hank lane bands

bethpagebride Posted: Jul 31, 2003 10:12 PM

hank lane bands

Hi - any rants/raves about hank lane? a friend of mine was really impressed with their park avenue band -- has anyone else seen them? what about their other groups?

thanx!

merf99 Posted: Jul 31, 2003 10:16 PM

Re: hank lane bands

We almost booked one of their bands but were so turned off by their attitudes!

Annieb Posted: Aug 01, 2003 09:27 AM

Re: hank lane bands

I booked a Hank Lane band for my wedding this October. Hank Lane does have some shady business practices but, almost all their musicians are very talented. I booked the Chuck Compo Band for many reasons. To begin with, I dealt with Chuck, the band leader himself, and avoided working with Hank Lane entirely until the contract. Chuck is amazing! Very patient and met with me a few times before I booked. I think that you MUST meet with the band leader of the band to be sure what you are booking is actually what you are getting! I have heard nothing but wonderful things about chuck's band from family and friends. Do a search on the knot.com's NYC board and you should find alot of rave reviews.

At first, I got scared away by all the negative things I heard about Hank Lane on this board. But, in the end, I don't mean to offend anyone but, I 'shopped around' alot for bands. I went to a few showcases, saw tons of videos and met with most of the bands you have heard of. Most of the bands were just not what I was looking for. Hank Lane's musicians are all dressed in black tie attire and are top-notch professionals! You won't see any of that interactive stuff with them (passing out necklaces, lais etc. etc.). Also, with chuck, you don't have to worry about cheesy jokes and pushy musicians trying to get people on the dance floor. However, from what i have heard and seen, the dance floor is packed all night! Please FM me if you have any questions

EBM7 Posted: Aug 01, 2003 09:37 AM

Re: hank lane bands

I booked Hank Lane's Jeff Allen band. I have heard nothing but rave reviews. I also spoke to Jeff Allen himself, and I am very confident that he will do a great job. I also like their professionalism at the wedding itself - I didn't want any of that handing out lays stuff either, but that's a personal preference. Anyway, they sounded great and they definitely have a great reputation!

xjulietx Posted: Aug 01, 2003 09:48 AM

Re: hank lane bands

A friend of mine used to sing with some Hank Lane bands and she said they were average wedding bands.

Heather Posted: Aug 01, 2003 10:11 AM

Re: hank lane bands

A former Carlyle bride here!
We used Hank Lane's Jeff Lubin band(8 pieces) and they were wonderful! They band was very professional, and worked well with the additional Italian band we had. Jeff was great, he really kept the party going and was very patient with all the 'performers' we had (bagpipes, an uncle who sang, a cousin who wanted to jam with the band on the drums, and of course another band). They sounded like the true artist and were no where near 'average', they were high quality. If you should have any specific questions, please feel free to ask, I may have used all of the vendors you're looking at.

Annieb Posted: Aug 01, 2003 10:25 AM

Re: hank lane bands

If they are so average then why have they been around so long, why does EVERYONE know their name and why do they have a list of famous clientele a mile long? AND...how come they do TONS of business without EVER showcasing...because they don't need too! I was very turned off when they said that to me but, you know what, its true! Do you think these bands showcase for fun?

xjulietx Posted: Aug 01, 2003 10:36 AM

Re: hank lane bands

Well, the friend who said this was also working on her own music and had also played in some successful cover bands. She worked with a bunch of Omni-Pop bands and when they weren't paying enough, she did some weddings. I don't think the Hank Lane bands were bad, they do have a reputation, but they were a club date booking agency. She saw them as a way to make money, she didn't come home pumped from having performed with them.

bethpagebride Posted: Aug 01, 2003 10:09 PM

Re: hank lane bands

thanks so much for your feedback, ladies!

april503 Posted: Nov 15, 2006 08:11 PM

Re: hank lane bands

I booked Hank Lane's Park Avenue band!! i think they are going to sound amazing! i loved the way they sounded and they can play a huge variety of music. A lot of my family members have used Hank Lane and have all had amazing experiences with them so I am confident they will do a great job!