Indie band hire in Australia: the complete guide

This is the smallest of the band categories on the site and the one where the acts are least like each other. Some are function bands who play guitar music from the last twenty years. Others are proper original acts with their own releases who take the occasional private booking around a touring schedule.

Both can be excellent and they need handling completely differently. Working out which sort you're talking to, in the first message, saves everyone a fortnight.

An original band plays their own songs. Your guests won't know them, which for some events is exactly the point and for others is a disaster you can see coming from across the room. A covers act working in this style plays songs people recognise, with guitars instead of a horn section.

Neither answer is better. But be honest with yourself about your crowd. A room of people who wanted to sing along and got forty minutes of unfamiliar material will be polite about it and nobody will dance.

Product launches, gallery and bar openings, brand events and festival side stages where the music is meant to set a tone rather than fill a floor. Also weddings for couples who follow the band already and are booking them as a treat, not as background.

In those settings an original act is more interesting than a covers band and often cheaper, because you're paying for a performance rather than a service. Just be clear with the venue and the guests about what's happening, so nobody spends the set waiting for a song they know.

A band with a release schedule plans months in advance and disappears for weeks at a time. They may also have a booking agent, a manager, or a label with a say in what they'll do. That's not difficulty, it's just a different process, and it runs on longer lead times than a function band.

Ask about exclusivity too. Some acts won't play a venue within a certain distance and time of their own shows, because it undercuts ticket sales. It rarely affects a private event, but it's worth knowing before you fall in love with a date.

Fewer musicians than the party categories, usually, and less gear. A guitar band is often four people and will fit in a space that a horn section wouldn't. That keeps the price down and makes small venues workable.

What you generally don't get is a big PA and a lighting rig. Acts used to playing venues with their own systems often travel light. Check what they own before you assume sound is covered, especially if your event is in a hall, a marquee or somewhere outdoors.

Is the set originals, covers or both, and can we choose? Do you own a sound system suitable for our size room? How far ahead do you book private events? Will you learn a specific song for us? And who do we deal with, the band or someone representing them?

That last one decides how the next month goes. Dealing directly with a member of the band is fast. Going through a third party is fine too, but build in extra days for every question.