The same voice! The same leading lady! A bigger and better band specialising in Wedding Entertainment for current and new bookings! We decided to call it like it is …..
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About
The Experts Wedding Band is a 5 piece Wedding Band fronted by Kayla McDonagh – one of Ireland’s most versatile and impressive female vocalists. After many years of fronting and performing with Wedding Bands such as Clarity and Lady and the Tramps, Kayla wanted to create a “Super Group” like no other, to provide top class wedding entertainment like you have never seen (or heard) before.
Where the Experts came from..
Kayla believes that it’s not enough to just be an expert musician when it comes to wedding entertainment – you must be an expert at WEDDING ENTERTAINMENT! And so .. The Experts Wedding Band was born. The Experts are indeed a super group combining 5 seasoned musicians, each with years of expertise and experience in the wedding industry – with one singular focus… to provide the best in Irish Wedding Entertainment.
The line up…
The Experts Wedding Band is comprised of 5 members; 4 of which are also vocalists (one female and 3 male) and features guitar, bass, keyboards and drums. Over the years, the band have managed to build up a set list of hundreds of songs spanning every genre, because an expert wedding band knows that it is never the case that one genre suits everyone at a wedding. The perfect Wedding Band should therefore have an instantly appealing repertoire which ensures all your guests join you on the dance floor throughout your night.
In the Wedding Entertainment business, experience is key. Getting the crowd on the dancefloor is just the tip of the iceberg – keeping them there is another matter. Reading the crowd is a skill in itself – a skill only acquired over years of performing in front of different crowds in a wide range of venues. Thankfully all of the experts in The Experts Wedding Band have over 20 years of experience between them and therefore can effortlessly anticipate what song to play next – and have the ability to subtly change musical direction to ensure everyone in your Wedding Party is drawn to the dancefloor and are thoroughly engaged throughout the night, and we can even determine which crowd will appreciate a lot of interaction with the band – and when to pare back and keep things more low key when required.
With all Wedding Bands, it starts with the setlist… but this is the Experts Wedding Band so it is only fitting that they play an Expert set! The band have not only built a diverse set which includes all genres, but is made up of the very best hits, classics and must-have anthems needed to make every wedding great. Whether you are a 90’s dance tune fanatic, the next Tina Turner, or you simply love a good jive to Nathan Carter – The Experts Wedding Band has a set list which will engage and entertain you from the first note till the last! If you would like a closer look at our extensive setlist why not get in touch with Kayla today and ask for a sample? We could share it here but then we’d have just lots of amateurs trying to be Experts ; )
So it all sounds great so far… Expert Musicians with an expert set who have put in the time building their knowledge and expertise… I presume you are now thinking “They must be expensive”.
But the term expensive depends entirely on your budget – and how much you value top quality live music. What we can guarantee is a Wedding Entertainment Package with value for money like no other.
Kayla McDonagh (The Experts lead female vocalist) is one of Ireland’s most in-demand Wedding Ceremony singers and alongside Mike (The Experts lead guitarist and male vocalist) offer Ceremony and Pre-Reception music as part of a full day package… but it doesn’t end there. Among the 5 members of The Experts Wedding Band is an Expert Wedding DJ who can finish your night on a high. This ensures a seamless transition between Band and DJ so you and your guests can continue to party without any disruption… Making The Experts a One-Stop-Shop for all your Wedding Entertainment needs – with just one affordable booking deposit covering everything.
We didn’t pick the band name lightly… and we are extremely proud to be able to offer expert Ceremony and Pre-Reception music, an expert Wedding Band topped off with an expert DJ.
Hopefully this is all sounding good so far! Check out a little more info about The Experts Wedding Band below.
About our Experts
Kayla : Expert Frontwoman / Lead Female Vocalist
Kayla is a classically trained soprano (no, this is not a joke!) with an Honours Degree from the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama. She is currently studying towards a Masters in Music Education in the University of Limerick.
She has spent the last 5 years as a full time vocalist and performer for weddings ceremonies and pre-receptions and with bands all over Ireland.
Kayla has an impressive vocal range which allows her to sing the hits of many great singers from Dolly Parton to Tina Turner, Beyonce, SIA and her time fronting a rock band means she can also dish out hits from the likes of Bon Jovi, Guns n Roses and ACDC… She can sing all of this and much more even after singing everything from Mozart to Adele at mass earlier in the day. One thing is for sure, the extent of Kayla’s versatility means that its like having multiple voices with just one singer.
Kayla is an expert front woman and loves to interact with the crowd in front of her. You can find Kayla on the dancefloor a lot of the time making the most of the celebration and making sure all your guests are involved too. Although she has had to retrieve her wireless mic multiple times after some guests run off with it! Aunts and Uncles are the usual suspects! 😉
Ollie: Expert Keyboard Player/Male Vocalist /Expert DJ
Our keyboard player Ollie, is a 90’s kid at heart. Although not born in the 90’s, Ollie is an expert at providing all the iconic synths and sounds for your favourite 90’s dance hits and brings them to life! If your Mother, Grandmother, Aunt or Uncle request the likes of Elvis, Ollie will step up to the mic and show off his vocals. No later than the band play their last note, Ollie swiftly becomes the Expert DJ. Ollie is an interactive DJ meaning he accepts all requests from you and your guests at any point of the night.
Paul: Expert Bass Player/ Male Vocalist
Paul is the bands expert bass player and boy does he funk up everything he plays! There is no need to leave out that iconic bass solo in the likes of Cal Me Al when Paul is around! Pauls bass style adds depth and groove to the band’s sound and you won’t resist hitting the dancefloor – especially when he sings (or raps) hits in our set from the likes of Macklemore, Aerosmith and House of Pain. When he is feeling cool, Paul sings a great version of Cheerleader and when he is feeling fierce he belts out an untouchable version of Thunderstruck! Lucky for us, he is always cool and pretty fierce!
Mike: Expert Lead Guitarist / Male Vocalist
Mike comes from a family of the finest musicians in the west of Ireland. His hair raising rock solos are sure to have your guests pumping and whether he plays them on the stage or on one of the tables, he won’t miss a note! His ability of being able to play the most technical of pieces allows him to play everything from funk to traditional Irish leads. However you won’t find him on the dancefloor during the Siege of Ennis as that can get messy.. especially if the guests are from Mayo! 😉 As well as being the bands expert guitarist, Mike is also one of 3 male vocalists in the band who sings some of our country and pop hits as well as providing gorgeous harmonies to enhance the other singers.
Cormac: Expert Drummer and all round Rock n Roll Legend!
As Expert Drummers go… you can’t meet a bigger expert than Cormac Dunne. As original drummer of The Stunning, Cormac brings an incredible level of skill and professionalism to the band. He is the rock that holds the band together and like all true rock stars, he does so while being effortlessly cool!
The Expert Show
Before you dance the first dance or even say your vows, a huge deal or preparation and planning goes in to your wedding day. This should be no different for all the suppliers you book, especially your entertainment. The Expert Show that we perform at EVERY wedding includes the same preparation and planning. Although the setlist may vary from wedding to wedding depending on the couple and guests musical taste, the effort we put in to every wedding is the same.
Prior to your wedding date, you will receive a google form link where we ask for all the important information that Expert Wedding Bands need to ensure your wedding is the best it can possibly be. This includes some information on where you, your family and guests are from. You might not think its relevant but when your Dad is from Dublin and they beat Kerry in the All Ireland final on your wedding day, the band can use this to information to make a great night, the best night. We also give you the option to include any musical preferences in the google form and will do every effort to play them live by the band and if not they will be played by the DJ who will have these requests ready to go. The Expert Wedding Band know that the first dance is a moment that all couples dream of (or dread). We will learn any first dance request and play it live or we can play the original version on mp3 if you prefer.
Without you even knowing, The Expert Wedding Band will liaise with your venue to ensure we are all on the same schedule.
On the day itself, the band will arrive in plenty of time having communicated with the hotel wedding co-ordinator. Once the band have access to the ballroom or stage area its full steam ahead. Usually the band are ready to go in the same amount of time that it takes the hotel to clear any tables on the dancefloor.
Once the band complete a short sound check, Kayla or Ollie will gather the bridal party just outside of the ballroom. Within minutes, the show begins!
We start how we mean to continue – with everyone on the dancefloor. A newly married couple should dance their first dance surrounded by their friends and family. This not only helps the more nervous dancers, but also makes the video and photos even more magical.
After the first dance, We perform songs from a set which will have a selection of music based on your google form and from our tried and tested wedding hits. We will respond and change the set as the night goes on depending on what you and your guests respond to.
On the night it is also up to the couple whether or not they want to include more traditional elements of a wedding reception such as the bouquet toss, garter removal and since we are in Ireland, we can also include a Siege of Ennis. You can let us know prior to the day or if you are undecided we can incorporate these activities at any point in the night.
What really makes our show and Expert show is the ability to help the crowd and atmosphere go from one high to the next. We have a number of ‘high points’ throughout the show that we build up to and from. These high points in the show include electric medleys and crowd interaction guaranteed to bring the party to the next level. We end the night on the highest of highs with our finale medley. And just when you think the night is over, our Expert DJ takes over playing all of you and your guests requests.
The Expert Wedding Band perform for up to 2.5 hours and our Expert DJ plays until the cut off time specified by Hotel or Venue management.
We hope that you now have an idea as to what The Experts Wedding Band are all about.
We all started as amateurs but not everyone becomes and Expert.
The Experts do more…
After Party Entertainment
Intimate Weddings
Intimate weddings are becoming more and more popular and Ireland has some of the most stunning venues and locations for smaller, more intimate ceremonies and wedding celebrations. The Experts know that a 5 piece full band may not suit the atmosphere of a smaller, more intimate wedding or venue. With this in mind, The Expert Wedding Band also offer and Intimate Wedding Day Package
The Experts Intimate Wedding Band is a 3 piece band comprising of Kayla, Mike and Paul.
