To want to find a hoedown band that will cost me less than £800

[pingu2209]

The other issue is that I want an American Western Hoedown - not a folk barn dance. I can't find them anywhere.

This is going to be expensive!

susfa.interfolk.co.uk/bands/index.html
www.alivenetwork.com/bandpage.asp?bandname=The%20New%20Country%20Band
www.hoptiludrop.co.uk/american-hoedown_wedding-band.htm

£800, very cheap for a band.

Oh God - how much do you think a 5 piece band will cost then?

it's a very specialist genre you see, and will probably be 6+ piece band to get a decent sound

split your £800 between band members, take off travel expenses etc...

As musicians often say: ask a plumbers' union what they'd charge to call out 6 plumbers between 4pm and midnight. Always surprised when people are surprised booking bands is expensive.

I'm always amazed when people think they can get musicians for nothing. Same goes for other creative areas too. A 5-piece band for £800 doesn't amount to enormous reward when divided by 5 and all the expenses taken off. Expenses, incidentally, include running costs like practice venues and the cost of instruments.

Yup. If you want a cheap band, you either get a crap one, a brand new one desperate for the experience, or if you're extremely lucky you might have a friend in a band who will do you a mates' rates deal (but the other members would have to agree to it too). It's a lot of time, practice and expense to get a band to anywhere near a decent standard - why on earth should it cost peanuts to benefit from all that work and effort?

So it will be anywhere up from £800 then. Looks like I'll be doing my own food then - no caterers!