Who is Blue Moose Wedding Band?
On this week’s episode of the wedding band show, I chatted with Tony Ward from the Blue Moose wedding band.
Tony started Blue Moose about 21 years ago with a friend called Bobby O’Hara. They met while working in a hotel in Wexford and quickly discovered they both had a love for playing music. Shortly after that, they entered a local music competition. They won the competition and left the hotel business behind! Even though the band started out as a covers band they also started to play at weddings from about 2007. Because the Blue Moose fanbase was getting older they now wanted them and as their wedding band!
Cover band to wedding band?
In recent times there is a very thin line between a cover band and a wedding band, so Blue Moose didn’t have to change their set too much. After one bad experience early on the band went into rehearsals and put a wedding set together that would suit all types of crowds. As Tony explains, some bands don’t like to play waltzes because they think it’s not cool, however, it’s always great to have them in case the wedding guests want to waltz on any particular night. As Brian says, a little waltz mix is always nice to give the rest of the guests a 5-minute break from dancing!
What kind of music will you get with Blue Moose?
If a couple contacts Blue Moose and asks what type of music do you play, Tony’s answer is usually anything from Abba to AC/DC! The band doesn’t have one set that they play every night and they change it up depending on the wedding guests. Tony goes on to say that a wedding band shouldn’t hit the crowd hard for the first 30-minutes because then there will be a big lul. It’s always better to keep the floor full all night instead of just some busy parts. Blue Moose has a very broad setlist and in the initial consultation with a wedding couple, Tony or Bobby get a good feel for the music they want at their wedding. Tony and Brian both agree that one of the most important jobs for any wedding band is to read the crowd!
Blue Moose Showcases?
Because of the current situation wedding couples are finding it hard to view wedding bands live. One great thing about Blue Moose is that they recorded some live wedding showcases a few years ago. This means that any bride or groom can hear precisely what the Band sounds like even without seeing them live!
Blue Moose Wedding Packages?
As well as the live band Blue Moose now offers an all-day wedding package. They introduced this package in 2020 and it runs from the ceremony music up until the disco. They bring in a female vocalist for the ceremony music. The drinks reception is an acoustic set with guitar, piano, sax, and clarinet. You can even add percussion and bass too if you’d prefer. Another option on the Bluemoose all-day package is to include a sax player with the DJ set.
Blue Moose Frequently asked questions!
1. How many members in Blue Moose?
There are five members in the band.
2. What’s the current line-up?
Drums, Bass Guitar, Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Keyboards, Sax, and 4 of the members sing!
3. Does the band travel nationwide?
Absolutely yes!
4. Does the band cater to older guests?
Yes, Bluemoose has enough songs in the set to cover any situation!
5. Can guests get up to sing?
Guests are welcome to sing if it’s prearranged with the bride and groom plus the band knows what the guests want to sing the day before.
6. Does the band learn first dances?
It depends on the song. If it’s a popular song that might be used again the band has no problem in learning it but if it’s an obscure B-side that they will never use again they will play the CD version instead.
7. Can the couple decide the setlist?
A wedding couple can definitely have input and let the band know what types of music they prefer.
8. Is it always the same members in the band?
Yes… unless sickness or a medical emergency.
9. How long does it take Blue Moose to set up?About 45 minutes once the band gets into the room and they will have background music on about 15-minutes after they start setting up.
10. How long does the band play for?
The band can play anything from 2 to 3 hours depending on how the night is running. Bluemoose does not have a set finish time and if they are not doing the Disco, they will always work out times with your DJ. –
How to contact Blue Moose?
For information on Blue Moose use these links,
Website – https://www.bluemoose.ie/
Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr8uTwqw-Nt23WbxfdSf7-w
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/bluemooseband
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/bluemooseband/
To find out more information about The Brian Mc Dermott Band use these links,
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/thebrianmcdermottband/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/brian_mc_dermott/
Video Work – https://pixelproductions.ie/
For more episodes of The Wedding Band Show,
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