|
Frequently
Asked Questions...
We
know that you have a lot of
questions...which makes sense because many
of you have never planned a private party
or wedding before. You can relax and trust
our expertise - for the past 15 years, I
have assisted literally hundreds of folks
in the planning process, and have learned
a few things along the way.
I
will help you to narrow down & then
organize the information you need to build
your itinerary for the reception. It's
just a matter of filling in the blanks for
the info-format we've evolved. Here is a
'sample
itinerary'....you'll
build something like this for your party
too, along with your caterer or manager of
the venue that you choose for the
party.
About
the PARTY...with Mustangs Band at the
helm, your event WILL be an all dancing
party.... we'll keep your guests dancing
until the last song. Packed dance
floor=great party.
Hiring
a live band is a great move and THE most
important element hands
down.
My
name is Candace and I'm the band's
manager. I'll be your contact person all
the way through to the day of the
event.
TIME
SAVER: our price is NOT
posted anywhere on this site. Our "local"
rate will be different from our "out of
town" rate. Please call or email
for a quote.
Want
some references? ...contact me for the
list.
#1
QUESTION: How many pieces are in the band?
We
are an 7 piece band with 3 front
vocalists. (10 pieces) (3
horns)
On
certain occasions (like birthday parties,
etc.) we might break the band to a smaller
unit (6-8 pcs), but we really don't like
to. because:
- all
the players are long time regular
members of the group
- they
all rehearse on a regular
basis
- it's
not fair to randomly cut them out of
the gigs.
- our
sound depends upon all parts being
there
- we
just wouldn't sound right without
everyone.
The
10 piece lineup is:
Three
vocalists - 2 male & 1 female ,
saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano/bass,
guitar, drum set, percussionist.
If
you really need a smaller group, let's
discuss your event or, you can check out
my other group, DC Soul Band which is an 8
piece - go to www.dcsoulband.com
2.
HOW EARLY DO CLIENTS BOOK US?:
Typically 9-12 months in advance.
But for the past few years there have been
cases where folks hired us just 6 weeks
before the wedding! The point is, don't
assume we're booked.
3.
FREE COCKTAIL HOUR
As a perk to all our clients, we
give you a jazz trio for
cocktails...absolutely free of charge. If
you decide not to take advantage of this
offer, the price you are quoted for the 4
hour reception will not change. That would
make the cocktail hour the first of 5
hours of music, and it usually happens
immediately before the main 4-hour block
of time (dinner & dancing).
If
you need to have a space of time in
between the cocktail hour and the 4-hour
block, then the musicians may have to be
compensated for their time if they are
made to wait. This is an uncommon
circumstance.
Also,
the cocktail hour is actually the standard
set time of 45 minutes long. The trio will
have to break down and move to the stage
and join the full band for the "dinner
& dancing" portion of your
evening. If
you book through an agency, this offer
still applies.
4.
SOUND & LIGHTS:
Our price includes production:
sound and lighting systems. Our systems do
not require any special electrical
considerations...regular 110 outlets are
fine.
If
there is a case where the venue is
unusually large, we may have to rent sound
and then there will be an additional
charge, but it's really
uncommon.
We
do not carry a stage. Most venues provide
that. We also do not provide electrical
generators. If you are planning an outdoor
event, you may be required to rent
generators, which can be moderately
expensive.
***
From time to time we are asked if we can
bring audio gear for the officiant of the
wedding ceremony. We only bring our own
gear to the events. We can rent something
for you, but we don't usually carry extra
gear with us, so be sure to
ask.
5.
SET UP TIME:
Loading in and set up is usually
takes 1.5 hours...break down/load out is
the same. If the band must be set up early
due to scheduling issues and/or set up
issues, then an early set up fee may have
to be negotiated to compensate those who
must come early and wait for the start
time. If that early setup is neccessary, a
fee of $200 per hour will be added to the
contract price or the balance due. This
issue may not become apparent until a
couple of weeks prior to the event, so be
aware of this condition when working out
your itinerary with the
venue/caterer.
6.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
We do MC your event, but we don't
actually say much. Mostly the cake
cutting, special dances, bouquet toss and
such. We only say what needs to be said,
which is really very little. Most of our
clients don't really want alot of chatter
anyway. Our bandleader & front
vocalists will serve as MC. We have a
wireless microphone for toasts, speeches,
etc.
7.
LEARNING SONGS:
If we do not know your First
Dance selection, we will learn it for you.
If the song is obscure or hard to find,
we'll ask that you provide us with a CD of
the song and perhaps also the sheet music.
We ask that you choose your
Father/Daughter dance from our song
list.
8.
SONG SELECTIONS FOR THE EVENING:
You don't have to choose our set
lists for us. In fact, you couldn't
possibly do it. We decide what to play on
the fly, depending on what your guests are
responding to. The goal is to keep the
dance floor packed and the party going
strong. There is no advance way to predict
what your guests will like, and therefore
you MUST trust our bandleader to read the
crowd. He is exceptionally good at
this.
If
you'd like to give us a list of songs that
you'd really love to hear (from our song
list), then we'll be sure to play them
that night. The best way to indicate those
songs is to copy/paste our list into a
word document and 'make bold' those
tunes.
9.
ABOUT FEEDING YOUR BAND:
It is written into our contract
that you agree to provide meals for the
band. Please understand that the band
members are there for over 7 hours in most
cases, not including travel time, and food
is an essential element.
As
one groom put it, "we want to keep them
energized and happy so they'll play
better"! We love that guy! And he's right
on the money. Considering that we cannot
leave your party to get food, we are stuck
if you don't accommodate. Your caterer may
try to tell you that the band meal price
per plate is the same as guests, but we
aren't "dining"...we are simply trying not
to pass out! A simple meal is all we ask
and that's part of the cost you should
expect when hiring any band.
Considering
that we cannot leave your party to get
food, we are stuck if you don't
accommodate. A simple meal is all we ask
and that's part of the cost you should
expect when hiring any band.
We
are 10 players and one soundman=11
meals.
OPTION:
you can do a buyout for
dinner...meaning you pay a set fee for
meals. We'll take care of ordering
dinner. This is definately less
expensive than hotel and/or country club
meals. We can usually feed the entire band
for $200. If the area is remote it might
not be easy to order in, so we'll have to
have you arrange meals for us.
The
Bar: We do not encourage our players to
drink at our shows. In fact, we discourage
them. If you find that it will save you
money, it is perfectly reasonable to
exclude the band from your bartab costs.
Just let us know in advance.
10.
BAND VOLUME:
Our volume is totally adjustable.
If you think we are too loud, just tell
us. It is never a problem to turn down.
Sometimes we cannot tell from the
stage...depending on the room acoustics,
and we need your help finding the right
levels. I repeat, it is never a problem to
turn down. To
really keep this issue under wraps, our
soundman Mike monitors the levels all
night.
Some
venues present an immense acoustic
challenge with glass, marble, and/or all
hard surface areas. We've played many
rooms like this and know how to keep
things comfortable for the entire room,
yet intense & exciting for the dancing
guests.
11.
BAND BREAK TIMES:
This is how we do it- during
dinner the band will play backround
music/instrumentals until the main course
is served or until most people have been
through the buffet line and are eating
their main meal. Then once the dance music
begins, the band plays for 45 minutes,
then the band will run a iPod or CDs
through the band's PA system for the 15
minute break.
12.
TRAVEL EXPENSE:
Engagements that are within a 3
hour driving range are considered to be
'local' for us. This covers alot of
ground! Beyond that, each case is
different. In some cases the band might
need hotel rooms to stay the night...
Honestly, the band would rather go home,
but if it's too late, we need play it safe
and spend the night.
13.
CONTRACTS & DEPOSITS:
We draw up a legal contract and
your deposit check will be made out to the
Mustangs Band. That money is held in
escrow until the date of your wedding at
which time your deposit will be disbursed
to the bandleader.
Your
balance will be due on the day of your
event, which may be in cash, cashier's
check or certified funds. You'll pay that
balance directly to the bandleader. We
do not accept personal checks as final
payment due to the clearance time of most
personal checks. We pay our musicians
on the day of the event so we need to be
certain the funds will be available
immediately.
We
do not offer credit card payment as an
option, unless you would like to use
PayPal. (the fees are steep!)
14.
HIDDEN COSTS:
We don't have any! To be clear,
what we bring is our sound system, our
staging lights, our instruments and
amplifiers.
Be
aware: there are situations that will call
for the rental of specific items to
accommodate the band. In most cases this
will apply to outdoor & tented events.
I'm talking about staging, dance flooring,
and power generators. Tent siding is
another cost that will be necessary in
case of rain, unless the band is setting
up in the center of the tent, which is
unusual.
Staging:
We do not carry a stage. Not many bands
do...they are large, heavy and require a
truck for transport. Most venues or rental
companies supply that. If the staging is
cost prohibitive for you, we can play on
ground level. However, we will need a hard
and flat surface to place our gear and our
feet. Grass or mud will not do. We have
played on tennis courts and
driveways!
We
usually request a stage or an area 16'
deep x 16' wide. Most hotels or rental
companies provide sections of
staging/risers (usually 6'x8' or so)
pieced together to make the size we need.
There is a safety factor involved as well.
In case of rain, the electrical
instruments/amps must be elevated so that
no one is injured, and nothing is
damaged.
Generators:
The other cost may be for power
generators. I have found in the past that
sharing a not so powerful generator to run
the band and the tent lights does not
work. We'll need one with enough power to
run our sound, lights and amplifiers.
Hopefully, they have a power source close
enough to run us extension
cords.
Meals:
food might be considered a hidden cost.
Please read #9 on this page.
15.
SAY YES!
Once you've booked us, we'll give
you a short list of information that we
need to help us to follow the program of
your reception. We'll ask about your
special dances, such as: First Dance song;
Father & Bride Dance; special songs,
ethnic selections, timeline,
etc.
As
we said, we will learn your First Dance
selection if we don't already know it, but
we need at least 4 weeks to work it into
our rehearsal schedule. We'll also ask you
to get us contact info for the caterer and
reception hall so we can then take care of
all the details and you won't have to
worry about our end at all. We'll handle
all the band related details.
16.
WHO IS CANDACE?
I am the originator of the group
and was bandleader from 1992-2002. I no
longer play in the band...I am the band
manager/booker and your contact person. I
also put this FAQ page together and hope I
covered all the bases! As the band's
direct contact, I keep the books and the
dates straight so the band can concentrate
on the music and the gigs.
17.
BOOKING DIRECT vs. an AGENCY
Why book a band directly? Perhaps
you've seen us at a wedding or were
referred by a relative or friend. Or found
us doing an internet search. If you've
found us directly, you'll work with me
from start to finish. Our office has been
operating for 14 years and we have a
perfect track record.
What
a good agency does offer is a variety of
acts for those who are uncertain about
what band or what style of music they
want...and they can offer alternatives if
the band you had in mind is already
booked. They usually represent hundreds of
bands....I only manage four! Also most
local agencies have been in business for
so many years, they have a really good
sense of what local band would be right
for you.
If
you have a relationship with a local
agency, check their roster-most likely
we're on it. If you'd prefer to contract
through them, please do! You'll still get
a free cocktail hour.
Our
record: we have proven a perfect track
record and I personally see to it that all
calls and emails are promptly answered.
You can count on great service from the
first inquiry you make all the way to the
last dance of your event. We have 14 years
worth of clients who will verify their
great experience with us from start to
finish.
What
did I miss? Have more questions?
Contact
us...
PLEASE
NOTE: This is our official website. You've
reached "The Mustangs Band" directly. If
you prefer to book us through an agency,
please be sure that they are an official
representative by checking for our listing
on their site, or by speaking directly
with only accredited agencies.
|
