Book Live Music by Performer TypeSixteen kinds of act, what each one suits, and how many of each you can book on GigXchange today
Browse acts by performer type
You can now browse GigXchange by performer type: wedding, function, party, covers, rock, soul, blues, jazz and country bands, DJs, solo acts, folk acts, tribute acts, string quartets, ceilidh bands and originals bands. Each type has its own page with a live directory of the acts on the platform, the line-ups and set plans that work, and live GX Index fees. 980+ artists are on GigXchange, and every booking comes with a contract you both sign.
Pick the kind of act your night needs below, or see everything an organiser account does on GigXchange for organisers.
I have played UK rooms as a guitarist since 2009, and the first question every booker asks is never the fee. It is “what kind of act do I actually need?” A wedding wants a band that can play the first dance and fill the floor. A hotel bar wants one good singer at the right volume. A Burns Night needs a caller as much as it needs a fiddle. Same job (a good act in the room) and completely different acts.
So each kind of act now has its own page, built around what the booker needs to decide. Every page lists the real acts of that type on GigXchange, with their location, line-up and a way to hear them, the line-ups and occasions that work, and the questions to settle before the day. This guide is the map: what each type is, how many are on the platform today, and where to go for yours.
1. Bands: from the first dance to the ceilidh
Wedding bands: the ceremony to the last song
A wedding band plays the evening, and many cover the whole day: an acoustic set for the drinks, background music through the meal, then two dance sets and the first dance. Most are 4 to 6 piece, with a singer, guitar, bass, drums and often keys or horns. 39 wedding and function bands are on GigXchange now. Agree the first dance, the set times and the finish in writing. Hire a wedding band.
Function bands: built for a dancefloor
A function band is the all-rounder for weddings, corporate nights and big parties: a set list of songs everyone knows, played to keep people dancing, usually 4 or 5 piece with its own PA and lights. 44 function bands are listed. The page sets out the line-ups from a 3-piece to a band with horns, and what to agree for a corporate night. Hire a function band.
Party bands: birthdays and milestones
A party band is a function band pointed at one night: a 40th, a 50th, an anniversary, a summer party. The set leans on the decades the guests grew up with, from Motown and disco to rock and roll and chart pop. 48 party bands are on the platform. Hire a party band.
Wedding, function or party band: the difference
The three overlap more than their names suggest. The table is the usual shape of each.
Wedding band
| Typical line-up | 4 to 6 piece |
| Typical sets | 2 sets of 60 to 75 minutes plus the first dance |
| Best for | The wedding evening, often the whole day |
Function band
| Typical line-up | 4 to 5 piece |
| Typical sets | 2 sets of 60 to 75 minutes, dancefloor-led |
| Best for | Weddings, corporate nights, big parties |
Party band
| Typical line-up | 4 to 5 piece |
| Typical sets | 2 sets of 60 to 75 minutes |
| Best for | Birthdays, anniversaries, summer parties |
Wedding, function and party bands compared
| Band | Typical line-up | Typical sets | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wedding band | 4 to 6 piece | 2 sets of 60 to 75 minutes plus the first dance | The wedding evening, often the whole day |
| Function band | 4 to 5 piece | 2 sets of 60 to 75 minutes, dancefloor-led | Weddings, corporate nights, big parties |
| Party band | 4 to 5 piece | 2 sets of 60 to 75 minutes | Birthdays, anniversaries, summer parties |
Wedding, function and party bands compared
Many acts are all three: the difference is mostly what you ask them to play. Tell them the occasion and the crowd, and they will shape the set list for it.
Covers bands: the pub and bar circuit
A covers band plays well-known songs, usually rock, indie and pop, to a pub or bar crowd: two sets of 45 to 60 minutes, a 3 to 5 piece with its own PA. It is the backbone of the UK pub circuit and the easiest live night for a venue to start. 18 covers bands are listed. Hire a covers band, and see live music for pubs for the venue side.
Rock bands: classic rock to indie
A rock band plays the songs a pub, bar or party crowd sings back, from classic rock and indie anthems to its own material, most often as a 3 to 5 piece with its own PA, and some as an acoustic duo for a smaller room. Ask for the set list and how loud they play for your room. 178 rock bands are on GigXchange. Hire a rock band.
Soul and R&B bands: Motown to modern R&B
A soul band plays Motown, northern soul, funk and R&B, the music that fills a dancefloor at a wedding, a party or a corporate night. Bigger line-ups bring a horn section, and many acts also work as a duo or trio with a singer. 115 soul and R&B acts are listed. Hire a soul band.
Blues bands: pubs, bars and festivals
A blues act ranges from one singer with a guitar to a full electric band, playing the standards and the blues-rock that grew from them. It suits pubs, bars, music venues and festival stages, and a solo or duo blues set works where a band is too big. 107 blues musicians and bands are on the platform. Hire a blues band.
Jazz bands: receptions, dinners and swing
A jazz act ranges from a solo singer or pianist to a trio, a quartet with a horn or singer, or a swing band for dancing. It suits drinks receptions, wedding breakfasts, corporate dinners and hotel bars, at a volume that sits under conversation. 78 jazz musicians and bands are on GigXchange. Hire a jazz band.
Country bands: country, Americana and line dance
A country act plays country, Americana and country-rock, from a solo singer-songwriter to a full band, and many can play a line dance night. It suits pubs, social clubs, themed parties and weddings with a country first dance. 82 country and Americana acts are listed. Hire a country band.
Ceilidh bands: a caller and a full floor
A ceilidh band plays traditional Scottish and Irish dance music, reels, jigs and waltzes, with a caller who teaches every dance, so nobody needs to know the steps. It is the booking for Burns Night, Scottish weddings and any party that wants every age on the floor. 17 folk and Celtic acts are on the platform. Hire a ceilidh band, and see the Burns Night guide.
2. DJs, solo and specialist acts
Six more pages, and every other act
Not every night needs a band. These are the acts for the moments a band is too big, too loud or the wrong shape, plus a search across every artist on the platform.
DJs: any room, all night
A DJ is the most flexible booking: a wedding evening, a corporate party, a bar or a club night, from open-format to house, garage and drum and bass. Many couples pair a band with a DJ for the gaps and the late finish. In England and Wales, recorded music on premises licensed to sell alcohol needs no entertainment licence between 8am and 11pm for 500 or fewer while the bar is open (Licensing Act guidance, 16.35), and TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS covers playing it in public. 71 DJs and electronic acts are listed. Hire a DJ.
Solo acts: one performer, the right volume
A solo act is one performer: an acoustic singer-guitarist, a pianist-singer, a vocalist with backing tracks or an instrumentalist. It is the booking for the moments a band is too big, from a ceremony and drinks reception to a restaurant, a hotel bar or a pub evening. 244 solo singers and musicians are on the platform. Hire a solo act.
Folk acts: songs, stories and sessions
A folk act is a singer-songwriter, a duo or a band playing traditional and contemporary folk, from an acoustic set in a pub or a folk club to a wedding ceremony or a festival tent. For dancing with a caller, see ceilidh bands above. 90 folk singers and bands are on GigXchange. Hire a folk act.
Tribute acts: one artist, the whole show
A tribute act recreates one artist or band, the songs, the look and the show, from a solo singer in character over tracks to a full live band. It suits themed nights, Christmas parties, clubs and holiday parks. Watch the show on video before you book, and ask which era of the artist the act covers. 11 tribute acts are listed. Hire a tribute act.
String quartets and classical musicians
A string quartet is two violins, a viola and a cello, playing classical pieces and pop arrangements for ceremonies, drinks receptions and galas. Honestly: most classical members on GigXchange today are solo players and duos, violinists, cellists, pianists and singers, and many can put a trio or quartet together. 20 classical musicians are listed. Hire a string quartet.
Originals bands: their own songs
An originals band plays its own music, indie, rock, alternative, punk and more, for music venues, festivals, launches and listening rooms that want something new. Agree who promotes the night, the backline and the soundcheck time up front. 152 original bands are listed. Hire an originals band.
3. The performer types at a glance
What each type is best for, and acts on GigXchange
The short version - each type links its page, and the act counts are live: each one is the number that page lists today. Looking for something else? Find an artist searches every act on the platform.
| Performer type | Best for | Acts now |
|---|---|---|
| Wedding bands | The evening dancefloor, often the whole day | 39 |
| Function bands | Weddings, corporate nights, big parties | 44 |
| Party bands | Birthdays, anniversaries, summer parties | 48 |
| Covers bands | Pubs, bars, private parties | 18 |
| Rock bands | Pubs, bars, parties, music venues | 178 |
| Soul and R&B bands | Weddings, parties, corporate nights | 115 |
| Blues bands | Pubs, bars, festivals | 107 |
| Jazz bands | Receptions, dinners, hotel bars | 78 |
| Country bands | Pubs, social clubs, line dance nights | 82 |
| DJs | Wedding evenings, bars, club nights | 71 |
| Solo acts | Ceremonies, restaurants, pub evenings | 244 |
| Folk acts | Pubs, folk clubs, ceremonies, festivals | 90 |
| Tribute acts | Themed nights, Christmas, clubs | 11 |
| String quartets (classical) | Ceremonies, receptions, galas | 20 |
| Ceilidh bands (folk and Celtic) | Burns Night, weddings, parties | 17 |
| Originals bands | Music venues, festivals, launches | 152 |
Performer types on GigXchange: what each is best for, and acts on the platform now
An act can sit in more than one type: a soul band is often a wedding band and a party band too, and a jazz pianist can be a solo act. Fees on every page come from the live GX Index, set against the Musicians’ Union national gig rates, and the gig rate calculator works one out for your date.
4. How booking works: the same steps for every type
Find the act and hear them first
Open the page for your type and filter its directory by line-up and region, or post your date free with your budget and the kind of act you want, and acts apply to you. Hear them before you book: profiles can carry audio, video, setlists and reviews, where the act has added them. Shortlist two or three and compare them side by side.
Agree the details and sign one contract
Agree the fee, the sets, the PA and the timings in the chat, and the booking makes a contract you both sign. GigXchange takes 0% of the artist's booking fee. 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately. A protected payment holds the deposit with Stripe and releases it after the gig. If an act drops out, GX Gig Rescue sends an urgent invite to available acts near you.
The licence question
In England and Wales, live music needs no entertainment licence between 8am and 11pm for an audience of 500 or fewer on alcohol-licensed premises, and unamplified music needs none in those hours anywhere (GOV.UK Live Music Act guidance). A private event for invited guests is not licensable unless they are charged for the entertainment to make a profit (Licensing Act guidance, 16.15). Scotland has its own law, the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005. Check your own venue with the licensing checker, and for every kind of venue see live music for every kind of UK venue.
5. What’s next: more performer types
These sixteen are where we are today. If your night needs something else (a gospel choir, a steel band, a magician between sets), the same booking works today from find an artist, and we add a page when a type has enough acts and its own questions worth writing down. Tell us yours on the contact page.
Are you an act? Your profile shows on the page for your type - see GigXchange for artists for how venues and bookers find you, and GigXchange for organisers if you are booking.
For the longer read on booking any act for any event, see how to book live music for any event.
02 — Questions8 answersAsked and answeredFrequently Asked Questions
Annual refresh commitment
This guide was published on 21 October 2026 and is refreshed every October. We re-verify every reference, recommendation, and data point once a year. Next scheduled refresh: October 2027. If any claim is outdated before then, email support@gigxchange.app and we aim to update it within one working day.
