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Q -
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How much do you charge?
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A - |
Yup...this is almost always the first question people
ask. Surprisingly enough, you won't find the answer to this
question on most bands' websites. Why? Because they want
to find out how much they can get out of you before committing to a
price. We don't work that way. Our rate is $2800 for a
four hour function in the Maryland / DC/ Northern Virginia area.
We are proud of the value we offer at a rate that is considerably
lower than that charged by most other larger bands (and indeed some DJs). For more details on
our rates, such as travel fees and overtime rates, see our About The Band
page.
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Q - |
How can I
check to see if you're available for my
function?
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A - |
Simply go to the Oracle
Band Availability Page and check to see if your date has been
taken. This list is updated as soon as new bookings are
confirmed, or as soon as we know of a date where the band is
unavailable.
On very rare occasions we can manage to squeeze in
two performance in a single day, so if your date is marked but the
times are sufficiently far apart, give us a call and we can see if we
can work something out.
If your date is more than 5 months away and we
have a club or restaurant performance booked for your date, it's
possible we can change the date of that performance. Please
call and inquire. |
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| Q
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Is it safe to book a band
from a videotape?
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| A
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Whenever possible, you should try and hear a band
perform live at some point BEFORE signing a contract. This holds
true for ANY band you audition.
Videotapes are all well and good for narrowing down your selections,
but you still need to check out your band live or disastrous things
might occur at your reception. Some bands use pre-recorded audio
on their videotapes that they could never hope to replicate live, and others actually go
so far as to use studio musicians that aren't part of the band!!!
Through the miracle of
technology, just about any band can sound good in a professional
recording studio.
If you simply must book a band from a tape or CD, try to
insist on a tape or audio CD that uses live footage of the band in
performance in front of an audience. The audio quality might not be as
good as those other studio tapes you've heard, but the performance
will be much closer to what you will actually hear at YOUR function.
A key to watch for in these videos are the reactions of the AUDIENCE
members, not the band. Any band can ham it up for a camera,
but at someone's party it's likely that if the crowd appears to be
having a great time, they probably are! |
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| Q
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Where can I come
hear you play?
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Oracle makes regular public appearances, at least
twice a month and often more. We perform at
nightclubs, parks concerts, bull roasts, benefits, and for service
organizations like the ELKS, American Legion, Knights of Columbus,
and others.
A list of our upcoming performances can be found by going to our Upcoming
Performances page.
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| Q
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I really want a live band, but
my parents are concerned that it will be too loud. Can you
play quietly enough so that folks can still hear to talk without
having to shout?
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Absolutely. One of the strong points of The
Oracle Band is our ability to play quietly, particularly in
the early stages of the reception, or in smaller rooms where people
also want to be able to talk.
We have had receiving lines
set up directly in front of the band and the family was still able to
greet their guests effortlessly.
We make it a point to start the
reception at an extremely low volume. This way, you can always
request that the volume be turned up if you'd like.
We'd much
prefer that you ask to have things turned UP rather than DOWN.
This is another reason why it is so important to hear a band perform
live before signing a contract.
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| Q
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I want a DJ, but my parents want a
live band. Can you really be both?
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| A
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Absolutely. Our trumpet player Steve has over 25
years of experience as a DJ in both clubs and at weddings. Our
philosophy is one geared towards less chatter and more music, as we
feel the music should be able to entice people to the dance floor
without having the DJ rattle on at the mouth.
By having a live DJ take over between sets we are
able to play songs that the band doesn't otherwise perform. It
also allows us to bring in elements of other ethnicities and
cultures, by spinning recordings of traditional and ethnic material, such
as Greek, Italian, Jewish, Polish, Latin, Oriental, or just about
any other cultural heritage. Steve has
written an article about the debate between having a band or a
DJ. Check it out for some additional insight on the advantages
of having live music, and how he debunks some of the so called
"advantages" of having a DJ over a band. The
Case for Hiring A Live Band |
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| Q
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I really like a
certain song that's not on your songlist. Would you be
willing to learn this song for us?
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Absolutely! We would be more than happy to learn a special
song for you. It can be for your first dance, father/daughter
dance, or just a special song that you want included during the course
of the reception.
You can also request for us to learn other
material through our Suggest-A-Song page here on the website.
While we don't guarantee we'll learn ALL of them, we do use these
suggestions when evaluating new material for us to learn.
Finally, we will be more than happy to
have the band's DJ spin any additional songs for you in between sets. |
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| Q
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How do you dress for a
performance?
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Typically, for a formal event such as wedding or
corporate party the band will wear black tuxedos. If requested
we can also wear a simpler jacket and tie or suit. If you are
hosting a theme party, the band is more than willing to accommodate
the theme by dressing appropriately.
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| Q
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Can you hold a date
open for me? |
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The band's policy for bookings is that the first
person to sign and contract and send a retainer gets the date.
While we do not put a "hold" on specific dates without a
contract and retainer, we will be more than happy to call you and
advise you if there are any serious inquiries for your date, offering
a "right of first refusal". We
don't want to sound like a stereotype used car salesman pushing you to
buy before you leave the lot, but we do want our prospective clients
to know if they have competition for the date in question. We
wish we could accommodate everybody, but unfortunately that isn't
possible. |
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Booking The Band
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| Q
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Does The Oracle Band use a
contract?
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Yes, we use a contract for all performances.
This ensures that there are no miscommunications between the band and
our clients. It is for the protection of all parties concerned.
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| Q
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What is the process
for booking the band?
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The process goes like this:
- Two identical copies of the contract are mailed to the client
- The client signs both copies and returns them with the
retainer (typically $600)
- Upon receipt of the contract and retainer, the date is officially
confirmed
- The band leader then signs both copies and returns one copy to
the client for their
records, with Statement of Account acknowledging receipt of their
retainer
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| Q
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Do we have to make
arrangements to feed the band?
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| A
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We do request that arrangements be made for a
light meal for the band. However, we do not want our clients to
have to pay the same rate as their guests to feed the group.
Most caterers in the area will allow the band to go through the buffet
line after the guests have finished, or they may provide a vendor
sandwich or other light fare. If a caterer is insistent on
charging full fare for the band to eat, other arrangements can be
made. This is not a major issue for the band!
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| Q
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Do
you require Payment in Full prior to the day of my event?
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| A
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No. Once we receive your retainer,
no further monies are due until the day of the function. Whether
we are paid before the beginning of the event, during, or while we're
breaking down, that's entirely up to you. If you PREFER to pay
in advance so you have one less thing to worry about, that's fine, of
course!
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| Q
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How
do you handle Overtime requests?
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| A
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Oracle charges $400 for each
additional 60 minute set of music beyond the contracted hours.
The decision to extend the performance does not have to be made until
the very end of the contracted period, at which point you simply ask
the band to stay and play some more.
We book overtime in 1/2
hour increments. The band typically only books one performance a
day, so overtime is never a problem. We'll play for as long as
the guests are still partying!
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| Q
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Do you accept credit
cards? |
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At the present time we do not accept any credit
cards. We accept cash, personal or corporate / business checks,
and money orders. However, we can also accept PayPal, where
you can make payments by credit card. |
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Q - |
Do you require a stage? |
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A - |
The simple
answer for this question is no, we do not require a stage. For
corporate functions or other performances where the band is a
significant focus of attention a stage does help direct that focus,
particularly in larger rooms. However, for weddings and other
private parties, it is the newlywed couple or guest of honor that is
the real focus, so a stage is definitely not necessary |
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Q - |
If we have a stage, what are your staging size
requirements? |
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A - |
The minimum
size stage that the band can fit on is 20' x 8', which translates to
4-5 pieces of standard size roll around staging. For stages
of this size the band's speakers will be located off the stage on
either side of the band. Larger stages are helpful in that it
provides us more room to move and interact, and permit us to locate
speaker cabinets and light trees on stage rather than off to the
side. |
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Preparing for your function
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| Q
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Do we select the songs
we want from the songlist? Do we put the songs in order?
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| A
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Here's what we do. About 8 weeks before
your reception we will send out an updated songlist to you, or you can
download a formatted list from our Songlist
Page, which will
include all of our most recently learned songs.
We will ask you
to select 4-8 "must play" songs, that is, those songs that
you really want to dance to or feel very strongly about.
We will
also ask you to select 40-60 songs that you think you, your guests,
family, and friends will enjoy.
Finally, we will ask you
to indicate any songs you don't want us to play.
When you return
this list to us, we will put together a rough setlist based on your
selections. Based on the styles of music you have selected, we
may also fill in some songs of a similar nature that are pretty much
guaranteed crowd pleasers, (unless of course the selection is on the
"don't play" list).
In several cases songs are
included in a medley of songs, so if you select "Rockin
Robin", you're also going to get "Johnny B. Goode" as
it's part of the medley. The setlist that we put together is a general
guide only. The band is quite flexible as far as what is played
and when. As the reception progresses, we will be taking
requests from your guests, and if we can honor those requests we will,
(unless, once again, the request is on the "don't play"
list).
We will also be "reading" the crowd, to see
which songs are receiving the best response. It is this
experience in reading a group that sets the band apart from a human
jukebox playing the same songs in the same order all the time.
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| Q
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What information
do you need from me in advance of the reception?
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| A
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Since every wedding is different, we don't need
the same information from everybody. However, as a general rule,
here are some of the pieces of information we look for:
1. Itinerary for the
reception. What time do guests arrive, what time is meal served,
cake cut, etc.
2. Will the entire wedding
party be introduced? If so, we need the list of names in
advance. We're pretty good with this, but phonetic
pronunciations for some of the more difficult names are
appreciated. We'll go over this list with you before the
event to ensure names are pronounced properly.
3. When is the first dance,
right after introductions or after the meal? What song?
4. Will there be a
Father/Daughter Dance? What song?
5. Is there a separate Mother / Son Dance, or is
there just going to be one "Parent Dance" where we
invite Mother / Son up halfway through the Father / Daughter song?
6. When will the Parent Dance occur...after the
First Dance, after dinner, or at some other point?
7. Will there be a Bouquet
Toss? Will there also be a Garter toss? When will this
occur?
8. Is there a toast that will be offered?
Who will be doing it?
9. Will there be a blessing / grace offered just
before dinner?
10. Are there any special rules or requirements
for the band imposed by the facility? Examples might be
carpets for hardwood floors, early or last minute load-in due to
room availability, specific set up and break down times, specific
volume requirements, etc.
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| Q
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How
long does it take you to set up? |
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Much depends on the facility we will be
performing in of course, but in general it takes about 1 1/2 hours to get
the PA system set up and ready to go. If extensive lighting is
requested that generally takes an additional hour or so.
The band typically arrives two hours prior to the contracted start
time, to ensure that everything is ready to go before any guests
arrive, and to give the band time to change for the performance.
However, we have in the past been able to get the full band set up in
as little as 30 minutes with sufficient advance notice.
Note that Downtown Washington DC and Baltimore
hotels often require longer load in periods, as access is more
severely restricted and parking for the band's vans & trailer
can take some time.
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