How Can A New Function Band Get More Gigs Playing Parties And Weddings?

[sandishore]

I have just joined a great group of young musicians and we play cover songs that are ideal for parties and wedding receptions. We need to find more opportunities but don't have a budget to advertise in the big wedding shows and magazines. What other ways can folk suggest that we get more exposure and work?

Thanks

[roopower]

You could start small and make posters to put in shop windows. Once you have done a few gigs word of mouth should help. Good luck

[Patsy33]

Social media?

[Zacs-Master]

Yep, get yourself a Youtube channel and use this on your advertising material.

[MallyJ]

You will find that, if people like your work, they will remember your performances for future celebrations. Make sure that the name of the band is displayed at your gigs and have a job lot of business cards made up. Leave them for people to take one of when you play. Word of mouth and personal recommendations go a long way to get you known. You may also do open mic nights to get your work to a wider audience.

[spathiphyllum]

Pub nights / jam nights at local venues? Just getting your name out there is good at first. Then if people have seen you play then may be more inclined to book you. Start with free/low pay gigs / shows / festivals then try and build an audience :)

[woofgang]

offer your services free to local charitable events.

[andy-hughes]

Contact The Alive Network in Newcastle Under Lyme, they specialise in booking wedding and party bands nationwide.

[Buenchico]

Many areas have magazines listing local gigs. (Here in Suffolk we've got 'Grapevine'). The editors of such magazines are often on the lookout for feature items that they can write in order to make their publications something more than just lists of events. So you might be able to get an item published about your band. (Otherwise you might just be able to get some free, or cheap, advertising through it).

Remember that, once people have heard that you exist, they're far more likely to book you if they know just how well you play. So make sure that you've got a Youtube channel for the band, where people can see and hear just how good you are.

Make sure that you send out publicity material to places like community centres, where wedding receptions are held. My friend used to run a local community centre, where people booking the venue often asked if she could recommend a band for their functions.

[Misky1]

I go to see "pub bands" every week. Some are best suited for weddings and private parties. They make their names in pubs, for small fees, people who see them remember them and book them for do's. Facebook helps too - and you have to be good to start with! Good luck.

[kvalidir]

Offer to do a couple of large weddings for free if the bride and groom will let you film it, then contact some decent local student filmakers, ask them to cover a gig where you are playing where you can showcase yourself to assemble a quick 2 minute promo video of what you do which they can also use for their portfolio and upload it to your website/ social media / Youtube etc. Get the bride and groom in question to write you a good public reference and then advertise, network and market yourselves like crazy.

[goodgoalie]

^^^^You'd better be really good, though!

[Buenchico]

It might be worth contact the organisers of some of the wedding fairs in your area to see if they'd be interested in you performing there on a 'quid pro quo' basis. i.e. you don't get paid for performing but, equally, you don't have to pay for the publicity you'd then get for your band.

[tonyav]

And give out ( business ) cards.

[sandishore]

Some helpful suggestions, thanks. Youtube - hmm we would need a professonalvideographer for that - can't just upload a shakey phone video.

[sandishore]

Another good idea - offer your services free to local charitable events - nice one - of course charity begins at home

[spathiphyllum]

Get a tripod and film it on someones Iphone, you won't need external help or a pro :)

[sandishore]

I tried advertising "book a live band" on https://www.google.co.uk/adwords but quickly burnt the budget. No wlooking for a free directory of classified ads network

[spathiphyllum]

I do not think people book acts from what they see on the internet. I honestly feel you need to get your sound directly from you / instrument into peoples ears and where they can see you preform. I think people who have seen / feel they know a band are more inclined to book them

I wish you the best of luck! Have you though about simply things like flyers in windows / notice boards?

[sandishore]

Well after the confusion of wedding rings advertised gumtree looks promising https://www.gumtree.com/search?featured_filter=false&;urgent_filter=false&guess_search_category=music-bands-musicians-djs&sort=date&search_scope=false&photos_filter=false&search_category=all&;q=wedding+band&search_location=London that delivers local listings. Then there is entertainment worldwide that covers all the uk and further afield https://www.entertainersworldwide.com/wedding-bands/all Also found a few wedding fairs that cover our area http://www.yourlondon.wedding/events.cfm so looking promising. Any more tips will be very welcome.

[fender62]

when in a band doing social clubs and pubs, at first we would visit pubs that hired bands, we gave a them a demo tape of what we did
or just played a bit of one, we never said we only play for x amount
but would take enough to cover travel expenses and a few pints
left our card flyer etc, get your selves known first, take any gig
as mentioned do charity gigs, they are lots of fun to do, and plenty of free drinks and food..plus it's for a good cause, then an entertainment agency rep saw us, and put us on the books
they take a fee but do all the leg work for you, new years eve gigs
pay a lot...good luck keep gigging and learn.