Booking Info and FAQ
101 Questions About the Band? Your Answers Lie Below…
This page includes important booking information and FAQs about The White Tree Band and our music services. We strongly encourage you to read the information below. It will help you to understand how the live music elements will function at your wedding or corporate event.
How does the booking process work?
1. If you would like The White Tree Band to perform at your wedding or corporate event, you will first need to check we are available! Fill out our band enquiry section here
2. Our online booking form requires you to fill out your contact details and select the band line up you would like (we are obviously on hand to help you with this decision!)
How long will the band be playing at my wedding reception or corporate event?
The White Tree Band’s prices include up to 5 hours attendance featuring 4 x 45min sets of live music, and background music on iPod controlled through our sound system during band breaks. Our set times can be adjusted to fit in with your specific running sheet. The 5 hour duration satisfies most wedding reception and corporate event durations as most venues work to 5 hour packages – usually 6pm to 11pm, or 7pm to 12am. If you would like the band at your reception for a period longer than 5 hours, that is of course fine but an additional cost may be involved.
What if my wedding or corporate event is outside Melbourne?
The White Tree performs many gigs in Mornington, the Yarra Valley, Geelong, Sydney, Brisbane and overseas! You simply take our website prices as a basis, and then inquire about the additional costs which may be involved – attributed to travel time and expenses. This will be a predetermined price agreed upon by you and The White Tree.
How does the band’s set up and sound check work?
It takes us approximately 1 hour to fully set up and sound check the band. This additional time is not considered part of the 5 hour period and does not carry any additional cost. For example, if you book The White Tree Band for your wedding or corporate event which starts at 6pm and finishes at 11pm, we would arrive at 4 45pm – 5pm without additional charge. That way we are fully set up and sound checked before your guests arrive.
Is The White Tree Band “one band” or rather a huge collection of Melbourne musicians?!
Our sleek website (if we do say so ourselves) has often lead people to think The White Tree Band is some sort of agency. We are not! We are a self managed band lead by The White Tree’s photographer/filmmaker Nick Rieve and our drummer, James Tudball. We have a very small and select group of musicians who play countless gigs together on a regular basis. We do have several drummers, several bass players, several saxophonists etc, purely as a back up in case a musician is unable to perform due to extreme circumstances (illness, family tragedy, the main support slot for U2). This means we have never had to cancel on a client, and our high musical standards are always maintained.
We also have a select number of male and female singers…and a rapper! These singers are all highly talented and perform a similar repertoire at gigs. We pride ourselves on the quality of our band and never put together “scratch bands” with musicians who haven’t played together before. Some bands/large agencies do this, resulting in a very different quality of band turning up to the one you thought you had booked. All of our musicians love playing with The White Tree and whether it’s a wedding, corporate event, bat mitzvah, or 13th birthday party, our band always play with energy, passion and enjoyment. We look like we’re having a good time…because we are! We are a band of young aspiring musicians, NOT washed up rockers from the 90s.
What songs will the band play at my wedding or corporate event? Can I choose the music?
The White Tree Band are famous for performing a varied repertoire which appeals to the music tastes of all your guests – old and young. Typically we perform classy jazz, soul and reggae during the early stages of your wedding or event, so the guests have a chance to chat and mingle without being dominated by loud live music – for instance the band would not play Summer of 69 or Kings of Leon’s Sex on Fire at the very start of your event! However later on we enjoy cranking it up with more energetic songs in the rock and funk realm. Please view our song list to see some of the tunes we play at gigs.
The later dance sets are the most important part of the night for the band to nail. It is our aim to get all of your guests up and dancing and having a great time. Achieving this can create a really great atmosphere and insure your event is memorable…for the right reasons! There are too many horror stories of bad bands completely wrecking the vibe of a wedding or corporate event. We are confident in our abilities to select appropriate songs throughout the night, and are happy for you to leave these decisions to us. However, if you would like to request specific songs for us to play, you can go to our song list and tell us 10 songs you would really love played on the night. You can also describe the music you want played in generic terms, e.g. “I would love some 20s/30s style jazz played early on, followed by soul and funk for the dance sets, and some old school rock n roll towards the end of the night”.
Will the band take requests on the night?
Yes. Ultimately we want to keep you and your guests happy. The White Tree Band are always up for the challenge of song requests. These days with technology, we can even download lyrics and charts during a band break, and hammer out a request the very next set.
How does The White Tree Band configuration work? What line up should I have at my wedding or corporate event?
The band’s configuration for your wedding reception or corporate event can be customized to suit your budget. The price variation is based on the number of musicians. For example a 3 piece band, starting at $2200 inc gst, includes 3 musicians. A 4 piece band at $2700 inc gst includes 4 musicians, and so on. All of our band configurations will include bass, drums, vocals, and a chordal instrument (guitar or keyboard). This is the minimum number of musicians required to avoid the use of cheesy MIDI backing tracks…nasty.
Should I choose the male singer and/or the female singer?
Our male and female singers perform similar songs so it really comes down to personal taste. The female vocals are possibly better suited to the more jazz and soul style, and the male vocals work great for the more funk and rock tunes. f you can’t decide then you are welcome to hire both (subject to availability). * Please note our female singer must be booked with a 4 piece band minimum, as she does not double as a guitarist or keyboardist.
Do you provide wedding ceremony music as well?
Yes. We can offer soft ceremony music featuring vocals and acoustic guitar or piano, to perform contemporary songs throughout your wedding ceremony. This modern line up can perform songs such as Skinny Love by Bon Iver, Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, Real Love by Regina Spektor and many more.
Should the band perform my bridal dance?
Many couples practice their bridal dance to a CD. Sometimes this rehearsing has gone on for weeks…even months! This means you are extremely familiar with the original version of the bridal dance – including tempo, vocal phrasing, instrumentation, and form. The ‘safe’ option may be to stick with what you are used to. If you use the version of the original artist, please supply the song to us on iPod (preferable), or CD, and we can play the song through our PA system for you. Or, The White Tree Band are very happy to learn the bridal dance specially for your wedding and perform it live. If you need help choosing a song for your bridal dance, please let us know. There are a number of appropriate songs we already know which go down a treat, such as At Last by Etta James, Moondance by Van Morrison or Is this Love by Bob Marley.
Please include your bridal dance details on the booking form. If you haven’t decided on your bridal dance at the time of booking, that is fine, just insure you let us know at least 2 weeks out from your wedding.
I hear you guys double as a live karaoke backing band?!
We are happy to learn a song if there is a guest at your wedding or corporate event who is a closet Australian Idol! We have even had brides, grooms, and bosses sing a song with the live band! This is often a highlight for all involved. Again, please specify these details at an early stage.
Do we need to feed the band?
It is ‘industry standard’ that clients provide a basic band meal for musicians, photographers etc working at a wedding or event. Just main is fine, and this can be easily arranged with your event co-ordinator.
