FAQs | the Impressions Party Band

Frequently Asked Questions

A normal set up takes about 90 minutes from start to finish including unloading, set up, sound-check, cables tidied and cases put away. Larger venues requiring all instruments to go through a larger PA and more complex lighting will take longer. Ideally, guests should be elsewhere during set up.
Our standard line-up is 5 piece (Drums, Bass, Guitar, Keyboards (+ Male Vocals) & Female Singer). This can be extended to include a 2/3 piece brass section, an additional keyboard player or an additional vocalist.
Whilst not trying to be evasive, there are a number of variables such as: travel factors, set up and finish times, size of band, length of performance, independently supplied PA & Lighting and so on. As a guide, using our own PA, we typically charge £1100 for reasonably local events which are roughly within standard times e.g. approx 6pm set up and c.11pm finish.

We are happy to discuss lower rates for Charity Events, Last Minute Bookings, Later set up / Earlier finish, Off-Season and Public Events
It really depends what you want. For weddings we are usually formal with a splash of colour. Balls usually black tie. Birthday parties and fun events - anything from smart/casual to colourful and fun.
Our focus is on Kent, London, Sussex & Surrey but if you want us - we WILL travel!
Yes. We have a DJay software from Algorridm which goes through our main PA, and and a good collection of songs from all eras. We are generally around to help the flow of music and can often supply a dedicated DJ if required. You should be aware that this is far superior to commonly used iPod playlists as music can be changed seamlessly. If your venue has wi-fi (or good 4G/5G) we can also stream from Apple Music or Tidal - which gives you pretty much every song on the planet. Finally, we have spare channels to plug in your own mixes from iphones / ipods etc.
Two reasons:
1) The core line up changes over time - these photos are from several periods
2) No function band wants to turn down a gig because say the bass player isn’t available - so we have a ‘family of dep musicians’ who are fully up to date with the Impressions set-lists because they play with us regularly
3) No function band wants to cancel because of illness - our family of deps provides some level of insurance against this
For small to medium sized functions we use two side mounted 4xpar units and 2 floor mounted spots. For larger functions we increase this accordingly or more usually, utilise a professional PA / lighting company.
We have a very high quality Yamaha Active PA comprising 2 x 15” Subs and 2 x 12” Tops totalling 2400 Watts. Our system is compact, smart and unobtrusive
Yes. We are covered up to £2m. Certificate is available for inspection any time but please request in advance if you need it as we don't carry it with us (same applies to PAT test certificate)
Yes, normally once per year. However, if we are frequently using a professional PA / Lighting company, our own PA may not need testing for a longer period. Certificate is available for inspection any time but please do request if you need it as we don't carry it with us (same applies to Public Liability insurance)
Yes, we have a detailed but easy to read contract. We encourage prospective clients to read a draft copy at an early stage
Possibly. Unfortunately noise limiters are NOT an exact science and vary widely between venues. It is essential that you choose a venue with no limiter or one that is known to be not over-sensitive. We can adapt but it is easy to 'lose the groove' when trying to play extra-quietly. We would be happy to check directly with your proposed venue in this respect.
Depends on band size and angle of performance. For starters, the basic 5 piece line up should have an area approx 15' wide x 12' deep (although we have squeezed into smaller!). A brass section, extra keyboard or backing singers will require more space
Fortunately, due to the advances in low powered LED lighting, this is less of an issue than it used to be. Ideally 2 separate 13 amp mains rings should be supplied - particularly if bigger scale lighting is required. Most small to medium functions will do fine on just one mains ring. The more sockets the better
Normally female vocals account for about 80% of the set with some additional songs being duets. Cat, Sophie & Illie are dedicated singers who don't play instruments live. Consequently, it makes sense for them to do the majority of the lead vocals
Yes, subject to availability. If given good notice this is rarely a problem.
Possibly, but we do play mostly private functions. We may be able to offer a mini-showcase on one of our rehearsal evenings. Please let us know if you would like to attend one of these. However, keep in mind that we may get a booking enquiry elsewhere for your date prior to the showcase - in which case we would be happy to give you first refusal.
Ultimately no entertainers can offer 100% guarantees but we take the possibility of cancellations very seriously
1) we have a ‘family of dep musicians’ who know our set list thoroughly so in the event of illness etc we have people to turn to.
2) We have spare capacity within our PA system should a speaker blow.
3) We carry spare instruments in case of instrument failure
3) Vehicles are covered for breakdown with ongoing travel in the event of breakdown
Every band has situations where one or two of their regular musicians or singers is not available. They therefore use stand-in players or ‘Deps’. The problem with dep’s is often that they are not well rehearsed and rely on sight reading. This is something we avoid in all but the most dire emergency because in our opinion bands don’t look good sight reading! For this reason we have a selection of dep’s who are not only well rehearsed but are offered gigs on a rotation basis to ensure no difference between out regular players and our stand-ins.
Yes we are very happy to provide a formal invoice. This is normally sent by Kikk who manage the website, email, PA & lighting equipment, and also handle enquiries and bookings. Our payment terms are normally a 10% deposit with the balance being payable 1 day before the event by bank transfer.