[Harp-L] Re: Wedding Gigs - A celebration

["Steve Power" <stevepower@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Could be wrong but I think I'm the one that referred the gig to Michael. 
Sorry it was trouble Michael.

As for myself, I love wedding gigs. After all they are a celebration and 
people come to party from the git. Mind, I usually play the reception and 
not the service, though I have done that as well.

One of dozens of wedding gig stories. I once had my band called in to sub at 
a bar gig for a band who were, in their minds, our competition. This was at 
a venue we were having a hard time breaking into because the other guys had 
a lock on it.  So at the end of the night this your couple comes up to me 
all shinely eyed. They tell me they had come down to talk to the other band 
about playing their wedding reception but thought we were much better - 
true - and would like to book us instead.  So I make the arrangements and 
we're set. Good money by the way. Very good money.

Come the day, we're in a private church hall which has a proper stage. We 
get set up but before we even sound check the best man shows up and drops a 
case of ice cold Kronenburg on the stage and says, "When you run out of that 
let me know and I'll get you another."  We had a proper dressing room as 
well with fruit and cheese platter.

We start the show and they're up and dancing from the off. Bride and groom 
just wanted some rock and roll for the first dance so we gave them Nick 
Lowe's "I Knew the Bride When She Used to Rock and Roll." Went down a storm. 
Kids dancing  Teens dancing. Grannies dancing. We take a break as the 
catering comes out but the best man comes back and gets us and takes us to 
the front of the line. Everybody was really nice and were like, "Oh, of 
course. Carry on boys."

Played second set, we're asked for a bit more but were offered more money 
without even asking so we gave them another half hour. At the end of the set 
the party was still going on but some of the grooms friends started helping 
hump the gear out. Then the best man came up handed me a wad of cash which 
included the fee, extra for the extra set, and a bonus on top just because 
they thought we were great.

Yeah, I like wedding gigs.