Booking a band for a corporate Christmas party in Calgary comes down to four things: the kind of music, how long they play, the space and sound at your venue, and how much Christmas music you want. Decide those, send us your date, venue and guest count, and you can compare options with prices for bands who are free that day.
Party covers or jazz and swing
Think about what the music needs to do.
A party band plays covers people know, for dancing. It suits the part of the night after dinner and speeches.
A jazz or swing group plays music people can talk over. It suits a cocktail hour or dinner, and a bigger swing band can also play for dancing later.
Some people want both: a quieter style during dinner and a livelier set after. Tell us, and we’ll ask each band whether they can change style through the night.
Christmas songs
Ask how much holiday music the band plays, and whether they can mix it in with their usual songs. Some groups want only a few; others want a full holiday set. Tell us which. Send a short list of songs you’d like, and a few to leave out.
How long they play
A band plays in sets, usually with breaks. Ask how long they’d like to play, in one stretch or with a break, and what plays during the breaks. Requests we get for Calgary bands range from under 2 hours to about 3 hours. Count the dinner hour too, if you want music during it.
Size, space and sound
A trio fits a smaller room or a quieter evening. A bigger band needs more space and more setup time. Tell us whether the band needs to bring sound and lights, or can use the venue’s.
Check with your venue:
- how much floor or stage space the band can have;
- where the nearest power is, and where they can load in;
- whether there’s a sound limit, or a time the music has to stop;
- when the band can set up and sound check.
Questions to ask before you book
- Which styles do you play, and can you change style during the night?
- How many Christmas songs do you play, and can we send requests?
- How many musicians will play, and how much space do you need?
- How long do you play, and how long are the breaks?
- Do you bring your own sound and lights?
- Can you send a video of a recent show?
- When will you arrive, and how long do you need to set up?
What changes the price
The price depends on how many hours they play, whether it’s a Saturday or in the holiday season, a bigger band, sound and lighting if the venue has none, and travel outside Calgary.
How booking works with AGNT
AGNT is a booking company. You send us your date, venue and guest count, and we check which bands in Calgary are free that day. We send you options with prices. You pick one, and it’s booked once the deposit is paid. If your first pick isn’t free, we’ll tell you and suggest bands with a similar style who are.
Some of the Calgary bands you can book through AGNT are The Swingsetters, The Jazz Diplomats and The Hi-Tops. You can see more on bands for hire in Calgary.
How we put this together
We wrote this from what people tell us when they ask for a band in Calgary: the type of event, the style of music, how long and how many guests. It doesn’t list prices, because they depend on your date, your hours and the band you choose. You’ll see prices with the options we send.
Your next step
Tell us your date, venue and guest count, and we’ll send you Calgary bands who are free that day, with prices: book a band in Calgary
Featured photo by Rahul Kukreja on Unsplash
