How Much?!! A Guide to Function Band Prices

Function Bands For Hire.

There's no denying that a good function band is a big investment for any event - but we thought it might be interesting to show you where your money goes when you book a band.

Have you heard the one about a man who calls an entertainment agency to get a quote for a six-piece function band?

The agency rep says:

Off the top of my head, a six piece band will cost about two thousand pounds.

The guy jumps out of his chair exclaiming,

TWO THOUSAND POUNDS!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? FOR MUSIC?!?

The agency rep responds,

Well, let me suggest this. How about you call around and ask for six plumbers to work from six to midnight on a Saturday night. Whatever they charge, the band will work for half.

It’s funny, but it also does a good job highlighting that professional musicians have a real value too. They’ve invested years in becoming fluent in a trade which requires skill and experience, and just like a plumber - you’re relying on them to provide a quality service at a time when it really matters.

Examples of Function Band prices

Hipster

5 stars - Hipster are Highly Recommended 543 Rock & Pop Function Bands Cheshire

With more than 2000 bookings to date, and over 500 five-star reviews, Hipster are one of the most well established and best loved party bands in the UK. Available as a 4 or 8 piece line-up, their repertoire contains classic Beatles, Fleetwood Mac & The Rolling Stones through to modern indie & pop from Kings of Leon, The Killers & Pharrell. Previous clients include Next, NSPCC, Channel 5, HSBC, Wella, Savilles, Deloitte, KPMG, RBC, Lloyds, M&S, Unileaver, BAE Systems and many more.
Price from £1,898
Get Funked

5 stars - Get Funked are Highly Recommended 17 Rock & Pop Function Bands London

Standing as one of the most in-demand and critically acclaimed bands in the luxury and corporate events industry, Get Funked boast a global reputation for sheer excellence. Available from an 8 piece to 30 piece band oozing soul, class, energy, unbelievable musical ability and stunning presentation, this bespoke showband have travelled the world wowing crowds at over 1000 events for clients such as Shell, Blackberry, BBC, BT and more!
Price from £25,365
Hot Frenzy

5 stars - Hot Frenzy are Highly Recommended 2 Rock & Pop Function Bands London

8, 10 or 12 piece explosive showband like no other! If you want pop stars with undeniable talent to sing at your event and put on the best show you've ever seen – Hot Frenzy is the only option. Come join our party!
Price from £8,782

There's no denying that a good function band is a big investment for any event - but we thought it might be interesting to show you where your money goes when you book a band to provide your wedding entertainment - and how little most musicians actually earn.

Breakdown of costs per gig

Yearly costs averaged, based on a 4 piece function band that plays 50 gigs a year and charge £1200 per gig including agency fees and all costs.

Petrol/Diesel - £100
Vehicle maintenance - £15
Vehicle insurance and tax - £30
Equipment purchase - £30
Equipment maintenance - £10
Equipment and public liability insurance - £15
PAT Testing - £5
Food/drinks - £40
Clothing £25
Rehearsal costs £10
Recording - £15
Video - £10
Photos - £5
Promo materials - £15
Web site - £10
Phones - £5
Agent fees where applicable £200

Total costs per gig = £540
Total remaining money to be split between band members = £660
Total earnings per member per gig = £165

Breakdown of time worked per gig

So then we thought it might be good to show you the average amount of time a function band spends working on a single gig.

Rehearsal time (averaged across a year) - 30 minutes
Travel to and from bands meeting point - 60 minutes
Travel to and from gig - 240 minutes
Load in and load out - 60 minutes
Set up, sound check & pack down - 90 minutes
Changing time and eating - 60 minutes
Waiting around between set up and performances - 120 minutes
Performance time - 120 minutes

Total time = 12 hours

So - if each member of the band works 12 hours to earn an average of £165, that's about £13.75 an hour. Considering most function bands can only work a maximum of 85 gigs a year (most functions happen on Saturdays) - then their best hope is an average annual salary of between £8250 to £14,000. Not much is it!

So - the point we'd like to highlight here is that most good function bands are REALLY good value for money - even though they may seem expensive on the face of it. The quality of service you can expect, and the enthusiasm given to delivering that service - far outweighs what you'd expect for the money each musician will get paid.

Musicians by their nature are not usually very money orientated and accept the hardship of a musical career as a trade off for doing something they love. Their passion for playing and performing should never be taken advantage of or undervalued.

Written by Ruthe Graham from Celtica - An exciting, fun and flexible trio performing Celtic, pop, rock, trad and Irish music with a bit of Ceilidh thrown in for good measure!