FAQ
Click on text to go to our blog – ‘How much does it cost to hire a band?’
Our standard fee is very reasonable for a 4-piece band, and also depends upon location.
We are based in Fife and Edinburgh and take travel and any extra playing time into account when providing you with a quote.
Booking the band direct can save you paying a entertainment agency hundreds of pounds in commission, some agents add 20% commission fee on top of bands fee.
Yes we are happy to learn your first dance.
We ask for a minimum of 3 months notice in order to learn and rehearse your chosen song.
Click on this text for inspiration and have a look through our playlist
Our Youtube playlist has some clips from first dances played.
Yes of course.
The Dirty Martinis find that two or three Ceilidh dances over the course of your evening is enough in most circumstances.
We call the dances if required by your guests. However, please remember that if you would prefer to exclude Ceilidh this is not a problem – just let us know in advance that it is not required.
If you can include the band members in your evening buffet numbers or even provide them with some sandwiches in their break & make sure they get some soft drinks through the evening, it will be very much appreciated.
We take around 1 hour (from access to the room) to set up and have a full sound check to make sure the band sounds perfect for your event.
So for a night starting at 8pm we would arrive at your venue 6:30pm, this allows plenty of time to get the band sound checked and sounding great.
Firstly confirm your booking via email / text or phone.
We then email you a contract with all event details and our bank details for booking fee.
We ask for a £200 booking fee via bank transfer to secure your date.
Final balance can be paid anytime before your big day (usually couple of weeks beforehand.)
We cannot accept cash or cheque on the night. We feel this is an easier option for both sides and is one less thing for you to worry about so you can just enjoy your big day.
The Dirty Martinis have learned over many performances exactly how to fill a dance floor.
No event has a more varied audience than a wedding; there are guests from 8 to 80 and our job is to give them all at some point something to dance to.
It would be a huge mistake to insist that we only play the songs you like and want to hear.
If your wedding is going well, you’ll be too busy to notice every tune the band plays – but if the floor is full most of the evening, your guests are having a great time.
We need to be flexible when choosing what songs to play and just as importantly when to play them. We often need to be able to flit between styles if one section of the audience isn’t responding. In part, this expertise in reading the room is what you’re paying them for.
By all means tell us your favourite songs and then leave the rest to us. You’ll have a better night and so will your guests as a result.
The Dirty Martinis play free showcase gigs throughout the year in pubs in Edinburgh & Fife. This way you can come along and watch the band in a live setting doing what we do best. We prefer to do this rather than playing at wedding fairs.
The Dirty Martinis facebook page can direct you to the upcoming gig listings, please feel free to contact the band for the latest gig details. (Click here to go to our Facebook page)
Yes we take one break during buffet service, we provide background music during the break as well as the start of the evening before the band begins.
We are happy to play your playlist on IPOD/IPHONE, just ask.
We are happy to play a selection of continuous music that is mixed together before and between our performances.
Most clients find that they do not need the expense of hiring a DJ in addition to the band.
The Dirty Martinis always arrive at your venue wearing smart clothing, giving a smart and professional image for your big day or event.
Definitely YES! We play as the same 4 -piece band for 99.9% of the time.
Unfortunately people do get ill and if this happens then we’ll always replace that person with a top quality musician, who has rehearsed or played with the band before.
The Dirty Martinis are EXTREMELY reliable and have never let a client down, we treat The Dirty Martinis as a business and it goes without saying that under any circumstances we would we never break our contract with you.
Having a family member or friend perform a song can, of course, add something special to your night and we would love to accommodate this for you.
However, we ask for prior notice if you wish for one of your guests to perform on stage.
Yes we have Public Liability Insurance and happy to provide copies on request.
Yes, we have played in venues where a sound limiter has been installed, and in our experience, they tend to be set quite low for a 4-piece band.
Please check with your venue if they have a sound limiter installed and let us know in advance, as we may be unable to accept the gig.
Yes. We have a state of the art PA system with lighting rig that we will bring with us so you don’t need to worry about hiring any extra equipment.