Why should I consider a band for my wedding entertainment?

Those of you who know me will know how much I champion live music at any large scale event. It has the ability to get everyone up on the dance floor and really motivate the most stagnant of crowds, however the key is finding the right music for your occasion. With hundreds of bands out there how do you select the one best for you?

It is key that you do your homework. Listen to their music, consult people who have used them before and if possible go and listen live to what they can do. Live music will always sounds better than a recording or video you find online. It can be a big disappointment if on the day they don't turn out to be what you expect.

If you're unsure on where to start I can certainly recommend UPTOWN MUSIC. I had the pleasure of meeting with Mark Seacombe recently who explained more the bands he manages.

Like me, Mark is a people person. His customer contact, attention to detail and willingness to make anything work is a credit to him and his business. If you want someone who is going to be interactive with you, offer you a wonderful service and go above and beyond what you expect from an entertainer then this is certainly the place to go to find your perfect band. He kindly answered a few questions for me so you can read more for yourself about him and what UPTOWN MUSIC have to offer.

A bit about Marks background and how his business has developed?

I decided to give event managing a go after being a gigging musician for 20 years. My bands had been getting busier and I wondered how it would work on a grander scale.

Style of music?

We have everything from Jazz Duos for the ceremony and 4 - 5 piece Rock and Pop bands through to our showpiece band Brand New Groove who have played at a number of celebrity events and everywhere form Barcelona to Abu Dhabi.

Great first dance songs?

We’ve played a whole range over the years, classics like Let’s Stay Together by Al Green are always popular and one of my favourites is Les Fleurs by Minnie Ripperton which is a really cool 70s track. We are happy to record the couples first dance for them so they can keep a copy and listen to it whenever they feel like it!

Song requests?

Our bands have a repertoire list of around 200 songs and clients can also make up to 5 requests that don’t feature on the list. We also offer a free DJ service which gives clients the perfect opportunity to include all of their favourite songs if the band can’t play them live.

Listen live before booking?

We host showcases a couple of times a year where you can see the band play live.

Lighting/special effects?

We have lighting which creates a lovely effect for the stage and dance floor, this can be enhanced by hiring in additional lighting.

Music between sets?

This is offered free of charge on all bookings so music is covered all night long.

Set up?

Most of our bands can be set up within 45 minutes

Costs?

Our popular 4 piece bands start at around £1000 mark with our larger acts starting at £2000.

What will happen if a band member is sick on the day?

20 years of working in the industry has meant hat we have an incredible of musicians that can perform with any of our acts.