Live music at your event: plan the moments between the songs

A band can give an evening a wonderful sense of occasion. The awkward moments tend to happen around the performance: equipment arriving during a reception, a speech beginning as the musicians start, or a break with nobody responsible for the music.

Before choosing songs, decide how live music will fit the gathering. A welcome, a concert and a dance floor ask different things of the performers and of the people running the event.

Give each performance a clear role

Describe what guests will be doing while the musicians play. Will they be talking over drinks, sitting down to listen or dancing? Share the audience, setting and atmosphere you want, rather than relying on a genre label alone.

Ask for a live recording that helps you judge that particular use. A lively concert video may show stage presence without showing whether the same act suits a small reception. Discuss repertoire, any special song and whether requests are possible before treating them as part of the booking.

Start with the music and live performance services that fit your idea, then agree the actual performance lengths and breaks with the musicians. There is no need to build your programme around an assumed standard package.

Put preparation on the programme too

Performance time is only part of the band's time on site. Confirm when they can unload, set up, check the sound and pack away, alongside when guests arrive. Someone must be able to give them access at the agreed time.

Send the act's technical requirements to the venue and the person supplying the equipment. Establish who provides the sound system, microphones and operator; a system supplied for the band should not be assumed to cover every speech or another room. Discuss the venue's sound conditions, available performance space and access route before confirming the arrangement.

Decide who controls the handovers

A pause for speeches needs more than a gap in the playlist. Name the person who tells the musicians when to finish, checks that the speaker is ready and gives the signal to restart. Agree how that person can reach the band leader during the evening.

For each break, decide whether you want background music, a DJ or silence. If a playlist is agreed, confirm whose device and sound system it uses, who operates it and who stops it. A DJ handover also needs an agreed connection and a check with the technical team. Explore sound and lighting services if that coordination needs separate support.

In an illustrative speech handover, the band is finishing a song as the host gets ready. The coordinator confirms the speaker and microphone are ready, signals the band leader, then gives the restart cue after the speech. One named person prevents conflicting instructions.

Agree what happens when timings move

Discuss delays before the event: which moments can move, which finish time is fixed and who can authorize any change. Ask how a delayed start affects the agreed performance, breaks and any additional charge. Record the answer rather than assuming that a later start means a later finish.

Ask the venue and organizer to confirm the music permissions and local requirements relevant to the event. If you want to film or stream the act, agree that use separately with the performers and check the necessary rights. For recording consent, see the ISM's UK preparation guidance; its licensing advice should not be applied across Europe.

Give everyone the same final programme

Send one agreed version to the musicians, venue, technical team and coordinator. Include the named contact, access and preparation times, performance windows, breaks, handover cues and finish arrangements. Put the details in the booking agreement where appropriate.

The useful result is a programme people can act on: the musicians know when they are needed, the team knows who gives each cue, and guests can enjoy the music.

Sources & Further Reading

Musicians' Union: engagement and booking guidance

A UK resource for unsigned and emerging artists. Read its contractual and safety guidance in that context.

Independent Society of Musicians: preparing for a live performance