Turn your event into a full blown concert!
March 27, 2013 : General Team Building
Rick Parfitt Jnr was born into a world of rock and immersed in music from a young age. In 2007 he formed The RPJ Band who are now the most successful events band in the UK.
In this blog written for Maximillion, Rick discusses why booking a high end band can reap rewards.
In a world where choosing what entertainment to have at your event is becoming more and more difficult, I believe that sometimes taking a risk can be the most rewarding decision.
Many events are dogged by the client or organiser being worried about booking acts that are too edgy or too ‘rocky’, so there is a general feeling that ‘playing it safe’ is the best option. Most of the time this results in booking a tribute act, a mediocre ‘party’ band that plays with backing tracks or simply a wedding-esque DJ coupled with uninspiring sound and lighting. Well, we think that the time is now to buck the trend, and here’s why…
Events by nature, whether they be special celebratory parties, charity events, conferences or gala dinners are organised with one major thought in mind, to be MEMORABLE. To this end, the entertainment must be considered with the utmost priority.
The band’s job is to enthuse your guests, take them out of their comfort zone, make them dance, sing, jump, clap, stomp their feet and leave incredibly happy and full of praise for your event. This also has knock on effects as the happier the guests are, the more they will spend on your charity, the more connected they will feel with your company, and the all round euphoria will seep into everyone’s outlook, positivity and well being.
It isn’t enough nowadays to simply book the first band you come across as there are so many to choose from and the range of professionalism varies hugely. For the most part the old saying that “you get what you pay for” comes into play.
Bands that have major touring session pedigree and use session singers tend to charge that bit more, however the standard and delivery will be ten times better than the lesser bands.
“But I found a cheaper band that plays all the same songs as you” is something we encounter often…however the way to best describe the difference is that anyone can get in a car and drive it around a track, however put a Formula 1 driver in the car and he will really show you what it can do, in the same way that a quality band will interpret, heighten and deliver a song sometimes better than the original!
Having a professional, fully live band at your event is a calculated necessity, as with the right band, the night will be lifted, and they will be a suitable culmination to a great night. ‘Fully live’ as you need a band that can read the room, play the right songs at the right time, use ‘break downs’ to let the audience sing if they want to, and involve guests with the performance more effectively.
You see too many bands running ‘track’ or backing tracks which they play over (we call this 70/30%) which sounds good, but ultimately sucks the life out of a live performance. The sheer joy and energy of a fully committed live band that’s only sole purpose is to make everyone of your guests, colleagues, friends or clients smile, jump dance and go home elated and euphoric is key.
This is what RPJ Band tries to do at each event; it’s all about attention to detail, room reading, crowd response and the huge energy and commitment that we bring to each performance whether it be for an audience of 20 or 20,000.
Having a good PA and AV team can make or break any event. There are great companies out there and there are distinctly average AV companies. A great band being put through a sub standard PA will make the band sound bad, no matter how good they are! There are different PAs for different set ups but a rule of thumb is that a bigger PA running at half capacity is likely to sound far far better than a smaller PA running at full volume.
To summarise, a fabulous 100% live band coupled with a brilliant sound and lighting team will undoubtedly turn your event into the best night of the year!
We hope to play for you soon…
Maximillion organises live bands and other entertainment for Company Fun Days, Gala Dinners and Awards Ceremonies. Please call us on 0845 901 1422 or send us an enquiry form if you would like any additional information.