So, you’ve trawled through hours of promotional material and found the perfect live band that is going to wow your guests and make your night unforgettable. But you’re unsure if the venue you have booked is ideal for the band. To help make sure that your band is able to do their thing, we’ve listed what to look for in a venue and the venues who do this in a 5* way 🤩​

Space

You want your band to bring the energy to the room, but if your band is pushed into a small corner or are squished together, they’re going to struggle to bring that dynamic energy you loved so much in their promotional video. If booking a 4-piece band, a recommendation would be a space measuring of a minimum 3 meters wide by 2 meters deep. One venue we love parading around on stage at is Porchester Hall, a big stage will give your guests that wow factor that they’re at a real gig.

Power

I’ve got the power! ⚡​

No, not the 1990 smash hit by Snap. But, power sockets. Ensuring the stage area has enough power sockets for all the equipment your band will be supplying is incredibly important, as not only do overloaded sockets look bad, it’s also dangerous. A venue that really does have the power is West Horsley Place, with enough power sockets to power a time machine.

Load In & Parking

This is vital for the smooth running of the day. A band’s setup and sound check can make or break a wedding time schedule. So it’s good to make sure your band has easy access to the area they will be performing in. This means:

• A short walk to the performance area from the vehicle they will be unloading from.
• No stairs.
• No lifts.
• As few doors to negotiate as possible.

Think convenience. The quicker your band can get their equipment to the stage and setup, the more likely your schedule that you have spent weeks perfecting will stay on track. Danesfield House is a perfect example of an easy load in.

Sound

The most important aspect to make your band wow guests, is to make sure the band knows in advance any sound limitations your venue may have. Ideally there will be no limitations. But more often than not wedding venues are fitted with noise limiters ranging from 95db (the noise of a motorcycle 🏍️​) to 80db (a hairdryer on full). This isn’t anything to worry about if you tell your band in advance, as they can make provisions before the event to battle the limiter which may include:

• Electric drum kit – is nothing sacred anymore.
• In ear monitors.
• Angle speakers to minimise travel of noise.

But the key take away here, is to make enquiries with the venue if they have a sound limiter and if so how loud it is. Once you find this out, tell your band and they will be able to ensure they still sound as good as their promo. Gate Street Barn is one venue with a sound limiter we’ve had plenty of experience performing at with no problem at all.

In short, your band want to provide you the best night possible and should be flexible on the day, but making their experience as stress free as possible will make them perform better and ultimately make your night an unforgettable one. Remember to look for:

• Adequate performance area – minimum 3m x 2m.
• Power sockets – Ideally more than 4.
• Easy accessibility to performance area.
• Are there any sound limitations?

Rhythm Of The Night