FAQs

The cost of each performance depends on a few different variables including: size of band, distance travelled, date, number of hours required on site. Please provide this information when you contact us and we will send you a quote with several options within 12 hours.

A 30% deposit (invoiced on request) is required to secure your date in the band calendar. We receive multiple enquiries for most dates, so the band operates on a ‘first in first served’ principle. All quotes are valid for 7 days from date of issue. All payments are non-refundable. In exceptional circumstances certain payments have & will be refunded at the discretion of the band.

The band can be booked for any desired period of time from 1 hour up to a maximum of 7 hours.

Sets are usually 45min with a 15min break in between. Over a 5hr booking you would normally fit approx 4-5 x 45min sets around speeches and other formalities. We are happy for you to schedule these sets in at whatever times would be most suitable for you. A good idea would be to try to schedule the band meal to coincide with your speeches so you can make the most of the live music.

Quote prices are determined by [Number of musicians x Number of hours required on site]. This means quotes can nearly always be reduced by booking smaller ensemble options, or less hours.

The most noticeable difference between the 4B Quartet and the 5B Quintet is in the textural layers of sound. So while the repertoire of songs is essentially the same, the Quintet tends to have a fuller sound and be more conducive to dancing due the dedicated bass player laying down grooves to dance to. We often have people up and dancing when performing in the 4B Quartet configuration, but we can guarantee a full dance floor every time in the 5B Quintet configuration. The 5B Quintet instrumentation also allows a more intimate Acoustic Trio to perform the opening cocktail set nestled amongst your guests, and this is a very popular option during drinks before a meal.

Most of the band’s performances occur in Sydney + All Suburbs + Hunter Valley + Canberra. For special events we have travelled down to Thredbo and up north to Brisbane QLD. We are very happy to travel however this obviously increases the band’s fee to cover petrol costs, or flights if necessary etc.

The band performs a broad selection of well known Jazz, Pop, Funk, & Soul classics. Please advise us on your particular preferences and we will tailor the program to match your musical tastes as closely as possible.

Yes. No problem at all keep the musical atmosphere “up beat” throughout the night. The online samples reflect a range of possible tempos for various purposes, however we pride ourselves on our ability to get a dance floor cranking for people who love good live music!

Necessary sound equipment will be provided by Sydney Jazz Collective for functions up to 200 guests at no additional cost. For events larger than 200 guests, it will often be necessary for the client to hire a larger PA for the band’s sound to be heard clearly in very large rooms. This can sometimes be sourced through the venue where your event is taking place, or we can help organise audio support through our contacts in the music industry.

Basic coloured lights can be hired by the band but does not come as part of our standard packages. We can hire stage lights very cheaply through contacts in the entertainment industry so just let us know if you’d like some coloured lights for the bandstand and we can put you in touch with a local supplier at industry rates. We do not organise stages, but often work with companies who do specialise in staging so we are happy to put you in contact with them too.

The band will require access to 2 x standard 240V power sockets within 3 meters of the performance area. If there are no power sockets near the band area, then it is possible for clients to supply band power via an extension cord so long as this is set up safely by the client before the event starts.

No. The band does not charge for Set Up or Pack Up time, so long as this occurs during the normal 60min prior to performing for Set Up, and 30min after performing for Pack Up. Please double check that all times in your quote are going to be suitable for your event. A surcharge (of $88/musician/hour or part) would apply for earlier Set Up and/or later Pack Up.

The band would always wear suits as our standard performance outfit. We pride ourselves on professionalism in all areas including attire and personal appearance.

Yes. We have provided musical entertainment for many themed corporate events and parties and would be very happy to hear your planned theme and try wherever possible to integrates the band’s music and appearance into the theme of your event.

It is usually no problem to arrange some extra time on the night of a performance (providing all the band members don’t have another commitment immediately afterwards). Extra time is generally charged at $100/musician/hour or part. We strongly encourage clients to formally book all the time they think they would like in the initial quote, as we cannot absolutely guarantee that the band will be available for extra time if this has not been arranged formally prior to the performance date.

Yes. At most functions a basic meal (sometimes called ‘staff/service/crew meal’ by venues) is provided for the musicians during one of the breaks between sets. We will assume this will not be a problem, but please let us know if for any reason this is not possible. To save money, make sure you ask your venue about the price difference between ‘guest meals’ and ‘staff/band meals’ – you can usually feed the band very affordably but some venues will not make this obvious for you.

Yes. Water and soft drink refreshments should be available to the band at any time on request.

For a Quintet we’d ideally request about 3m x 4m, but we’re happy to get creative about the set up if there are space issues as we have played in smaller/irregular shaped spaces in the past. For very small venues we can fit a Duo or Trio into the space where 2 people would stand upright. If you’re concerned about space limitations for the band, just drop us an email and we can suggest some alternative solutions for you.

Standard Set Up would occur in the 60min immediately before performing. Standard Pack Up would occur in the 30min immediately after last song. Please email us prior to the event if you would like to request alternative arrangements.

Yes. Please advise us of your preference of either female vocalist or male vocalist and we will make sure that they are performing in the ensemble at your event.

Yes. We do occasionally perform with both a male & female vocalist on stage. However, we don’t generally recommend 2 vocalists on the same gig as you could create a fuller band sound by adding an extra horn (eg. Sax, Trumpet, Trombone) rather than an extra vocalist.

In regard to repertoire selection; after providing live music at hundreds of weddings over the years the band is very adept at reading the mood of a crowd and gauging song choices to suit this accordingly – soft and sophisticated early on, gradually building the intensity for dancing later in the night. People tend to enjoy themselves more when the shaping of a night’s emotional atmosphere feels natural and matches the evolving mood of the crowd, and one of the best ways to shape this atmosphere is through music. So you probably don’t want to be too locked in to the exact order/selection of songs beforehand as every crowd will respond in slightly different ways. Please however feel free to suggest a few favourites we can feature to personalise your night of entertainment, and also to give us an indication of the type of music you like best.

Yes. We have done many performances outside, however you would still need to provide some kind of overhead shelter from sun/rain and also standard 240v power to the band area. Sturdy flooring is also requested although this is not absolutely essential so long as the ground is dry.

Yes. We have some great acoustic ensemble options that do not require power. Some of these are also available as a mobile roving band to move through the crowd at a function. Please email us with your specific requirements.

Yes. The band requires parking at the venue (or nearby parking to be provided by the client if there is no parking on site at the venue). We usually need 1 parking space for each musician in the band (but can sometimes make do with one less eg. 3 parks for a 4 piece band). The reason for this is that the high quality sound equipment we use fills a car pretty quickly, and we are also often all driving direct from other gigs in different locations.

Yes. For gigs where a vocalist has been booked, Sydney Jazz Collective will provide background music from an iPod through the vocal PA when the band is taking a break between sets. For instrumental ensembles, we will provide softer background music from an iPod patched through either the keyboard or bass amp.

Yes. Sydney Jazz Collective will endeavor to perform any specially requested song at your wedding that may be a particular favourite tune of the bridal and groom (provided the style is appropriate for the band booked). Any specific song requests that are not already on our current repertoire list would need to be made at least 2 weeks prior to the performance date.

Yes. The musicians performing at your function will be the same as our regular band members featured on the Sydney Jazz Collective website. (In the unlikely event of sickness or unexpected unavailability, the band would still perform however a particular instrument may need to be replaced by a professional musician from the Sydney scene whom we have worked with in the past).

We have done literally hundreds of corporate gigs where clients specifically request a background sound level for important networking to take place. Similarly many of our wedding clients have had very specific volume requests for soft music early in the night, and an energetic groove to get everyone dancing later on. So we’re very adept at tailoring volume levels to suit our clients and it’s certainly no problem to keep the volume right down if this is your preference.

These days most function venues will provide a dedicated microphone for your speeches, but if not you may hire a speech microphone from the band (this would normally need to be set up near our vocal PA). We usually try to discourage this if possible mainly for OHS reasons (ie. our vocalist could catch a cold from sharing mics and then be unable to work for 2 weeks). Please let us know in advance if you will require a mic from the band so we can make arrangements for you.

Yes. We offer a 5% refund if you refer a friend (or book multiples dates yourself) and the 2 bookings are confirmed within 28 days of paying your deposit.

No. We strongly believe in the unique impact of great Live Music to provide an atmospheric and emotional richness that can’t be matched by recorded tracks. For this reason we don’t provide any DJ services, but are happy to work alongside a DJ on the night if you or the venue have already booked one.

We specialise in providing live music for private functions (weddings & corporate events), so it is not usually possible to come and see the band live. We do occasionally perform at festivals & large public events so we can keep you posted with dates for these kind of gigs if you wish to see the band live in action.

Yes. The instruments suggested on your quote reflect our most popular ensembles, however these are quite flexible to customisation so long as a good band sound will still be achieved. Please let us know if you have a favourite instrument you would like featured, and we’ll do our best to offer you some alternative options which include that instrument in the band.

Yes. The band has full public liability insurance for all functions and events that we perform at. This is underwritten by QBE Australia to a value of $20,000,000.

Yes. We would love to use the grand piano at your venue (provided that it is in tune). The unique sound of a real grand piano can’t be replicated by even the most sophisticated synthesizers so our keyboard player will be very happy to hear there is a grand piano on site.

Yes. We are happy to take requests from guests on the night. While it’s not possible to perform every song and style with a fixed configuration of instruments, we can usually work out a few great songs that the band loves to play and the guests love to hear.

Basic overnight accommodation will usually be required for evening performances more than 1 hour outside of Sydney CBD.