A few tips for booking a band for your Upstate or Greenville wedding, corporate event or party…

You’ve decided you want a band to provide live entertainment for your function, that’s a great idea!!!  Now, let’s look at what you should do next.

Find a band!

This sounds easy, but it may not be. Before even you start looking, you will need to determine the type of music, whether it is country, rock, jazz, blues or beach, or maybe you want a variety of genres. Once you know the genre/genres, a great resource is Google.

Let’s say you are looking for a band for your wedding reception and you plan to have it in Spartanburg, SC.  Go to Google, and put in a search for, “hire a band for spartanburg wedding reception”. That should turn up a number of results.  If not, you may need to expand a little further, such as, “book a band for upstate sc wedding reception. You can get more specific for sure, with searches such as, “book a fun band for greenville wedding reception”, or “book a country band for greenville wedding”.

Start looking over these sites.  Stay away from the national sites like gigsalad or gig masters that are just booking agencies and referral services which are usually listed at the top of the Google search, and instead go for the bands who have themselves listed with their own domain, or with links to facebook, reverbnation or even myspace.

Make note of interesting looking groups (Hopefully you are in the Upstate, and The Dockside Band looks impressive to you!), bookmark the sites in a new folder.

Now, time to do some research!  Don’t take the word of the band who posted, “We’re the greatest band for your Spartanburg wedding” on their website. They could be and probably are a little biased. Move over to facebook and search for the band there.  Try to find posts from “fans” who interact with them regularly or go back through the timeline and read what has been said.

Check out their scheduled shows. If a band is not booked once a month, then there may be a reason for that.

Next up, ask your friends and family if they have heard of these groups and what group or band they would hire for their own event, or if they have hired a band in the past, ask how that went (would they do it again?).  A referral is always great!

Now, after you have narrowed it down to one or two bands that may meet your desires, it’s time to make contact. Check their webpage or facebook for contact information, and give them a call, shoot them a message or email.

Tell them the type of event you have planned, and ask if they are available that day for an engagement. Once you find out if they are available, then you can start getting the details together.

What does the band need to know? 

  • Date of event
  • How long will they be required to play
  • When do they get to setup (load in)
  • When can they tear down (load out)
  • Will they need special attire (tux, suit)
  • What type of music do you want to hear (dance, upbeat, background)
  • Will there be any special songs that you want played
  • Will they need to bring a PA or does the venue have one
  • Will they need to bring lights or are they provided
  • Will they need to be present at a rehearsal
  • Will any other music be required (tracks played during a break for instance)

The persona representing the band should be able to give you an idea of cost at that point.

How much does it cost? Just like that cake, or your beautiful dress, the sky is the limit. (Expect to pay 100 dollars or more per member, depending on requirements)

Things that may affect the bottom line will include:

Time – If you have a band play a 3 hour engagement, remember it will take them an hour to load in and out, and ideally, 2 hours to load-in and get a sound check. If the venue cannot be accessed immediately before the gig and the band has to setup several hours in advance, then you have multiple members spending many hours that they cannot do anything else.  Example: Band is expected to play from 7 to 10 PM, but has to be setup by 3 PM and have a sound check, means they will be there at 1 PM and leave after 11 PM. That’s 10 hours times the number of band members.  If there are five members, that’s 50 hours, not including drive time and loading up and unloading at their studio, home or storage facility.

Song selection – If the band has to learn new material, they may charge per song due to the rehearsal time invested to learn the new song/s. Look over their selection and see if it will work for you without paying additional money.

Attire – If you require everyone in the group to wear a certain color, or rent a tux, be prepared for that cost to be passed on to you.

Equipment – If you have a particularly large event, that requires additional sound equipment, such as subwoofers, or lighting, or the use of a audio or lighting engineer, then both the time investment has gone up, and the need for this equipment, which could mean rental fees. Don’t skimp here. If a band tells you that due to the size of the venue, you need more than the basic setup, take their advice and be prepared to pay a little more.

After you have nailed down a price to book the band, assuming it is within your budget, it is time to go one step further. Find out where that band is playing and go hear them! Ideally, it would be at a similar event to what you want to hire them for because any one band may have many facets, like the diamond on your finger. Our band plays out at some venues with 3 and 4 pieces, and at others, we might have additional members than our core group, so you could walk into a TDB show find a totally different configuration than you are expecting, and a totally different selection of music.

After witnessing the prospective group first hand, or at least watching some videos or listening to live recordings, it is now time to seal the deal.

Just a note here – If you have not been referred to this band and found them on the internet and it looks like they could be anything but true professionals, ask them for some references, or look at the places they have played and ask the venue owners if everything went well. A little time spent now could save you from grief on your special day!

Expect the band to present you with a contract which simply states that you agree to pay the band X number of dollars for a performance on a certain date. They may have you put up a retainer, which you lose should you cancel the event. These contracts are to protect both you and the band.

After the papers are signed, stay in touch with the band monthly leading up to the month of the event, and weekly in the month prior to the event. You don’t want ANY surprises. Keep checking their facebook to make sure they have not fallen off the face of the earth.

Communicate with the group leader/s and put them in touch with your wedding director/s and the venue owners. Let them figure out the small details and you worry about the big day!

Should you be in the market for a band that plays a variety of music, can custom tailor set lists to be country, classic or southern rock, or beach, and provide you with a professional show with no disappointments, then please, consider The Dockside Band for your special occasion! Call us at 864.979.1224 or use our CONTACT page for more info.

UPDATE: The Dockside Band is no more… But, for a fun and funky, dance and party band for your Upstate area event, be sure to check out the new HOT AS A PEPPER site!

Where are we playing this weekend? We’re booked for a private wedding reception in Greenville.

We received an email from someone wanting to catch a Dockside show this coming weekend, unfortunately I had to inform them that we are not playing at a bar, club, festival or other public event.

Instead, we are playing for a wedding reception here in Greenville that will keep us busy both Friday and Saturday nights.  This should be a lot of fun as we know the bride and groom, and their family and we were  fortunate enough to play for their engagement party too!

So, if you are wanting to catch some great live music, then I’m afraid you will have to wait until the following weekend, May 5th (Cinco De Mayo party anyone?!?!). We will be playing at the Upstate’s coolest Cajun place, Bleu Voodoo in Easley. It’s not just some bar, it is a restaurant with authentic New Orleans decor, vibe and food.   We start at 7pm during the dining time and play until 10pm.  We’ll do all your favorite rock, beach and country tunes, and throw in a few of our own originals. This is a smoke free venue!

Should you be searching for the best live entertainment in the Upstate for your wedding reception, engagement party or anniversary party, please call us. We will do everything we can to make your gathering as memorable and fun as possible.

We’re not limited to just Greenville, Anderson, Clemson, Spartanburg, Pickens, Simpsonville and the rest of the Upstate, we can travel to the coast or to the mountains! Charleston anyone? We’re especially interested in your Hawaii destination wedding!

Hire a professional band today by calling 864.979.1224 or using our booking page.

John M. Hoyt – Bass guitar / Vocal

UPDATE: The Dockside Band is no more… But, for a fun and funky, dance and party band for your Upstate area event, be sure to check out the new HOT AS A PEPPER site!

36.5 Occasions to Hire a Great Band in Greenville / Upstate SC

Some events are just too important for entertainment from a DJ… LIVE MUSIC is the only way to really impress your guests. You will, of course, want a FUN, PROFESSIONAL, GREAT QUALITY BAND performing covers and their own originals. Above all, you will want your guests to have a GREAT TIME! In Upstate South Carolina, THE DOCKSIDE BAND is the best. The ONLY CALL you need to make!

We play music to SHAG to, COUNTRY MUSIC to sing along to, SOUTHERN ROCK tunes to get your party started. Most importantly, we play a great variety of music to suit any age, audience and venue.

We will WOW your WEDDINGS guests, BOWL OVER your BAR MITZVAH party, and MASH UP your MARDI GRAS!

OK, Here We Go…

  1. Wedding
  2. Graduation
  3. Bar / Bat Mitzvah
  4. Brisk (hah)
  5. Beach Party
  6. Pool Party
  7. Luau
  8. Bar or Club
  9. Festival
  10. Wake
  11. Mardi Gras, Cinco de Mayo, July 4th
  12. New Year’s Eve Party
  13. Quiet Background Music for Restaurant, Cafe or Coffee Shop
  14. Grand Opening of your Business
  15. Corporate Event or Function
  16. Charity Fundraiser
  17. Coming Out Party
  18. End of the World Party
  19. Keg Party, Beer Bash, Beer Pong Tournament
  20. Fraternity or Sorority Event
  21. Pig Roast or BBQ
  22. Super Bowl Party
  23. To One-Up your Neighbor’s Last Gathering
  24. Royal Wedding Party
  25. Dinner Party
  26. Masquerade Ball
  27. Homecoming
  28. Inauguration Party
  29. Biker Party, Poker Run
  30. Birthday Party
  31. Masonic, Shrine, Moose, Elk Club Event
  32. Music Festival
  33. Loss of Virginity Celebration – One per Person…
  34. Orgy
  35. Opening Band for National Touring Group – Slayer… we’re waiting for you!
  36. State or County Fair
  37. Party to Celebrate…………………………………

To Book the Best Live Band in Upstate SC, use our contact page or call 864.979.1224

UPDATE: The Dockside Band is no more… But, for a fun and funky, dance and party band for your Upstate area event, be sure to check out the new HOT AS A PEPPER site!