UnderCover Live Band

For bookings or information please telephone:

Pete – 0779 2652486

Terry – 0775 9101638

For information, to be entered onto the band mailing list or to submit pics from the gigs please email here: Undercover email

We try to stay within the Essex and Hertfordshire areas but occassionally travel to London, Cambridgeshire and Kent.

The best advice we can give to people considering booking Undercover for weddings, parties or functions is to come and see us live. Demo's never do a band justice and they rarely include the atmosphere and audience participation of a gig plus there's no guarantee a band can perform live as good as a studio recording, so come and check us out.

Music Downloads

In July 2008 we recorded ourselves live at Musictek in Dagenham which resulted in 15 tracks from which we've picked 3 to present as a demo. This gives an accurate live account of ourselves, "warts 'n' all" without the distraction of a live audience. We've created mp3s of the 3 chosen tracks: Kaiser Chiefs – I Predict a Riot; Wild Cherry – Funky Music; & The Specials – Gangsters. We've provided three ways of listening to the track via our Flash player (if you need to instal Flash you can do so via the link at the bottom of this page), via Javascript or just by downloading to your desktop. We'll be monitoring which ways suits most people and sticking to one format in due course. Hope you enjoy!

undercover I Predict A Riot (Kaiser Chiefs) Funky Music (Wild Cherry) Gangsters (The Specials)

Or if you'd rather download the tracks by right clicking on the links below and save to desktop.

Download I Predict a Riot
Download Funky Music
Download Gangsters

Frequenty Asked Questions

How much do we charge?
Our charges range according to venue, duration of sets, distance travelled and time spent at the venue – please email us for quotes. Our full PA and lighting rig is always included in our fee as well as compilation music whilst we're off-stage.

Can I view the band before booking?
We encourage you to attend any of the public booked gigs to make sure we're suitable for your event. Please feel free to attend the gigs which are announced on the Undercover gig list.

Do you accept Song Requests?
As our repertoire is geared towards learning classic tracks suitable for numerous venues we tend to shy away from performing first dance requests, however we will consider requests if we have at least two months notice to prepare. We often submit our set-list to parties that have maintained email contact and can change our playlist to alternatives from our song list.

Do you provide microphones for speeches?
We can provide a microphone for your use, as long as we are aware in advance and have been booked for early attendance.

What sort of venues have you played at?
Undercover have performed at a wide variety of venues from pubs, clubs, schools (Dame Bradbury), (Sanders Drapers), (Perse/Pelican), country mansions (Parklands), (Creeksea Place), (Layer Marney Tower), barns (High Barn, Essex) and (Millennium Barn, Wendens Ambo), halls, hotel function rooms (Bedford Lodge), marquees and open air events.

How long do you need to set up?
It is essential that we have sufficient time to set up and sound-check, depending on venue access this can take approx 90 minutes, less if house lighting and PA are installed. It is recommended that we are set up and sound-checked before the arrival of guests as levels can become quite loud before the correct balance is found.

How long do you play for?
We perform either 2 or 3 sets of live music finishing before midnight, either as 2 sets of 1 hour with a break, or 3 sets of 45 minutes with two breaks, but we can tailor this to suit your requirements. In reality we often play longer than this, which includes encores totalling up to 3 hrs max. We are happy to have CDs playing through our PA system whilst we're off-stage and after the band's performance; usually this allows an additional 30 minutes of CDs before we reach the point of dismantling the PA. The band require an hour to dismantle all their equipment and this should be considered within the venue hire times. Longer performances can be arranged with plenty of notice.

How do I know whether you're available?
Simply check our gig list which includes the dates for which we've already been booked and any dates that are not available. In certain circumstances we can use dep musicians to fulfil dates "not available for booking".

Do you provide background/dancing music?
The band are often equipped with a CD player and/or laptop for playing music before, after and between the sets if required. We also bring a selection of compilation CDs that we create according to particular preferences. We can use standard CD formats or MP3 CD format. Alternatively we can provide a laptop or iPod connection direct to the PA. In most cases we find this reduces the need for an additional DJ to attend however we have arrangements with DJs to provide a full DJ in addition to the band at extra cost.

Performance Requirements:
Undercover can perform with or without staging, indoors or outdoors, however we do require all equipment to be off the ground on a level and secure floor. To perform comfortably we require an area at least 18ft by 12ft although we have managed to squeeze into smaller areas. A room for the band to change/wait in and to store equipment cases is helpful.
We require at least two electrical sockets delivering 13A each to which we attach extension leads. If power is to be provided by a generator, it is the responsibility of the client / venue to ensure that it is of sufficient rating (and has sufficient cables and adaptors) to power the band safely without the risk of overload. All our mains equipment is regularly PAT tested and PAT labels are clearly visible for checking.
The provision of food & beverages during the event would be greatly appreciated, and ensures the band are on-site during downtime.

Sound Limiters:
From experience, sound limiters are always problematic. Most sound levels in entertainment venues will be high – in excess of 95 dBA. Trying to maintain levels below this is generally unrealistic for live music. Even the unamplified acoustic instruments in the band or audience applause can generate enough sound to trigger the sound limiter. The effects of the mains power cutting out and then cutting back in again runs the risk of causing serious damage to our sound equipment and possibly an abrubt end to ALL music resulting in a serious impact on your enjoyment! Unfortunately there's much confusion on how to use and place this equipment in relation to the band and where the duty of care lies which often makes it impossible for live music, amplified or not. Recent guidelines suggest the rating is set at 85db which is lower than the volume created by an unamplified saxophone! As we guarantee that our volumes are within legal limits (measured over a 20 minute period) we therefore expect that arrangements are made with the venue for the sound meter to be bypassed and used only as a visual indication of levels.

Contracts & Booking:
Bookings are secured ONLY by receipt of a £100 deposit combined with full details of the event. Remaining payment is required no later than four weeks before the gig if paying by cheque, or alternatively by cash paid at the start of the gig.

Cancellation:
In the event of a cancellation we seek full payment if given less than 4 weeks notice, and deposits will only be returned if given 4 months notice.

If you have any questions or queries please contact UndercoverPete via email or by mobile: 0779 2652486.