PA Hire in Wiltshire

Music First have all the right sound equipment to ensure your next event in Wiltshire goes smoothly. From DJ hire and microphones to event lighting, they'll help you find everything you need for any event.

What do you need to know from an organiser in order to provide a comprehensive quote?

The more info we know, the more detailed we can be with a quote. The obvious stuff like location, start and end times and what service is required are essential. However, it can also help to know more details like when can we set up, what other services are being provided, the type of venue, power and space availability, any theme to fit in with, etc. Take, for example, an evening disco at a wedding: is it the same venue as the wedding breakfast and so when can the DJ set up without disturbing things? Is there a live band with the DJ just playing in between sets? Will the disco have to set up in a corner to leave space for the band, or the tables, or the dance floor? It may limit the size of lighting set. Is there a theme for the wedding that the setup needs to fit in with? For example we are working on a shabby chic wedding right now, so soft lighting, a shabby chic DJ booth and nice drapes over the lighting trusses will all help us fit in for the special day.

What advice would you give to a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?

When looking for someone for your event look for reliability. You might have a tight budget, but it's still better to pay a professional and guarantee they will turn up with the right gear rather than book a well meaning hobbyist that has no backup should something go wrong. A professional company can give you peace of mind and take all the pressure of presenting your event, whether that's a disco, festival or something else, so you can get on and enjoy your special day.

Please tell us a little bit about how and why you started the business.

I started Music First after 15 years of amateur work as a musician and sound engineer. With a life-long passion for music and having been involved in many church worship bands over the years, it was easy to get involved with PA and production.
Almost by accident I started doing village fetes. I turned up to a charity fayre once where my partner was running the dog show, but the "friend with the PA" was a no-show. I shot home and grabbed some gear and for the last 6 or 7 years I've become their sound guy. From that, more bookings for fetes and recently a booking to evaluate and eventually install a new sound system for a local village Parish Church. I decided it was time to turn professional and have now started adding lighting and DJ kit. I believe in quality of sound above all else and everything I buy is based on that ethos.
Also, I have amassed those years of experience: rigging for all sorts of shows and events, indoors and out, shine or rain! Whilst I would be lying to say nothing had ever gone wrong, I can honestly hand-on-heart say I have never let anyone down or failed to run an event. This is through meticulous planning - making sure I have spares for all the critical parts and enough time! Any issue can be sorted with time so we test our rigs before we deploy, we rig early and re-test everything. It is this attention to duty that has won us friends from every event we have supported.

Please tell us about a booking you've had through Add to Event, how did it go? Would you recommend us to others?

Our most recent booking was for a 40th birthday disco. We communicated through Add to Event and arranged all the details for timings, style of music, contact direct with the venue to assess any restrictions, and so on. We provided background music during the buffet followed by one of our favourite 'personalisations' - a flick through the number ones over the years on the birth date. We carried on into the night playing party and dance tunes from the 60's up to brand new releases. At the end of the night everyone left happy, leaving us to pack away and head home through the fog. Add to Event is a great place to make contact and organise every aspect of an event, with the trail of messages easy to follow and a great template system to make quick initial contact.