New Dilemma

So some of you may have read that i had to cancel my orignal band. So now i have a new problem: Got a two bands who are available. The first charge £600. They play with backing tracks and there are two of them. The second have a great reputation but they are charging exactly double. They play live with no backing tracks. I have e mailed the second band to see if they will come down any in price but i doubt it. I know the obvious choice is the first one but has anyone got experience of a group playing with backing tracks and would a complete live band be better?

Have to say I can't stand backing tracks - but I don't know if it's just me being fussy being a musician myself, work in music education, whole family musical and H2B also. I'm just around musicians all the time, so the backing track doesn't cut it for me. Depends on the importance you place on the different elements of the wedding - I don't mind spending a good bit on the entertainment, but would cut down on things like flowers, wedding cake etc. Some people like to spend a lot on flowers etc. so it's personal preference really

One of my worst nightmares is guests not getting up and dancing. Constant dreams of me trying to get people on the floor. So do you think having a live band worth the extra money then?

Personally, I do think it is worth the extra. I think a full live band gives a much better feel. backing tracks can be be very rigid and fake sounding. You might get others here with differing opinions on this, so I wouldn't want to sway you into spending that amount of money. It does sound like the normal price for a full band though. Making sure the party is good is probably one of the most important things to me, so I don't mind budget being spent in this area to make it good. I'm not having a wedding car or a video - but this is just my choice of sacrafices to make for other things I feel are more important. You can't go wrong if a band has a good reputation, it will mean many a people have had a good night out with them. What about the 2 piece, have you heard any good reports on them?

pay the extra... bands with backing tracks are never the same as a live band.

Pay extra for the live band. My OHs Dad is in a band and the one piece of advice he gave us was not to get a band that uses backing tracks!!

[quote="timeflys":21hwrct9]pay the extra... bands with backing tracks are never the same as a live band.[/quote:21hwrct9] I def agree with this and with petersgirl. Backing tracks send warning bells ringing in my mind.....

Thanks for the advice girls - spoke to h2b about it and we think it would be worth the extra as well. Just hope no one books him between now and the morning when i ring them back. (oh god thats not even funny)

The extra you pay for the live band will be so worth it. It will be so much better, and a better atmosphere. Backing tracks is basically karaoke without the screens, isn't it?