FAQ’s Help & Advice

The service that Franklin James Entertainments provides is second to none! Unlike many other entertainment agencies we have vetted and auditioned every act that we work with and therefore offer a guarantee that the entertainment we provide is of the highest standard. Our team has had first hand experience in performing, creating events, event management, act development, corporate branding and marketing. Our team works hard to maintain our outstanding reputation and this is why we have a consistently growing database of loyal customers and referrals from brides and blue chip companies.
We respond to customers and enquires within 24 hours and we are always contactable by telephone during the hours of 9am – 6pm Monday to Friday and are often able to answer any questions on the spot. In case of emergencies we even have members of staff providing emergency telephone cover out of office hours.

In addition, we are well established and have been for many years, we are not a ‘part-time’ agency who operate from their living room. We are members of the Agents Association. We have a reputation to maintain and may clients bookings to fulfil up to 2 years in advance.

Another reason to use Franklin James is that we care about making sure your event goes to plan. But sometimes on very rare occasions things are just beyond anybody’s control. For example, maybe the swing singer you booked has got tonsillitis and is now unable to sing or perhaps a band you booked after seeing them perform at your friends birthday party has developed a mystery illness and isn’t able to return any of your calls. What now?

If you had booked these acts directly without the help, support and advice of Franklin James, then you may need to start worrying a little. However, if you have booked with a reputable entertainment agency, like Franklin James, you can rest assured to know that we have everything covered and under control. We are here to rectify this situation for you. We provide emergency cover should any kind of situation like this arise and we will provide you with a suitable, similar and equally good replacement.

We work with entertainers throughout the UK and have hundreds of different types of acts available to us. It is part of our job when needs be and because our reputation is on the line, we ensure that we work tirelessly to ensure your event still goes ahead with outstanding entertainment provided.

We provide you with the security of a well established, successful Entertainment business who adheres to the terms governed by the Agents Association. Call or email us to find out for yourselves.
Franklin James Entertainment Agency has a team of entertainment industry people who have experience in every type of event, entertainment and entertainment service out there! We are a team of experts. We do this on a daily basis, so that you don’t have to worry when it comes to booking entertainment for your event, or YOUR BIG DAY!

Having such a variety of entertainment available, all of the highest standard, can make things more difficult when deciding on the perfect entertainment for your event. In order to help you decide, you can call or email one of our experienced friendly team to discuss your specific requirements, wants and ideas that you may have. You can call us on 01494 682800 or email info@franklin-james.co.uk

We are always happy to offer no-obligation help and advice. We can offer you advice as to what entertainment may or may not work for your event. Our team are experienced in providing entertainment at every type of event and will be more than happy to send across ideas once we have full details for your event, such as entertainment ideas based on the ambience/atmosphere you wish to create, the age ranges you want to cater for and the type of event you are planning. Then, working with you and listening to your feedback we will fine-tune choices so as to ensure the perfect entertainment is chosen.

An alternative way of narrowing down the acts is via our easy to use website. www.franklin-james.co.uk
Perhaps you already have an idea of the type of entertainment you are looking for? Singing waiters, party bands, fire breathers etc. So by selecting and viewing profiles, listening to audio and watching videos, you may be able to obtain a feel for what you are most interested in booking. As you look through the profiles you can add the acts that you like to the ‘saved acts’ selection tool on each page by clicking the icon. When you have shortlisted all the acts you would like to check the availability of and obtain an accurate quote for, send us your selection and, that’s it! We’ll then do all the work and come back to you with availability, quotes and further information on your preferred acts.

We do not charge acts to join our site or our agency, so therefore we have no interest in just adding as many as we can regardless of quality. When you see any act on the Franklin James Entertainment Agency website you can rest assured that they are featured because they are outstanding. Out of hundreds of the Act submissions we receive on a monthly basis, very few are accepted to join our agency.

After filtering through and vetting all publicity, we then hold auditions or set appointments to go and view the act performing live, so that we are able to gauge just how good they really are. Where this has not been possible, the act has been added due to word of mouth recommendation by trusted industry sources, outstanding feedback and testimonials from previous customers and exceptional quality live video footage that represents how good they are at what they do.

Also, every event booking is followed up by a feedback email request, which asks for the client or customer to provide detailed information on how well the act performed, presented themselves and whether they lived up to expectation on the day. It is in the acts best interest to maintain the high standards that we expect, otherwise they may lose their space on our roster.

Many people worry about the cost of booking entertainment through an Entertainment Agency and without much knowledge of the entertainment industry they can be taken advantage of! We know the usual rates for acts and have built up relationships with them, so can get the best, competitive prices for every event. This means you will pay LESS for your entertainment, not more!

Sometimes, even if the venue does have the correct licenses you should enquire as to whether the performance area contains obstructive noise or decibel limiters. Sometimes, if these limiters are set too low it may be that a party band will not be able to perform due to the risk of equipment damage and it may be worth thinking about a solo vocalist, acoustic band or similar.

Yes, you can even book a live band. The act or band that you decide to book will arrive early before you and your guests arrive on the day, to set up their equipment and sound-check to the correct levels meeting sound limiter requirements. Always advise Franklin James Entertainments at the time of enquiry about Noise Limiters and we will be happy to advise on the most suitable live entertainment options available.

By all means if you want a particular song performed then our artists shall try their best to accommodate you, as long as the track is commercially available, or as long as the artists are given sufficient time to practice and rehearse the song(s) you require this shouldn’t be a problem.

on average as a general rule of thumb a 4 piece band will require approximately 14 x 14 ft. The larger the band, the more space they will require. So do check with your venue that they have adequate space for the band/entertainment you require. Many of the acts and bands we work with are flexible and are happy to accommodate wherever they can.
Live entertainers like bands, vocalists, duos etc are going to require a safe supply of power. Normally, a minimum of 2- 3 plug sockets is required but this can vary so do check first. The area for the band to set up would be best near to this power supply, however again, the entertainers are accommodating and will be able to work out the best way around this. Finally if your wedding or event is in a marquee, check with your marquee suppliers that they will be able to supply an adequate generator.

DJ’s don’t just turn up, stick some music on and let it run, with the odd request here and there! If you want your event or wedding to run smoothly, hiring a DJ is always a must! A good DJ is a smart, confident and skilled orator, who is able to make required announcements and introductions.
A specialist Wedding DJ will provide a wide selection of music and will be able to accommodate any last-minute or unusual song requests. A specialist corporate DJ or Wedding DJ has experience in performing and attending hundreds of weddings and corporate events and understands the etiquette of how it will run and what is to be expected.
A wedding DJ knows how to get the party going, knows how to get everyone on the dance floor and more importantly knows how to keep them there. They are able to achieve and maintain the atmosphere and ambience that you want to create. All specific details are always discussed before every event and relayed on to the DJ so that he/she knows what you require on the night.
If space is a concern at your venue, booking a DJ is a great option for creating that party atmosphere instead of band perhaps. For venues that may have a sound limiter, a Wedding DJ can easily set and adjust their volume. Booking a DJ gives you the flexibility of allowing your guests to make requests at your event.

Yes, all of the acts we work with have everything they need in order to perform at your event. In the case of bands this will include the PA, Speakers, Lighting, Instruments, etc. For other acts like Magicians, Caricaturists, Aerialists, Fire breathers etc they will provide any props and materials that they need.
Sometimes at large scale corporate events or outdoor festivals, there may be sound equipment already provided. In these cases the acts will still provide the equipment they require to perform their act (usually the backline and instruments), and the front of house equipment (large PA, lighting rigs etc.) will be provided by the venue. In these cases, the band or entertainer will provide a technical specification list outlining what they require and what they will bring with them.

Yes. It is company policy that all of the acts we work with have full public liability insurance. We can send proof should you or your venue require.

Rider refers to the little extras a band receives from the promoter at a gig, usually in their dressing room. Typical riders include things like food and beverages, or a pre-arranged amount of money that the promoter will provide to a band to buy themselves a meal and some drinks. The rider should also include information about special dietary requirements or preferences of the band. It can also include things like Parking, soft drinks for the duration of the acts stay and of course, somewhere warm and clean to change, with a mirror! The changing area is so that after an act has setup and sound-checked their equipment, they are able to get ready, change and prepare for their performance. This area will need to be safe enough for the act/entertainers to leave their belongings securely. Parking and having easy access to your event is key, as often there is heavy equipment to carry. The drinks and food refreshment do not need to be extravagant and more often than not a platter of sandwiches will suffice.
Don’t forget, the performers that you book are only human! They may have had to travel a fair distance to be with you, they will have had to unload and carry equipment on arrival and departure after giving the best performance of their lives! So look after them, make them feel welcome and then everyone will enjoy the entire event!

The majority of times this is not possible because the entertainers we work with tend to be booked for private events, such as Weddings and Corporate Functions. Our website does provide a comprehensive profile so that you can look over video clips of them performing and read previous customer testimonials. In addition, although we receive hundreds of act submissions on a monthly basis, we only select the best of the best to audition and then maybe one or two to represent for bookings. At Franklin James, we see, vet and audition every act, band or performer before we work with them. So rest assured that if the act did not meet our requirements they would not be listed on our roster.

We make this very easy. You can get in touch by email info@franklin-james.co.uk or call 01494 682800. Tell us what date your event or wedding is and we will get back to you right away to discuss availability and your requirements. Once you are happy with everything, we then send a booking confirmation to yourself detailing all requirements discussed for your event, this will also be sent to our artist(s) to sign and return for your security. Upon receipt of your signed copy, we will fully confirm your booking. Nearer the performance date we will be in touch with you and the venue to reconfirm all final details. Of course though, you can contact us any time should you have questions.

Our Artists and Bands can be booked for events up to two years in advance. If you have a date in mind call or email us as soon as possible so you can be sure to book them for the date you have in mind. 01494 682800.

But rest assured, in emergency, if you are looking to hire live entertainment or entertainers immediately we can help with this too. We have access to thousands of vetted artists and their availabilities at our finger tips, so don’t hesitate to call or email us to check what options we have available.

Yes, absolutely! All of our bookings are contracted for your peace of mind and the terms are provided by the Entertainment Agents Association, which we are a member of. The booking contract features the details specific to your event and the terms and conditions reinforce the contract itself. The entertainment/artists booked also receives a contract for yours and their security.

Any balance payments for artistes are held as required by English Law in our client account. This will be held in our account till immediately after your event when the payment will be forwarded to the artiste within 5 days. Franklin James Entertainments is a highly reputable and ethical business with an unblemished financial history.

We accept BACS payments, Cash, Cheque, VISA, Mastercard, Debit and Credit and direct payments into our business account.

There are several different ways you can make your final payment. Some artistes require payment in full prior to your event, other artistes are happy to accept payment on arrival on the night. This will be agreed at the point of booking and will be stipulated on your booking contract.

Unfortunately, sometimes there are rare occasions when a customer needs to cancel their booking. Because the act has been contracted and was confirmed for your event, they may not be able to find a replacement booking and would therefore lose revenue. In this instance a cancellation charge may be applicable. Franklin James Entertainment terms and conditions outline the cancellation percentage or rate based on the date of cancellation in accordance with the date of the event.