Function Band
Questions & Answers
All You Need To Know
When Hiring A Function Band
With over 2000 gigs and 10 years of playing experience as a professional 'Function Band' we understand what it takes to make every type of event a success. We have performed across the UK and Europe to all kinds of audiences and at all types of venues and are one of the busiest bands in the country.
All this experience gives us an eye for detail that other bands miss. We pride ourselves on every aspect of what we do from the booking process right through to the performance on the night. We have an extensive repertoire that will keep the dance floor full which is all played and performed through the highest quality equipment available.
Slinky Band have played at all types of functions. This includes Weddings, Birthday Parties, Fundraisers, Award Ceremonies, Christmas Parties, Charity Events and Civil Partnerships. If you have a special or unusual event please do not hesitate to contact us.
Slinky can perform at any type / size venue you require. Whether this a house party, night club, manor house or a football stadium we can accommodate you.
Slinky can perform music from all decades (50s – 10s) and across all genres. This includes Soul to Motown, funk & disco through to the latest chart hits. Our repertoire has in excess of 120 songs and we are constantly updating this with new material. Please check out our repertoire here.
Whether it’s in the UK, Europe or International Slinky will be happy to perform at your event.
Our standard arrival time is 6pm and the band to be set up for 7.30pm. Start times are flexible as they depend on the client’s itinerary for the evening and finish times are generally midnight. If you require an early start / late finish time this is not a problem but an additional fee may be charged.
There are three options when booking Slinky, 2 x 60 minute sets, 3 x 40 minute sets or 2 x 45 minute sets. If you have other timings in mind please discuss this at the time of your enquiry.
As a professional function band we may need upto a maximum time of 1hr 30mins. This can be done quicker as long as we have easy access to the venue (i.e. ground floor room and vehicle access close to the venue). On average Slinky would require 1 hour to complete a good set up / sound check.
As standard we always carry an iPad with in excess of over 5000 songs to all our gigs that we use specifically for DJ’ing. The iPad holds music from the 50s right up to the latest chart hits making sure that we keep the dance floor full in between our live sets. We are of course happy to take requests for songs and make basic announcements also.
Our music library playlists between sets comes as standard with every booking. If you want a more bespoke DJ service, we also offer a Professional DJ package upgrade option.
We are happy to discuss learning your first dance but it does depend on whether the song will suit the band or not. Certain genres of music do not make it easy for a 4 piece band to do a song justice as it has to be within our playing style and sound. We wouldn’t like for you to be disappointed with the first song of the night.
Yes we offer a 1 x 60 min set or 2 x 40 min set for an additional cost and the songs are carefully selected by our acoustic duo Between The Loops. This is perfect for your meal, drinks reception or to welcome your evening guests.
The bands performance times are important in making your evening flow properly. We are totally flexible with this, although we prefer that our performance doesn’t happen at the same time as the buffet or anything else you may have planned.
We also recommend that our second set is timed so that the band play for the last hour of the event. The dynamic of the performance works really well in this format and provides the perfect end to any function.
Typical timings are as follows – Arrival 6pm to be set up and sound checked by 7:30. Background Music / DJ music / Acoustic Set from 7:30 until 8:30. Live set 1 from 8:30 until 9:30. Background/DJ music from 9:30 until 10:30 Live set 2 from 10:30 until 11:30 with DJ music until midnight.
For most parties we will dress in our preferred attire of smart casual (unless otherwise stated by the client). If you event has a theme then we are happy to join in with this also.
As we are a 4 piece guitar based function band the nature of the music we play means we can only turn down so far. We always make sure that our volume levels are such that people at an event can still converse.
If your chosen venue has a DB limiter, please discuss this with us at the time of your enquiry. It is worth discussing to make sure that the performance you will receive from us will not be compromised.
If your venues decibel limit is restrictively low, we are more than happy to use our digital drum kit. This will allow us to control/limit the overall volume a lot more than with acoustic drums.
Yes we do supply the latest LED lighting which lights the band as well as the dance floor area of the venue. This gives you the perfect atmosphere for your event.
As use the latest LED lighting and the latest technology PA equipment our power consumption is very low. Even with this in mind we do prefer to run lights from one power source and PA equipment from another to reduce the risk of noise interference.
We usually request 2 double 13 amp supplies as near to the performance area as possible. We draw approximately 16 amps with everything on and have only ever experienced issues in marquee events where the generator capacity has been too low.
As a professional function band PAT certification and Public Liability Insurance cover up to £10M comes as standard for all events
Yes. As we are an established function band we have many testimonials from our previous clients on our website. You can check these out here!
You are welcome to use our sound system but please be aware of the following points:
– We do not use radio mic’s so you will need to be near where the band are setting up.
– The PA system is not mobile so once it is set up in place for the band it cannot be moved.
– Think about timings as it would cost more for us to arrive early.
Having a guest join us for our performance can be a real high point of the evening ……. or low point. To avoid this we would like discuss this prior to your event with yourself and the person you have in mind. As we have expensive equipment on the stage area an impromptu guest jumping up to join us can result in a cost to them/you. Also, please note they would not be covered by our Public Liability Insurance.
Unfortunately we do not recommend ‘Client Picked Set lists’ as generally they have not worked at previous events. We usually ask the client for guidance on what type of music they like i.e. 60s, 70s, disco, indie etc or favourite bands / songs.
Alternatively you can pick 20 – 40 songs and from that list we will select a number of songs and build the set around that. It also helps to inform us of any songs you do not wish to be played. Please note we don’t not guarantee we will play all your choices (we do like to DJ the set according to crowd reaction)
In our 15 years of performing at a professional level Slinky has not cancelled a single event. In the very unlikely circumstance that this did happen we would make every effort to find a suitable band to replace us. As our work is our livelihood we take our commitments very seriously. We also understand how much events mean to each individual client.
Slinky require a room to get changed in, preferably lockable so we can leave our clothes / valuables in. Also food and light refreshments are required for the duration of the event. Please note this is standard with all professional working bands.
As we are an extremely busy function band the majority of our work is for private clients i.e. weddings or corporate events. This is why we try and keep all our recordings and videos as up to date as possible. In the off peak months keep an eye on our Facebook page as we do occasionally play local public venues.
We do not take provisional bookings due the fact that we are dealing with so many enquiries on a weekly basis. If you do make an enquiry with us it will be logged in our system and you will be given first refusal on your date.
You can book us through the enquiry form on our website or via the phone numbers/email at the bottom of every page.