Faq

This is the key information that we require before your event via e mail - (please check the full explanations in the bullet points below) .

We don't require this information until 2 weeks before your event.

1) What is the scheduled band start time?

2) What is your first dance song? Do you want the band to play it or the original recording through our DJ service?

3) Any favourite songs for the band to play (up to 10, see sixth bullet point below)?

4) Any particular DJ requests? (see sixth bullet point below)?

How long do you play for? Our sets are usually 2x1hrs minumim, unless you ask for more, with usually a short break in the middle of typically 30 minutes. But we work round your timings and we are used to speeches etc running over, no problem.

How do your timings work? We arrive at least 90 minutes before the band is due to start. Typical timings would be: 6pm arrival - 6.30pm DJ service (if needed) - 8pm band first set - 9pm band break (with DJ service) - 9.30pm band second set - 10.35 DJ service to the finish time. These are approximate, the band can start a bit earlier than 8pm or later according to your needs. Also, if the band are playing in the same room as the meal and speeches our access is often delayed on the night - we work around that but still need 30 minutes load in and start the DJ service and about 1hr 15 in total to load in and set up the band.

Do you have insurance? Yes, we have £10 million public liability insurance.

Is your equipment PAT tested? Yes, fully PAT tested. We will provide PAT certificates and our insurance certificate to the venue or the client, on request.

What happens once we decide we want to book you? We will send you a contract (you can check it out here - L1 'Hiring A Band'). Once that's signed we ask for an £80 deposit with the rest payable on the day. **please note that once the contract is signed you cannot cancel without our agreement as we are entitled to the full fee. So please contact us with as much notice as possible and we will decide if we can waive the fee. In the rare event of a wedding or event being cancelled we are understanding and usually don't ask for the fee to be paid but we do expect to be informed via e mail beforehand and for the venue to confirm any cancellation** .

Can we choose songs? Yes, let us know some songs you like from our songlist (up to 10 or so) and we will build our set around those. We do improvise to some extent on the night - play a request or two or play songs that fit the moment - but we'll get the majority of your favourites in. The DJ service can take requests but if you have any particular songs for the DJ you can e mail a list beforehand or a Spotify link (which we'll use with our software). We'd like this information 2 weeks beforehand. *If you want a ceilidh we need to know in advance as we need to make sure we have our fiddle player who can also 'call' (and there is usually a supplement of £40 - £60 for this) *.

How does the ceilidh work? We need to know in advance if you want to include a ceilidh. We usually find that 30 minutes is enough (early on in the set) as it is energetic! However we can play as much ceilidh as you would like.

Will you learn our first dance? Yes! Just give us two weeks notice.

Will we have the band featured in your videos? What happens if someone is ill? In order to cover any illness and the high volume of bookings we have at least 3 regular players for each position, including the singer. If you check our great reviews and live clips on social media from June 2021 onwards most mention either Martyn or multi-instrumentalists Ro, Mike, Matt or Darren on vocals. The pop, rock, Irish or ceilidh sets remains the same regardless.

How do we communicate with you? It is in both our interests to have the key information confirmed on e mail so we prefer that method please. We can speak on the phone but we don't keep consistent office hours due to the nature of our work and anything we discuss on the phone has to be confirmed on e mail.

When do you arrive? We arrive at least 90 minutes before the band is due to start (start times can vary but typically 8pm). We can have the DJ service going within about 15 minutes of access to the room.

How long for the band to set up? 1 hour. Sometimes slightly over, sometimes slightly under. If speeches and timings run over and we are playing in the same room- which happens a lot - we will still need the hour to set up. We will still play the 2 hrs minimum even if we start later than the approximate contracted start time as long as we are finished by the agreed curfew (usually midnight unless otherwise agreed). See above for the DJ service.

Can you do an early set up? It would depend on location and there is usually an additional fee. Often venues ask for an early set up if the band are playing in the same room as the meal, speeches etc as it's less of a rush for them to clear space for the band. In reality the set up is quick and efficient - as soon as the speeches are done we load the equipment in and have the DJ service going within 15 minutes while the band set up. The vast majority of our wedding bookings work this way so don't feel pressured to go for the early set up.

Can we see you play live first? This is unlikely because we are fortunate enough to be busy with private bookings most weekends. We used to do showcases etc but we no longer have the need for it as we are booked on recommendations, our videos and reviews (so please check those out on Instagram and Facebook).

Do you expect to be fed? Yes please, as the band usually arrive around 6pm. We certainly don't expect a meal but would like some buffet-type food if possible (ideally later on in the break). We'd also like one beer each please! We won't be downing tools or anything if the food and drink doesn't happen but we do ask for this as a courtesy.

When do we pay you? The £80 deposit is due on signature, the balance on the day itself. Either cash or bank transfer by the morning of the performance - we will send our bank account details a week beforehand or earlier if your prefer.

We receive information you provide via our e mail address (contact@miracleband.co.uk ). In addition, we collect the Internet protocol (IP) address used to connect your computer to the Internet and connection information. We may use software tools to measure and collect session information, including page response times, length of visits to certain pages, page interaction information, and methods used to browse away from the page.