New Stunning Coastline Venue

Posted on October 18, 2017 by funcontherocks

Saturday the 23rd of September was our first visit to Tynemouth Castle and Priory.

Although we often travel from Leeds to the North East, Tynemouth has somehow been missed out of the list until now. What a beautiful little town and stunning cliff face! We had a lovely drive through the traditional streets and made our way through the Castle walls and gatehouse into the English heritage site.

Tynemouth Priory Castle Wedding Marquee Live Music Party Coast

We definitely understand why this couple chose this for their wedding reception spot! The views are breathtaking and it was so special to be surrounded by the ruins of Benedictine priory.

The stunning marquee sat proudly amongst the history of the town taking in the fresh sea air.

Tynemouth Priory Castle Wedding Live Music Party Band Beach

After the speeches the best man announced the cutting of the cake, followed by their first dance as husband and wife. The newlyweds chose the popular 90’s hit Mr. Jones by Counting Crows. The new Mr & Mrs impressed the crowd with their dance routine including some impressive twirls and dips.

First Dance Live Music Wedding Leeds Tynemouth Priory Marquee

The first set of live music continued with some swinging classics, Soul, Motown and UK chart hits.

During our break we made friends with the singing chefs while they prepared fresh fish and chips for the evening buffet.

Live Entertainment Music Yorkshire Northumberland Singing Chefs Dancing

As we began the second set of live music our gorgeous Bride Alexandra appeared in a new knee length wedding dress. Alex certainly knows how to celebrate in style and the new outfit was the perfect transition to allow her to show her guests her best dance moves.

Gorgeous Bride and Groom Dancing Wedding Party Band

As our bride and groom are huge live music fans they requested we play 3 sets of live music, which we arranged prior to the wedding. We of course obliged and were very impressed with the dance floor stamina of their friends and family as they boogied the night away!

Party Time Packed Dance Floor Wedding Party Band Yorkshire

Coming Home

Posted on October 10, 2017 by funcontherocks

During wedding season The Great Barn at East Riddlesden Hall becomes a second home to Func On The Rocks. As we know this venue like the back our hand, we can load in our equipment and set up quickly and quietly without disturbing the guests.

We love how each wedding at East Riddlesden can be completely different and this wedding was most certainly no exception.

The vibrant and colourful decor inside the barn and piñata and hay stacks outside are just a few examples of how Jolene and Matt made it their own.

Wedding Venue East Riddlesden Live Band Music First Dance

The wedding cake was one of the most amazing and individual cakes we have ever seen (and trust me we’ve seen hundreds). The cake consisted of five multicoloured layers and topped with two super cute figurines – and did I mention the cake sat in a light up box? A true example of this couples individuality and fun personalities.

Wedding Cake Original Light Box Cut the Cake Cute East Riddlesden

The bride and groom chose ‘For Once in my life’ Stevie Wonder for their first dance as husband and wife, which was a huge hit with their guests.

First Dance Live Music Wedding Band Leeds East Riddlesden

During the first set of live music we encouraged friends and family onto the dance floor with classics like ‘Rock with You’ Michael Jackson and some modern hits such as ‘Shape of You’ Ed Sheeran and ‘All About the Bass’ Meghan Trainor.

The following day we didn’t have to travel far as this wedding took place at the luxury stately home, The Mansion in Roundhay Park, Leeds.

Once the wedding party had finished the wedding breakfast and moved downstairs for drinks we were able to set up the venue for the evening reception.

We began our first set of live music with the happy couples first dance ‘God Only Knows’ by the Beach Boys and followed it with ‘Marry You’ Bruno Mars to ensure we had all the guests on the dance floor.

We kept the live music penultimately modern, throwing in some classics such as ‘Play that Funky Music’ by Wild Cherry and ‘Proud Mary’ by Tina Turner.

There were some incredible dance moves!

Mansion Roundhay Live Music Leeds Wedding Band Dancing Party Crazy

Congratulations to our two beautiful couples and a big thanks to all the staff at East Riddlesden and The Mansion for being so easy to work with.

Wedding Band Leeds Behind the Scenes East Riddlesden Live Music Entertainment

Destination Duncombe Park

Posted on September 21, 2017 by funcontherocks

Duncombe Park, Helmsley, York was a new wedding destination to add to the long list of wedding venues that Func On The Rocks have performed at over the years; entertaining at weddings and corporate events.

Duncombe Park Wedding Venue Band Func on the Rocks Stately Home Live Band

The estate sits amongst 300 acres of parkland and shares its home with some very friendly sheep who are free to roam around the stunning grounds.

We passed the grand stately home and turned left, entering the enchanted forest. Our trail was illuminated by string of fairy lights which guided us to the wedding destination.
We set up the band equipment in the marquee as the staff arranged the finishing touches to the venue before the guests arrived.

Love Seat Bench Wedding Date Bride Groom

This wedding was made extra special for us as we performed with our horn section at the Father of the Bride’s birthday party a few years back in Bramham, North Yorkshire. We also caught up with Jeff and his partner Catherine when we performed at their friends’ wedding earlier this summer; so it was lovely to catch up with them and meet the rest of the family.

Wedding Band First Dance Live Music Marquee Entertainment

The bride and groom kept their first dance top secret so they could surprise all their friends and family. As soon as we sang the first few notes the crowd joined in and their suspense turned into a warmth for the happy couple as the danced to ‘You Got The Love’ by Florence and the Machine.

As requested we followed the first dance with the Pharrell Williams hit ‘Happy’, which went down a storm! The dance moves were in full swing and from then on the new Mr & Mrs and their guests danced the night away.

Live Music Wedding Band Dancing Dance Floor Wedding Guests

There Goes The Summer

Posted on September 11, 2017 by funcontherocks

The last weekend in August was met with glorious sunshine.
On Friday we returned to Priory Barn and Cottages which are situated on a secluded farm in North Yorkshire near Wetherby.
The luxury venue hosts a rang of individually designed cottages which are the perfect spot to unwind after a big day of wedding celebrations.
Func On The Rocks performed here during December 2016 so it was lovely to see the difference to the landscape and decor for a summer wedding – this venue is perfect all year round!

We set up the wedding band equipment on the stage behind a white curtain and once the wedding speeches had come to a close we put on some background music.

Live Music Wedding Gig Set up DJ Music

The guests had a bit of time to refresh themselves before the evening reception was announced. We gathered all family and friends around the edge of the dance floor to support the Bride and Groom as they performed their first dance as Husband and Wife. The happy couple chose a beautiful song ‘Over and Over Again’ by Nathan Sykes and were thrilled to see the Bridesmaids lead everyone on the dance floor for our first set of live music.

Dance Floor Dancing Live Band Music Wedding Leeds Func on the Rocks

As a special request the Best Man performed ‘Rocket Man’ by Elton John for the Bride and Groom, this added a personal touch to their evening and the crowd loved it!

Wedding Entertainment Guest Singer Rocket Man Leeds Band

The following day we headed from West Yorkshire to another Priory; this time Hodsock Priory in Blyth. The property is an historic country house set in beautiful gardens, which host an abundance of colourful wildflower.

We were given a little cottage to wait in until the wedding party had finished their wedding breakfast, then headed into the main room to set up whilst the staff turned the room around for the evening reception.

The Bride and Groom picked Florence and the Machine’s version of ‘You Got The Love’ for their first dance which got the guests ready for a boogie!

We kept the set modern, performing songs from Ed Sheehan, Beyoncé and Bruno Mars, and threw in a few funk classics including Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’ and Lionel Richie’s ‘Dancing on the Ceiling’ as they are guaranteed dance floor fillers.

Hodsock Priory Live Wedding Band Leeds

The following weekend we took a road trip to one of the Lake District’s most popular areas, Windermere.

Our debut performance at the Samling Hotel, Ambleside Road was a fantastic experience.

The newly refurbished wedding venue is breathtaking. Its interior decor is contemporary with a classic edge. Located on the top of a hill, the perfect spot for a couple looking for a magical wedding destination; the view of the lake below is breathtaking.

Lake Windermere Stunning Wedding Venue Live Music Band Leeds
We performed the couples first dance; an acoustic version of ‘Can’t Stop The Feeling’ as the Bride and Groom entered the room for the evening reception. Their guests filtered through and joined the couple on the dance floor where they stayed boogieing the night away.

During the second set of live music we performed some indie classics including ‘Mr Brightside’ by the Killers and ‘Sex On Fire’ by Kings of Leon, which went down really well. We we were impressed with the guests’ dance moves, who certainly knew how to let their hair down and rock out!

Live Music Dancing Wedding Dance Floor Leeds Band

All in all, an incredible two weeks of weddings around the UK. We are so happy to be able to share such a special day with our happy couples. Live music is the perfect way to get all friends and family celebrating together and we love to see this at every gig we do around England.

A huge congratulations to you all!

Midweek Matrimony

Posted on September 6, 2017 by funcontherocks

We love an unconventional wedding, something out of the ordinary and starting our weekend on a Tuesday definitely fits the bill.
Traveling up the A1 to one of our favourite venues and one of the North Easts most distinguished wedding locations, Middleton Lodge in Richmond.

Although we perform at Middleton Lodge frequently during wedding season this was our debut performance in the The Coach House.
The rustic and shabby chic decor was the perfect setting for our Bride and Groom, who added a personal touch to every step of their wedding day.

Instead of a wedding cake the couple presented each guest with their own miniature bottle of champagne. Gathered in the courtyard all friends and family shared a toast to the happy couple.
Jenny and Stephen have known each other since they were kids and were brought back together by true love as adults.

To make their first dance extra special they chose the epic 1980’s classic ‘Sweet Love’ by Anita Baker. Both Jenny and Stephen were 80’s babies and born within only a few days of each other, which some of the wedding guests didn’t know until that point.

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We were thrilled to see all their friends and family in high spirits and ready to rock the dance floor!

The glamorous bridesmaids were dripping in floor length golden sequin dresses. Each dress with its own individual touch, was the perfect compliment to the Bride’s silky golden locks and embellished wedding gown.

Bridesmaids Wedding Singer Middleton Lodge Richmond North Yorkshire

The proud Father of the Bride was beaming all night long as he danced with his daughter and was our biggest fan, never leaving the dance floor!

Father of the Bride Dance Floor Proud

On Wednesday (the new Saturday) we took a trip from Leeds to Staffordshire. A stunning rural setting with lush countryside which reached as far as the eye could see and home to some beautiful, majestic animals.

Countryside Wedding Venue Rural Horses Sheep Ashes Barn Leeds

The Ashes Barn overlooked a glistening lake. As we were setting up and the sun was setting over the lake we spotted a flock of birds come to land on the clear water, it was a magical sight.

In the sister barn the Bride and Groom had organised a bouncy castle for the little ones (and energetic adults) which looked great fun and was a lovely unique touch to their day.

Wedding Bouncy Castle Kids Entertainment Music Leeds

Most of the guests were also from Leeds so we knew they would be up for a party!

The Bride and Groom chose Lionel Richie’s ‘I Call it Love’ for their first dance together as husband and wife and asked us to follow it with Prince ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover’ which was the perfect choice to get everybody grooving on the dance floor.

We kept our set varied with lots of different genres and eras of music and made sure to pick the songs which would keep everyone on the dance floor.

Dancing Wedding Guests Leeds Staffordshire the Barn Disco Live Music

The new Mr & Mrs requested us to finish the night with Take That’s ‘Never Forget’. The crowd sang along with love for the happy couple, it was a truly memorable moment.

We could definitely get used to midweek weddings as they were so much fun!
As a function band it’s our job to bring all the guests together for the evening reception and keep them boogieing all night long and these guys sure made our job easy for us.

Band Live Music Wedding Dancing Leeds Wedding Entertainment

Bank Holiday boogie

Posted on August 30, 2017 by funcontherocks

Another busy bank holiday weekend for Func On The Rocks! But today we’re looking back at another triple whammy weekend.
Friday was the return to one of our favourite Yorkshire venues; The Great Barn at East Riddlesden Hall. The romantic barn overlooks the duck pond and idyllic grounds which are owned by the National Trust.

East Riddlesden Hall Yorkshire Wedding Venue

The stage is curtained off during the wedding breakfast, which means we can sneak into the venue set up discreetly.
After the speeches we opened the curtains to reveal the live band set up so the guests knew the evening reception was underway!

The bride and groom chose ‘Baby I’m yours’ by the Arctic Monkeys for their first dance which we performed live. We then invited the happy couples friends and family up onto the dance floor for the evening celebrations.

East Riddlesden Hall Yorkshire Wedding Venue Live Band

As the bride and groom said their goodbyes to their loved ones we played ‘Unstoppable’ by Lianne La Havas which was the perfect finish to a beautiful day.

Yorkshire Wedding Band

Saturday was a long road trip from Leeds to Clissold Park Mansions in London.
This wedding was made extra special as our lead vocalist Cherie, who went to school with the bride and her ‘unofficial’ bridesmaids in Teesside and they were all very excited to have a dance to the live music.

Clissold Park House Mansions Wedding Venue London

The bride and groom had their initial wedding ceremony in the Scottish Hebrides and arranged an intimate celebration for their close friends and family at the park.
There was an array of personal touches at the wedding including a ‘Bake off Table’ which hosted an array of delicious desserts and treats homemade by the guests. The father of the bride serenaded guests on the piano during the Mediterranean buffet and the tables were decorated with stunning colourful wildflower.
As the sun went down the sky became an electric blanket of reds and oranges, it was a spectacular sight and the perfect indication to move friends and family inside for party time!

Clissold Park London Wedding Band

Instead of a first dance the bride and groom asked us to play ‘Where You Lead’ by Carole King. We performed the special song at the start of the second set and it was so lovely to hear everyone singing along with huge smiles on their faces.

Bride and Groom with Wedding Band Singers

To finish our trio of weddings we traveled to Heaton House Farm in Macclesfield Cheshire.
This was a new venue for us so we were very impressed with the beautiful venue and really helpful staff.
Our drummer was over the moon to have his very own drum platform on the stage.
We even spotted ourselves on the unique rustic itinerary board.

Rustic Wedding Itinerary Board

After performing the couples first dance the groom’s brother took to the microphone and said a few moving words and then surprised the groom with a Birthday cake for his 30th birthday! The best man joked that the bride had picked that day for their wedding so the groom would never forget their anniversary 🙂

Mr & Mrs Cunningham had prepared their wedding to last detail to make sure on the day they could sit back, relax and enjoy every moment. They were in very safe hands, as the team at Heaton House Farm went above and beyond to ensure the Bride and Groom had an incredible day which ran effortlessly from start to finish.

White Van Man

Posted on August 13, 2017 by funcontherocks

Well it’s been an eventful few weeks for Func On The Rocks! We sadly had to say goodbye to Pauline our big red van, who has safely escorted us to gigs up and down the UK for the past four years. From Leeds to Glasgow, Somerset and The Isle of Man (to name but a few).
We met our new van Roda the Renault… who has very quickly settled into the function band family and is a big hit with the band mascot, Charlie.

White van man

We were thrilled to be taking our first trip in style returning to the North East’s historic Durham Castle for a wedding event.
Durham is such a stunning city with so much history and charm. The River Wear looping around the Romanesque Durham Cathedral and Norman Durham Castle; the perfect spot for our bride and groom Kirsty and Danny to celebrate their marriage.

Durham Castle Wedding Venue

Durham Castle Wedding Breakfast

We set up our band equipment in the magnificent Great Hall, on the large stage at the back of the room ready for the evening’s wedding reception.

Durham Castle Wedding Live Music Stage

After announcing the cutting of the cake we got the guests around the dance floor to await the happy couple’s first dance as husband and wife.

We were in awe of Kirsty’s incredibly unique pale green wedding dress which was complimented by the floor length rose bridesmaid dresses.

Kirsty and Danny showed off their quirky and fun personalities with a mash up of ‘Close to You’ by The Carpenters and the Rocky Horror Picture Show classic ‘The Time Warp’. Friends and family joined the newlyweds on the dance floor and showed us their best Time Warp moves which turned into an infectious dance off!
This set the bar pretty high for the rest of the evening’s dance moves but they were definitely up for the challenge.

Durham Castle Wedding Guests Dancing

Mr & Mrs Roberts told us their favourite tunes in advance so we could design their special day playlist around their personal taste and family favourites including Michael Jackson, Ed Sheeran and Foo Fighters.

During the second set of live music the guests most certainly let their hair down and boogied the night away until midnight.

Dance Floor Wedding Guests Dancing

We performed ‘You Got The Love’ by Florence and the Machine as the encore and dedicated it to the happy couple with friends and family singing along. The perfect finish to a perfect day.

Thanks so much to the Durham Castle staff who we very helpful and such a pleasure to work alongside. We hope to return to the North East of England again soon.

Durham Castle Night Lights

An old fav(e) of ours

Posted on July 15, 2017 by funcontherocks

It was party time again for us on Friday! The Faversham, is a super cool, live music space in the heart of Leeds City Centre so it was the perfect spot for our birthday boy and girl Graeme and Debbie.

Party Band Faversham Venue Leeds West Yorkshire

Not only was it a double birthday party but also an occasion to celebrate their retirement. Graeme had only just started his retirement a few hours before the event started!

Birthday Party Faversham Leeds

We first met at Debbie and Graeme as mother and father of the bride at their daughter, Laura’s wedding day last July in Leeds.

So we knew to expect a super fun crowd who would get that dance floor cooking.

After the champagne reception in the stunning conservatory and the evening buffet had been devoured, the guests began to filter into the band room.

Live Party Band Leeds Faversham

We started our first set with the iconic Jocelyn Brown belter- ‘Somebody Else’s Guy’. We managed to grab everybody’s attention during the piano and vocals introduction, so by the time the groove kicked in, all friends, family and colleagues knew it was definitely boogie time!

The Faversham has a great event space with a huge dance floor so everyone got to show off their best moves in style.

Our horn players were on fire and got the crowd bouncing during their solos in Stevie Wonder’s Superstition. The live music was kept energetic and funky with a nice mix of old classics and modern hits from Paul Simon’s ‘Call Me Al’ to Kings of Leon’s ‘Sex on Fire’. Which kept everyone on the dance floor all night long.

Live Band Brass Leeds

After getting the crowd to sing along to Happy Birthday, the Birthday duo blew us away with their amazing swinging retro moves to the 1960’s hit ‘Do You Love Me’ by the Contours which certainly encouraged the other guests to up their game and get creative on the dance floor!

A huge Happy Birthday to the gorgeous couple from Func On The Rocks. We hope you have an incredible retirement together and that you and your guests had as much fun as we did at your party.

Live Party Band Leeds Singers

We loved performing at The Faversham, not only was it local and a great space, but we were so impressed with how helpful and professionally the venue is run. A special shout out to George who was incredibly kind and supportive as we set up, sound checked and packed down. It makes such a difference to work alongside passionate and incredibly lovely staff so thank you and we hope to work alongside you again soon.

Happy birthday to you

Posted on July 10, 2017 by funcontherocks

Another busy week last week for the Func On The Rocks crew! Friday night was the 60th birthday celebrations for Tonie. The last time we saw this lovely lady was on her son’s wedding day at Holdsworth House two years ago.

We were thrilled to see the happy couple again, along with their new addition to the family; nine month old Matilda.

60th Birthday Party Live Band Huddersfield Football Club

We arrived at Huddersfield training ground to see the venue had been beautifully decorated with gold balloons awaiting the party to commence.

The celebrations got underway at 7pm with friends and family travelling far and wide to make sure they joined in the fun with the birthday girl.

Dance floor birthday party Huddersfield Training Ground

We kept the music quite old school as we knew our birthday girl liked a bit of Northern Soul and the Commitments.

The crowd let their hair down to some soul classics and sang along with us to The Jackson 5 and Whitney Houston.

On Saturday morning our piano player Lee, and vocalist Cherie, took the scenic route from Leeds to North Yorkshire’s High Birstwith.

The grand marquee was awaiting its guests in anticipation and were lucky enough to set up for our duo performance in the sunshine.

Marquee Wedding Reception Pianist Live Music

After the wedding ceremony at a separate location the guests started to arrive. Friends and family were guided down the pink carpet for the drinks reception by beautiful, individual plant pots.

Wedding Marquee Yorkshire

Wedding Breakfast Marquee Yorkshire

We serenaded the guests with some memorable jazz songs and easy listening classics as they sipped their champagne and congratulated the bride and groom on their marriage.

After the speeches and wedding breakfast the rest of the band arrived at the venue, including saxophonist and trumpet player Jake and Jonny.

Wedding Band Live Music Piano

Live Music Wedding Band Function Marquee

After the cutting of the unique ‘cheese’ cake we announced Grace and Ben’s first dance as husband and wife. They picked the U2 hit ‘With or Without You’ as their special song and as they gazed into each other’s eyes they sang along to every word.

Friends and family joined the happy couple on the dance floor and soon enough the evening reception was in full swing.

Live Wedding Band Music Leeds Yorkshire

No warming up necessary for these guys, they were ready to boogie!!
The dance floor was filled with the stunning lilac bridesmaid dresses swinging from left to right and some incredible dance moves could be seen throughout the marquee. I’m sure the wedding photographers got some amazing shots!

We kept the repertoire varied from Michael Jackson to Clean Bandit.
After the crowd cheered for more at the end of the second set of live music, we decided to get everyone to sing along to Dirty Dancing’s ‘Time of My Life’. The dance floor erupted with nostalgic energy. It was an incredible sight!

Wedding Marquee Party Live Music

Thanks to everyone at Huddersfield Town, The Yorkshire Club and the staff at Grace and Ben’s wedding, it’s such a pleasure to work alongside such professionals. We hope to see you all again soon for some more musical fun.

Bride and Groom Wedding Singers

Road trip to Essex

Posted on June 27, 2017 by funcontherocks

At 9am we set off on our journey from Leeds, West Yorkshire down South on the A1 to sunny Essex. Our bass player Chris was super excited as he is an Essex boy himself so was looking forward to visiting his home town.

Func on the Rocks function band

We arrived at Boreham House, Chelmsford and made our way to the marquee round the side of the Manor House to set up on the band equipment and organise plans with the Events Manager for the wedding day of Mr & Mrs Heighway.

Boreham House Wedding Venue Chelmsford Essex

Monique and Craig's Wedding Marquee Essex

The wedding ceremony was held in the magnificent Manor House, followed by the drinks reception on the lawn overlooking spectacular views. We managed to spot a little fawn under a tree! Which we were very excited about.

The guests were led into the grand marquee for speeches given by the Father of the Bride, Groom and Best Man. Smoothly followed by wedding breakfast, the cutting of the cake and Monique and Craig‘s first dance as husband and wife.

Monique and Craig Bride and Groom with wedding singers

We were so thrilled to see everyone spilling onto the dance floor from our first song. The groomsmen called out for Stevie Wonder so we obliged and performed Superstition whilst the guests showed off their best moves!

Dance floor singer

After our first set of live music we managed to catch up with Jackie, the mother of the bride who had been conversing with our Manager Annie when booking the band to make sure everything was perfect for her daughter’s big day. Jackie couldn’t have been more welcoming and friendly to Func On The Rocks; and after chatting with Mum and Dad, we soon felt like new additions to the family!

Mother and Father of the Bride

Once the sun had gone down friends and family were guided outside to watch a spectacular firework display; it was truly breathtaking and a highlight of the evening wedding reception entertainment.

Fireworks

By the second set of our party music the night was in full swing. We made sure to include all of the bride and grooms favourite songs and special requests, which were guaranteed dance floor fillers.

The saxophone and trumpet solos enticed the guests to release their inhibitions and boogie the night away in style!

Wedding Live Music Band Trumpet Singer Guitar

Towards the end of the set we heard cries from the bridesmaids and groomsmen to perform some Fleetwood Mac, so for our encore we played a special rendition of the classic ‘Everywhere’, and we encouraged all the guests to sing along. It was a very special moment.

As northerners we really were blown away by the hospitality and kindness of the staff and managers at Boreham House. The Giordmaina family could not have been more accommodating and lovely, we really hope to be back down to Essex and Boreham House again soon!

Some kind words from the Mother of the Bride:
“Hi Annie, I would like to say a BIG thank you to the band on Saturday, they were just brilliant.
The stage was full all the time they were on. Everyone commented how good they were,and they enjoyed them so much. You must be proud of them.
We wish the band good wishes for the future and I for one would recommend them to anyone who wants a band.
Take care Annie
Kind Regards
Jackie Giordmaina”