Why Are There So Many Wedding Bands in Glasgow?

At first this may seem like a dumb question; why are there so many wedding bands in Glasgow? Obviously as Scotland's most populated city, you'd expect Glasgow to produce the greatest number of musicians and that is of course true, but ...

there's a lot more to it than that. In fact Glasgow rivals much larger cities in the UK when it comes to the number of successful wedding bands based there. Both Birmingham and Manchester have larger populations than Glasgow but can't boast as many really good wedding bands as their northern neighbours.  Why is that?

Historically, Glasgow has punched well above her weight when it comes to producing great musicians. When it comes to the choice of bands to perform at their weddings, Scottish couples simply have some of the best options in the country to choose from.  Glasgow also has the distinct advantage of being the home of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland which has produced many of the world's finest musicians, many of whom end up performing in Glasgow wedding bands due to the fact that this route offers the one thing most musicians, no matter how talented, crave - regular work.

In the early nineties, when this writer began performing in bands, most musicians looked down on wedding bands and often for good reason. The term 'wedding band' conjured up images of jaded musicians performing the same old songs without passion or energy. Guys dressed in frilly shirts and dickie bows turning up more intent on having a few beers than filling dance floors. Younger musicians were much more interested in getting signed by a record label than playing at someones wedding or party, but as record companies became more and more concerned with making a quick buck than nurturing talent, fewer and fewer musicians were getting signed and even those that were soon found themselves under real pressure to return the record company's investment rather than being given the time to develop their talent.

It wasn't long before these young men and women began to look at the wedding band market in a new light. Where else in the music business could you fill your diary, often years in advance, with relatively well paid gigs?  The move into the wedding band market was inevitable and to be fair, the biggest winners are the brides and grooms who can now expect the band they book for their wedding reception to be of an incredibly high standard.

At Hireaband, we don't represent wedding bands, we represent fabulously talented and entertaining bands that perform at weddings (among many other kinds of events). So the days of the cliched, tired wedding band are thankfully well behind us.  In fact if you have a look at the incredible selection of wedding bands in Glasgow featured on our site you'll see exactly what I mean.

Another huge advantage Glasgow has is its location at the centre of the Scottish transport network. A Glasgow band can be in Edinburgh in under an hour and in Ayrshire in forty five minutes, both places with more than their fair share of popular wedding venues.  So if you're in a Glasgow band, the opportunities for employment are simply closer to home.

There's also a vibrant live music scene in Glasgow anyway and wherever musicians gather together to perform, quite often the conversation will turn to finding ways to actually make ends meet. There's an old joke among musicians all over the world; What's the difference between a musician and a twelve inch pizza? A twelve inch pizza can feed a family of four.  How much wedding bands charge and whether it's justified or not is a big subject and will be covered in another blog (but a quick preview - you get what you pay for and a good band will make your wedding, a bad one will ruin it).

So, to sum up, I'm not saying that if a band isn't from Glasgow then don't book them; there are of course many superb and highly successful bands based across the country, only that you'll find a wider selection of the best bands Scotland has to offer right here in it's biggest city.  In fact if you find the choice too great and would like one of our highly experienced and very friendly wedding specialists to give you some free advice and suggestions just give us a call on 0141 413 40 60 or email Gaye@hireaband.co.uk - you'll get access to the real deal inside information on exactly which band is best for you and your wedding guests.  This advice is so valuable that we can't put a price on it, so it's yours free just for the asking.

Good luck with your wedding plans and remember, at Hireaband we don't represent wedding bands, we represent great bands that fill dance floors, delight guests and create fantastic memories. That's what weddings are all about.