A Christmas Message 2020

12/24/20 • 1 min

End of year message!

Hi everybody I hope you're keeping well just wanted to put out a short podcast to wish everybody Happy Christmas and a great New Year from everyone at The Brian Mc Dermott Band.

It's definitely been a weird year and has had a really bad effect on a lot of businesses especially in the wedding industry but hopefully, things will be back to normal in the next 6 months.

I want to say a big thank you to all the wedding couples who have us booked and in fairness, every one of the couples who has had to move their wedding has been super nice to deal with. To any of the couples who are having their wedding in the first half of 2021, my advice would be to see what January brings and get in touch then if you think you might need to move again. Hopefully, this Christmas lockdown and vaccine arriving will mean that bigger numbers can happen in early 2021.

We are still working away behind the scenes or a few projects and we have a new song that we're going to release in January, we're just trying to think of a video idea.

The wedding band show will also be back in January, I was hoping to get a few more episodes in before the end of the year but it’s just super busy on the video side with Pixel Productions.

I don't like putting out the episodes just for the sake of it...I prefer to plan the episodes so we get to learn more about the guests!
I want to also say a big thanks to the guys in the band Kiev, Mick, Marie & Miki...It's been a terrible year but they’re still always ready to help and do everything they can.

Have a great Christmas and here's to an amazing 2021, Brian

End of year message!

Hi everybody I hope you're keeping well just wanted to put out a short podcast to wish everybody Happy Christmas and a great New Year from everyone at The Brian Mc Dermott Band.

It's definitely been a weird year and has had a really bad effect on a lot of businesses especially in the wedding industry but hopefully, things will be back to normal in the next 6 months.

We are still working away behind the scenes or a few projects and we have a new song that we're going to release in January, we're just trying to think of a video idea.

The wedding band show will also be back in January, I was hoping to get a few more episodes in before the end of the year but it’s just super busy on the video side with Pixel Productions.

Have a great Christmas and here's to an amazing 2021, Brian

Previous Episode

Eilish Egan from Ballina Blossoms

Eilish Egan from VIP Weddings & Ballina Blossoms

In this episode of The Wedding Band show, I caught up with Eilish Egan from VIP weddings and the new Ballina Blossoms. Eilish is based in Enniscrone Co.Sligo and has been providing wedding decor in the area for several years. In June 2020 she opened a flower shop that caters to weddings, funerals, Christmas, and all special occasions.

How has the lockdown changed her business?

Because of the current lockdown, she explains that couples have cut back on the decor for the ceremony and reception. She is hopeful that it will come around again and she believes that people are going to spend more money on high-quality wedding items in the future.

Eilish has worked at several weddings under the current restrictions and is finding that bouquet preservation is extremely popular these days. This is where she takes back the bouquet the day after the wedding, dries it out, and gives it back to the bride in a frame that makes the perfect keepsake.

Most of Eilish's weddings for December 2020 have moved but she is actually booked out from March 2021.

Ballina Blossom's business model!

Her new business model with the flower shop is focused on delivery because she realised that some guys might be shy about collecting a bouquet of flowers in the middle of a town.

She also launched her handmade silk wreaths on the 1st of November.

Flower trend for 2021?

When it comes to wedding trends, Eilish believes that green and white may still be the most popular colour for another year and that blossom trees may not be as popular in 2021.

In her own opinion, she thinks that smaller weddings can do a lot more on the decor side and that sometimes with a bigger crowd couples have to stretch themselves too much. You really can have that amazing Pinterest wedding with a smaller guest list!

On a positive note,

The best thing to come out of 2020 for Eilish has been some extra time off especially in May and June when she could enjoy the sunshine!

For information on VIP Weddings or Ballina Blossoms use these links,

Wedding Decor - https://myvipwedding.ie/

Ballina Blossoms - https://ballinablossoms.ie/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ballinablossomsmayo/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ballina_blossoms/

To find out more information about The Brian Mc Dermott Band use these links,

Wedding Band - https://thebrianmcdermottband.ie/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thebrianmcdermottband/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brian_mc_dermott/

Video Work - https://pixelproductions.ie/

Next Episode

Blue Moose

Who are Blue Moose?
On this week's episode of the wedding band show, I chatted with Tony Ward from the Blue Moose band. Tony started Bluemoose about 21 years ago with a friend called Bobby O'Hara. They met while working in a hotel in Wexford and quickly discovered they both had a love for playing music. Shortly after that, they entered a local music competition. They won the competition and left the hotel business behind! Even though the band started out as a covers band they also started to play at weddings from about 2007. Because the Blue Moose fanbase was getting older they now wanted them and as their wedding band!
- Cover band to wedding band?
In recent times there is a very thin line between a cover band and a wedding band, so Blue Moose didn't have to change their set too much. After one bad experience early on the band went into rehearsals and put a wedding set together that would suit all types of crowds. As Tony explains, some bands don't like to play waltzes because they think it's not cool, however, it's always great to have them in case the wedding guests want to waltz on any particular night.
As Brian says, a little waltz mix is always nice to give the rest of the guests a 5-minute break from dancing!
- What kind of music will you get with Blue Moose?
If a couple contacts Blue Moose and asks what type of music do you play, Tony’s answer is usually anything from Abba to AC/DC! The band doesn't have one set that they play every night and they change it up depending on the wedding guests. Tony goes on to say that a wedding band shouldn't hit the crowd hard for the first 30-minutes because then there will be a big lul. It's always better to keep the floor full all night instead of just some busy parts.
Bluemoose has a very broad setlist and in the initial consultation with a wedding couple, Tony or Bobby get a good feel for the music they want at their wedding. Tony and Brian both agree that one of the most important jobs for any wedding band is to read the crowd!
- Blue Moose Showcases?
Because of the current situation wedding couples are finding it hard to view wedding bands live. One great thing about Blue Moose is that they recorded some live wedding showcases a few years ago. This means that any bride or groom can hear precisely what the Band sounds like even without seeing them live!
- Blue Moose Wedding Packages?
As well as the live band Blue Moose now offers an all-day wedding package. They introduced this package in 2020 and it runs from the ceremony music up until the disco.
They bring in a female vocalist for the ceremony music. The drinks reception is an acoustic set with guitar, piano, sax, and clarinet. You can even add percussion and bass too if you’d prefer. Another option on the Bluemoose all-day package is to include a sax player with the DJ set.
- How to contact Blue Moose?
For information on Blue Moose use these links,
Website - https://www.bluemoose.ie/
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr8uTwqw-Nt23WbxfdSf7-w
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/bluemooseband
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bluemooseband/
To find out more information about The Brian Mc Dermott Band use these links,
Wedding Band - https://thebrianmcdermottband.ie/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thebrianmcdermottband/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brian_mc_dermott/
Video Work - https://pixelproductions.ie/