What times do the band arrive/set up?
The Band timings are entirely up to you.

The band as standard is contracted between 5pm and Midnight. If you have booked an earlier start, or if you have confirmed different timings when booking the band, then you can ignore this section!

If you have not booked an earlier arrival or late finish but would like to then please specify this in your ‘final details form’. If you have already submitted the form then please email krystine@ear-candy.co.uk with the new timing and we will confirm and amend your booking accordingly.

Early arrivals before 5pm are charged at £10 per personnel (including sound engineer)
Late finishes after midnight are charged at £15 per personnel (including sound engineer)

Please note that due to traffic variables outside our control, we would suggest that you provide the band with a window of time for them to turn up, this allows for road accidents or heavy traffic. The band will always aim to arrive early.

How Long do the Band need to Set Up?
A 3, 4 and 5 piece band will need at least one hour to set up their equipment and sound check. A band with 6 or more members will require a minimum of one and a half hours. If you have booked more than one band, we will advise you how long this takes.

A sound check is an essential part of the set up, which allows the band to check all instrument levels, EQ, effects and monitors. The Sound Engineer will adjust levels and settings to accommodate the acoustics and size of the room. Please bear in mind that the sound check will require the band to be playing at full volume, so you should ensure your guests are in a different room when this takes place.

What song list will the band play?
Please take a look at your band profile on our website, this is a current set list for the band. However please note that this may be subject to change as they are constantly updating their set lists to include more variety.
Our bands have years of experience at selecting the right songs that will get your guests on the dance floor, however if you have specific songs suggestions from their song list that you do or don’t want them to play then please let us know when submitting the ‘final details form’ or if you have already submitted it, then by email krystine@ear-candy.co.uk, and we will do our best to accommodate this.

Please note that the band have refined their set list to ensure maximum energy and enjoyment from the audience, the set list has been carefully created and rehearsed, so to maintain the very highest standard, designing a bespoke set may  incur extra charges.

How many songs are in each set?
For each 40 min set the band will usually play about 10 songs. For an hour long set the band will usually play about 15 – however this is very much dependent on the length of the individual songs, and the audience reaction to each song.

Will I receive the exact line up from the video on the night?
As with nearly all bands and agencies, we are not able to guarantee any individual musician (unless they are a celebrity). All musicians and personnel you receive will be of equal or better quality than demonstrated in the promotional material. They will also have rehearsed and played with the other band members countless times in other projects and with earcandy.

Unlike many agencies, we always quality control all musicians and personnel that we work with.

Can I see the band play before my event?
As our bands are full time professionals and highly sort after, they regularly perform private events, which is why we invest in live videos and collect testimonials from previous clients.

We do, on occasion, organize showcases of our bands, however this will be short notice – it’s all dependent on the availability of all members, and how many clients would be able to make the event. We will send out an email to let you know if your band is performing, however please don’t rely on seeing them beforehand as we can’t guarantee this.

Why has no one been in touch?
To make the lead up to your day as smooth as possible, we detail all the information that is required from our end when we send out the initial email to you. We will be in contact with you in the lead up to the day to issue an invoice for the remaining payable amount, and to check everything is running smoothly. We will be in contact with you if we require any information that we do not have, but most of the logistics will be organised behind the scenes.

In the meantime you can get in contact at any point by emailing ‘krystine@ear-candy.co.uk’. Please always include your event reference number in the subject line – this helps us to find your information quicker.

Please bear in mind that we will usually have the information and email address of the person who made the booking as the point of contact for your booking. If this changes, please let us know, as we will need to update our contact details.

Sometimes emails can be marked as spam. If you were expecting an email from us, and haven’t, please get in touch by phone and we’ll look to rectify the problem. To prevent this from happening please ensure you add ‘krystine@ear-candy.co.uk’ to your email whitelist, and check your junk mail.

How Much Space Does the Band Need?
We recommend for a 5 piece band a 14ft by 10ft  floor or stage space is required. For a 7 piece band we recommend 16ft by 10ft. Please also be aware that we will need space for the sound engineer to set up either beside the band, or somewhere facing the band near the back of the room. They will require space which should be about the size of a regular table.

How can I pay?
We will send you an invoice for the 1st payment and a payment summary for the remaining amount due leading up to the day, with details on how to pay.
We accept as standard cheque or bank transfer. There is also an option to pay the final amount to the band in cash on the day of the event, in advance of the first performance.

Can the band send me a recording of my first dance prior to my event?
Unfortunately this will not be possible, however due to the level of musicians who we work with, you have no need to worry about the quality of the performance. If you would like the band to specifically perform the song as close to the original as possible, or a particular youtube version, we can pass this guidance over to the band.

What is the DJ package?
The DJ package is an affordable alternative to a stand alone DJ. This is where a band member or sound engineer has been trained to use a software DJ package, and plays music in between the band or after the band are playing. If you have not booked the DJ package but are interested, please get in touch and we can add this on for you at a small extra fee.

The advantage of the DJ package is that the band member or sound engineer will play off the audience, to ensure each song keeps the energy high. You are able to ask for requests, and choose from our large catalogue, which you can view when filling out your ‘final event details form’.

Alternatively the band can play pre mixed ipod/mp3 music in between sets, so that the atmosphere doens’t die down too much.

What Guarantees do i have?
We understand that the biggest priority is that your day runs smoothly without any hiccups. For this reason, we always direct the band to aim to arrive early. On the day, they will have the contact number of their designated point of contact for the day. In the unlikely event that there are situations outside the band’s control which may lead to delays, they will immediately phone this contact with details of their situation, and will keep in contact until a solution has been reached. We pride ourself on our bands arriving on time, and strive to ensure our bands are set up and arrive with plenty of time spare.

Oh, and by the way, our bands are used to accommodating events running late, or timings changing last minute, and they will do their best to accommodate these changes for you.

My Venue has asked for a PAT test / Public Liability (PL)  Certificate, can you do this?
If your venue has asked for a copy of the PAT test or PL certificate, please email krystine@ear-candy.co.uk and they will pass this over to the venue. We do get in contact with the venue before your event to ensure they have all information required from us.

My Venue has a Sound Limiter, can you accommodate this?
If your venue has a sound limiter, and you would like to make sure this is ok, please get in contact by emailing krystine@ear-candy.co.uk. If the venue’s sound limiter is above 90db, this should not be a problem. If it’s any less, please get in touch and we will converse with the venue with the aim to find a compromise.

Can I use the band’s microphone for speeches?
Of course! please just let us know, and we’ll pass over the information to the sound engineer on the day. Please bear in mind that the speeches will need to happen in the same room as the band’s PA equipment in order for the speeches to be amplified, and can only happen once the PA equipment has been set up, otherwise extra PA hire will be required. This can be sourced at a small additional fee.

Why have i been asked to provide food/refreshments for the band?
A band’s day is usually quite intensive and it can often be very expensive for band members to purchase nearby food. In order to help keep performances at its peak, we ask clients to kindly provide the band with a meal and light refreshments. We understand that this is sometimes inconvenient, and can arrange a food supplement instead for a small extra charge.

How Much Power does the band need?
The equipment taken to your event will vary from gig to gig, so we advise that the band will require 8 power sockets for a 4/5 piece band and 10 power sockets for a 7/10 piece band.

The total power consumption required is Minimum 20 amps and Maximum 32 amps.

What if my band split up?
We’ve all heard horror stories of band bookings taking place a year before the event, and the band splitting up within this time, however unlike other agencies and bands, we do not take on complete ‘bands’ onto our books. We take on the very best pool of session musicians and performers and work with them to help them develop them so that they can perform within the act. This way, if a particular performer were to leave or be unavailable for any reason, we would bring an alternative member in their place, who is of equal (if not better) performance standard, visual look and experience.

How can i trust referrals?
Sometimes it’s difficult to know who you can trust, and we completely understand that when it’s your big day at stake, which is why we try to be as transparent as possible. We are currently collecting video testimonials from past clients at events, to give extra transparency, these will be available soon.

What lighting does the band bring?

The band are instructed to bring LED Par Cans, or equivalent. Due to venue restrictions, and in order to keep the costings affordable, the bands come as standard with basic lighting designed to light them. If further lighting is required, this can be sourced at an extra cost.

Does the band require staging?
Depending on the type of event, staging can provide a great quality to a show, however our bands can perform happily without staging also. This will need to be sourced separately by the client. Please see ‘how much space does the band need?’ for stage size requirements.