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Tel: 0415 104 238
Email: contact@slidemcbride.com

Hire a band that people will still be talking about in ten years time. Slide McBride is Sydney's leading provider of live music for corporate events, wedding receptions, parties and all types of celebrations.

Welcome to the official website of Slide McBride, voted one of the country's best party bands by "The Knot" magazine. We play all over Sydney, and surrounding areas. We play a high energy mix of funk, old school rock, jazz, current top 40, 70's/80's/90's hits, latin/afro cuban, Rat Pack crooning classics, 1920's and even klezmer - anything that gets people up and dancing, and ...the choice is yours - you can have as much input as you like in putting together the band's sets.

Slide McBride is completely self managed by band leader, Slide McBride, so you won't have to deal with any middle-men. Call Slide and deal direct with the singer/bandleader who will be there at your function, making sure everything runs perfectly. The band has a reputation second to none and every time we play, we consider our reputation to be at stake. We give everything to every performance.

Slide McBride (the person)

Call Slide now

Mob: 0415 104 238

or send an email

contact@slidemcbride.com

Top Ten Tips For Keeping The Dancefloor Full

When people go to a night club, with a beat pumping at high intensity, they are going in with the primary intention of dancing. In contrast, with all functions whether it be a ball, wedding, corporate event or birthday party, people aren't coming specifically to dance. Their primary reason for attending might be supporting a charity, celebrating a significant event, social networking or family expectations. Dancing is lower on their agenda, so what do we do to initially entice them to dance and then keep on dancing?

1. Band versus DJ

A live band provides a point of focus and a good band puts on a performance. This provides a visual connection between the guests and the music. For example, we recently played at a wedding reception where the groom and many of the guests were profoundly deaf. The visual side of what we did, in addition to the fact that they can still feel the beat, had them dancing and involved with all the other guests on the dance floor.

2. Momentum

Being able to go from song to song without stopping, much like a DJ, is a vital part of what we do. It means that there is no point where guests are left standing around for ten seconds waiting for the next song to start, which is enough time for them to think about sitting down or going to the bar.

3. Diverse Repertoire

The thing with functions is that the age range is always so diverse. Therefore, it's important to have songs that will connect with 20 year olds, and also with 60 year olds. As a general rule of thumb, older people are less inhibited when it comes to dancing (believe it or not), especially “baby-boomers”. Older songs, for example 60's, 70's and 80's is great for getting this demographic dancing. As they tire, we switch into contemporary songs and by this stage the younger people are less inhibited and are ready to go.

4. Early Connection With The Audience

I once read an interview with the singer David Campbell, where he said, “I want to have a relationship with my audience”. We try and do the same. This starts with pre-dinner drinks and then extends through dinner. This is a fantastic way in which to create a bond between us and the audience, which always extends into maximising the number of people who later get up and dance.

5. Changing The Tempo When Required

Just as many people like to dance to a slow song as dance to something upbeat. There are so many different genres of dance music, why stick to one style? People love dancing to funk, but people also love dancing to reggae, rock'n'roll or even swing. That's why we love to mix it up.

6. Audience Involvement

A great band always has the attitude, “it's about them, not about us”. So, getting up a guest to sing or getting guests to sing along with the chorus is always a fun thing to do. Similarly, forming a conga line or getting everyone to put their hands in the air also extend that bond between them and us.

7. Having Flexibility to Extend a Song (or Kill It Early)

Sometimes I'll gamble on calling a song and it doesn't work out. It's vital to be able to ditch and switch to another song as soon as possible. Similarly, if a song is really rocking and the dance floor is pumping, it's great to be able to extend it.

8. Reading The Audience

Once again, it's not about us (the band), it's al about them (the guests) and playing songs that they want to dance to. After playing at more than two thousand functions, I've developed a “sixth sense”

for what will and what will not get people dancing at a certain time. Ultimately, it's all about timing, or in other words, playing the right song at the right time.

9. Intention

When I was a teenager and I used to play football, I had a coach who used to say, “Put your mark on the game”. In other words, do something exceptional. I approach every function I play at with this as my mantra. The classic showbiz saying is, “You are only as good as your last gig”. Every time I play, I consider my reputation to be at stake, so I give every performance all I've got.

10. Having Fun Within The Band

If we (the band) are having a good time, the audience picks up on it. So, as much as we are there to serve the people, it is vital that we enjoy ourselves. This, naturally, comes across in the music. I am fortunate enough to have a great team (band), and we all get along exceptionally well. We love sharing a laugh, whether on or off the band stand.

To summerise, the role of the band is to connect with people make the event as memorable as possible. Maximising the involvement of guests dancing is the top of the list for making it a memorable event. I commonly hear comments like, “people I've never seen dance were dancing to you guys”. These are exceptional visual memories that stay with people...forever.

Slide McBride is consistently ranked the number one function band in Sydney.

"Thank you to you and to the band for making our Christmas Party absolutely fabulous on Friday night. As you could see, everyone had a wonderful time. We were sad to see the night come to an end. You are very engaging with the crowd and the band is fantastic. I am pleased that we were able to lock you in after missing out last year."

- Angela Conte, Marketing Manager, DHL Exel Supply Chain

Why Book A Band For Your Wedding?

I once spoke to a groom and asked him why did he book us.

He told me that he had read many post-wedding blogs, and the common regret he kept reading was that they hadn't booked a good band. He then made hiring the best band possible his priority.

A bride who booked us told us that she had been to half a dozen weddings of friends over the last twelve months, and they had all used either DJ's or ipods. What distressed her was that people weren't even staying until the end of the reception. When we played at her reception, the venue actually had trouble getting people to leave at the end of the night.

Recommendations and referrals are your best way of sourcing a great band. Any band can pay to have their name at the top of Google. Any band can pay to have great advertising material, but recommendations and referrals are always the best indicator of what they are really like on the event.

Ask people who go to a lot of weddings. These people include photographers and hospitality staff, or wedding A-listers.

Angus Richmond's 42nd Birthday Party

Saturday, 2nd August, 2014

Venue was the Oceans Bar at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Coogee.

We played at Angus Richmond's 21st birthday party twenty-one years ago.

Twice twenty-one is forty two, so hence Angus celebrated his 42nd birthday with us.

Photographs are courtesy of the Oceans Bar Photographer

Highfields Prep School Great Gatsby Ball

Friday, 1st August, 2014

This was a parents fundraising ball for a school at Lindfield called Highfields.

Great crowd of people and lots of dancing.

The photograph is courtesy of Magdelena Photography.