Another lovely wedding at a great location. Well the rain held off until after the wedding which was a good thing.  It was hard to imagine that we were in the middle of Summer, thank goodness the occasion surpassed anything the weather could throw at us.  Stacey, Hilton and guests made for a great evening, Chris and I really enjoyed ourselves but not as much I think as the crowd who really got behind those ‘classic’ songs that we love to play.  The highlight would almost have to be Stacy’s Grandad crooning his way through the Monkees “Day Dream Believer”  Our photographer got some great shots of the evening. and ‘Wagon Wheel’ is fast becoming our favourite song, it certainly goes down well with the crowd!!!!!

Stacey and the girls

Well having all of January off sure got Chris and I enthused about getting back into some music which is just the tonic really as February is already shaping up to be a busy month.  Yesterday, Sunday 5 February was a big day for us as we had 2 gigs to attend, the first at a new venue for us, the Valley Inn Tavern in Heathcote and the 2nd a Wedding at Cossars Wineshed in Tai Tapu.

Valley Inn Tavern: Heatcote

After 3 practice sessions during the week to dust off the cobwebs we started our first gig at the Valley Inn at 3.00 pm in the afternoon. Unfortunately the weather was not the best so we were unable to play in the beautiful new garden bar at the recently rebuilt tavern.  Didn’t really matter though as we were warmly welcomed by the proprietor Dean Calvert and a good sized crowd of enthusiastic locals.  It did not take long to have the locals in full voice as Chris and I dragged up some really good old classics from the back of the song book! God I think we even pulled a Tom Jones out and the Max Merrit classic ‘Slipping Away’ had the whole bar singing. Great fun and 6.00 pm rolled around pretty quick.  we must have made a bit of an impression as we were invited to play through to 10.00 pm but had to turn it down as we still had another engagement to attend.  No loss though as Dean invited us to return and quickly found a number of slots for us in the diary over February and March. (refer events page).

Mark and Rowan Henderson wedding:    Cossars Wine Shed

After a very quick pack up and trip across town we arrived at the beautiful setting of Cossars Wine Shed in Tai Tapu, another new venue for us.  Wow it really is a stunning setting and I would highly recommend considering it if you are thinking of a romantic wedding venue.  The separate barn area was a real winner for us with a purpose built stage separate from the dining area making it a real breeze to set up and spread out a little.  The wedding went off a treat, the newly weds Mark and Rowan Henderson were an absolute delight (photos coming soon) as were the wedding party and guests.  We started playing shortly after 8.00 pm, ‘Moondance’ the chosen wedding song.  It did not take long for the ‘dancers’ songbook to come out and that pretty much summed up the rest of the evening with the dance floor never empty right through to our scheduled finish shortly before midnight!  Great night!!  The only casualty being Chris’s blister on his finger the direct result of 7 hours playing on top of an extended Xmas break LOL.

And just to top of a fantastic day we received a very nice email from the happy couple.   Hi Mark and Chris, Thanks so much for playing at our wedding, you guys were fantastic! All our guests have been raving about you, and you were exactly what we were after, we cannot thank you enough.  Mark and Ro. 

Hmmm…. and when you receive comments like that you realise why you enjoy playing so much!!    Cant wait for Staceys wedding on Friday now!!!

Thank you for being patient over the last couple of weeks while the clever people at ‘specialeyes group‘ have been updating our website. As you can see it is a lot flasher than the tired old single page site that we had. Both Chris and I have been away over January and are itching to get back into playing mode. Our calender for February is filling fast with 2 weddings booked so far and new gigs planned for both The Carlton and the Heathcote Tavern [Sunday 5 Feb] for the first week in February. I will update with the new dates for all our upcoming gigs once we have the dates confirmed.

As you plan your special event, you will be making decisions about everything from the type of food to serve to the color of the tablecloths. The entertainment you choose is just as important as the meal you serve, which is why you should explore the benefits of hiring a live band for your wedding or party. You do have the option of playing recorded music or hiring a professional DJ, but live bands playing live music add a touch of class and can be that extra special touch that make your event a memorable one.

Using music from home is a cheap, quick solution to your music needs. Most people have the knowledge and technology needed to create a play list on an MP3 player or to burn a CD from their home computer. While this is simple, it does not contribute to the fun and entertaining atmosphere that a live music performance creates. If you are having a back yard barbecue or a birthday party for a small group of friends and family, then using recorded music is a great idea. However, when planning an event that you will think back on for the rest of your life, you want to create memories that will last a lifetime.

Professional DJ services are readily available for special events, but think back to the last time you attended an event where a DJ was hired to provide entertainment. You probably remember a generic play list of pop and disco hits from twenty years ago, combined with a typed out page of standard introductions and easily forgotten jokes. While you can specify the genre of music that you want played at your event, you simply cannot duplicate the atmosphere that a live band creates. Live bands can create the mood and ambiance you are looking for far better than a DJ service can.

A major benefit to hiring a live band is that the people in the band will work cooperatively with you to tailor a set list that will create the perfect atmosphere. There is an appropriate musical style for each portion of a party; while your guests are eating, for example, you want them to be able to chat and visit with the other guests at the table. In this case, your band can play softly and at a lower tempo in order to create a conversational environment. On the other hand, once dinner is over and the time is right to get everybody up and dancing, the band can pick up the pace and play some upbeat, dance tunes to get the party started.

The musicians that you hire will want to impress you and your guests with their talents, unlike a DJ who simply has to play the appropriate recorded music. In this way, a live band is far superior because they are going to work hard to play their best and put on a fun and entertaining show for your party guests. They feel connected to the music that they play, and that connection translates to a personal commitment to performing to the best of their abilities.

The creation of a good atmosphere is an important part of a successful event. Live music is much more conducive to an elegant environment than a CD player and some speakers. In other words, if you were planning a formal, elegant wedding reception, hiring a talented string quartet to perform classical music would bring a touch of class and sophistication to your gathering that a DJ service simply does not have. And if you have a really entertaining band playing great music, it is almost impossible not to get out there and dance to the beat.

If you should choose to hire a live band, the best way to go about finding one is to go online and do a search engine inquiry. You will end up with a list of websites through which you can find and book the band that you want. All you have to do is enter in they type of event, the location, and the genre of music you are looking for, and the booking site will generate a list of musicians available in your area. You can preview their music and check out some photos before contacting the band directly to set up a meeting or interview.

You can also seek out live bands by heading out for an evening and taking in live performances at the clubs and restaurants in your area. If you hear a band that you like, approach them after their set to see if they are available for you to hire. However you decide to choose your band, its best to try and see them perform in a live show so that you can see how they interact with the crowd, how professionally they look and behave, and, most importantly, how well they can play.