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Essex bands for hire

We've gathered together the most talented party bands for hire in Essex, so that you can find the perfect live music for your event. Our bands play covers of rock, pop and soul from Colchester to Chelmsford as well as jazz, swing and ceilidh!

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from£1,565

Superstrut

  • 4-8
  • (161)

Dressed to the nines and touting a crowd-pleasing, quick-fire set of R&B, garage, pop, hip hop, classic soul and funk, Superstrut will have your guests moving and hollering from the first note. Also available with female vocalists and horns.

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from£1,150

The In-Laws

  • 4
  • (109)

Authentic guitar band, whose sensational live performances at corporate parties, birthdays and weddings have attracted the attention of EMI.

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from£995

Rockit

  • 3-4
  • (256)

Amp up your party with Rockit: a sensational party band with a huge catalogue of rock, indie and pop floor-fillers from Chuck Berry and The Beatles to Billie Eilish and Ed Sheeran.

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from£1,250

The Sweet and Lowdown

  • 4
  • (226)

Fun and totally unique wedding and party band with male and female vocals, playing retro swing, vintage jive and rock'n'roll through to 80s funk, 90s R&B and quirky takes on modern chart.

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from£1,290

The Runaways

  • 4
  • (103)

Youthful, charismatic new 4-piece, channelling rock, dance, hip-hop and soul influences. The band have caught the attention of a major label – catch them now while rates are low!

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from£2,380

Party Up

  • 6-10
  • (201)

Party down with Party Up, the slickest soul, funk and R&B band in the South East! Featuring sax and up to three stunning vocalists, the band count Sky, Cadburys and Emma Thompson among their regular clients. Discounted rates available on remaining 2024 dates.

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from£4,615

Soul Club

  • 6-10
  • (55)

Max out on soul and sophistication with Soul Club, a high energy show band comprising musicians who have toured with Stormzy and Dua Lipa. Expect stunning vocals and unparalleled musicianship.

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from£995

Locomove

  • 3-4
  • (130)

A turbo-charged versatile 3 piece wedding and party band with great energy and sound, covering a wide range of genres (50s- present day), expertly reading their audiences. Optional "heavy set" also available for die-hard rock fans!

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from£1,575

Shakedown

  • 4-12
  • (84)

Knock-out party band featuring members who have recorded and performed at Abbey Road and Glastonbury and playing some of the biggest soul and pop floor-fillers of all time.

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from£1,495

Mojo Brass Band

  • 4-8
  • (59)

Mojo Brass are a funky, punchy brass powerhouse made up of the UK's best up-and-coming sax players, trumpeters and drummer. Their track list blends rarer grooves with mainstream crowd-pleasers.

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from£1,640

Seren

  • 5-6
  • (66)

Think style, glitz and confidence - and every special request met - Seren have the thing that makes dance floors jump and feet frantically tap (even the feet of the tough-to-impress guests)

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from£995

The Confidentials

  • 3-5
  • (119)

Sensational all-male rock and pop trio who never fail to get their audiences jumping and singing along to the biggest tunes of the last 60 years. Elvis, The Stones, Bowie, Oasis: they’re all there!

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from£1,215

Mastersound

  • 4-7
  • (81)

Danceable, piano-led pop and soul band from the West Midlands, with both female and male lead vocals and a song list of danceable rock, soul and pop anthems from Chuck Berry to Adele.

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from£1,995

The Soul Cats

  • 5-7
  • (100)

Infectiously energetic and spirited pop, soul and Motown band featuring sax and two extraordinary vocal talents – guaranteed to get your guests dancing. Chose between male or female vocals or both.

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from£2,035

Pacha Vibe

  • 5-10
  • (57)

Expect outstanding musicianship from players at the very top of their game, performing the best of old skool and newest anthems from R&B, club classics, garage, pop, soul and motown. Highly recommended for all types of event!

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from£1,290

Penfold

  • 4-6
  • (151)

Fun, high energy party and wedding band with a frontman skilled at working a crowd and around eight hours' worth of danceable party anthems from all eras at their disposal.

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from£2,315

Supereight

  • 6-8
  • (157)

Supereight combine outrageously talented vocalists, session-standard instrumentalists, a punchy brass section, and a dancefloor-friendly song list of soul, garage, funk and hip-hop.

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from£1,960

The Rumours

  • 4
  • (40)

Believe everything you hear about these guys! The Rumours are a vibrant 4-piece band that come with boundless energy and an infectious love for mixing the latest hits from Bruno Mars and George Ezra with timeless classics from Chic, Earth Wind & Fire and The Beatles.

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from£3,850

The Capricorns

  • 7-10
  • (79)

Stylish, globe-trotting function band featuring powerhouse vocalists and gigs for KPMG, Gucci and Jaguar alongside weddings in London and Dubai.

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from£1,685

The Renegades

  • 5-10
  • (28)

From a dynamic 5-piece to an explosive 10-piece, this versatile band covers a real mix of genres—from rock and indie classics to reggae and modern hits—delivering electrifying performances that transform any event.


The easy way to hire live bands in Essex

  • The very best live bands for hire in Essex
  • Function bands, cover bands, jazz bands and more
  • Expert band hire advice, support and booking tips
  • Fast customer service and an easy booking process
  • 24/7 emergency band replacement and cover

Guide to booking party bands in Essex

Why should I hire a Essex party band for my event?

Our party bands in Essex are young enough to love what they do, but experienced enough to know exactly what to play to get the party started – and keep it going until the end of the night! We have function bands suitable for every venue or occasion, from corporate events to weddings.

We're band hire experts and have spent years tracking down the best local party bands for every event – from office parties and birthday parties to high-profile corporate functions.

All our acts are strictly vetted before we book them, so that you can be sure that any act you book with us will provide you with an outstanding live performance and be punctual, reliable and friendly on the day.

What style of music do your Essex bands perform?

If you’re looking for a stomping soundtrack to a wild wedding party, how about one of our Essex wedding bands playing the best pop music from across the decades? If you’d like to fill the function room in the Hope and Anchor or the Fox and Hounds, how about an acoustic duo or a swing singer with backing tracks? If you’d like a serenade in a sushi bar, how about hiring a string quartet?

For bigger venues, birthdays and guests who love dancing, we have a huge choice of party bands – these range from rock and indie bands to huge soul and Motown bands who can add horn sections and extra singers.

Line-ups vary from versatile, guitar-based 3 and 4-pieces through to large, multi-layered soul bands, featuring keyboards, brass, percussion and extra vocalists.

Can you provide background musicians for hire in Essex?

If you're looking for something a bit quieter for a drinks party, corporate event or garden gathering, hire a local jazz band.

Typically they play swinging classics from the Great American Songbook, from Sinatra to Jamie Cullum. Most of them also throw in a few jazzy versions of classic and current pop music too.

Since our dixieland bands and many of our Gypsy jazz bands can perform "unplugged" without the need for a power supply, they're ideal for outdoor summer garden parties where this is difficult.

Do you offer other musical genres, such as ceilidh or jazz bands in Essex?

If you’re looking for something more refined, our jazz bands in Essex for hire cover a range of sub-genres including gypsy jazz bands, jazz trios, wedding jazz bands, background jazz bands.

All will play non-intrusive, sophisticated background music that your guests can talk over.

For the evening, consider hiring a swing band to get the party started.

Do we need to provide any equipment for the band?

Our bands all come fully equipped for your event – it’s just worth getting in touch if you think your event will exceed 250 guests, as extra equipment might then be necessary. You just need to make sure that the band has a power source to plug in to and a space to perform!

We recommend a flat and sheltered stage area of at least 3x3 meters for a 3-piece band – then add an extra metre squared per band member that you have booked.

A raised stage is preferable for maximum impact but our bands are flexible to all kinds of set ups!

Where do your live bands perform in Essex?

From Crondon Park, Parklands, Gosfield Hall, Boreham House, Leez Priory and Woodhall Manor to Prested Hall, The Rochford Hotel, Braxted Park, Smeetham Hall Barn, Fennes, Botleys Mansion and Down Hall Hotel, our bands always jump at the opportunity to put on a memorable evening at all our Essex events.

You can hire a live band in Essex to perform anywhere in the county, including: Southend-on-Sea, Colchester, Chelmsford, Basildon, Rayleigh, Harlow, Grays, Brentwood, Clacton-on-Sea, Braintree, Canvey Island, Billericay and Saffron Walden.

Our Essex bands for hire can also perform throughout the UK and beyond but for even more options, browse our bands in nearby towns and counties too such as Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, London, Norfolk, Suffolk.

How can we save money on our Essex band?

Planning an all-day event? Many of our party bands offer jazz or acoustic background sets in the afternoon. Since they'll already be at your venue, they can usually offer these for almost half the price of hiring in a separate act.

You can also reduce costs by taking advantage of your band's own DJ services, before, between and after their live sets – they'll mix songs and take requests to keep the party going until last orders, and save you on the space, hassle and cost implications of booking a separate act.

For more booking options, take a look at individual band pages to see what else they can offer.

Finally, hire a local band to save money on travel and accommodation.


Find local cover bands in Essex and UK wide

Function Central is a leading cover bands hire agency. We provide exceptional local talent for private events, both in Essex, throughout the UK and internationally.

Hire a local act to save on costs – we have bands based in most major UK towns and counties.

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