When deciding on the entertainment for your wedding reception, wedding bands are usually one of the last things that are considered.  Wedding bands somehow get lost in the organisational process of a wedding and become almost an afterthought.  So much care and attention goes into shoes, flowers, hair or makeup and yet, if you get the right wedding reception band, that is what you and your guests will remember – a great night’s entertainment for everyone to enjoy. No-one will remember what the starter was at the wedding breakfast or what colour eye shadow the bridesmaid wore but everyone will remember the wedding band!

You really can’t beat live entertainment.  A live wedding band will be able to read the crowd perfectly and find just the right mood to suit your guests.

A wedding band has so much more to offer than a DJ.  You know from experience that going to see a live show is a much bigger thrill than seeing one guy with his CD collection (or maybe just his lap-top nowadays) and a pair of deafening speakers!

That said, no single band can play in every style of music so you might want to look for a wedding band which can also offer a DJ service after the band’s live sets finish – www.simplyswing.co.uk is one such band.  The band will provide a three fantastic sets of live music in the Rat Pack / Swing genre and then continue the party with its professional disco service.   It should be pointed out that this will not be an iPod played through the PA but a proper disco where you are able to make requests on the night and where the songs cross-fade.

Of course, this kind of entertainment is likely to be a little pricey but the fee you pay will be well worth it in the long run.

Is it easy to find a good wedding band?  Yes!  All you have to do is search online with a phrase such as “wedding band” or “swing wedding band.”
 So, how do you go about choosing a band to best suit your requirements?   Well, any reputable band will have video samples as well as audio samples on the website which should give you a great idea.  If you’re still unsure, why not ask to see the band perform live somewhere.  You could also read testimonials from the wedding band’s previous contented clients.

You should ascertain that your wedding venue has a music license and enough space to accommodate the wedding reception band.  You should also make sure that the wedding band is professional and not a bunch of friends who get together at weekends for a drink (on you) at weddings!  A professional band will comprise musicians who perform for a living.  This means they are successful, experienced and used to performing at weddings.  You don’t want your big day to be their guinea pig!  Such a band should also have Public Liability Insurance and PAT tested equipment.  Again, www.simplyswing.co.uk is a professional wedding band and a great choice for anyone looking for quality live entertainment.

By doing your research on wedding bands you can put your mind at ease that the big day is going to be one hell of a party!

It’s never too soon to make plans for your Festive Entertainment be it a Christmas Party or a New Year’s Eve Party.   And nothing is more impressive that a great live Christmas Party band who will play all your favourite Christmas Songs including White Christmas, Winter Wonderland, Let It Snow, Rudolf The Red-nosed Reindeer and many more.

If you are looking to improve your reputation as a Boss, think about booking a Christmas party band to inject some atmosphere into your  Festive event. Little work perks, like an amazing annual Christmas party, can create solidarity in the office and improve the workplace morale. What better way to ensure all your staff at the office get to know each other better than to dance the night away to a great Christmas Party Band ?

For your office Christmas Party, Festive Company Function or even a New Year’s Eve party, Simply Swing offers dynamic live Festive Entertainment and is in great demand every December.   If December proves too busy to find a suitable party day, then why not follow the current trend of holding your company Christmas Party in late November or January?  It’s a great way to light up these dreary months.

If you’re feeling a little adventurous, you could also add a special theme to your festive function. Talk to our team at Simply Swing to discuss your individual requirements.

Simply Swing: professional, experienced and an incredibly entertaining Christmas Party Band and Festive Entertainment Band.

Simply Swing is an ever popular choice for Themed Parties as our repertoire crosses the spectrum of the Golden Age of Hollywood, The Rat Pack Years, Musical Theatre, Classic Films and the James Bond era.

With stately homes fast becoming the new village hall, the wedding venues are getting grander and more elegant and so too, is the music.  No more the ABBA medley or Tina Turner oldies deafening us – bring on the SWING BAND.  An elegant mixture of music from the Great American Songbook which has once again, become hip, cool and current.   The parents of the bride & groom may have been rockin’ to the likes of Rod Stewart for their wedding reception entertainment but even Rod has exchanged his ‘Maggie Mae’ for ‘As Time Goes By’.

With the huge popularity of shows like The Rat Pack and new artists such as Michael Buble, the resurgence of jazz, swing and popular song has never been stronger.   Buble’s music, let’s face it, is of our grandparents generation.  It’s Frank Sinatra all over again – classy, brassy and ring-a-ding-ding!   The real pleasure of digging up the musical past is that only the best and the biggest hits are re-discovered.  Songs such as Let’s Face The Music and Dance, Come Fly With Me, La Mer, Have You Met Miss Jones or Music to Watch Girls Go By are the survivors.   Who’d have thought that young brides would once again be asking for ‘The Way You Look Tonight’ or ‘Mr Bojangles’ for their first dance?

Turning to the all-important wedding first dance, one suspects that the rush of soon-to-be-married couples to take quickstep or foxtrot lessons must be due to the huge success of Strictly Come Dancing, a show which has it all – live music, beautiful gowns and most of all, glamour.   And what could be more glamorous than gliding across the dance-floor for the first time as newly-weds while a live swing band plays ‘Cheek To Cheek’?  Think Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers.  Sunday afternoon Tea-Dances are now back in style.

Perhaps for the contemporary Bride and Groom a Swing Band exemplifies the heady, studio-spun glamour of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.  Fronted by its male and female vocalists (we mustn’t forget Ella Fitzgerald’s contribution to this wonderful music) it will play music from composers such as George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and even some Stevie Wonder thrown in for good measure.  A good quality Swing Band will have all generations enjoying the party and at a sensible volume too allowing guests to chat or to dance or to simply listen.

The disco has had its day, and a very long day at that, but if you really must have a disco then why not book a professional top-class live band who also offer a disco service?

Top Tips for choosing a Swing Band.

1.     Make sure they are professional musicians – this music is quite complex to play and requires a high level of musicianship.

2.     See if the band has any public performances where you can hear them play.

3.     Ask for a demo CD or listen to on-line sound samples (any reputable band will have these).

4.     See if the band of your choice has any video footage on YouTube.  This is fast replacing audio samples and it really is WYSIWYG

5.     Make sure they have an extensive repertoire and can play requests.

6.     If you use a music booking agency, be sure to check that the agent has personally seen the band.  You’d be surprised how often agents ‘Google’ a band just to hold-on to the client.