Grateful Dead Music Forum

I am a senior in high school, and in my health class we were assigned a project in which we must do a report where we plan a mock wedding and early married life. For our wedding reception we much have a band or a dj. Given that a dj would be really lame, i am now looking for a band that plays dead music or just plain good music for my "wedding". i know a lot of yall are in great bands, so if anyone could post some info on their band, a website, and how much a wedding reception gig would cost it would be great. thanks

LOL!

Well, I'm sure most would agree it depends heavily on several factors: how far is it to drive? what time do we start & finish? is sound system/crew provided? what is the reception venue & stage like? (backyard, banquet hall, restaurant, barn? heated/AC? )...any special considerations? Band site in siggy:

Be a smart newlywed. Skip the elaborate ceremony and say you went to city hall. Then say you used the money for the reception to spend two weeks in Hawaii. Take the next two weeks off of school and when you come back bring your teacher a lei and some pineapples.

its in a country club in south jersey (close to philly)

If the Dead cover band is local, you can expect to pay at least $1000, and this will vary as stated previously because of PA requirements, type of room, lighting, etc., how long to play.

factor in the cost of bringing your own PA as well

deadguise wrote:If the Dead cover band is local, you can expect to pay at least $1000, and this will vary as stated previously because of PA requirements, type of room, lighting, etc., how long to play.

Oh my god. I dont want to offend anyone here that might be in a cover band . . . . but thats just sick man. To think that people would pay that much money to hear old retread songs . . . . no wonder the music industry is where its at.

I have no problem with the band for taking the money, but, just ew. It would make me feel dirty. I guess Im more disappointed there is that kind of market for it.

CaptainTrips wrote:

deadguise wrote:If the Dead cover band is local, you can expect to pay at least $1000, and this will vary as stated previously because of PA requirements, type of room, lighting, etc., how long to play.

Oh my god. I dont want to offend anyone here that might be in a cover band . . . . but thats just sick man. To think that people would pay that much money to hear old retread songs . . . . no wonder the music industry is where its at.

I have no problem with the band for taking the money, but, just ew. It would make me feel dirty. I guess Im more disappointed there is that kind of market for it.

REALLY? You're actually disappointed that people would want to hire a band to play their favorite music? Try hiring RatDog or Phil & Friends for less than $50k. To get a group of professionals who can do the job well and make everyone happy and pay each person about $150 including sound production...that's bad?! I think it's a fuckin' deal. I'm not offended by your remark, just insanely surprised!!!

If you get a band of kids who are just average and clunk their way through the songs and have a relatively shitty PA, then $1000 is too much. But get some good players to bring out a good sound system for a room in a country club with a couple of light trees and have them play for 4 hours or so, $1000 is a deal.

I'm not offended by the fact that you wouldn't pay the money - I'm offended that you refer to the music as "old retread songs" - and not because I'm in a cover band. Because I believe the music is timeless and wonderful. Those songs have meaning to me and about a million or so other people. Why would you spend one OUNCE of time on a GD board and refer to their music as "old retread songs". That's what offended me.....and I didn't even write the stuff.

pappy what would it cost to get theCAUSE to the philly area for about 4 hours without providing a PA

To think that people would pay that much money to hear old retread songs

What do you think wedding bands play?
- Like everyone's favorite retread songs. In fact, your typical wedding band would probably charge way more than a grand...

china - i can kind of relate to your initial reaction but think through whats really involved for a minute. your asking a considerable commitment from, at minimum, 5 people. More likely, assuming a gd-ish instrumentation with 5 in the band, and crew of maybe 2 "roadies" (if that isnt too formal or the context) the total would be 7. You want 4 hours of play, i think its safe to say they are sinking 6 hours of time, likely at a fairly peak/expensive time (weekend night). the country club is certainly not chipping in a drink share or anything. each band/crew member seeing (at least) 100 plus some towards group expenses, and theres the 1000.

playing music is probably something they love, but that does not mean its easy work! ever been tired after dancing a lot at a concert? think of the band! although guitar is my main instrument, the entirety of my paid gigs was 3 shows with a pre-existing but not particularly successful funk/soul kind of band. myself and a great sax player whod been teaching me had a somewhat peripharal role (2 practices before first gig was plenty), and we played pretty small bars. but i still got 50 for the first and 100 for the next two, my teacher getting slightly more and the "central" band members more still. and this band was not in any way a big deal, the place was rocking but a good chunk of them knew band members personally. point of my rambling, playing music IS work!

unless youve really got the money to blow i really dont think you put that kind of money into a high school class. i find the rental alone pretty surprising - how many people are attending this thing? sorry to speculate but honestly are you trying to make shit happen and cross the roleplay/reality barrier with your lady partner? understandable if you are, but i cant see this being successful. if anything jumping too hard at what should be pretty casual thing might seem a little desperate. a few well thought compliments or displays of thoughtfulness with genuine interest beyond physical would go further, and much cheaper.

wow look at all that. i should shut up

China Cat wrote:pappy what would it cost to get theCAUSE to the philly area for about 4 hours without providing a PA

A warm six pack and a fistful of shrooms for each member oughtta do it.
We like to eat once in a while too.

Seriously, unless it was for a really good friend, we'd prolly charge at least 800, if not 1000, plus a place to stay.
That's a lot of driving and time.
Locally's another story.

It seems what I think is music is different because Im a musician. I want fresh stuff, I want something new.

I guess if I wasnt a musician I would see the other side . . . you want to hear whats familiar to you . . . . but what you want to hear would not have been possible if people had not created.

I dont mean to offend anyone here . . . but music is creation, and if something has already been created . . .

well in our project our teacher said that the band should cost about $1,500. Can i put theCAUSE down for a $1,500 wedding reception "gig"?

to revroach:

not sure im getting your point. you are aware that this is all hypothetical and i am only using the information for a school project that requires me to plan a "wedding" and a "reception" that will never actually happen and intended to educate me on family planning and responsibility, right? i just thought itd be cool to have my "band" at my "wedding" be one that can rock some GD tunes.