Image by Fairclough Photography
For many couples nothing quite beats a live band when it comes to booking the entertainment for their big day.
But while it’s easy for brides and grooms to get swept along in the excitement of searching for a fabulous band that will strike the right chord with their guests, it’s important that they don’t forget to do their homework on any entertainment restrictions at their chosen venue first.
To assist couples in ensuring they ask all the right questions about sound restrictions and live band conditions prior to booking, Steven Robertson, Content Manager at Brides Up North Sponsor and live music agency Entertainment Nation, is here with his top tips and advice…
Please note: Images are from Real Weddings as featured on Brides Up North (to make the post look pretty!) and not supplied by our Sponsor.
Image by Bethany Clarke Wedding Photography
Is it often the case that responsibility falls to brides and grooms to check any live sound restrictions or live band conditions when booking their wedding entertainment?
steven says:
Yes, it is indeed the responsibility of the couple to check any sound restrictions or conditions that their venue may have prior to booking entertainment. This is because they would usually already have contact with a coordinator at the venue, who should be able to give them all of the info they need to pass on. It’s then no problem at all for the couple to pass on venue contact details to us (as agents), or the band they want to hire, to discuss the conditions further, checking all details are ok. This information is vital to ensure a band can work within the venue’s conditions.
Image by Lee Brown Photography
What is a sound limiter and how can it affect a band performing at a venue?
A sound limiter is most commonly a device installed at a venue that limits the volume that a band can perform live music at. There are a couple of different systems used. Each system will have a traffic light warning box – green, amber and red lights, to show an idea of the volume in the room, picked up from a microphone built into the room:
Power cutter – This limiter system will be set at a specific DB (decibel) volume. At the point when the volume in the room hits the limit and stays there for a set number of seconds, all of the power supplied to the performers’ equipment will cut off. This will happen continuously if the performers continue to exceed the set limit. In most cases a member of staff will need to reset the limiter before the performers can continue. This can not only harm the band’s equipment, but also cause a huge disturbance to your evening. If the limit isn’t loud enough for the live instrumentation you have booked there will be an issue on the night. It’s very important that the band know of the limiter prior to booking to ensure they feel they can do a good job.
Volume adjuster: This limiter system will usually be an installed full speaker system at the venue. There will be a set DB level and when exceeded the system will limit the output from the speakers (pulling back the levels) to prevent the sound from exceeding the limit. These are kinder to the performers’ equipment, but also mean that crowd cheering or a loud acoustic instrument would decrease the volume of other important instruments (such as the singer) and leave the mix of the band’s instrumentation sounding a little strange.
Unfortunately with the case of all limiters, the building design and makeup can really affect the volume of an instrument. As an example; a drum kit would be louder in a stone room with no soft furnishings, as opposed to in a plastered and carpeted room. Therefore an 110DB limit within a really loud stone room may be harder for a band to deal with than a 95DB limit within a carpeted and curtained room. That said, it’s always best to speak to a venue and ask for any details about their limiter and to ask if they regularly have bands, including if it’s ever a problem.
Image by Mick Cookson Photography
Why is it important for couple to check what space is available for bands to perform in at the venue?
Bands can arrive as many different line-ups in many different shapes and sizes, usually with quite a large amount of equipment (speakers / instruments / lighting etc). Put simply, if the band can’t fit in the space (or on the stage) provided they are going to struggle to perform for you. However, most bands are used to adjusting to various shapes and sizes, performing at different venues on a regular basis. At Entertainment Nation we will always offer a rough guide of size required for the line-up you book.
Image by Fairclough Photography
Should the couples also check parking and unloading access for the band?
Yes please. Free (or expenses covered) parking is in all entertainment contracts so it’s always good to know whether parking is available. Access is also really important information, as if it’s going to take a while for the band to get to the performance area with their equipment, they are going to need to arrive earlier than planned. Venues on a beach with hundreds of steps down, or castles where you have to carry all equipment through a window aren’t unheard of!
In your experience what other types of conditions can venues impose on live bands?
Here’s a few we’ve heard of in the past:
Must use venue equipment: A venue may request the entertainment only uses their speakers. This may be due to a limiter system installed or health and safety of equipment in certain places etc.
No amplification: Some venues with limiters request that no live amplification is used, with all instruments plugging straight into a mixer, which would go through their limiter system.
Max number of performers: This can be due to space and volume constraints. Space is the most likely, although some venues believe that increasing the number of performers dramatically increases the volume. This varies drastically by the type of band and instrumentation. Always ask the venue their reasoning if you want clarification.
No live drums: It’s not uncommon to be told the venue do not allow live drum kits. This is usually due to it being more difficult to control the volume of an acoustic drum kit. They will request that any band you book brings an electric drum kit with them.
No performing outside: Many venues will have noise restrictions for outdoor performances and not allow live bands to perform outside. You may be allowed acoustic performers, such as string quartets or an acoustic guitarist though, so always worth checking.
Image by Photography34
Is there generally a certain time that venues allow live bands/DJs to play up to?
It can vary from venue to venue, but as a general rule we’d suggest an evening curfew of midnight is the industry standard. The majority of quotes we send out are including a midnight finish. It’s usually no problem to have your band stay later, but this tends to push their requested fee up a touch.
What factors are likely to mean that a venue will have an earlier live music curfew than others?
We’ve heard of a fair few reasons for early live music curfews, including venues not being exclusively hired (so other guests may be staying in the same hotel), bedrooms being located above or below the performance room, the venue having close neighbors, altering curfews dependent on the day of the week, the venue entertainment license has a curfew, or even staff restraints.
Image by Stan Seaton Photography
Can you offer advice for couples wanting a band to perform outdoors? Is there anything in particular they need to ask the venue?
This can vary quite drastically between bands but here’s what’s usually requested:
Dry and level area to set up in;
Adequate covering for adverse weather (rain / wind / sun etc);
A safe source of power; and
Some may also require the hire of larger and more powerful speakers as the sound can get carried away in an open air situation.
Many will be happy to perform outside, but others may have reservations due to the amount of electrical equipment exposed to the Great British weather. It’s always worth mentioning at the point of gaining a quote to check if the band are happy to perform outside.
In addition to asking the wedding coordinator at the venue questions about entertainment restrictions, what other research can couples do before booking?
We’d highly suggest checking out venue reviews on review sites such as Tripadviser, where you’ll be able to read honest reviews from previous couples, often highlighting any issues they may have had with the venue.
We’re also happy to help. Having booked entertainment to perform at thousands of venues across the UK, we’re fairly clued up on restrictions a venue may have. If we’ve heard of a restriction at the venue we’d be happy to let you know. We want you to have a fantastic party and enjoy your live band!
Anything to add?
To summarize, a great band performing to the best of their ability, without restriction can make your wedding the wedding to remember.
Always get in touch with us prior to booking a band, supplying any venue conditions you have been given (or ask the question if you haven’t been given any) to ensure the band you are looking to book can perform within any set limits/restrictions.
It’s also very important you read the venue Terms and Conditions you are signing when booking a venue as this should contain entertainment conditions (such as sound limiter info).
Enjoy the venue hunt, and if you’d like to discuss entertainment options we’re here to help!
Visit Entertainment Nation’s website for more.
