How much time do you need for setup and soundcheck?
Ideally we say an hour max, this includes getting into the room with all of our equipment, setting everything up, sound checking and changing into our suits ready for kick off!
What are your standard performance times?
Normal standard playing times are 8pm-12am!
How flexible can you be if our timings aren't confirmed yet?
100%, if you get in touch with Coast they can add all the appropriate changes such as an earlier start time or later finish.
How long is your break, and do you play background music during it?
We take 30 mins for a break (during the buffet) for guests to get something to eat, grab a drink from the bar etc. We play an amazing playlist during this time, and we’ll never knock back a wee roll from the buffet...
Can we pick the songs you'll play on the night?
Of course you can!
We’ll chat through our set list with you before the wedding and get a feel for any songs or artists that you’re buzzing to hear on the night. Sometimes it’s really helpful to find out what songs you don’t want to hear as well!
Will you learn our first dance if you don't already know it?
Yes! It’s the most important part of the night!
We will learn your first dance song, or you can have the original song played if you’d prefer that (no offence taken!). Or we can even do a lovely acoustic, more stripped back version of it for you – the choice is yours!
Can you take requests on the night?
Not only can we but we encourage it! We take requests all night!
Can you keep the night going if our venue has a 1am licence?
Yeah we offer a DJ set till 1am to keep the party bouncing after the band have finished up.
Or we can play on till 1am as a live band if you fancy the big boys doing their thing to keep the dancefloor packed instead!
What other add-on options do you offer?
We offer a daytime drinks reception set for after the ceremony, it’s a brilliant option for a lovely bit of background music to set the vibe for your guests! Jamie our lead singer covers vocals and acoustic guitar accompanied by our sax player.
We also offer a ceilidh section (no extra cost!) which is always great fun to kick the night off with.
Is all the equipment, like PA and lighting, included in your quote?
100% everything you see and require we bring! We just need somewhere to plug into and we’re golden!
What do your clients love most about your performances?
The energy we bring and engagement with the crowd! We want to see everyone up on that dancefloor and we’re not shy in getting involved to get people up and out of their seats!
Expect to see a Big Papa on the dancefloor cutting shapes with your mad aunties and uncles!
Which artists are you most influenced by?
We love a bit of everything. Old school Rock n Roll, Motown and Country, with the odd Ibiza style boat party thrown in the mix!
Can you provide a ceilidh set, how long does it last, and can you call the dances for our guests?
We absolutely love a ceilidh set!
We feel it’s a great ice breaker for the night straight after the first dance! Ceilidh’s a bit like a buffet, as soon as you get one or two up there, they all go up!
Big Papas Jamie & Craig (we make a braw couple) will demonstrate the ceilidh for all those who don’t know or remember the dances! Think the scene from Titanic where Jack takes Rose to a real party in the lower decks – lots of sweaty fun!
What happens from the moment we book you?
Normally, when a client clicks the booking button, the details are automatically logged into all of our calendars and shared with both our team and our agents Coast Entertainments. This keeps everything synced up nicely, so everyone knows where the booking is, when it's taking place, and who it's for.
How much contact will we have before the wedding, like calls, emails and planning forms?
I’m Craig, and I personally handle all clients communications. We always find its best to have everything finalised around 6 weeks before the big day. At that point, we get in touch with our clients to go through their final decisions, discuss any special requests, and make sure we’re fully aware of all their preferences, do’s and don’ts, so everything runs smoothly! However, you can message us anytime you like and we will log all your information beforehand!
How do you prepare our first dance once we've chosen it?
Once you’ve chosen your first dance, I’ll pass it over to Jamie to learn, our singer, if he doesn’t know it already he can learn it especially for you. We understand that the first dance is one of the most important moments of the day, so we want to make it as special and memorable as possible! If you’d prefer the original song played through our sound system that’s totally fine too, we won't be offended! However, our goal is to learn and perform and maybe even add a little Big Papa touch to make it truly unique!
What if we ask for a song that's not in your repertoire?
We always love learning new songs! Fire away! However, if it’s a 20 piece band with pianos etc we can discuss it and maybe do a version of it!
Beyond the first dance, what else can we personalise about the night?
We are super open to requests, not only from the clients but the guests too! Also, if anyone wants to sing like an Uncle, Cousin or some mental pal you went to school with, that’s totally fine with us but it has to go through the clients say so - otherwise it won't happen!
What venue details should we flag early, like noise limiters, access, stage size or power?
9 times out of 10 we have played in your venue before and became friends with the staff but on the odd chance we haven’t, then if there is a sound limiter or tough parking it's really helpful to know in advnace.
Do you deal with our venue and planner directly, or does that go through Coast?
Again, we’ve performed at venues of all shapes and sizes, all over the country, so we’ve built great relationships with many of them over the years! Venues will contact us directly if needed and if not, they’ll get in touch with our agents Coast Entertainments.
Either way, communication is never a problem, we’ll always be in touch and keep everything running smoothly.
What do you wear on stage for a wedding?
We all wear matching suits! We love it!
What happens if a band member is ill on the day, and do you have deps?
Not to worry we have a small stable of amazing sax players and drummers to stand in when needed! Big Papa Craig & Jamie never really miss a show! Hardcore! However, worst case scenario we have amazing stand ins that keep the night dancing!
Do you check in with us or the venue on the day to confirm timings?
We arrive around an hour early to get in and set up. We will find the coordinator and let them know we're here (you’ll see us bouncing about saying hi to everyone) come say hi to you guys, set up, make sure all the info we have is correct, then we get ready for the first dance!
What should we expect if we've never booked a live band before?
It’s one of the best things about your night time party! Our goal is to get everyone on the dancefloor and stay there! Come onnn!
What happens when you arrive at the venue, from load-in to soundcheck?
As soon as we arrive we make sure it’s good for us to load in, if not we stand by to do so. We will walk around say hi to you guys and the coordinator and make sure all the info is good to go. We set up and get changed into our suits ready for the first dance!
If you start at 8pm, what time do you arrive, and what can change that?
For an 8pm start we normally arrive around 6:30/7pm latest! Gives us enough time to get there and set up ready for 8pm.
How do you decide what to play next, and how do you read the crowd?
We always read off the crowd unless instructed otherwise by the couple! However, the crowd always changes throughout the night so we keep an eye on that and change the set accordingly! We have tricks up the sleeve to keep the dancefloor busy!
How do you build the energy across the evening, and where do breaks fit?
Again, reading the crowd is the key! We have tricks and we love interacting with everyone!
How do you handle song requests from guests on the night?
We welcome it! Always great to know what everyone is feeling but we tend to say no to football songs or songs that divide people!
How exactly do you perform the ceilidh? Who calls the dances, how do you teach the steps, and how do you get reluctant guests involved?
Craig and Jamie call the dances! If people don’t remember or simply don’t know the dances we will come out and demonstrate them! Call the dances during the songs too.
How much do you chat with the crowd between songs, and will you make announcements?
We interact a lot with the crowd throughout the night. You’ll find by the time we leave we’re pals with your uncles and school pals!
If we've booked your DJ set too, how does the handover work?
It all depends on if it's during the night or 12-1am etc we can do the “fake ending” of Loch Lomond at 12am so everyone is jumping and singing and crashing into you both in the circle then after a few hip hip hoorays we go straight into the DJ set!
What happens if something doesn't go to plan, like a late meal or schedule change?
Always go with the flow! We have spares for technical issues, if things run late then we will be on standby! No issues!
How do you handle venues with noise limiters or sound restrictions?
We have mastered the sound limiter if I’m honest. A lot of bands hate it but we understand it! Sometimes we play in hotels and other guests are sleeping upstairs or we are in the middle of a farm and the farmer needs to wake up at 4am. Totally get it. After 10 years, I think we’ve got the sound limiter down to a fine art! Not to worry!
What does the dancefloor look like at 8.30pm, 10pm and 11.30pm?
You can check out our social media for this answer! Busy busy busy!
How do you close out the night, and is there a go-to finale?
It always tends to be Loch Lomond for tradition but we also play in England, Ireland and Wales where that’s not the case. Also, people don’t tend to like that anymore so we get in touch with the couple and find out how they would like to end the night!
How do you know when it's been a great gig?
Our job is simple really! Get everyone up and dancing, singing and enjoying themselves with the happy couple! We will know it’s going to be a great night as soon as we arrive. You can feel the atmosphere.
What surprises couples most about the live band experience?
They always comment about how smoothly we run the night. No real gaps! Always comment on how interactive we are! Sometimes night time guests who have just arrived need a bit of warming up before getting on the dancefloor, again we have a few tricks up our sleeve to get everyone going!
What's your favourite memory from a wedding you've played?
During Covid when the restrictions were lifted and we were able to get out and play again, we jumped in and helped another band out who fell sick and we were off. We travelled there and the atmosphere was flat and we could tell everyone was gutted about the band not making it so we took it on us to leave them sweaty and breathless! We always go for it with these bookings! We love it! We left that night and they confessed they tried to book us first and couldn’t get us (we had a cancellation and managed to cover the band they got) what a buzz it was when they saw it was us and we tore the roof off the venue and the dancefloor was packed the whole night! That wedding will stay with us forever I think!
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