No VAT rise for Band Hire
The Morris Agency is pleased to announce that they will not be increasing their VAT or prices after Jan when the VAT increases. This means you will still get the same quotes and the most value for money for live band hire in the UK.
Will our competitors follow in our footsteps ??
How do you hire a band in the UK?
There are various options but I would certainly read our FAQ section on How to Hire a Band.
There are many factors that determine the price of a band. When you approach acts directly, their fees can vary enormously. The reason for this can be based on all or some of the following factors:
When you find an act on the website that you are interested in, we will happily give you a quote and then we can start the negotiations for you to get you the best price.
All the bands we represent are professional acts and have been performing at high profile events, corporate functions, weddings and parties for many years. In order to be represented by The Morris Agency they have to reach a certain standard.
We are very strict on our submission procedure, and are confident that all of our acts understand the on/offstage rules. This means that as well as conducting themselves well musically on stage, they are also approachable, polite and maintain a professional image when not performing.
Usually a band can play either 2 x 1 hour sets or 3 x 45 mins sets. Most of the time this is sufficient. Some can play longer for an agreed fee. We would be happy to discuss this.
Many of our musicians can provide a cut down version of the band for an afternoon background jazz or pop set, either as a solo pianist, solo guitarist or a duo for example. If your chosen act doesn’t do this then we can provide you with an alternative.
Generally speaking, many people book a band for a wedding that has a good variety of music to appeal to all ages. We have these kinds of bands based all around the country, so, one of our Morris Agency party bands or Morris Agency jazz bands would be worth consideration. We can cater for a variety of themed weddings, as well as civil partnerships.
Some clients have a limited budget, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t provide you an amazing and memorable performer. This is where our trained agents come in to assist you.
A corporate function can be different to a wedding/ party function. At The Morris Agency we have provided numerous acts to the corporate sector such as entertainment for gala dinners, film premieres and product launches. We can fit around the theme of the evening and provide you with a variety of eclectic and dynamic acts that will create a lasting impression.
You tell us what you want and we will provide it. We have a wide range of artists from Mexican Mariachi bands, Klezma bands, Tango Bands and Gypsy Jazz musicians to party and jazz bands.
If you want to hire famous artists we also have great connections with many music industry managers and agents and can provide you quotes for celebrity performances.
As we are a national agency, our acts are based all across the country. As the bands are constantly travelling around the UK, they are able to travel to your location and can sometimes work out more economical if they are playing near your event the night before. We are also able to provide you bands and acts that are based in your area which can help to keep the price down.
We all lead busy lives and understand that it is sometimes not possible for you to attend one of our bands’ public performances. The Morris Agency have launched a solution to viewing the acts without having to travel to see them. On our site we have video clips of the artists performing live.
If the act of your choice is out of the area or busy with private functions, this is a great way of seeing and hearing exactly what you will get when you book them.
Our policy is to contract every booking. Therefore, when you decide to book a band we will send you a booking form and use this to put a contract together. This contract agrees the terms that we have negotiated with you and the artist, which we sign as the booking agent and you sign as the client.
At this point we take a small deposit of 20% and your booking is then secure.
We send a separate contract to the artist to commit them to the agreed dates, fees and other details.
We have been operating in this industry for many years and we have built up a great working relationship with the bands that we book.
Our constant research of the industry means that you can rest assured that we have found the artists and put them in one place for you to find. We have very high standards for the bands to get onto our books and only accept a very small percentage of the acts who approach us.
As an agency, we want to make your using us is worth your while. In order to ensure this we provide you with:
We can provide any genre of music, even if it isn’t on our list we have a very large bank of artists that we can call on to provide you with exactly what you need, so please let us know and we will do all we can.
Our most popular requests are:
Jazz Jive and Swing bands, Rock & Pop Wedding Bands,Wedding Tribute Bands,Wedding Jazz Bands,Wedding Soul Bands,Wedding Swing Bands,Wedding 70s Funk Bands,Wedding Salsa Bands,Tango bands, Latin bands, Spanish and Flamenco bands,Classical Wedding Musicians,Unusual Wedding Music ,Wedding Singers, Klezmer and world music bands,Famous bands and celebrity bands, bag pipers, harpists,Duos & Trios,Wedding String Quartets, Gypsy Jazz Music ,Wedding Harpists ,Wedding Pianists ,Wedding Singers & Choirs, Wedding Ceilidh Bands
Everyone is on a budget and there are loads of ways to keep the cost of live entertainment down. Visit our article http://www.themorrisagency.co.uk/blog/2009/03/entertainment-on-a-budget/
On each band profile we have a file that can be downloaded or provided to you on request for all the songs a band plays.
Many bands will learn a song for you if they have the time to rehearse it and do it justice. Some artists already know these songs but haven’t played them on their set for a while, so please ask.
The Morris Agency prides itself on providing a great mix of musical talent, and actively seeks out artists with an edge either in their repertoire or through their performance.
If this is what you are looking for then let us know as we have some wonderful bands that are a closely guarded secret!
After the initial 20% deposit, the balance isn’t due until the performance and goes directly to the artist. This is all laid out within the booking terms on a contract
As we are always updating and adding artists to our website, we have a lot of bands that would fit what you need. We approve all the acts, so as long as they meet our standards then we are happy to offer them to you and get you all the relevent information.
Depending on the size of the act and how easy it is for the artist to load in the equipment, an average set up time would be between one and one and a half hours.
Unless otherwise agreed, the band will require their payment after the performance either by cash or cheque. We specify this at the contract stage for you.
As part of our negotiation process we include the band quote with CD/iPod music in between and up to 45 mins as standard and this therefore cuts out the need for a DJ, although many bands also provide a DJ option if you require it.
Alternatively, most bands are happy for you to play your own choice of music from CD/iPod through their system.
We cover all genres, and subject to availability and price, our acts can cover all locations UK and Europe.
Hire 1940's and 1950's bands from The Morris Agency
1940′s and 1950′s live music bands are really very popular, and at The Morris Agency we have found some of the best in the UK. These acts are available on our site right now. Just visit the main band section or call us on 0871 8901015 or email me info@themorrisagency.co.uk
Hire a NYE party band from The Morris Agency
Now is the time to start thinking about booking the christmas and new year’s eve party band. We have loads of party bands and Jazz bands to hire for your new year’s eve party booking.
We can offer you plenty of unusual and unique bands for NYE events. Just visit our band hire section for more details or contact us on 0871 8901015 or email me at info@themorrisagency.co.uk
Wedding band hire is our business so you can hire a wedding band from us very easily. All y0u have to do is decide on which band you would like to book, and leave the rest to us.
How do you decide on which wedding band to hire?
Have a look at our band pages and think.. do I want a to hire a wedding band that plays pop? Would I rather hire a band that plays party and Jazz music or even would I like to hire a band that plays something that nobody has experienced before? No problem, music and band hire is our business so simply visit our bands page
Welcome to gypsy jazz blog No 2 , In case you’ve just wandered across this one , I’m a gypsyjazzaholic. I run my own Trio (TMA025) and if you haven’t read the first one, you can check it out here (what is gypsy jazz ).
Okay, moving on from the first blog which covered the origin of the music, beginning with the legendary gypsy guitarist, Django Reinhardt (1910 ? 1953), I’d like to talk a little about the players that surrounded him.
In the classic Quintette of the Hot Club of France, there was the great French jazz violinist, Stephane Grappelli, taking equal melodies and solos next to Django.
Apart from various bass-players, the rhythm section was fattened up considerably with the unique idea of having two rhythm guitar players. The style of accompaniment that Django came up with, is generally and amusingly referred to as ‘la pompe’ (the pump !). It was totally driving and created a formidable backbeat for Django and Stephane. Innovative at the time because every group would usually incorporate drums. It was deceptively easy sounding but if you were a guitarist, very difficult to nail accurately.
For many years, Django’s brother Joseph held position as one half of the rhythm section. The other chair was held by a few different gypsy players. Although at many times they were alternated between one of three brothers from the Ferret ( pronounced Fer-ray ) family, Baro, Matelo and Sarane.
All the Ferrets and Joseph were superb soloists and band leaders in their own right and forged successful careers as time went on. More importantly, Django was held in such high esteem as a player, composer and arranger that they were all honoured to act in the role of the rhythm section.
In my Trio ( TMA025 ) the rhythm sound/accent is very important to us; we like to think that we’re carrying on the tradition set down all those years ago. In all honesty, I practise ‘la pompe’ as much as the solo stuff ! Having provided rhythm guitar for some of the finest gypsy players in the world, I totally respect it as an art-form in itself.
Whether the trio are background at a wedding or more up-front, like at a jazz club or festival, the attention to detail is the same. Clients get the same driving, hypnotic pulse. It’s one of the reasons why gypsy jazz is more popular today than it ever has been.
That’s it for now. Thanks for reading !
to book please visit band hire here!
“Band Hire is Our Business”
We all have to stick to a budget these days and no matter what your budget is, we have something for everyone for any occasion such your wedding, office party, or product launch. If it is a party band you are looking for then we can suggest loads of acts that fit into a really good price bracket.
If you are after a Jazz band or Swing band, then we use localised artists so that you don’t pay for the travel to get them to your chosen venue from a long way away.
Many acts have the option of a duo band or a trio version of their larger Party or function band and we can also negotiate this too. Maybe you’re after an act that is a little different, maybe something like a Latin Band or a Spanish guitarist ? Perhaps even Gypsy Jazz. In every case, we can provide you all of these things at very reasonable and affordable rates.
“How long do they play for?”. Well, we can also negotiate this but usually 2 x 1 hour sets or 3 x 45 mins of live music is standard. In addition to this we can arrange for the musicians to play an ipod/cd music in between and at the end for up to 45 mins, so you get a whole evening’s worth of entertainment included in the price.
Email us for some quotes on specific acts or for more details: info@themorrisagency.co.uk or visit band hire
“Band Hire is Our Business”
We have a large selection of bands based in London. If you are looking to hire a function band for London, a London Jazz Band or a London Duo then please contact us. band hire
If you’re looking for a wedding jazz band or need to hire UK jazz bands then we can help. We specialise in supplying the best London jazz musicians available today. Whatever you need a jazz band for we can supply one.
We are the National Jazz band booking agents for Pizza Express as well, so we have many artists that are not just based in London too.
“Band Hire is Our Business”
If you are looking for a band for hire in London, a wedding band or a party band for a corporate event, when you start to research you will notice that you start to see many different choices of styles. How can I choose which one is the best for my event and which style of music is best for my party or Christening? Easy, we have trained advisors to help you and we have made sure we provide you most of the different musical styles you can think of. Most importantly of all, we know who we would recommend. All you need to do is ask. Email us on info@themorrisagency.co.uk or call us at 0871 8901015
Hi and welcome to the new blog on Gypsy Jazz ! I’ve kindly been asked by the Morris Agency to write some lines about this vibrant and increasingly popular music style.
First off, apart from having my own gypsy jazz trio, I’ve been involved in playing this style for seventeen years and working as a professional guitarist for over twenty.
With gigs, there’s no end to the variety of events that gypsy jazz can cater for.
Over the years, we’ve played at jazz festivals, arts centres, theatres, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, gypsy music festivals, wakes, corporate functions, private parties, boat launches, embassies, museums, plus the odd bit of TV and radio. All thanks to the timeless popularity of the music.
So now a brief history for anyone who has just discovered gypsy jazz!
The origins can be linked to one man, a Belgian gypsy guitarist called Django Reinhardt (1910 – 1953).
Discovering jazz as a young man, he successfully fused his awesome ethnic playing style with the early American jazz that was finding its way into Europe. In so doing, he created a genre, re-defined plectrum style guitar, wrote enduring melodies and generally become a total legend on every level.
Oh! And he had a disability in the fact that his fretting hand was badly burnt in a fire and he could only fully use his index and middle fingers.
When his recordings started reaching the rest of the world, people were completely blown away. He became a world-wide phenomenon.
Many Gypsies from Europe play this style; Django ignited this quirky branch of jazz and for some, it has become part of their culture, adding a new dimension to their already amazing musical heritage.
I consider myself lucky and honoured, having learnt to play gypsy jazz from some of the greatest exponents on the planet since Django, including Bireli Lagrene, Stochelo Rosenberg and Lulu Reinhardt. Whether on a gig or a jam, I’ve soaked up every second of playing time with these remarkable musicians.
In the my own gypsy jazz trio, TMA025, we’ve kept the format nice and simple. Two acoustic guitars and a double-bass.
Because gypsy jazz is so adaptable we can incorporate elements of swing jazz, Latin and even a little funk into the tunes.
The music has an endearing quality of being both ‘street’ and sophisticated in its sound. Very European and extremely infectious.
Okay, that’s it for now, thanks for reading!
The Morris Agency provide music booking services throughout the UK including Weddings, Parties and Corporate functions for a number of genres, such as Party Band, Tribute Band, Jazz & Swing, Acoustic, Blues, Folk, Soloist & Duos, Classical, Rock and Latin
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