FAQs

How is my booking confirmed, and do I get a contract?

Your booking is confirmed with a Musician’s Union standard contract, which both you and Kai will sign.  Until the contract is received, Kai will keep your date ‘pencilled’ but cannot guarantee availability. 

Do I need to pay a deposit?

Yes.  Kai will ask for a deposit to secure your booking, to be paid upon signing of the contract.

Does Kai take requests for the first dance, or other songs?

Yes, Kai is happy to have a requested first dance song well in advance of your event.  You can also give her a list of songs selected from her songlist.  If you would like more than one tune, which is not on the list, please contact Kai. 

Can we hear Kai performing live?

Yes. Kai strives to maintain a busy public gig schedule, including jazz performances at venues like Ronnie Scott’s and Pizza Express restaurants around the Southeast. Check out her gigs page for current dates. 

What if Kai is unable to fulfil a booking due to illness?

If Kai is unable to fulfil a booking, due to illness, accident or any unforeseen circumstances, she has a vast pool of musicians whom she can contact to ensure that the show goes on!

Can the band perform outside?

Yes, absolutely, provided the weather is dry, or we are given plenty of cover (such as a band marquee or tent) –working with electrical equipment, we need to ensure it is safe for both you and your guests and for us! Kai’s Cats and Kai’s Quartet will need a stage, or level area (like a terrace) to set up the drum kit.

Is the volume controllable? What if my venue has noise restrictions?

Kai and her band are always aware of noise restrictions and volume control -- we can perform at an absolutely acoustic level - no louder than a comfortable speaking level for background music – up to a fuller sound for dancing.  Music doesn’t need to be ear-splitting to be enjoyable! If your venue has a noise restriction requirement, Kai suggests an ensemble without drums, such as the duo or trio, or perhaps even a quartet (of vocals, piano and saxophone or guitar).

Can you dance to Kai’s songs?

Absolutely! If you would like dancing at any point during your event, Kai’s Cats is the best choice of all.  With upbeat, up-tempo jazz tunes and jumping jive numbers, people love to dance.  The smallest size of ensemble Kai recommends for dancing is a quartet, as the drums provide that essential rhythmic feel.

What if we would like background during dinner and dancing later on?

No problem! We often begin with quieter, mellow background music at the start of the event, and work up towards more up-tempo repertoire later on.  If your event begins with an intimate drinks reception, why not have Kai’s Duo or Trio play smooth background music, and bring in the additional players of Kai’s Cats for dancing later on?

I would like to contact Kai about a new booking. What happens next?

Kai will first check her availability for your chosen date (if she is
unfortunately already booked, she will recommend other similar acts,
but would also be happy to book a the act for you). She will then ask
you for details of your event, including location, timings (these do
not need to be exact at the enquiry stage, evening or daytime is
usually sufficient), and what your musical requirements are (in order
to choose which size of ensemble is best for your occasion, i.e.
background music? dancing? both?), before emailing or ringing you back
with a quote for your event.

What’s the best way to get in touch?

You can contact Kai via email at kai@kaihoffman.co.uk, or phone on +44 (0)7793 611231.  Kai is very happy to discuss your requirements with you, and would be grateful if calls could be made between 11am-7pm, as she is often working late at night.  Because she is busy performing, it may sometimes take her a day or two to get in touch, but she will definitely get back to you – Kai will personally answer all queries.

Will we need to provide food for Kai and her musicians? Are there any other requirements?

As we may have travelled long distances to reach your event, we ask that soft drinks be provided for bookings of two hours or less, and for bookings of more than two hours, we require a meal (either sandwiches or hot food before the event or in a break) and soft drinks to keep energy levels up for our performance.
We will also require access to a power supply for our electrical equipment.

What if we need to postpone or cancel our booking?

If you need to postpone your event then Kai is happy to reschedule if possible, if the notice of postponement is made more than 1 month in advance of the original booking.  However, if the new booking includes additional travel time, or is more than 1 year in advance of the original booking, the fee quoted may increase.

In the unfortunate event of you needing to cancel your booking, our terms, as laid out by the Musician’s Union, are: A. More than 31 days notice from the performance date; No fee payable. Deposit, minus administration fee, to be returned. B. Between 7-30 days notice from the performance date; deposit kept as payment. C. Between 1-7 days notice from the performance date; The full fee payable to the Act within 61 days of the performance date (Deposit kept, remaining balance payable within 61 days of performance date).

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