The best cover bands in Hobart
Hobart's pool of function bands is genuinely small, and there is no city an hour away to borrow from when it is full. Let that shape how you go about it: start earlier than you would on the mainland, and get your date in front of several groups within the same afternoon instead of enquiring with one and waiting.
The other local factor is what the room supplies. A pub or a club in town will often have sound already rigged, while a Coal River or Huon Valley property, a hall out on the Channel or a shed with a marquee beside it usually has nothing at all, and the band brings the whole system.
Top picks in Hobart
Top picks are the acts in this category in Hobart, without a review, rating or premium ranking: all these sort keys are tied.
Questions people ask about cover bands in Hobart
How much does a cover band cost in Hobart?
Lineup size leads, then hours, then whatever the room cannot supply. A four piece plugging into a club system in town is a straightforward night; the same band at a vineyard out past Richmond is hauling a full rig down a gravel drive and unloading it again at two in the morning. Some bands here show an opening figure and some show nothing, so give the venue and the date to several of them and work out what each quote actually covers.
How far ahead should I book a band in Hobart?
Further than you would in a bigger city, simply because there are fewer bands and the good ones hold residencies. For a Saturday between November and March, months rather than weeks, and the same applies to the weekends around major events when the whole town is busy. A winter weeknight is often bookable inside a fortnight.
Will a band travel to the Huon Valley or the east coast?
Regularly, and the drive is usually less of a problem than the finish, because packing down at midnight and heading back over the hills in the dark adds hours to their night. That lands somewhere in the quote, quite reasonably. Say exactly where the venue is in your first message and ask whether they need somewhere to stay for anything past about an hour out.
How do I judge a band when none of them show reviews?
You will find no ratings anywhere on this list, so ask each band for recent phone footage of a real crowd instead of a polished showreel. Skip forward to the third song, because by then a room has made up its mind about whether it is dancing. One more thing worth confirming: that the people in the clip are the same people rostered on for your night, since a swapped lineup is where most of the disappointment in this trade begins.
Booking tips
Ask what happens if a player is unwell
In a small scene the depping pool is small too, and there is no quick flight in from Melbourne on a Saturday afternoon. A band that can name who covers each chair has thought about it; a vague answer is worth noticing.
Cold evenings start earlier than you think
An outdoor Tasmanian reception can be pleasant at six and genuinely cold by eight, and cold hands on strings and keys is a real problem for the players. Ask what cover and heating the band needs in the spot you have in mind.
Check the venue's finish time before you buy sets
Plenty of southern Tasmanian venues sit close to houses and carry a firm hour in their consent. Get the exact cutoff from the venue first, then build the sets backwards from it instead of forwards from the speeches.