Retrogression & Retrogroove - The best funk soul & disco party bands in London

Hiring Us

The Bands - Repertoire - What You Need to Know

Useful and important information about booking the bands is given in Q&A format below. You can download it and all other documents mentioned here at the bottom of the page.

Why choose Retrogression / Retrogroove?
Are the live bands really as good as the audio samples?
How long does the band play for?
Can I handpick the setlist?
Can I request songs?
What happens when the band is not playing?
How much do you charge?
Do you supply PA and lighting?
Will VAT and travel expenses be added to the fee?
When does the band arrive?
Is there anything else I should check with the venue?
Do you visit the venue beforehand?
How big a band should I book?
How far in advance should I book the band?
Why book the bands directly and not through an agency?
Can I see the band before I book?
Great – how do I book the band?

Why choose Retrogression / Retrogroove?
Clients always comment on what great energy Retrogression and Retrogroove bring to an event. (See Comments). What makes us stand out from the rest is our determination to keep the music fresh and never to succumb to being another stale covers band! Our true love is funk, soul and disco music: we want to represent it in the most authentic light for your enjoyment.

Are the live bands really as good as the audio samples?
Of course not, they are better! The magic of live music provides an exciting arena to showcase the talent of our musicians, and clients are continually amazed by the standard of music we provide. Please see the Comments page and go to the Gigs page for upcoming public gigs where you can check out the bands. We'll swallow our funky feet if you don't like what you hear and see!

How long does the band play for?
We can be flexible with your requirements. Available set lengths are 2 x 30min, 2 x 45min, 2 x 1hour or 3 x 40min sets.

Can I handpick the setlist?
Yes – we’ll email you our repertoire list and you choose the specific songs you want.

Can I request songs?
Absolutely. We can learn any songs which are in the funk, soul, disco style, as this is the area of our expertise. There is a small charge for this which covers the cost of rehearsing, and, if necessary, the cost of hand-writing parts for the horn section. We need your request song titles a minimum of six weeks’ prior to your event.

What happens when the band is not playing?
We can provide an excellent DJ if you require one. Alternatively, you can also give us a mix CD of your favourite tunes to play, or we can attach your mp3 player to the PA to play a playlist if you prefer.This will be loud enough for people to carry on dancing if they wish.

How much do you charge?
Please contact us for an individual quote. Our prices depend on the distance we have to travel, the length of time the band will have to be on site, and the finish time of the event. We always endeavour to provide the most cost effective quotes for each enquiry. For more information on payments, please see Section 4 of our Terms & Conditions of Booking.

Do you supply PA and lighting?
If the PA and lighting is not provided by the venue or AV company, we can organize a PA system, lights and sound engineer. The cost of the PA and lighting rig will depend on the size of venue and audience and will be included in the quote we send you. If you are providing the PA system & sound engineers for your event, please see our Technical Info and Stage Plans.

Will VAT and travel expenses be added to the fee?
No. Retrogression Ltd is not VAT registered, and our quotes include travel expenses.

When does the band arrive?
Standard arrival time for either band at an event is 180 minutes prior to the event start time (i.e. 18:00 arrival for a 21:00 start), though this may vary depending on the event. This time will be used to set-up equipment, sound check, change into 'performance' outfits and eat. Please see section 9 of the Terms & Conditions of Booking.

What do we need to provide on the day of the event?
Stage: it is preferable for the band to have a raised stage, however, where the band is not performing to a very large audience, the most important factor is that there is enough space to perform in.

min. 20ft wide x 12ft deep for 6-8 piece bands
min. 24ft wide x 12ft deep for 9-11 piece bands
(larger is fine)

You are also responsible for providing the following:

two course hot meal for the band and all crew to be served before the first set of the evening;
parking facilities for all band reps;
unlimited supply of mineral water and soft drinks during the event;
lockable dressing room plus facilities;
supply of mains electricity to the performance area;

Please see section 13 of our Terms & Conditions of Booking for more details.

Is there anything else I should check with the venue?
Please be aware of any possible sound restrictions around your event. We are very happy to keep our volume within reasonable limits, however it is difficult for the us to comply with automatic sound limiters used by hired venues. In our experience, these are often set at unrealistic levels (90 dBA is the volume of a food blender; an unamplified trumpet can register at 100dB or more). Also, they are usually oversensitive to particular frequencies, even at low volumes. Finally, if the power is cut off suddenly during performance it could damage our equipment.

Soundcheck – A soundcheck is essential and normally happens immediately after set-up. It will create some noise! Please consider any sound restrictions during this time.

Room – Where possible, it is a good idea to look carefully at the room where you plan to have the band play. Some rooms will help the band to sound better than others. Sound bounces off very high ceilings and glass for example whereas soft furnishings help to absorb sound. Marquees and carpeted rooms sound great. If your room is big and has a lot of hard surfaces, having some soft furnishing such as curtains will help to improve the quality of sound.

A full dancefloor from the beginning of a gig not only helps the band to perform better but also gets your party going faster! Particularly if you’re booking the band as the main attraction, consider how best to draw your guests onto the dancefloor whilst keeping a balance of your available spaces. Bear in mind, some guests can be shy about dancing. Having the bar in the same room as, or close to, the band can work well. Setup your room so that it encourages your guests to enjoy the luxury of having live music!

Do you visit the venue beforehand?
We do not usually do site visits in advance, since it is easy enough to work out where to load in and set up on the day. Many venues also provide floorplans. If the venue has any specific questions or requirements for us, please ask their events manager to contact us directly at info@retrogression.org.uk.

How big a band should I book?
For the majority of parties, the size of band is mostly a case of your budget. Retrogression is an impressive band at 8-11 piece. The ‘front-line’ is, as it sounds, the line of musicians along the front of the stage. In the 8-piece, the front-line is 4; in the 9-piece it’s 5; in the 10-piece it’s 6 and in the 11-piece it’s 7. The more musicians on the front-line, the more dynamic the band is. The 8-piece is sufficient for a party of up to 200; the 9-piece and 10-piece have a fuller sound, with richer vocal and horn melodies and the 11-piece is even more impressive! For parties of 300+ we recommend the 10 or 11-piece bands. If you want a bigger band but aren’t sure if we can fit into your space, please contact us. You might be surprised! For space and budget restrictions, Retrogroove (6-7 piece) provides the perfect alternative, still getting your party going with the classic funk/soul/disco tunes. Whatever you decide will be the right choice and we’re confident you won't be disappointed.

How far in advance should I book the band?
To secure your preferred date, the sooner the better. If the band you require is available at short notice, of course we will endeavour to cater to your requirements, however please be aware that this is less likely during busy Summer and Christmas periods. If Retrogression or Retrogroove are not available, we may be able to recommend an alternative good quality band.

Why book the bands directly and not through an agency?
It is standard for all agencies to charge a booking fee on top of the quoted fees. By booking directly through Retrogression Ltd, you will avoid this extra fee. We assure you that we provide the same standard of professionalism to you direct.

Can I see the band before I book?
Of course, we encourage it. The bands play regular public gigs. Please see our Gigs page for details.

Great – how do I book the band?
When you are ready to book, simply contact us! We’ll send you an enquiry form by email which you complete with all details of the event and return to us. We’ll then send you back a quote and contract which you print and sign. Bookings are confirmed by taking a deposit and exchanging contracts. The deposit forms part of our fee. We look forward to hearing from you!
info@retrogression.org.uk +44 (0)20 8293 1129.

DOWNLOAD (pdf format):

Factsheet Terms & Conditions of Booking Technical Info Stage Plans