How To Hire The Best German Band for Your Oktoberfest

First things first. Narrowing down exactly what kind of band you’re looking for is key! If you’re booking for a brewery seeking a great band to accompany your business’ Oktoberfest celebrations, then the simple answers of “German band” or “Oktoberfest band” are quite simple. These kinds of bands generally play a span of traditional & contemporary German and Bavarian styles of music meant for a party atmosphere, and can vary greatly in terms of production, instrumentation (would you like your music on accordion or electric guitar, for example), and adherence to traditions and standards. Some groups are much more authentic (like Happy Hans German Music), whereas others are essentially a modern dance band playing traditional, if not updated, German drinking songs (such as The Kalifornia Krauts or Oompoporama). Still others specialize in a more general European mix, covering many countries, but still in the upbeat polka (sometimes called Oompah) style (such as The Smilin Scandanavians). Some small scale events might even call for just a fun strolling accordionist along the lines of Mark Hamza Solo Accordion. Mark Hamza Solo Accordion All varieties offer highly skilled performers, but knowing what you want is key before making a choice.

Not all events necessarily need a band to help grease the wheels at a party time drinking event. On the flip side of such occasions, what if you are an event coordinator at an assisted living home that happens to cater to, or have, a notably high demographic of Polish residents? Just as these people may be endlessly delighted to see a visiting group playing the songs they remember from their youth, they could just as well be let down if a notably German-styled band was booked with the expectation that it would touch their heartstrings all the same. Luckily, GigRoster’s experienced team of talent buyers have navigated these waters before, and are happy to guide in whatever way necessary to make sure you find the Perfect group for your event!

Don’t Wait Until Autumn or You May Fall Short!
For virtually any kind of performer, special events will generally get booked out a few months in advance minimum, often times more. For weekends, this can start to run into 3-6 months easily. Take this standard and then apply it to a specialty band for a seasonal event that only happens once a year, and you start to get the point that Oktoberfest bands can really end up being a hot commodity! Granted that there is often a 3-4 week window that Oktoberfest events can occur within, but the relatively small number of bands playing in these specialty styles still leaves little room to dally if you don’t want to get stuck with bottom of the beer barrel performance groups, if anything at all. If you only plan a small number of events a year, thinking 6 months into the future really shouldn’t be much of a stretch, if not even further if you’re hoping to lock in a top-rate band. Even if it’s just initial planning, it never hurts to reach out to a few bands you’re interested in and see what their schedule is looking like. Remember, you’re not locked into anything until a booking agreement is signed so there’s no need to feel skittish about looking into a band’s availability and doing your homework on price and availability.