When having a party or planning an event, one is sometimes called on to “hire the band”. The general public don’t have a background in music and do not know where to start to go to get a band, not to mention differentiate between the varied bands that are available in their area that play parties. This article is meant to give you enough info to get you going in the middle. Additionally, there’s a link at the base of the article to help point you in the right path.

Classic Rock Outlined The term “Classic Rock” is used to outline a variety of rock music that covers from the 1960′s (Beatles, Stones, Bowie) thru the 1990′s (Stone Church Pilots, Sound Garden, Red Hot Chili Peppers). Some people also include more recent rock music as late as five years back. For the needs of this article we shall refer to Classic Rock as any rock music that was produced from 2005 returning to the 1960′s. What’s the Audience? You must start by considering the crowd that’ll be attending the event or party. Think about what sorts of folk will be at the event.

What are their ages? What are the demographics of the guests? Sometimes, folks from all demographic groups like classic rock. Everybody in the US has grown up listening to the numerous bands and solo acts that include this musical class. The age group that classic rock appeals to is usually between the ages of thirty and 65 years old. If the average age is either younger or older than this range, I might inspire you to find another form of entertainment. Folks older than sixty five or younger than thirty might like another category of music. What’s Your Budget? Think about your budget as one of the first steps.

You’d be shocked at the number of folk that call to ask about a band with no idea of what a band will cost. Music is often costlier than alternatives like a DJ. If your position is so tight that you can not afford at least $350 / musician, it is going to be tough for you to get a top quality band.

Plan on spending at least $1,000 for a four piece band for a four hour party. Most bands will be dearer than this number. Often, the better bands will be nearer to $500 / musician, so plan on spending between $1,500 and $2,500 for a good four piece rock group.

Manifestly , the more pieces in the band, the costlier it’ll be. These rates are for “cover” bands, implying that they play the music of other bands.

Original or “name” bands are usually much costlier and can range from $10,000 for an “oldies act” like “Blondie” to $1 million for a now popular classic band like the Rolling Stones (I’m using these names for illustrative uses only, they don’t seem to be planned to be tangible quotes for these bands). Clearly the route you pursue is conditional upon your financial position. Since most folk won’t have the budget to hire a name act for their event, the remainder of this article is dedicated to hiring a classic rock group that does “covers”.

How to discover a Band there are many good sources to get a qualified band for your event. Google and other search engines provide info about various bands in your neighborhood that are available and have an internet site. Additionally, you can employ booking agents and band promotional sites that list bands in your neighborhood that are available for events. Craigslist is also a potential source for band lists. Bands are generally listed under “Event Services” in lists in your neighborhood.