate event. So would you not wish to choose an entertainment act that is bound to produce fruitful results? The simplest answer to all your vows is cover bands.

Hiring cover bands is one of the best and most effective ways to ensure your guests enjoy the evening. It’s an entertainment act that involves your audience and has them grooving in no time. The bands often go around interacting with the guests and sometimes asking for song suggestions to cover next, which is bound to make them happy. The superb arrangements you put together paired with the fantastic entertainment act put up by the band you hire can totally wow your guests. 

But there are some things you should consider before you hire a cover band. 

  1. Know What You Want

Even the best cover bands don’t play every genre of music. Understand your audience to learn about the kind of music they might enjoy and the theme of your venue and event. Based on this, you can look for cover bands that may suit your event the best. 

It is equally important to know what you, as a company/team, wish for the band to play—what you resonate with also matters. If you want to hire a full band to have your guests dance the night away, choose accordingly. But if you are going for a more laid-back, chilled vibe at the event, perhaps, consider hiring a jazz group.

  1. Set Your Budget

Before making the call, settle on a budget, as it’s a crucial part of event management. You don’t want to have a band selected and on-call waiting for you to respond, only to have you tell them that you’re maxed out on your budget. Also, keep in mind that they would charge additional fees for lighting and sound systems, transportation, and agent/broker. 

While entertainment should be top-notch at an important event, you shouldn’t compromise on other essential components for the evening. 

  1. Research Meticulously

Don’t book a band based only on their website or bookie recommendation. Research more about them to know if they’re good at what they do and for how long they’ve been doing it. You can check out public forums for reviews or ask your network for recommendations for some of the best cover bands.

  1. Check Them Out Live

This may or may not be feasible depending on how little time you have until the D-day, but it’s a great practice to check out the band live before hiring them for your own event. Visit a public setting such as a bar, restaurant, or someone else’s event to see just how good the band is. 

  1. Verify Details

Before making the final call, speak to the manager to verify all the details one last time. Verify the number of musicians, the kind of technical equipment they’d need, any additional services they offer, and anything else there is to know. 

You may also take this time to speak about any restrictions or policies the venue exercises to avoid any last-minute troubles. 

  1. Book Early

Cover bands are a trendy entertainment act. Since they fit well in almost any kind of event—corporate, family gatherings, informal parties, personal celebrations—they are always booked. So if you wish to hire a cover band, we suggest you book them as early as possible. Scouting and booking a band is easy on paper, but actually going through the process can be tedious and time-consuming. So, if you are going to organize an event, it would benefit you to begin booking bands as early as possible.