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entertainment experts: say hello to seventh second

Rachel Hirst

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If you’re currently on the search for top wedding entertainment that’s a breeze to arrange and a joy to experience, this morning’s post will be of extra interest as we’re introducing our new Sponsor, Seventh Second.

Set up and run by talented and knowledgeable musicians, those behind Seventh Second pride themselves on proving a professional and fuss-free service by connecting couples directly with the band that they’d like to book.

From acoustic duos right up to big party bands, there’s an act on the books to suit all styles of weddings and tastes in music.

Here to tell us more is one of Seventh Second’s managers and musicians, Jon Stephens…

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When was Seventh Second set up and what services does it offers to wedding couples?

jon says:

Seventh Second was set up about two years ago. We are a group of lifelong friends and professionally trained musicians who decided that after more than 15 years of touring the world and entertaining wedding couples, we should create a website for our various bands with a new approach and a direct, truly personal link between wedding couples and the bands they hire for their unique day.

Bands are expensive and through traditional booking agencies, couples are booking blind, only ever talking to sales people and not really connecting with the band themselves. We think that’s just not good enough, so with us, you talk to members of the band when booking! A simple but important distinction as it guarantees quality, value for money, honesty and a truly personal approach to your big day entertainment.

Tell us about the different types of entertainment that Seventh Second offers…

We are always looking to add and expand our roster but we are very picky about who joins our website and we have to have a close connection with the act for them to even be considered.

At the moment we have some fantastic wedding, party and corporate bands available to book with popular examples including The League of Gentlemen, The Usual Suspects and Night and Day. Visit our website for more.

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Why would you encourage couples to consider live music for their wedding?

There’s not really a substitute for a talented live band – it just adds something truly special to a wedding or event that you can’t quite put your finger on. On many occasions we’ve spoken to couples who only booked a DJ as their live entertainment and found that they were disappointed. DJ’s have their place, but for a truly memorable party, you need live music too. We’ve had countless wedding couples truly grateful and ecstatic that their guests danced and partied because of the amazing energy a live band provides. We’ve even been shocked at how much we’ve blown people’s expectations out of the water.

What are the benefits of couples arranging their wedding entertainment through Seventh Second and how does this set you apart from other music agencies?

At every stage of the booking process, you are dealing with someone who performs in the acts we promote. Unlike other entertainment websites, you aren’t dealing with a sales person who has no connection to the hundreds of acts they promote daily. You are speaking with a band member who’s part of a very select family of bands and cares about what they promote to you and knows everything they possibly could about our acts. This guarantees excellent, honest customer service and a bespoke band that is truly designed for your needs.

Also, because we don’t need sales people, commission or sales targets, we can offer bands at a price that can’t be beaten. Plus, we obviously know our bands inside out, so we can vouch for them 100% and make you feel safe in the knowledge that they will deliver a special performance on your special day. Couples can feel uncertain booking a band via a website so we hope our unique approach solves that issue.

Finally, unlike other websites, we keep our site clean, clear and as simple as possible so it’s easy for clients to pick the act they want.

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How do Seventh Second select the bands and acts that they represent?

Well, we are unique in this industry in that we are in most of the bands on our website so I guess we pick ourselves! We are all vastly experienced, professionally educated musicians who pride ourselves on providing exactly what clients want. We are very selective about using bands that we don’t regularly perform in and we only select them if we know them personally as friends or colleagues. We see ourselves as a happy, extended family of bands so you will only ever receive the highest quality acts that we can 100% personally vouch for.

Do you offer bands and acts throughout the UK and are travel fees included in the booking price?

We do offer acts all over the UK, and abroad, and all acts are self-contained so the price we give you includes travel fees and everything else you’d need, including professional stage lighting and PA system. We don’t charge huge commission fees, like most agencies, so we keep the booking price low.

What genres of bands/acts do you offer and are there any particular styles of music that prove popular with wedding couples?

We do find that all-male, three-piece bands like our act, The Usual Suspects are very popular because they cover most genres within their set and are great value for money. We’re obviously quite selective about the bands we use but our acts cover most styles from jazz to full on rock/metal. We have intimate, acoustic duos right up to huge corporate/party bands and one advantage of being in the acts is that we can put together a bespoke act just for you. For example, we recently created a band for a client’s 50th in Eldroth where she needed a male four-piece band with two guitarists, drummer, and bassist, with all of them singing lead vocals. It sounded amazing!

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Will the bands you represent learn particular songs for a couple, such as their first dance, and do you have any suggestions of first dance tracks for couples needing inspiration?

Yes, all bands are happy to learn first dances, or other tunes, as long as they are feasible! Nine times out of ten, they are. The first dance is a very personal, poignant decision to make but if clients are struggling, and like most people not too confident with their dancing (grooms especially), we suggest up-tempo songs like Paolo Nutini’s Pencil Full of Lead as it gets all your guests dancing like mad with you. If clients are after something slower, Ben E King’s Stand by Me is always very beautiful. The bands offer this service for free so just ask us for more ideas, we have a lot!

What advice would you give to wedding couples when booking their wedding day entertainment? 

We would suggest that you really have a good chat with the people who work on behalf of the bands. They can give you inside information and valuable tips on the best band for your event. This is a big reason we work the way we do. When you talk to us, we are the true authority on the bands and whether they are suitable for your event.

Also, before you start looking for entertainment, give some thought to the atmosphere and vibe you want to create at your event. There’s so much choice out there so having a loose idea of what you want to achieve will make your task a lot easier!

Do you offer a discount for couples booking more than one band/act through Seventh Second for their big day?

We do and this has always been a huge part of our ethos. Just ask us for more details when contacting us.

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What is the feedback like from brides and grooms that use your services?

We recently had a very happy couple contact us after their wedding in Ockham and what stood out for them is typical of most of our clients. They highlighted the professionalism of the band and the way they got everyone dancing like maniacs, leaving everyone with a smile on their face. Our customer service and expertise really played a huge part for them and, like most clients feedback, they were just chuffed at how effortless the whole process had been. A large portion of our business comes from recommendations, and for us that’s the best feedback you can have!

How can Brides Up North readers get in touch with Seventh Second/ see more from the bands/acts?

They can check out the website or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. They can also contact us on 0800 043 0196, or email [email protected].

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Any other exciting news to share?

There’s a few exciting things in the pipeline. We’re looking to expand our roster to include lots of other event services so people can pretty much book everything they need for an event through us. We’re hoping this will save them a lot of time as planning an event is tough work! We’ve also been keen charity workers for years and we have a few exciting fundraising ideas up our sleeve. People can find out more by check out our charity page.

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