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Wedding band help!!

  • 20-02-2012 6:00pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 39


    I'm looking for some recommendations and advice for our wedding in August 2012. We're getting married in west cork and as we're both musicians and most of our friends are musicians we decided not to look for a wedding band but play ourselves for the night. However, after going to my sisters wedding last week I've changed my mind! I saw how much time has to be spent seeing to guests etc. so now I want a wedding band. I'm looking for a good "Irish" band that will play for a couple of hours that won't sound old fashioned but will play some waltzes, siege of ennis etc. to keep the older guests happy. Then we will take over and play for a couple of hours followed by our friend who's a DJ. We're hoping to try and get a good price as we'll supply the PA and only need them for 2 hours or so. Any recommendations?


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 24,135 ✭✭✭✭Sleepy


    You could try Amazing Apples, they have a fiddle/mandolin player on top of the usual 4 piece and have a good number of traditional songs in their repertoire. They're Galway based but play all over the country.

    In the interests of full disclosure, my brother's the drummer btw.


  • Hosted Moderators Posts: 10,661 ✭✭✭✭John Mason


    we are kind of in the same situation. so we have asked one friend's band to do a set and after that we are having a session.

    everyone has been told bring their singing voices and instruments from being at other parties, this is going to happen anyway :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,889 ✭✭✭clint_silver


    to the op, I play in a wedding band, think of the logistics.

    If youre a 2-3 piece, do you have a PA with all leads, mikes, stands socketboards for a full band? A full band will travel with a van with all this gear in it. Its the same cost to them minus about 3 minutes to put speakers up, the speakers are the easy bit, its the rest thats the problem.

    Now think of the time, most hotels (nearly all) will finish food and speeches 15 minutes either side of 9pm, 45 minutes for band to setup, 2-2.5 hours of music, now you set up and play for how long? and you want a DJ as well? do you want to use your own gear or the band who just played? can the band use your gear (see above)?


    note: Im not saying dont do it, just pointing out the logistics. If you're really set on it (and why not), maybe dont have the DJ or set up after the DJ but you must do so with blessing of hotel. lot of hotels wont allow music in ressies bar so clear it with them first. have seen great nights end this way, but anytime Ive seen "crowd musicians" get up during a band, the night gets REALLY messy unless its only for 1-2 guest songs pre-organised with band.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,722 ✭✭✭silly




  • Registered Users Posts: 1,371 ✭✭✭john_cappa


    http://www.thepaddies.com/

    Brilliant! But not cheap!


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  • Registered Users Posts: 4,503 ✭✭✭smelltheglove


    Time wise you may not have the time for 2 bands plus a dj. A couple of suggestions:

    For my own wedding we had a friends band, my hubbie and his band mates got up and did a few songs here and there and after the break in the set another band who were guests got up and did a few songs too.

    For another friends wedding, groom in bands it was similar, my hubbies band played, letting the friend up and his bandmates at various stages. What I like about this was the dj came on afterwards followed by an intimate 2 piece in the residents lounge, why not try this, get your band for the wedding, followed by dj and take over the residents bar with your own thing afterwards.


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