Issue 6: Booking Live Music Part 2 - The Myth of The Set Band and The Reality of the Music Industry

In Part 1, we revealed one of the sordid realities of some wedding band agencies - the “pickup” band subbing in for who you thought you were hiring. This nightmare scenario can haunt any couple and potentially ruin their wedding day - yet, agencies still get away with it all the time. It’s enough to make you want to hire a DJ, right? No! With some basic knowledge, you will know exactly what to look for, require from your agency (or band), and look for on the day of your wedding to ensure you are getting the band you’ve hired.

Part 2: The myth of the set band and the reality of the music industry

So you are thinking about booking live music for your wedding? Great idea - a great live band will bring an energy to the party that can’t be matched. But, unlike a DJ, booking a live band comes with some terminology that you may be unfamiliar with - and that can have huge implications for your party.

The most common term you’ll hear used is set bands - as in, all of our bands are set bands, as seen in the video, with no subs. This is in contrast to a pickup band, which is when an agency books a band, then finds someone to lead it and book musicians (or subcontracts out to a band not on their roster). While you want a set band, on the surface, the truth of what is actually happening behind the scenes can mean that while you’ll have a set band, it may not always look the same as what you saw in the video. So here’s what you need to know about what a set band is, as well as some other related terms that you might hear that will have an effect on what you see and hear on your wedding day.

A set band should be what it sounds like - a band with regular members who perform at every job. However, the truth of this is more complicated than you realize. Let’s start with the fact that musicians are humans - they get sick, have family emergencies, change careers, just like everyone else. And your booking is finalized way in advance - in some cases the band you may book the band over a year in advance to ensure you get the band you want! So, just because the band is a set band, it’s impossible to predict that everyone from the team will be available. COVID is a perfect example of that - the past year has seen bands seeking substitutes mere hours before a wedding was set to begin due to someone testing positive for COVID-19. So while the best bands do have regular members who are at most, if not all jobs, substitutes are a part of life due to a myriad of reasons.

Another reason musicians in the video may not be at your wedding is that the music world is largely freelance, meaning musicians are free to take any gig at any time, and turn down any gig at any time. So while your wedding is booked long in advance, it’s entirely possible that some musicians may book other gigs that mean they can’t perform at your wedding anymore. I can think of an example of where a band shot a video and started booking work, and then their lead singer got booked for a Broadway show. When the show started, they had a lockout period where they couldn’t take off for other work (even illness was discouraged, though this was pre-COVID), and even after it was extremely difficult to take time off, so they had to quit the wedding band. The singer was in the video, but the band leader found a new singer to replace the now unavailable original member.

Yet another reason is sometimes musicians don’t work out. Just like in any job, a band leader might have someone in their band for a time, film a video, and then find they have issues - they can’t show up on time, are consistently underprepared, not properly dressed, etc. So, they replace them. Now it’s a different musician on the band stand.

Now, while we all want the musicians we see in the video at our wedding, reality is that videos are expensive - if a new video was made every time a member was replaced the band would lose money (or be insanely expensive), so they are only filmed every few years regardless of membership changes.

A third reason you may see different musicians at your wedding than expected is if the band/agency sells itself based on band size - meaning, number of musicians hired. A true “set band” goes out with the same configuration every time - they won’t change the size of the band because it’s a set unit. Most bands working weddings and large scale events will book by number of members - so, a 7 piece band or a 10 piece band. So what you should be aware of is that in that case, there is a core membership that is considered “set” - they get offered every gig first - but, the pieces that get added can rotate. Bands will have their top calls that they reach out to first, and those are the folks most likely in the video. But, like all of us, they have bills to pay, and the surest way to find yourself working less as a musician is to regularly cancel on leaders for other gigs. So they take the first offers they have, and if the band whose video they are in calls for a date that they have already booked, the band leader will find another skilled musician to fill their place.

There is another model that exists out there, sometimes referred to as the collective model. As an agency, Clarity Music Productions uses this model, which consists of a large pool of vetted musicians and singers who all agree to maintain the company standards. These musicians work together on lots of different events to create tailored experiences for every client. This presents the feel of a set band while maintaining flexibility to properly serve the clients needs. We will discuss this model more in our next post. In the modern age, this can generally be the best model for weddings and events, because o teh ability to tailor the band to your personal tastes.

So, now that you know the realities of a set band and subs, what does this mean for you? In Part 3, we’ll explain what to watch for when viewing videos of bands, questions to ask, and things to check outside of the phone conversation/zoom meeting/booking appointment to ensure you are getting a band or collective, and not a pickup group.

Ready to book your band now? Click here to book a free consultation and secure your event date today!