How many people are in Carte Blanche?
Carte Blanche is normally a 6 piece band. However we do larger line ups too. We can size up to an 8, 9, 10 or 12 piece band by adding extra singers and musicians.
What is the instrumental line up of Carte Blanche?
The 6 piece line up – which is our basic line up – consists of a male lead vocalist, a female lead vocalist, a drummer, a bass player/backing vocalist, guitarist/backing vocalist and keyboard player.
For the larger bands that we do we usually add a mix of brass (sax/trumpet/trombone) and singers. For the 10 or 12 piece line up we also use a percussionist.
How Much Do Carte Blanche Cost?
To get an exact quote for how much Carte Blanche cost for a wedding or other event we would need to know the exact requirements. For example, see this article for factors that affect the price:
The 5 Factors That Affect How Much A Live Band Will Charge For A Wedding
How Much Does A Live Band For A Wedding Cost?
Why You Can Use Whether A Live Band Charges VAT Or Not As A Quality Filter
What songs do you play?
We play everything from 50s rock and roll right up to contemporary rock, pop and dance. And everything in between. For a more detailed breakdown, please see the repertoire page. For the comprehensive list please use the contact form to request it.
We have a specific first dance in mind for our wedding – can you learn it?
Provided you give us at least a months notice Carte Blanche can learn just about anything. If a song is impossible for us to perform we can play the original version on our sound system.
We can’t decide on a first dance song, any thoughts?
About 50% of brides and grooms don’t have a specific song they want for their wedding dance. For those people we’ve put together some suggestions based on the requests that we do get:
10 First Dance Song Suggestions For Brides and Grooms
10 More First Dance Songs For Your Wedding
If We Have A Bunch Of Requests, Can You Learn Them?
As part of our normal service for weddings we guarantee to learn your wedding dance and one other song. Additional song requests can be learned – for an additional charge – or can be downloaded from iTunes and put onto the ‘band iPod’ to be played during breaks.
Please also note that we have some tunes on our EXCLUDE list – so check out this post to see what we WON’T play:
5 Songs We Guarantee Not To Play At Your Wedding
How Long Does It Take You To Set Up And Soundcheck?
Assuming that the load in is not complicated OR a long distance, it takes around 50 minutes to set our equipment up and then around 20/25 minutes to sound check the band. (individual circumstances do vary though).
You can read more here:
How Long Does It Take For A Live Band To Set Up At A Wedding
Can you play at a venue with a noise limiter?
We can play at venues with a sound limiter. We have two ways of doing this – either our drummer uses an electronic drum kit so we can directly control the volume or we use backing tracks with the drums on them. (Again the volume is directly controllable).
However if live music is really important for your wedding, please read these articles:
What To Do If Your Venue Has A Noise Limiter?
Ask Your Venue If They Have A Noise Limiter?
A DJ is cheaper than a Live Band – why should I book a live band?
A DJ is cheaper than a live band, that’s true. But what a DJ can’t bring to your big day is the ‘wow factor’ – if you want your wedding to end with a bang, you won’t get that from a DJ.
Read this article for more:
Why Should I Book A Live Band And Not a DJ
Although there is one occasion where I reverse this advice, and would advise you to book a DJ and NOT a live band:
The One Scenario Where You Should Book A DJ and Not A Live Band For Your Wedding
Should I Book A DJ AS WELL As A Live Band
In 95% of cases the answer to this question is no. To double check your wedding is in that 95% of cases, please read this article for more information:
Should I Book A DJ As Well As A Live Band?
We’re Having A Jewish Wedding – Can Carte Blanche Play Israeli Music?
We usually play a medley of such favourites as:
1. Hava Nageila
2. Havenu Shalom Aleichem
3. Ashrenu
4. Y’aseh Shalom
5. Siman Tov
Plus many more.
Can Carte Blanche Play Outside?
Carte Blanche can play outside should circumstances require. However there are some stipulations that have to be put in place to ensure the safety of both the band and the guests. You can read about them here:
The 3 Things A Live Band Will Need To Perform Outside