How Much Should I Pay for a Band at My Event?
When faced with the daunting task of choosing a band for your event, the choices seem to be endless, even more so, complicated. Its almost like nothing makes any sense v band . Make sure that you choose a band that is in the right category for the type of party you are having. Category you say? What does that mean? Isn’t a band just a band? Are there really categories? Yes of course there are categories for bands, just like there are categories for many things… For example, lets say you want to rent a comedy to watch with you wife tonight, you wouldn’t look at movie titles from the Horror section! And if you are having a party for your wedding reception you should be looking at bands that perform in the wedding category, makes sense right? But how do you know the difference? Its simple, see what category the band is in, and make sure they are the right fit for you… So let’s explore the different types of categories starting from the lower end moving our way up to the higher end.
Category 1: Hobby Bands
These bands play for fun, mostly on weekends for their friends or family. They don’t have a dress code, their gear is usually lower end, and the songs they play are typically ones that equal their level of ability. These bands aren’t very career minded; don’t have websites or promotional material, however they can be entertaining. They typically will jam at a party rather then put on a show for an audience. These bands are happy to show up and play for free, and if you throw in a case of beer they will love you for it!
Category 2: Bar Bands
Under this category there are 3 separate levels of bar bands that you’re going to come across.
Level 1 Bar Bands:
This level is at a lower end for the bar band category. These acts are typically a soloist or duo that perform with backing tracks (pre-recorded music) or they can be just an acoustic player. They can also be a piano player or a combination. These types of acts play in smaller bars usually from 25 people up to 100 depending on the venue and the type of act. At this level a soloist may charge anywhere from $50 up to $300 if they are really good and can work with a larger audience. A duo may charge anywhere from $100 up to $400 depending on how well they can work an audience and bring patrons into the venue. These acts usually have a tip jar and take requests. There is not a great deal of pressure at this level and often these acts are easy going and work at their own pace. It can be hit and miss at this level, as some are outstanding, while others are just blend into the background while you enjoy a beer and burger at your local watering hole.
Level 2 Bar Bands: