Should You Choose Every Song Your Live Band Plays?

When you book a live band for a wedding, party or corporate event, one of the most enjoyable parts can be looking through their repertoire and spotting all the songs you love.. And we absolutely want to know what you like.

In fact, giving your band some guidance is incredibly helpful. It tells them whether you lean towards soul and Motown, 80s classics, indie and rock, modern pop or dance-floor favourites.

But should you choose every single song they play?

Usually, we’d recommend not quite.

A live set is different from a playlist

At home, it makes perfect sense to create a playlist song by song. You can put your favourite tracks in exactly the order you want and simply press play.

A live band works differently.

Experienced musicians build their sets so that songs flow naturally into one another. They think about tempo, key, musical style, vocal changes and how one track leads into the next.

Some songs work brilliantly back-to-back. Others can stop the momentum of a dance floor completely if they are placed in the wrong part of the evening.

A good party set often feels effortless when you listen to it — but quite a lot of thought goes into making it feel that way.

The band is also reading your guests

One of the biggest advantages of having live musicians rather than simply playing recorded music is that they can react to what is happening in the room.

Perhaps the first few soul and Motown songs immediately fill the dance floor. The band may decide to stay with that style for a little longer.

Maybe the crowd suddenly responds to an indie anthem and it becomes obvious that a run of guitar classics will work brilliantly.

Or perhaps a song that looked perfect on paper just isn't right for that particular group of guests at that particular moment.

Experienced function bands become very good at reading a room and adapting the set accordingly.

That flexibility is part of what you're paying for.

So how much guidance should you give?

We think the best approach is somewhere in the middle.

Have a good look through the band's repertoire and tell us:

• the songs you particularly love

• any styles or eras you'd like the band to concentrate on

• a handful of must-play songs

• anything you definitely don't want played

• the sort of atmosphere you're hoping to create

  
  

That gives the musicians a very clear idea of your taste without taking away their ability to construct a great live set.

You might, for example, tell us that you love 90s indie, definitely want plenty of Motown, and aren't particularly keen on current chart music.

That's incredibly useful information.

Giving the band a list of 30 songs that must be played in a particular order can be much more restrictive.

Your favourite songs still matter

None of this means handing over control and hoping for the best.

It's your event, and the music should feel right for you.

If there are songs in the band's repertoire that mean something to you, tell us. If there are certain genres you can't stand, tell us that too.

For weddings in particular, couples often have music that reminds them of friends, university days, holidays or particular moments in their relationship. Those personal choices can make the evening feel much more individual.

The trick is to give the band the ingredients and let them decide exactly how to put them together.

Trust the musicians you've booked

Professional party and wedding bands can perform the same songs hundreds of times and quickly learn which combinations work.

They know which number is perfect for opening a set, which songs work well as a medley, where to put the big singalong tracks and which songs tend to work best later in the evening when everybody has relaxed.

There is also something special about a band moving seamlessly from one great song into another without the dance floor ever really stopping.

That is much harder to achieve when every song and its exact position has been predetermined.

Our advice

Choose a band whose repertoire already contains plenty of music you like.

Then give them guidance rather than a complete script.

Pick your favourites. Tell them your must-plays and your definitely-not-plays. Let them know the sort of evening you have in mind.

Then give the musicians enough freedom to do what good live bands do best:

watch the dance floor, read the room and keep the party going.

At Silver Dog Music, we're always happy to help you choose the right band and talk through repertoire, song choices and the atmosphere you want to create for your event.