Function bands
Background musicians
Function bands
Background musicians
Our hand-picked collection of luxury show bands and world-class musicians have performed at some of the most exclusive parties and corporate events of the year, both in the UK and internationally.
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With no less than three vocalists in the band, The Crossfades serve up the best vintage and modern rock, pop and indie covers with a side of crowd-pleasing charm.
The Retro Pops re-interpret classic pop songs from the 1970s to the 2020s in a variety of other genres, from jazz and blues to calypso. A fresh approach to the traditional party band format.
Dynamic R&B, jazz and jump jive band, recreating the sounds of the 40s, 50s and 60s and guaranteed to get you moving! Smaller line-ups and afternoon sets available.
Transport your guests to golden hour at the beach club with this sophisticated live DJ and live trumpet duo, offering chilled lounge music at afternoon and early evening reception.
The ultimate celebration energy - a vibrant, youthful duo bringing together years of experience entertaining at weddings, parties, festivals, and various functions with their dynamic performances.
After starting out as a tribute to 90s dance classics the band now play high-octane club floor-fillers from the 70s to the present day. Using mash-ups, medleys and segues, songs are blended into one seamless night of entertainment.
Looking for a stylish band to lead your party through the greatest R&B, pop and soul of all time? Chronicle are guaranteed to have your guests on the dancefloor in record time! Solo and duo options, additional female vocals and brass section available.
A one-of-a-kind 5-piece jazz and swing band, specializing in a postmodern twist by performing pop standards with a classic jazz flair. If the mood calls for it, they effortlessly switch to funk and soul tunes to get everyone on their feet and dancing.
Exceptional party and wedding band playing everything from vintage 1950s rock’n’roll to cutting edge pop, indie and R&B. High profile clients include BT, Mini Cooper and Microsoft.
Young, fresh 4 or 5-piece party band with a choice of male vocalist/trumpet player, female vocalist/sax player, or both! DJ and acoustic sets also available. Discounts for midweek or off-season events.
Show-stopping party band playing a wide variety of hits by artists including Chic, Diana Ross and Bruno Mars that guarantee a night to remember! Additional musicians available.
With strong female vocals supported by guitar, backing vocals and drums, this small trio has the same sound and live impact as a ten-piece band.
Knock-out New Orleans style brass party band with drums for Mardi Gras parades, festivals, funerals, surprise entries and dancing! Larger line-ups available.
This in-demand Midlands wedding band have played at the NEC and O2 Arena and feature male and female vocals and 5-part harmonies. Expect pop, rock, indie, soul, funk and disco party anthems.
Utilising ground-breaking LED light show technology, MisLED Brass perform covers and mashups of music ranging from drum’n’bass to 80s classics, with fully synchronised light shows and choreographed routines.
Unique party band and winners of the TWIA Wedding Awards (South East Bands category). Featuring male and female vocals and playing retro classics and rock'n'roll through to 80s funk, 90s R&B and quirky takes on modern chart.
Boogie on down to 70s classics to one of the funkiest 70s tribute bands in town. This high-end showband are all flares, platforms and hippie chic, and their sound is as bold as their attire. Additional musicians and DJ service also available.
Powerful band featuring male vocals, piano and loops to create a huge live sound. The band play floor-filling anthems from the 1960s to the present. Booking options include acoustic duo and DJ service.
High-energy corporate and wedding band, playing crowd-rousing pop, rock, dance, funk and soul music from the 1960s to the present day. Client list includes Audi and Nintendo.
Looking for the party of a lifetime? With over a thousand live performances at corporate events, parties and weddings worldwide, The Starlighters guarantee a night to remember! Additional musicians, live DJ and afternoon background sets also available.
A showband is exactly the same as a cover band, but with an emphasis on the visual presentation of the band, whether that's in dress, lighting or sound. Typically they're larger than normal party bands, use a higher quality of musician, and are able to perform a wider variety of genres from rock to jazz.
Most showbands will incorporate both male and female vocalists, giving them access to a larger repertoire of songs.
Showbands usually contain at least 5 members, and are priced in the range of £1500 to £7000. The median price paid for a show band is around £3000.
Most bands have the option of adding a brass section as well as
introducing more lead singers and backing vocalist for the fullest
possible sound.
From Bar Mitzvahs to retirement dos, annual office parties to New Year's celebrations, birthdays and weddings, we have a band for every crowd at every chapter of life.
Whilst our bands always prefer to perform locally, they're happy to travel.
Our roster of the UK's best showbands will give your guests something to remember long after the final song.
Our local bands specialise in getting guests dancing at after-dinner
functions - but if your event is in the afternoon or needs more of a
background atmosphere, check out our acoustic acts, or our collection of roving musicians.
Browse the UK's top showbands on this page, or check out our wedding bands.
You can see a complete list of any particular band's repertoire on their profile page, but, on the whole, you can expect all your favourite pop, rock and soul covers from artists over the last 50 years.
From Lulu and The Beatles to contemporary hits by Rihanna, Beyoncé and The Weeknd, nothing is off limits for our showbands!
If you have a specific genre in mind and would rather a band that focuses on a theme, check out our soul and funk bands, swing bands or our tribute acts that cover the 60s, 70s and 80s.
Don't forget that when you book a larger line up, the band is more
likely to have keyboards and brass which means they can play an even
broader range of the pop, dance, soul and indie tracks that you love!
Absolutely! All our showbands for hire are self-contained and bring their own PA sound system as well as the microphones, amplifiers and instruments that they need.
It is, however, worth letting us know if you're expecting more than 200 guests at your event so that we can double check that the band's sound system is big enough.
Nearly all of our bands also bring lighting to add even more life to
your function and take the dancefloor to another level. As with the song
list, check out your chosen band's profile page to see if there are
extra items you can add on to make your evening even more memorable!
The only thing our showbands need is access to a power supply and a suitably sized space to set up in and deliver their performance from!
We hope to make it as easy as possible for you to have the band you want at your event and, as a guide, we suggest reserving a 3m wide x 3m deep space for a 3-piece band – and then adding an extra square metre for each extra band member.
If it is possible to have this space on a raised stage, that will
always help your band have a bigger impact but the most important thing
is that the space is flat and dry! Our showbands will do the rest!
If
you’re not sure about the space you can provide, read the ‘performance
information’ on the band’s profile to check their specifics.
On the whole, our showbands just need 60-90 minutes from around
5pm or 6pm to set up their gear and run a quick sound check.
The
best case scenario is that your venue is free of guests at this time
although many of our bands will be able to do a silent 'line check' to
test most instruments without sound running through the front-of-house
speakers.
If you're booking a band for after-dinner dancing, most of our acts will perform 2 x 60 minute sets from around 9.30pm to midnight - normally with a half hour interval.
If you're keen to keep the music going after midnight with the band or a different DJ, an extra fee usually applies.
Please make sure that you have food and refreshments for the band so that they can keep their energy up all night and put on the best show possible.
Also, if access to the venue is difficult, some of the band members may need parking spaces or a secure changing room to be able to leave their personal items and some equipment during your function.
Any requirements like this will be listed on the band's profile so do take a close look!
It's always worth checking whether your show band can provide the
different styles of music that you're hoping to have at your event
throughout the day.
Many of our show band musicians can also perform afternoon background music that will then save you additional costs in booking others to travel and perform at a different time of day.
Equally, if you haven't got a definite date in mind for your function yet, you might want to think about hosting a midweek or winter event to make the most of our bands reduced rates.
Always book a local band if you can, to save on travel and accommodation costs. We have excellent bands in nearly every town and city in the UK!
Function Central is one of the leading providers of showbands for weddings, parties and corporate functions. Find and book a local band to save on travel and accommodation costs, using the menu below.
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