FAQ | Frequently Asked Questions When Booking a Band from our Very Own Goldstar

It's February!  Love is in the air, cards are being sent, candlelit dinners being had, 50 Shades of Grey is on at the cinema and you know what the means.... Proposals.... Obviously.

 

So that means a whole host of new couples planning for there big day. Well, we know that weddings can be stressful - we are at them all the time - so to make things just a little easier we recently posted some FAQs on our Facebook page to help your wedding planning. For anyone who missed it look no further as here are the Goldstar FAQs.

 

 

 

We will arrive at least 1 hour before we are contracted to play and we require 45 minutes to an hour to set-up and soundcheck. The venue also usually uses this time space to turn the room around after your meal. All venues are different, this could mean the door from the car park leads right onto the stage or it could mean dragging everything up 6 flights of stairs and through the kitchens. So we need to allow time for the transportation of our equipment as well as time to set up. 

 

First things first, We require power! If you're in a function room indoors, we will need at least 2 double wall sockets, preferably on on either side of where we set up. If your venue is a marquee there will need to be sufficient power supply for the band's PA system and lighting. If your marquee is near a building or next to the venue, you may be able to feed power directly from the building, preferably from a couple of separate sources to avoid blowing a fuse or overloading the circuit. Also, make sure that the power supply is all on the same phase. 

 

Another option is to feed power from a generator, something that your marquee company will no doubt have already arranged for you, but be sure to double check! Most bands use around 4-5kw of power so the generator will need to be able to keep up, especially if there will be caterers using ovens at the same time.

 

 

Third on our list is flooring and a stage.  A stage isn't always required but the designated stage size would be minimum of 16ft wide x 10ft deep as we are a 6 piece band. However, you will need to make sure that you have secure flooring for the bands PA system and instruments. Indoor rooms are usually fine for flooring just make sure there is enough space between the wall and the dance floor for us to set up in. The same goes for marquees and as long as they are set up on a fairly flat surface we should be fine.

 

 

Somewhere to get changed just beforehand would be handy. Preferably not the venue toilets, we would like to avoid shirts and pairs of tights being dropped down the loo by accident.... It happens more than you'd think. 

 

Also, we never say no to food ;) 

 

 

 

 

We usually have our break to coincide with your buffet which generally lasts between 30-45minutes. For example, if it is an 8pm start, midnight finish, the buffet will usually be at 9:30pm if all is running on time. Not only does this mean we can rest, it also gives you and your guests a well earned break from dancing and some time to catch up and chat.

 

 

We provide music for the break and also the start and end of the night where possible (This often depends on the noise curfews that some venues have). 

 

 

We have an extensive variety of playlists made up especially. If you wish to make up your own playlist on your own device we have the correct cable connections to do this through our P.A system. Just be aware that we must take the PA down at the end of the night so any music to be played over 15/20 mins after our set will have to be arranged through the venue to be played over there own system. 

 

We would like you to trust us in our experience of what usually gets your guests dancing all night. We have a loose routine we stick to that always works, but we always observe our age-group and response and

read our audience in the room. This fluid approach to the set means we can choose the best songs and create the best atmosphere. However, if you would like to pick a few favourites ahead of time, we can make sure we incorporate them into your set.

 

 

 

 

Due to the high volume of events we do (almost booked for 100 this year!) we can only learn one song per event. This is usually the first dance. Get your first dance requests in at least 2 months before the big day as this gives us time to perfect them. However, if you have your heart set on the original version of your special song we will be more than happy to download it and play it over the PA system. 

 

 

We have been doing this for a long while and we've had our fair share of talented people gracing the stage with us! Everything from family members playing the first dance to elvis impersonators. If you want to get your guests involved in your evening entertainment we are usually very happy to help. Obviously our instruments and equipment are costly and very precious to us and we do ask that if guests want to use them it is pre agreed where possible and they are... Shall we say... Not too jolly. To discuss the details just drop us a message and we will figure out if it's do able or not. 

 

That concludes our Goldstar FAQ! We've got more FAQs on our Music For Scotland website and if you still have questions for us, or any of Music For Scotland's bands, please give us a shout - we're a friendly bunch and really know our stuff!

 

Until next time,

 

Goldstar out! Xx