VIP: The Ultimate Function Band International party band

VIP:
This international party band is made up of a collection of the highest quality professional session musicians and vocalists who specialise in performing choice party tracks from the wide ranging genres of Funk; Soul; Motown; Rock; Indie; Pop and Disco.

VIP has a wealth of experience performing at the very highest profile events at venues in London such as The Grosvenor House Hotel in Mayfair, The four Seasons in Canary Wharf and The Savoy on the Strand for clients such as Louis Vuitton, Rolex and BMW to name just a few. The versatility of the band means that they are not only ideal for corporate events but also for weddings and civil partnerships, university balls, birthday parties and barmitzfers, awards ceremonies and festivals. They have also proved to be very popular with the British Military and are engaged by the SAS, RAF, Army and Navy on their major events throughout the year.

VIP is led by Mathew Richardson Bmus (Hons) who is a former scholarship student of the Royal Academy of Music London. Away from VIP Mathew along with the other members of the band enjoy a varied freelance career working at home and abroad with artists such as Sir Paul McCartney, Corrine Bailey Rae, Professor Green, Sam Smith and The Human League, in some of the countries finest concert venues as well as on television including appearances on Later with Jools Holland, on the radio and on a number of commercially available recordings.

If you need a band that will have you dancing all night & leave you shouting for more, there can be only one choice…

VIP.

VIP Party
The party band produces a truly fantastic sound and is perfect as the main evening’s entertainment for any event.

The band will perform for up to a total of two hours of live music, and its at the clients discretion whether the format is 2 x 45 minute sets, 2 x 60 minute sets or 3 x 40 minute sets.

Acoustic Sets (Guitar & Female Vocals)
VIP offer an acoustic Duo option with guitar and female vocals which is perfect to create a laid back and contemporary feel to your drinks reception or dinner. The band will perform for up to 2x40 minute sets.

VIP Jazz
The versatility of the members of VIP means that they are just as experienced performing Jazz Standards, as they are party tracks, and are able to offer the VIP Jazz option.

Dine in style whilst being entertained by the refined sounds of VIP Jazz. The Duo, Trio or Quartet is able to cover a full range of cool Jazz Standards which will add sophistication to any event. The band will perform for up to 2x40 minute sets.

Line up:
6 piece band: Drums, Bass, Guitar, Keyboard, Lead Male Vocalist & Lead Female Vocalist
7 piece band: Add the Sax
8 piece band: Add the horn section – Tenor Sax & Trumpet
9 piece band: Add an additional female Vocalist.
Please note smaller and larger bespoke line ups are available on request.
Jazz trio: Piano, Bass, Drums.
Jazz Quartet; Sax, Piano, Bass, Drums.

DJ Option
As standard VIP provide a laptop DJ service so that your guests are kept fully entertained when the band is not performing live. They have a huge amount of popular songs and they mix them as they would be by a traditional DJ. They will make basic announcements, and take requests from guests on the night. You can even let us know in advance if you have any favourite songs and they will make up a playlist specially for your event.

Dress Code
The band will always dress very smartly as standard unless a more casual look is required by the client. Please just let us know what you require for your event and they will be as flexible as possible to try and meet your requirements.

PA Options
As standard VIP uses top of the range audio equipment which is installed and operated on each engagement by our very own team. Because the band is fully engineered this ensures the perfect sound mix for each and every event.

The standard vocal rig is ideal for events up to 250 people or so in the average sized function rooms you find in hotels and venues up and down the country, allowing competitive prices and excellent value for money.

For larger weddings and corporate / military events, they can provide a top of the range 5000 watt PA system with engineer which is suitable to perform to a room of anything up to 750 guests. Larger systems are available on request to cater for any size of event.

After gaining entry to the performance area, it takes a total of 60 / 90 minutes to be fully set and ready to perform.

Working with Sound Limiters
The band is regularly booked to play at events where the venue has some restrictions placed on the amount of volume which is allowed during the performance. Usually there is a decibel meter fitted in the room which is connected to the power supply that the band is asked to use. This is absolutely no problem for the band to work with.

Lighting Options
As standard VIP uses the Acme cabaret colour pro light system. This produces 4000 watts of stage lighting via 8 x 500 watt bulbs. The system allows a flood of light of numerous colours or can be programmed to move with the rhythm of the band. The equipment is very compact and so can be used in almost any space.

For larger events, the band can supply a popular range of intelligent and generic lighting from manufacturers such as Avolites, Martin Professional, Clay Paky, CCT, and Thomas and complementary special effects such as smoke and haze which can greatly improve the impact of the lighting. Set up time around 120 minutes.

Previous Clients include:
Amgen
Bank of Ireland
Beresford’s Solicitors
BMW Bolsover District Council
Bosch
Café Royal London
The Chambers of John Hand QC
Dell
Dior The Dorchester London
Gonville & Gains College Cambridge
Hermes Paris The Grosvenor House Hotel London
Halifax
I.B.M.
IKEA
Kings College Cambridge
The Labour Party
The Law Society
Lincolnshire show ground Hunt Ball
Lloyd's TSB
Louis Vuitton Lowery Hotel Manchester
Mint
Morgan Stanley
NAT WEST
Orange
Pernod Ricard France
Price Waterhouse Coopers Charted Accountants
Q Hotels
Repton School
Rolex
The London Institute of Banking & Finance
The Royal Bank of Scotland
Royal College of Nursing
RSPCC
SIA (Spinal injuries association)
Silverstone Race Track
SONY
South Leicestershire College
Tesco
Virgin Atlantic
Wilberforce Chambers
Song List

POP & Rock

All Night Long Lionel Richie
Alright Now Free
Amazed Lonestar
Beat It Michael Jackson
Billie Jean Michael Jackson
Brown Eyed Girl Van Morrison
Brown Sugar Rolling Stones
Don't Stop Believing Journey
Free Ultra Naté
Going Underground The Jam
Hey Jude Lennon & McCartney
Honky Tonk Woman Rolling Stones
I Could Not Ask For More Edwin McCain
I Loved Her First Heartland
I Wanna Dance With Somebody Whitney Houston
Jail House Rock Elvis
Long Train Running The Dooby Brothers
Love Shack B52's
Moondance Van Morrison
Nutbush City Limits Tina Turner
Oh What A Night Frankie Vallie
Perfect Ed Sheeran
Proud Mary Creedence Clearwater Revival
Relight My Fire Take That & LULU
Saw Her Standing There The Beatles
Stuck In The Middle With You Stealers Wheel
Sweet Home Alabama Lynard Skynard
Thinking Out Loud Ed Sheeran
Town Called Malice The Jam
Twist And Shout The Beatles
Waterfall Stone Roses
9 to 5 Dolly Parton

Disco & Funk

Ain’t No Stopping Us Now McFadden & Whitehead
Best Of My Love Emotions
Blame it on The Boogie Jackson Five
Car Wash Rose Royce
Celebration Kool In The Gang
Disco Inferno The Tramps
Everybody Dance Chic
Get Down On It Kool & The Gang
Get Down Tonight KC & The Sunshine Band
I will Survive Gloria Gaynor
Im Coming Out Diana Ross
Ladies Night Kool & The Gang
Le Freak Chic
Lost In Music Sister Sledge
Move on Up Curtis Mayfield
Play That Funky Music Wild Cherries
Sex Machine James Brown
Streetlife Crusaders
That’s The Way I Like It KC & The Sunshine Band
Upside Down Diana Ross
We Are Family Sister Sledge
Young Hearts Run Free Candi Station

Soul & Motown

Ain’t no Mountain High Enough Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrel
Chain of Fools Aretha Franklin
Baby Love Diana Ross
Dancing In The Street Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
Everybody Needs Somebody Blues Brothers
Gimmie Some Lovin Blues Brothers
Heard it Through the Grapevine Marvin Gaye
Hold On Im Coming Sam & Dave
How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You Marvin Gaye
I Feel Good James Brown
Isn't She Lovely Stevie Wonder
I Want You Back Jackson 5
In The Midnight Hour Commitments
Lady Marmalade Pattie Belle
Lets Stay Together Al Green
Mustang Sally Commitments
My Girl The Temptations
No Where To Run Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
Reach Out ill Be There 4 Tops
Rescue Me Fontella Bass
Respect Aretha Franklin
Shake A Tail Feather Blues Brothers
Signed Sealed Delivered Stevie Wonder
Soul Man Blues Brothers
Superstition Stevie Wonder
Sweet Home Chicago Blues Brothers
Think Aretha Franklin
Uptight Stevie Wonder
You Cant Hurry Love Diana Ross
Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher Jackie Wilson

Indie & Modern

A Thousand Years Christina Perri
All About That Bass Meghan Trainor
All of Me John Legend
American Boy Estel
Angels Robbie Williams
Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor Arctic Monkeys

Blurred Lines Robin Thicke
Can’t Stop The Feeling Justin Timberlake
Clocks Coldplay
Come As You Are Beverley Knight
Cosmic Girl Jamiroquai
Crazy Cee Lo Green
Crazy Chick Charlotte Church
Domino Jessie J
Feel The Love Rudimental Ft John Newman
Feel So Close Calvin Harris
Forget You Cee Lo Green
Get Lucky Daft Punk
Girls And Boys Blur
Golden Touch Razorlight
Happy Pharrell Williams
Heaven Emeli Sande
Hot Right Now DJ Fresh
Just The Way You Are Bruno Mars
La La La Naughty Boy
Locked Out Of Heaven Bruno Mars
Love Me Again John Newman
Make You Feel My Love Adele
Mercy Duffy
Moves Like Jagger Maroon 5
No Tomorrow Orson
Rock Your Body Justin Timberlake
Ruby Kaiser Chiefs
Rude Magic
Senorita Justin Timberlake
Shake It Off Taylor Swift
Shape of You Ed Sheeran
Shut Up And Dance Walk The Moon
Somebody Told Me The Killers
Somewhere Only We Know Keane
Spinning Around Kylie Minogue
Take Me Out Franz Ferdinand
This Love Maroon 5
Too Close Alex Clare
Treasure Bruno Mars
Uptown Funk Mark Ronson
Valerie Amy Winehouse
Waiting All Night Rudimental Ft Ella Eyre
You've Got The Love Florence and the Machine
You Had Me Joss Stone

Some popular first dance requests

A Thousand Years Christina Perri
All of Me John Legend
Amazed Lonestar
At Last Etta James
Cant take my eyes off of you Franki Valli
I Could not ask for more Edwin McCain
I loved her first Heartland
Lets Stay Together Al Green
Perfect Ed Sheeran
Thinking Out Loud Ed Sheeran
Something about the way you look Tonight Elton John

Xmas Tracks

All I Want For Christmas Mariah Carey
Fairy Tale of New York The Pogues
I wish it could be Christmas Everyday Wizzard
Last Christmas Wham
Rockin Around The Christmas Tree Brenda Lee
Merry Christmas Everyone Shakin Stevens
Merry Christmas Everybody Slade

Acoustic Tracks

A Thousand Years Christina Perri
Ain't no Sunshine when she's gone Bill Withers
All of Me John Legend
Better Together Jack Johnson
Chasing Cars Snow Patrol
Don't Know Why Norah Jones
Drops of Jupiter Train
Hallelujah Leonard Cohen
How do I live LeAnn Rimes
How Sweet It Is James Taylor
I Say A Little Prayer Aretha Franklin
Is This Love Bob Marley
Isn't She Lovely Stevie Wonder
Just The Way You Are Bruno Mars
Lets Stay Together Al Green
Like A Star Corinne Bailey Rae
Make You Feel My Love Adele
My Girl The Temptations
Ordinary People John Legend
Put Your Records On Corinne Bailey Rae
Roar Katy Perry
Sittin on the Dock or a Bay Otis Redding
Simply The Best Tina Turner
Skyfall Adele
Somewhere Only We Know Keane
Song Bird Eva Cassidy
Stand By Me Ben E King
Stay With Me Sam Smith
Street Life Randy Crawford
Sunny Bobby Hebb
Sweet Love Anita Baker
Thinking Out Loud Ed Sheeran
Time After Time Cyndi Lauper
Use Somebody Kings of Leon
Will you Still Love Me Tomorrow Amy Winehouse
You Do Something To Me Paul Weller
You've got a friend James Taylor

Dinner Jazz Option

The Ensembles jazz option repertoire consists of well known 'standards' taken mainly from 'The Great American Songbook’. Composers such as Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Rogers & Hart and Irving Berlin.

An example of song list is below.

A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square
All blues
All of me
All the things you are
Angel eyes
Autumn leaves
Bewitched
Beautiful love
Black Orpheus
Blue bossa
Body and soul
Bye bye blackbird
Can’t get started
Cheek to cheek
Come fly with me
Desifanado
Don’t get around much anymore
Don’t worry about me
Drop me off in Harlem
Everything happens to me
Embraceable you
Exactly like you
Fly me to the moon
Foggy day
Gee baby ain’t I good to you
Georgia on my mind
Girl from impanima
Have you met Miss Jones
I got rhythm
I love you
I remember you
In a sentimental mood
It had to be you
I've never been in love before
Let there be love
Let’s fall in love
Like someone in love
Lover Man
Lullaby of Birdland
Misty
Moondance
My funny valentine
Night and day
On green dolphin street
One note samba
Our love is here to stay
So what
Softly as a morning sunrise
Someday my prince will come
Song for my farther
Stella by starlight
St. Thomas
Stormy Monday
Summertime
Takin' a chance on love
Take the A train
Take 5
Unforgettable
What is this thing called love
What’s new
You made me love you
You make me feel so young

And many more………….......