Groove Agents play a wide variety of music, but the most common descriptions that other people give are soulful and funky - think of artists such as Joss Stone, Tina Turner, Annie Lennox, James Brown and you'll get the idea. You can read our current play list and listen to some examples here, as well as looking at our wider repetoire.
We usually play for up to a total of two hours of music, as either 2x60 minute sets with one break, or three 40 minute sets with two breaks. We arrange the timings to be flexible with whatever else is happening during the evening, and can play for different amounts if you require by arrangement. We are happy to play CDs through our PA system at the end of the evening while the band start to pack away their equipment, usually this allows an extra 15 minutes at the end of the evening before we reach the stage of packing up that requires the main PA to be turned off. We will arrive 1.5 hours before we are due on stage, and for evening events our usual finish time is 11.30pm. If you wish us to arrive earlier or stay later, please let us know in advance of the event - we can easily arrange this, but it's often impractical to organise on the night is we don't already know about it.
Yes, you can come along to one of our rehearsals, a lot of our clients have met us this way. You'll find we're a friendly bunch, it's a good way for you to meet us and have a chat about your event. We'll play whichever of the songs you like from our playlist.
We aim to keep our prices competitive, please email us for a quote. Factors that can affect the fee are travel times (from Bournemouth), the arrival/departure times of the band etc.
Yes, we have a CD player for that very purpose. We carry a variety of CDs with us, but we recommend that the client brings their own compilations or CDs, if they have a particular preference for the musical styles to be played. Alternatively, if you have an ipod or mp3 player and wish to make your own playlist (and have an adapter lead to give a pair of phono plugs output) we can put that through our PA for you.
Sorry, no. Providing a disco is a whole other area, but we can recommend some good ones if you'd like us to.
Yes - if it's not already in our repertoire, we can play the original from CD or iPod.
Yes, when you arrange to book Groove Agents we will supply you with a contract to confirm the booking and arrangements. The booking is confirmed only when the client has returned the contract to us with a deposit.
Yes - Groove Agents has full Public Liablity Cover (Norwich Union) for £5m. Most venues will require bands to have this level of cover (so that the venue meets it's own insurance requirements), so it's worth checking this when you book any bands or musicians.
Groove Agents can perform with our without staging, indoors or outdoors (covered). We need an area of minimum size 5mx4m to accomodate the band and PA/lighting. This area must be level, free from obstacles, and dry (we're thinking of the marquees and outdoor gigs here!). We require one 13A socket to power our PA and Lights, this must be a certified and tested safe supply. If you're using a generator for an outdoor event, please ensure that it is capable of delivering a steady 3KW without any problems, and that it is being operated/installed by a suitably qualified person.
Our PA system is fully self contained, and is adequate for room sizes up to around 250 people. Of course, we always run at the minimum volume level required for the audience, and we are very sensitive to your audiences requirements, particularly at weddings etc, where you may want us to concentrate on one area of the room whilst allowing conversation in another. However, please remember that the saxaphone and drums are acoustic instruments, and as such to have a certain volume level anyway. If your expected audience is a lot larger than 250 people, please discuss with us, we easily expand our sound and light system to an appropriate size. If the venue has a Noise Limiter fitted, our experience is that these are usually problematic, being activated even by the acoustic instruments alone. Without the venue operator being able to disable them, we could not have been able to perform at events in the past, particularly as the noise limiter can interrupt the electricity supply for a few seconds before turning on again, causing possible damage to our sound equipment.
We have coloured scan/sweep lighting that is sufficient to light the band onstage, and a dancefloor area immediately in front of the band. The photo gallery (click here) gives you an idea of what the lights look like. For safety reasons, we don't use strobe lighting.
Groove Agents will require a free supply of soft drinks or water throughout the time of the event. We don't expect to be fed, although as we may have travelled some distance, food is always welcome! If there are substantial periods between the band setting up and starting their performance, please make suitable arrangements for them to have somewhere to relax.
For corporate events and weddings, Groove Agents usually wear what could be described as smart/casual. The band will be in darker/black outfits, whilst Annie will "dress up a bit" more than the rest of us. She is a singer, after all! We can also dress in "black tie" if it's appropriate. For parties and pubs, people often prefer the band to look less formal, so we dress in a more jeans/casual manner. Please let us know which you think is the most appropriate for your event.
We need a minimum of 1 hour to set up, we usually arrive about 1.5 hours before we are due on stage. The band is prepared to wait in the wings if things are running behind schedule. It is necessary for Groove Agents to carry out a 'sound check' to ensure the sound quality and volume level is appropriate for the room and guests, which usually takes up to 10 minutes, once all the equipment is set up. Ideally this is done when the room is empty, but if this isn't possible we will explain to the guests/audience what is happening, and ask for their patience. You may wish to ask guests to leave during this period, as some people may find the noises uncomfortable.
Our finish time is usually 11.30pm, which is what most hotels & venues usually require. We can play later than this by arrangement in advance. Please don't leave it until the night itself to ask us to play later, as this is often not possible due to transport arrangements etc.
When booking us directly, the booking is only confirmed once a signed agreement has been returned to us with a deposit. If you are booking Groove Agents through an agency, they will advise you.
If you are booking Groove Agents through a booking agency you may only contact us directly if you have cleared this with the agency first. Of course, all matters relating to fees and contracts must be discussed with them.
Yes.