The best musical duos in Newcastle
The pool of two-piece acts here is not deep, and that matters more than any other fact on this page. Newcastle has a long history of working musicians and plenty of them play in bands, but the number who run a proper duo and take private bookings is modest. Start early, and have a second and third choice ready.
The upside is that the players who do it are seasoned. Most have come up through rooms in the city and around Merewether where nobody came specifically to see them, which is exactly the skill a wedding or a birthday needs from two people with an acoustic guitar.
Top picks in Newcastle
Top picks are the acts in this category in Newcastle, without a review, rating or premium ranking: all these sort keys are tied.
Questions people ask about musical duos in Newcastle
How much does a musical duo cost in Newcastle?
Less than the same booking in Sydney, generally, and the main things moving it are the hours, the gear and whether the venue is in town or out in the Hunter. A couple of hours at a Newcastle function room with house sound is the low end, and a vineyard booking with the duo's own PA and a midnight drive back is the high one. Compare the from-prices on the list below before you settle on what your night should cost.
Can a duo cover a whole Hunter Valley wedding?
Two players can carry a ceremony, drinks and a reception, and it is a popular way to do a vineyard wedding without the cost and the load-in of a band. What you need to confirm is the venue's hard finish time, because several Hunter properties have an early cut-off written into their consent and a fourth set you cannot use is money gone. Ask the venue, not the act, and then tell the act.
How far ahead should I book a duo in Newcastle?
Further ahead than the size of the city suggests, because the local list of duos is short and the same handful get asked for every spring Saturday. Six months out is sensible for a wedding, and even a birthday in November is worth locking in early. Midweek and the winter months are far easier and you can often get someone within a fortnight.
Is a duo loud enough for a party, or do we need a band?
For a house party or a function room up to about eighty people, two players with a decent PA do the job and leave you room for a dance floor. A band earns its money in a big room with a proper stage, which around here usually means a club or a large vineyard shed. If you are unsure, ask the duo how they handle the last hour, since that is the part a small act has to work hardest for.
Booking tips
Book further out than you think
A shallow local list means the good acts are gone for Saturdays in spring and December months ahead. Enquire with several at once rather than working down a list one at a time.
Say whether it is the city or the vineyards
A job at a Pokolbin or Lovedale venue means an hour each way and a late drive home on dark roads. That is priced in, and it is fair, but only if they know at the point of quoting.
Check who is supplying the sound
Most Newcastle pub duos are used to plugging into the venue rig. For a private party or a vineyard shed there is no rig, so confirm they are bringing their own PA.