Hiring An Event Band: Live Videos vs Promo Videos

Have you ever watched a cover band promo video? You probably have, especially if you’re planning to hire one for your wedding, corporate event, or party. You watch the promo video, singers are smiling making direct eye contact with the camera, band members are dancing, lights are flashing, the video is in 4k quality, the band is just SO good right? Maybe! Here is a comparison between promo videos vs. live videos:

• Promo Videos

  Auto-tune much? Many bands and agencies want to have their music presented as pitch-perfect, so why not auto-tune the vocals to make them sound perfect. Maybe they really are and it does make the song sound better in some cases! However, with unlimited time to edit a performance, or many takes to nail the perfect performance, is this really a good representation of a band that will only have one shot at each song at your event? Performance take #27 is the charm… Have you ever went to a concert and thought “Wow, I love their recordings, but they’re not that great live!” Yep, same deal. So the question is, how do they REALLY sound?

  PRO - Looks and sounds perfect, very exciting!

  CON - Possibly a misleading representation of the band’s performance and abilities.

• Live Videos

  We’re referring to videos taken from actual events, you know, kinda like the one you are planning. Whether filmed in 4k or from an iPhone, a live video in most cases is a real representation of what you can expect from your prospective band. Live videos give you a glimpse into their performance at a real live event. Sure, they may not look as clean and produced, but wow look how the crowd is responding to the overall energy in the room! This is very important as you want to hire a band that can satisfy your wants and needs AND those of your guests! You cannot fake a crowd of 50-200+ guests singing, dancing, and just having a blast at a real event. “We like the band, but will everybody else?” The proof is in the pudding as they say, or in our case the live videos from weddings and events.

  PRO - A more accurate representation of what you will see and hear at your event, not to mention how guests reacted to the overall experience of the performance.

  CON - Sometimes the videos are of lower-quality from a video and audio standpoint.

  Your wedding, corporate event, or party will only happen once, so consider taking a look at live videos from past events when determining whether your prospective band is a good fit! Thank us later :)

  -VCS