Function bands
Background musicians
Function bands
Background musicians
Our hand-picked collection of luxury show bands and world-class musicians have performed at some of the most exclusive parties and corporate events of the year, both in the UK and internationally.
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Exhilarating 6-14 piece party band featuring stunning male and female vocals and offering optional horns, playing accurate renditions of modern and classic hits.
Luxury show band including male and female vocals and specialising in pop, R&B, hip hop, drum'n'bass, garage, funk, Motown, soul and dance.
One of the best funk and disco bands in London, The Natural Highs will bring floor-filling songs, wow-factor and raw soul energy to your party.
Bust a move to the coolest classics and the freshest new sounds – The Recollections comprise accomplished West End singers are backed up by a ridiculously talented collection of session musicians, who have performed hundreds of events together.
Richard Branson’s go-to band for live party music, the All Time All-Stars perform at the very highest level, entertaining some of the biggest names on the planet. For a spectacular show, book additional male and female vocals and brass section. DJ service available.
Delivering nothing but the best on every aspect of the band, New Power Groove boast the highest quality vocals, rhythm section and horns in the business. This could just be the peak of party music! DJ service also available on request.
Electrifying, non-stop show, featuring rocking classics from the 1950s, party favourites from the 1960s, and danceable medleys from the 1970s and 1980s.
With instruments and lighting covered in crystals, The Rough Diamonds are innovating live entertainment and raising the bar for luxury events! This is a showband with stage presence and wow factor like its never been seen before!
An unstoppable group of soulful musicians bringing you the finest pop, R&B, soul and dance tunes from across the decades with their show-stopping vocals and energetic, engaging performances.
Comprised of top-flight touring musicians that have backed artists such as Rita Ora and George Ezra, Spotlight are an explosive premium party band covering the biggest soul & pop hits of all time.
The Soul Stars bring the best of soul, Motown, and old-school R&B, with unmatched energy and huge vibes. Musicians in the band have featured on Jools Holland and on iconic stages alongside music legends.
Impressive and electrifying, this band features one of the largest function band line-ups in the business, ranging from 11 to an epic 18-piece ensemble, and guarantees a high-energy show packed with soul, funk, and pop classics.
Premier live 70s disco band performing unmatched performances of disco's greatest hits. Led by powerhouse vocals, this funky outfit guarantees non-stop dancing and pure joy!
Exciting sax and DJ duo playing up to date chart hits for a wide range of events and occasions. Percussion and female vocals also available.
Quirky vintage swing band with a fantastic female lead putting a retro take on modern songs like Get Lucky, Uptown Funk and Billie Jean.
Explosive and energetic Cuban band fronted by a fantastic female vocalist. One of the finest bands representatives of Cuban son, Latin and salsa music in the UK today!
With outstanding male and female vocalists, The Monophonics seamlessly blend artists as varied as Stevie Wonder, The Killers, Lizzo and Queen.
Swinging, vintage-themed band playing a mixture of modern hits in a quirky, vintage style alongside authentic 20s-40s material.
Incredible versatile band with a song list ranging from 70s classics to the present day that includes current charts as well as all your favourite soul and Motown throwbacks!
This authentic postmodern style swing band masterfully plays classic swing tunes, as well as pop songs reimagined in a swing style. They also offer the option to include additional musicians in their lineup.
A showband is exactly the same as a cover band, but with an emphasis on the visual presentation of the band, whether that's in dress, lighting or sound. Typically they're larger than normal party bands, use a higher quality of musician, and are able to perform a wider variety of genres from rock to jazz.
Most showbands will incorporate both male and female vocalists, giving them access to a larger repertoire of songs.
Showbands usually contain at least 5 members, and are priced in the range of £1500 to £7000. The median price paid for a show band is around £3000.
Most bands have the option of adding a brass section as well as
introducing more lead singers and backing vocalist for the fullest
possible sound.
From Bar Mitzvahs to retirement dos, annual office parties to New Year's celebrations, birthdays and weddings, we have a band for every crowd at every chapter of life.
Whilst our bands always prefer to perform locally, they're happy to travel.
Our roster of the UK's best showbands will give your guests something to remember long after the final song.
Our local bands specialise in getting guests dancing at after-dinner
functions - but if your event is in the afternoon or needs more of a
background atmosphere, check out our acoustic acts, or our collection of roving musicians.
Browse the UK's top showbands on this page, or check out our wedding bands.
You can see a complete list of any particular band's repertoire on their profile page, but, on the whole, you can expect all your favourite pop, rock and soul covers from artists over the last 50 years.
From Lulu and The Beatles to contemporary hits by Rihanna, Beyoncé and The Weeknd, nothing is off limits for our showbands!
If you have a specific genre in mind and would rather a band that focuses on a theme, check out our soul and funk bands, swing bands or our tribute acts that cover the 60s, 70s and 80s.
Don't forget that when you book a larger line up, the band is more
likely to have keyboards and brass which means they can play an even
broader range of the pop, dance, soul and indie tracks that you love!
Absolutely! All our showbands for hire are self-contained and bring their own PA sound system as well as the microphones, amplifiers and instruments that they need.
It is, however, worth letting us know if you're expecting more than 200 guests at your event so that we can double check that the band's sound system is big enough.
Nearly all of our bands also bring lighting to add even more life to
your function and take the dancefloor to another level. As with the song
list, check out your chosen band's profile page to see if there are
extra items you can add on to make your evening even more memorable!
The only thing our showbands need is access to a power supply and a suitably sized space to set up in and deliver their performance from!
We hope to make it as easy as possible for you to have the band you want at your event and, as a guide, we suggest reserving a 3m wide x 3m deep space for a 3-piece band – and then adding an extra square metre for each extra band member.
If it is possible to have this space on a raised stage, that will
always help your band have a bigger impact but the most important thing
is that the space is flat and dry! Our showbands will do the rest!
If
you’re not sure about the space you can provide, read the ‘performance
information’ on the band’s profile to check their specifics.
On the whole, our showbands just need 60-90 minutes from around
5pm or 6pm to set up their gear and run a quick sound check.
The
best case scenario is that your venue is free of guests at this time
although many of our bands will be able to do a silent 'line check' to
test most instruments without sound running through the front-of-house
speakers.
If you're booking a band for after-dinner dancing, most of our acts will perform 2 x 60 minute sets from around 9.30pm to midnight - normally with a half hour interval.
If you're keen to keep the music going after midnight with the band or a different DJ, an extra fee usually applies.
Please make sure that you have food and refreshments for the band so that they can keep their energy up all night and put on the best show possible.
Also, if access to the venue is difficult, some of the band members may need parking spaces or a secure changing room to be able to leave their personal items and some equipment during your function.
Any requirements like this will be listed on the band's profile so do take a close look!
It's always worth checking whether your show band can provide the
different styles of music that you're hoping to have at your event
throughout the day.
Many of our show band musicians can also perform afternoon background music that will then save you additional costs in booking others to travel and perform at a different time of day.
Equally, if you haven't got a definite date in mind for your function yet, you might want to think about hosting a midweek or winter event to make the most of our bands reduced rates.
Always book a local band if you can, to save on travel and accommodation costs. We have excellent bands in nearly every town and city in the UK!
Function Central is one of the leading providers of showbands for weddings, parties and corporate functions. Find and book a local band to save on travel and accommodation costs, using the menu below.
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