How much time do you need for set up & sound check?
From the time we have access to the performance area we will take no longer than 1 hour to set up in any size or type of venue.
What are your standard performance times?
Our standard set is from 8pm until midnight
I'm not sure what my timings are going to be yet, is there any flexibility on the standard timings?
4 hours (including break) is the maximum length of booking we play as a band. Should you wish to extend this by 1 hour at either end we offer a DJ set option which is available at an additional cost.
How long do you take for your break? Are you able to play background music during this time?
We take 30min break in the middle of the event & a short comfort break later on. We always leave background music on when we’re not on stage ?.
Can I pick the songs that you'll play on the night?
We select the songs we play on the night based on our experience of what songs we feel work best.
If you have any specific requests on songs from our set list, just let us know beforehand and we will try and accommodate as many requests as we can.
Will you learn our first dance if it's a song that you don't already know?
Yes absolutely! As long as it's musically possible of course!
Can you take any requests on the night?
If they’re songs from our setlist sure thing! Anything not from our setlist we will happily play the original track on our break or DJ set if you have booked one.
My venue has a 1am license, do you offer an extension to keep the night going until then?
We offer a DJ set for the hour of 12am - 1am, please get in touch for a quote.
Do you offer any other add-on options?
Our ceilidh set is incredibly popular and can be included within the bands set at no extra cost!
Is all of the equipment (e.g. PA & lighting) included in your quote?
Yes, all of our equipment is included in your quote.
All applicable electrical items that we use have the relevant safety certificates and are maintained regularly.
We are also fully covered for up to £1,000,000 worth of public liability insurance (documentation available on request).
What do you think your clients love most about your performances?
We will play a handpicked selection of the biggest and best Pop, Rock, Indie, Dance, Funk, Soul, Blues, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Reggae, Folk and Country floor fillers from the 50's, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 00’s up to the present day.
Our sets are super lively and as one of the busiest bands around all our clients have nothing but 5-star reviews!
We also pride ourselves on rapid, clear & flexible communication from the get-go.
Which artists are you most influenced by?
Prince, The Beatles, Jack White, Curtis Mayfield, The Eagles, Talking Heads, Chic, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Little Feat, Oasis, The Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, James Brown, The Clash, The Strokes, U2, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Movie Theme Tunes.
Can you provide a ceilidh set? If so, could you give us more info about this - how long does it last, what instruments do you play, can you call the dances for our guests?
Our extremely popular Ceilidh set includes up to 30 minutes of pre-recorded traditional Scottish music performed by The Scott Harvey Band, Jim McLeod & The Gordon Pattullo’s Ceilidh Band.
We professionally call all the dances providing full live instructions and guidance on the night.
Dances include Strip The Willow (Orcadian style), Gay Gordons, Dashing White Sergeant and Canadian Barn Dance.
The Carbon Copy Ceilidh is perfect for both experienced and inexperienced participants of all ages and nationalities and you will participate! Our Ceilidh set is optional and there is no additional charge for this.
When a couple books you, what's the first thing you do? Walk us through what happens from the moment you're confirmed.
6 - 8 months before your wedding, we'll be in touch with an online form to fill out. It asks for things such as your first dance and all other important information that we need to know.
How much contact do you typically have with the couple before the wedding? What does that look like - emails, calls, a planning form? How often, and who in the band handles it?
6 - 8 months before your wedding, Mark from the band will be in touch via email with an online form to fill out. It asks for things such as your first dance and all other important information that we need to know.
When a couple sends through their first dance choice, what's your process? How do you arrange it, how long does it take, and what makes a great first dance choice vs a tricky one?
We'll learn a special first dance of your choosing to play Live (as long as it's musically possible of course - and most things are!). If it's not possible for us to play live we will have the original track ready to go! Please allow at least 3 months notice for this.
If a couple requests a song that's not in your repertoire, how do you handle that? Where's the line between "we'll learn that" and "that one won't work for us"?
If there's anything not in our set list that you want played please let us know and we will have the original track played for you at some point in the evening. Due the to number of weddings we play we’re only able to learn one bespoke song per wedding which is normally reserved for your first dance.
Beyond the first dance, what other moments in the evening can couples personalise? How far can they go with making the night their own?
You can let us know if you would like a ceilidh section (up to 30 mins, from pre-recorded tracks & called by band members).
In terms of the set list. You don't have to put a setlist together, we prefer to read the room and keep as many folk dancing as we can by selecting the songs as we go.
If there's anything on our setlist that you’d love to have played please let us know and we’ll endeavour to play as many as we can, if there's anything not on there that you want played please let us know and we will have the original track played for you at some point in the evening. Due to the number of weddings we play we’re only able to learn one bespoke song per wedding which is normally reserved for your first dance.
What information do you need about the venue beforehand? Are there common venue issues couples should flag early - noise limiters, access restrictions, small stages, power supply?
Please let us know if the venue has a noise limiter fitted. We require at least 4 mains plug sockets and a stage area of 5m (W) x 4m (D). We also require 1 hour to set up once given clear access to our performance area.
How do you coordinate with the venue staff or wedding planner? Is there direct contact between you and them, or does that go through Coast?
Please tell the venue & or wedding co-ordinator to feel free to email Mark from the band carboncopyweddings@gmail.com.
What do you wear on stage? How do you think about your look and presentation for a wedding?
We wear all black - shirts and/or tee-shirts, trousers & shoes. We want the attention to be on the couple, as it should be!
What happens if a band member is ill on the day? What's your contingency - do you have dep musicians, and how does that work in practice?
This will not affect your booking: in the event of a band member being unavailable we have a pool of professional musicians who we work with regularly who can step in.
On the day itself, before you arrive - is there any final contact with the couple, venue coordinator, or planner to confirm details and timings?
We'll be in touch in the week running up to your wedding to confirm the final details that we will already have. Should you need to contact us on the day, please call Mark on 07980971000.
For couples who've never booked a live band before and are nervous about what to expect - what would you say to reassure them?
With us you are getting... Packed dance floors all night long. Audience interaction. High energy live performance. Upbeat varied set list with songs from all genres and eras. Our Carbon Copy Ceilidh. First class communication from start to finish. Flexibility and attention to detail.
What happens when you arrive at the venue? Walk us through the logistics - load-in, setup, soundcheck. What does that process actually look like, and what would the couple or venue notice?
We will arrive around 90 mins to 1 hour before your first dance. We require 1 hour to load in our equipment, setup & sound check once given clear access to our performance area.
If you're due to start at 8pm, what time would you normally arrive? What factors change that - venue access, distance, complexity of setup?
We will arrive around 90 mins to 1 hour before your first dance. We require 1 hour to load in our equipment, setup & sound check once given clear access to our performance area by the venue.
How do you approach the start of the evening? Do you call the bride and groom onto the floor? How much of the first dance do you give them before inviting others in, and how do you read when to make that call?
We will call you onto the dance floor "Please welcome to the dance floor, for the very first time Mr & Mrs (your married name)!!". You can choose to dance the entire first dance yourselves, or you can bring in the bridal party at any point in the song of your choosing (usually after the first chorus). Alternatively, what some couples do is they ask the entire wedding party to join them on the dance floor at a chosen point in the song (usually after the first chorus).
How do you decide what to play next during the set? What are the signals you're reading from the crowd, and how quickly can you change direction if the energy shifts?
We always read the room and keep as many folk dancing as we can by selecting the songs as we go.
How do you structure the energy across the whole evening? Do you build to a peak, keep it high throughout, or work in waves? How do the breaks fit into that?
We always like to keep the energy as high as possible throughout the entire evening. However, there may naturally be moments where people like to get a refreshment and/ or want a slower-paced song that they can dance with their partner to at this point we would play one or two love songs.
How do you deal with live requests from guests on the night? What are your rules of engagement - do people come up to the stage, is there a system, and how do you handle requests you can't play?
If it's a song we know from our setlist, we'll play it as soon as possible for them. If not, as long as we have an adequate internet connection at the venue, we'll play the track for them on our break.
You offer a live ceilidh set - talk us through exactly how you perform it. Who calls the dances? How do you teach the steps? How do you get reluctant guests involved without making anyone uncomfortable?
Our extremely popular Ceilidh set includes up to 30 minutes of pre recorded traditional Scottish music performed by The Scott Harvey Band, Jim McLeod & The Gordon Pattullo’s Ceilidh Band. We professionally call all the dances providing full live instructions and guidance on the night. Dances include Strip The Willow (Orcadian style), Gay Gordons and The Dashing White Sergeant. The Carbon Copy Ceilidh is perfect for both experienced and inexperienced participants of all ages and nationalities and you will participate! Our Ceilidh set is optional and there is no additional charge for this.
How much do you interact with the crowd between songs? What's your style - chatty and MC-like, or let the music do the talking? Do you make announcements if the couple asks?
We like to think we provide just the right amount of on-stage banter with the crowd! We can announce anything the couple wants at all - It's their night after all!
What's your approach when something doesn't go to plan - a late-running meal, a change to the schedule, a technical issue? Can you give an example of how you've adapted on the fly?
If the meal is running late, we still require one hour of set-up once given clear access to our performance area. In the event of a technical issue on our side, we would act quickly to get it resolved as soon as possible. We keep plenty of spares and are very experienced at keeping the best equipment in good condition, but on the rare chance something should go wrong, we would communicate this with you and/or the venue as soon as possible.
How do you handle venues with noise limiters or sound restrictions? Does it change what you do, and would the couple or guests notice a difference?
We have played many venues with sound restrictions and sound limiters. They do limit the sound to what we enjoy playing at; however, usually it doesn't make a huge difference. As a rock/party band with live acoustic drums we are typically around 80 - 100db. If you need us to play quieter or indeed louder, we will try and accommodate this as far as possible.
What does the dancefloor look like at different points in the night? If I was standing at the back of the room watching, what would I see at 8.30pm vs 10.00pm vs 11.30pm?
We like to think it would be busy with dancing all night long! And we'll endeavour to make sure that happens. However, around 11:30/45 pm, we would start the wrap-up proceedings, singing big Scottish songs such as "Caledonia", "500 Miles", and "Loch Lomond" with the big circle of your wedding party with the couple in the middle of the dance floor.
How do you close out the evening? Is there a go-to finale approach? How do you decide when to end on a high vs giving the crowd one more?
Around 11:45 pm, we would start the wrap-up proceedings, singing big Scottish songs such as "Caledonia", "500 Miles", and finishing with "Loch Lomond". This is all with the big circle of your wedding party with the couple in the middle of the dance floor.
How do you know it's been a good night? What's the thing that tells you "that was a great gig" - is it something you see, something the couple says, something you feel on stage?
Really busy dance floor & the crowd loving it! Usually with loads of compliments from the couple & others at the end of the night when we are packing up.
What's something couples often tell you after the wedding that they didn't expect about the live experience? The thing that surprised them.
We sound way better than expected live. We pride ourselves on our live sound & killer set!
What's your single favourite moment or memory from a wedding you've played? The one you always tell people about.
We played Elaine C. Smith's daughter's wedding, and she got up on stage and sang "Stand By Me" with us. It was pretty special.
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