2015 Winner’s Words: Vibetown
|Vital Statistics
Who: Dan Stapleton from Vibetown
What: Best Wedding Band
Where: Online www.vibetown.net | On Facebook | On Twitter
Why did you enter TWIA 2015?
We’d seen the awards listed online and also noticed some of the wedding venues we’d played at had previously won, so we decided to check it out and enter!
Tell us about yourself…
The band started off as a bit of fun whilst everyone was studying at Leeds College of Music, around 2005/06. We did a few gigs whilst studying and as a result started to get asked and paid to play at private events. After we graduated in 2008 we decided to make the band a full time venture and got a website, demos and pictures sorted in order to get more gigs and things really went from there.
It’s grown a lot over the years and we’ve come a long way, but it’s been an enjoyable learning experience for sure. The best bit about what we do is really quite simple: we get to make and play music as a living, we work with our friends and help add that special touch to someone’s big day. Having 200-500 people going crazy whilst the bride and groom crowd surf as you play ‘Mr Brightside’ is certainly a sight to behold! And it’s happened on more than one occasion, so we figure we are doing something right.
How confident did you feel about winning?
It was great to have won the Regional Award, we were pretty happy about that for sure. But once we’d learned that we’d be going forward to the National Awards too we were REALLY excited!
We obviously hoped to win it, but it was still a huge surprise when it was announced! The competition was pretty stiff and it seemed pretty close between all the finalists, so we really couldn’t tell who it was going to go to. We feel honoured that it went to us when everyone else in the category was so good and deserving too.
What does winning The Wedding Industry Awards mean to you?
We’ve been doing this professionally for a good 7 years now and at times it’s been really hard, especially during the recession. So to be able to make a living from doing what we love and getting recognised for all the hard work over the years through this award has truly been the icing on the cake! It inspires us to continue doing what we do to the highest standard and also encourages us to find ways in which to improve and do things even better.
How has winning an award affected your business?
We’ve had a lot of clients email congratulating us on the award since we’ve won. Previous clients have said how much they think we deserved it and others have emailed saying that they are now even more excited to have us play than they were before and they are so glad they booked us! We’ve definitely noticed an increase in people seeking the band out for their event and hopefully the award will strengthen our brand even further over the next 12 months. The award really is like receiving an official seal of approval from the industry!
What has been the most valuable part of TWIA 2015 for you?
The most valuable part has been the added exposure it has given to us as a business and also the great feedback we’ve had from clients. It’s also nice to get recognised for all of the hard work that we’ve put into it over the years!
What was your favourite feedback from your voter comments?
It’s hard to pick a specific thing to be honest, we are generally just so overwhelmed by the amount of people who did vote for us. It was great to know that what we do is genuinely appreciated by our clients and it makes all those late nights and long hours driving on motorways worth it.
And finally…
We will definitley be entering again, why wouldn’t we? We’ve got a title to defend! As for advice, that’s a tricky one…It all comes down to how good a job you do and how professional a service you give, that should be your bottom line. If you absolutely blow people’s minds with what you do, then why wouldn’t they vote for you? And why wouldn’t you win an award for it? I guess it’s pretty simple really…Be the best at what you do and deliver a product/service that you yourself would be impressed with. Keep that in mind and the awards will sort themselves out.