The bb Collective

The band was formed in 2006 to provide a fresh and soulful new approach to live music entertainment. Based in London, The bb Collective brings together the talents of musicians from various backgrounds in jazz, funk, rock and soul with two female vocalists, both called Bex, both with distinctive and powerful voices.

The bb Collective can be hired as a funky 6 piece or as an 8 piece with brass for the full Soul experience. Available for functions of all kinds, from weddings to large corporate events, the band will work with you to create the perfect line up of music for your event to keep guests dancing throughout the night. The combination of dynamic stage presence and the professionalism needed on important occasions will ensure you have complete piece of mind when working with The bb Collective.

We pride ourselves in our passion for the music we perform and in our bespoke Client orientated service. From the moment you first make an enquiry about booking The bb Collective, right through to us playing the last number of the evening, we will make sure you feel confident about every detail.

Sample repertoire

Soul
Aint Nobody – Chaka Khan
All This Love – Gwen McCrae
Hard to Handle – Otis Reading
I Knew You Were Waiting – Aretha Franklin and George Michael
Let’s Stay Together – Al Green
Long Train Running – Doobie Brothers
Love the One You’re With – C, S, N & Y
Midnight Hour – Wilson Pickett
Natural Woman – Aretha Franklin
Never Too Much – Luther Vandross
RESPECT – Aretha Franklin
Proud Mary – Ike & Tina Turner
Son of a Preacher Man – Aretha Franklin
Street Life – Randy Crawford
Super Duper Love – Joss Stone
Sweet Soul Music – Arthur Conley
Take Another Piece of My Heart – Erma Franklin
Think – Aretha Franklin
Valarie – Amy Winehouse
Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher – Jackie Wilson

Motown
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Diana Ross
Can’t Hurry Love – The Supremes
Dancing in the Streets – Martha Reeves and the Vandellas
Do I Do – Stevie Wonder
Do You Love Me? – The Contours
Heard it Through the Grapevine – Marvin Gaye
How Sweet it Is – Marvin Gaye
I Wish – Stevie Wonder
Rescue Me – Aretha Franklin
River Deep, Mountain High – Aretha Franklin
Say a Little Prayer – Dusty Springfield
Signed, Sealed, Delivered – Stevie Wonder
Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch – The Four Tops
Superstition – Stevie Wonder
You Keep me Hanging On – The Supremes

Disco
Ain’t No Stopping Us Now – McFadden and Whitehead
Best of My Love – The Emotions
Blame it on the Boogie – Jackson 5
Canned Heat - Jamiroquai
Celebration – Kool and the Gang
Get Down on It – Kool and the Gang
Got to be Real – Cheryl Lynn
Hot Stuff – Donna Summer
Lady Marmalade – LaBelle
Le Freak – Chic
Play that Funky Music – Wild Cherry
Upside Down – Diana Ross
We are Family – Sister Sledge

Party Favorites
Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
Build me Up Buttercup – The Foundations
Crazy Chick – Charlotte Church
Good Luck – Basement Jaxx
How Will I Know – Whitney Houston
I’m Outta Love – Anastacia
I’m So Excited – Pointer Sisters
It’s Raining Men – The Weather Girls
I Wanna Dance With Somebody – Whitney Houston
Jump – Pointer Sisters
Nine to Five – Dolly Parton
Rock with You – Michael Jackson
Shake Your Tailfeather – Ray Charles
Shout - Lulu
Sing It Back - Moloko
Take your Mama Out – Scissor Sisters

Jazz
Fly me to the Moon
A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
Beyond The Sea
Moondance
I’ve Got you under my Skin
When I Fall in Love
Almost like being in Love
Summertime
Walk on By
Night and Day
Let there be Love
I Get a Kick out of You
Come Fly with Me
Old Devil Moon
The More I See You
Can’t Take my Eyes off you
All of Me
Somewhere over the Rainbow
I Got Rhythm
LOVE
Fever
They Can’t Take that away from Me
Get Happy
Lady is a Tramp
Feeling Good

Don’t see your favourite song? Let us know and we’ll learn it for your event!

FAQ's

When will the band arrive to set up?

When you book a band you will be asked for both a start time and an end time. The start time must be at least 30 minutes prior to the performance commencing to allow the band to set up. If the band you book requires more than 30 minutes, you will not be charged extra, the band will just arrive slightly before the start time that you have specified. The band will finish playing at the end time and will need to pack up immediately.

Will the band provide their own their own sound equipment?

All of our London-based bands are self-contained and provide their own sound equipment suitable for most situations. If your event is to be held in a large venue, or you have more than about 300 guests, we recommend that additional sound equipment should be used. In this case, please contact us before booking to confirm exactly what you require and to receive a free quote. If you wish you can provide any extra sound equipment yourself or hire a third party company to provide it.

Do you supply DJs or Discos?

Yes - for events within London, please visit the DJ Packages for Events in London page.

If your event is outside London, you can search for DJ's & Mobile Discos for Events in the directory.

What will the band require?

• A standard power socket (no more than 5m from the performance area)

• Parking for up to 3 cars (depending on the size of the band)

• Changing room

• Refreshments (it is customary to provide musicians with food & drink

How do I choose the right band for my event?

To help you choose, consider the following:

• A smaller ensemble (e.g. duo/trio) may find it hard to be heard in larger venues or at busy events.
• If you are booking a band for dancing, larger ensembles with drums and/or vocals are more suitable.
• Try our advanced search to find exactly what you're looking for!

Related Articles:

Selecting a wedding band - how to choose music for a wedding reception

Selecting a corporate event band - choosing the right music for your corporate event

How do I book and when do I pay?

• Pay by credit card - You can pay either a deposit, or the entire cost to secure your booking. Your card will not be charged until the booking is confirmed by us, and you will receive both confirmation of the booking and notification of successful payment. If you choose to pay a deposit, the remaining cost will be charged to your credit card on the date of the event.
  
• Pay by cheque - To pay by cheque you must pay the entire cost at once. When we confirm your booking we will supply details of where to send your cheque. Please do not send payment until we have confirmed your booking by email. Please make any cheques payable to “LastMinuteMusicians.com”
  
• Bank transfers - Available on request.

Can I cancel my booking after paying my deposit?

Yes, you can cancel your booking at any time and receive a full refund! However, if you cancel less than 91 days before the event, part or all of your deposit will be retained as a cancellation fee. 21 to 91 days before performance: 50% of full fee is retained, 1 to 21 days before performance: 100% of full fee is retained. This reflects not only the time and effort involved organising the booking, but also the decreasing probability of the act finding alternative work at such short notice.

Is VAT added to your prices?

No. LastMinuteMusicians.com is not VAT registered.

How far in advance do I need to book a band?

Our most popular bands get booked up years in advance so it is always a good idea to book as far in advance as possible. We can only take online bookings for bands up to 3 days before your event, however, it is sometimes possible to make a telephone booking right up to the last minute!

If I book a band with drums, will the drums be too loud?

Playing at the appropriate volume it is extremely important to most of our clients. All the drummers in our bands are quite used to playing sympathetically to the surroundings, and can play with 'brushes' which allows them to balance perfectly with the other instruments in the band.

Do I need to tell the venue that I have booked a band?

Yes. Venues are now required by law to have a licence for live music so it always a good to let your venue know if you have hired a band. They will probably give you information about loading procedures, parking etc. which you should pass on for the band as soon as possible.

Do you provide backing bands for solo artists?

We are often asked to supply a band for a showcase or one-off gig. We can supply anything from a pianist to a full professional backing band. Please contact us for more information

Do you ever have to substitute musicians?

Yes, but only on a few exceptional occasions! Whilst every effort is made to ensure that musicians aren't substituted, occasionally it is necessary for us to do so in cases of illness etc. The substitute musician would be an experienced professional recommended by us and suitable for the band you booked.

Do you provide any bands for events outside of London?

In some cases we will supply bands outside of London, especially if you can offer accommodation. Please contact us to enquire about a specific band.

Not found the answer?

Simply contact us if you have any other questions about our London-based bands or call us on 0870 428 3549 (mon-fri, 8.30am-6.30pm).