Category Archives: Music

Winter to Spring catch up

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We have loved performing at some beautiful winter weddings over the past few months and loved travelling to some new stunning wedding venues such as The Mill Barns in Bridgnorth and The Tithe Barn, Bolton Abbey.

We have also revisited one of our favourite seaside spots; Seaham Hall in Durham, enjoyed performing at our annual visit to Woodsome Hall Golf Club for the Captain’s Farewell Ball and revisiting our home from home venue; Middleton Lodge Estate.

Wedding First Dance Tithe Barn Bolton AbbeyWedding Party Tithe Barn Bolton AbbeyChristmas Party Band Aspire Leeds Venue

2019 has also brought along with it some very exciting news for our band members!

We are thrilled to announce that our bass player, Christopher Glanville and drummer, Stephen Drinkwater and both engaged to be married. The happy Grooms to be will be planning a Summer Wedding by the seaside and a cosy Yorkshire Winter Wedding for their beautiful Brides to be.

As we are lucky enough to have performed at so many prestigious and glorious wedding venues all around the country and UK, I am sure the happy couples will have no trouble with their wedding planning. If there is one thing we know, it’s how to ensure a perfect wedding ceremony, wedding reception and wedding party – not to mention their perfect wedding band. And I am sure we could help out with choosing all the bridesmaids and groomsmen too 😊.

Our vocalist Cherie Gears is also excited to share that she is expecting her first baby, which is due at the end of May. I think Cherie’s baby is guaranteed to be a musician as the baby is already dancing around at all our gigs!

So as you can tell it’s all go for Func On The Rocks this year.

As the days are getting lighter and warmer, we can now feel the buzz of wedding season approaching us and we are delighted to start the season with a wedding fayre at one of our favourite venues Rise Hall in Rise, East Riding.

This beautiful venue caters for weddings, parties and corporate events. We love returning to Rise Hall as we know everything always runs smoothly, the wedding guests fill the dance floor and the event organisers are always an absolute delight to work alongside. We are lucky enough to be performing at Rise Hall throughout the year so if you haven’t checked out this stunning venue yet come along and say hello to us at their wedding fayre on Sunday 28th of April.

Wedding Band Rise Hall Yorkshire

One of the best things about being in a live music party band, is the ability to keep ourselves flexible, so we can accommodate the music requirements for any event.

From our core six member line up, all the way up to our deluxe 10 piece, which features three vocalists, and horn section – saxophone, trumpet and trombone and of course everything in between, we love to be able to tailor any event to the requirements of an individual. This luxury means we have at our fingertips, a pool of incredibly talented musicians who love to join us for special occasions.

First Dance WeddingWedding Band SingersBrass Section

The Func On The Rocks family keeps on growing, and now we are lucky enough to have the incredible vocalist Louie McDonald join our team. Louie has an incredible punchy pop and soul sound and can fill any room with her energetic vocals and personality. This girl guarantees a full dance floor for your guests as soon as she starts singing! Which is perfect for us.

Bring on Summer time!

Louie McDonald Cherie Gears vocalists

Festive Fun

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On the second week of Christmas the weekend came early for us, as we were performing in the heart of Leeds City Centre at Aspire on Thursday.

Aspire is a premier, private event space which hosts an array of prestigious events throughout the year.

We set up on the stage alongside the DJ before the guests arrived.

The venue entrance had been transformed into a winter wonderland. Along with a log cabin interior affect and festive decorations; the guests knew they were in for a Christmas treat!

Christmas Party Aspire Leeds Live Music Dance Floor

Things were made extra Christmassy, as once the guests sat down for their meal, the heavens decided to open outside the venue and a beautiful shower of snow began to fall from the sky.

We performed our first set of live music at 10pm. It wasn’t hard to get these guys on the dance floor as they had already been warmed up by the very attentive DJ, Mike.

We performed some funky classics such as Play That Funky Music by Wild Cherry and modern dance floor fillers including Katy Perry and Pharrell’s summer hit ‘Feels’, to keep the guests glued to the dance floor.

Christmas Party Aspire Leeds Live Music Dance Floor

To start our second set we decided to perform Mariah Carey’s iconic ‘All I want for Christmas’ – which really got the guests going! Singing at the top of their lungs we carried on the festive celebrations until midnight, handing the baton back to their DJ so they could continue the celebrations until 1am.

Christmas Party Aspire Leeds Live Music Dance Floor

On Saturday the 9th of December we headed North back to one of our favourite north-east wedding venues, Middleton Lodge in Richmond.

Middleton Lodge Band Set Up Wedding Venue Leeds Live Music

To make their winter wedding extra personal the first dance was performed by one of their guests, who just happens to be the big brother of the musician and songwriter John Newman.

John Newman is best known for his tracks ‘Love me Again’ and for his collaboration with Rudimental on ‘Not Giving in’ and ‘Feel the Love’.

The Bride and Groom chose James Arthur’s ‘Say you Wont Let Go’ for their first dance which James’s husky and passionate voice was perfect for.

The newlyweds requested we follow this with Jess Glynne’s number one hit ‘Hold My Hand’. This was the perfect choice as it immediately got all their friends and family up on the dance floor.

Middleton Lodge Wedding Venue Party Leeds Live Music Dancing

We continued the live music with a mixture of Motown, pop and funky house covers, requested by the new Mr and Mrs.

We finished our second set with a dedication to the Bride and Groom, getting them in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by all their loved ones as we all sang together ‘You Got The love’ by Florence and The Machine.

Middleton Lodge Wedding Venue Party Leeds Live Music Dancing

We always love returning to Middleton Lodge as we know the staff will always take amazing care of their clients and their guests to ensure each wedding is flawless and unique.

See you again soon!

All aboard the Xmas train

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Hurray! Christmas party season is in full swing and Func On The Rocks have been kicking off the festivities up and down the country.

During the first weekend in December we travelled southwest to one of Leeds neighbouring cities, Manchester. Worsley Park Marriott Hotel and Country Club had been transformed into a Las Vegas fun house; the red, black and white colour scheme, life size golden Oscars and a red carpet to escort guests into the function room created a truly glamorous setting for the event.

Christmas Party Oscars Live Music Marriott Hotel Manchester

The venue was also sprinkled with festive charm, including shimmering Christmas trees and winter wonderland garlands draped around the room.

Christmas Party Decorations Live Band Music Manchester Marriott Hotel

After a drinks reception the guests sat down for a three-course meal. Once their mains had been cleared the audience were surprised by three singing waiters; the trio performed a mixture of musical theatre, opera and 1960’s favourites.

The singing waiters were the perfect way to warm up the audience and prepare them for an evening of dancing fun!

Instead of our usual two sets of live music, the organiser asked us to perform one large set. This worked out perfectly as the guests were able to boogie to their favourite tunes without being interrupted.

As it was a mixed group of ages we decided to keep the live music varied throughout our set; including classics such as Jackson Five’s ‘Want You Back’, modern dance floor fillers ‘Uptown Funk’ by Bruno Mars and ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’ Justin Timberlake. We couldn’t help but play some Christmas favourites too, Mariah Carey’s ‘All I want for Christmas’ and glam rock band Slade’s ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’.

Live Music Christmas Party Dancing Marriott Hotel Christmas Classics

The dance floor spilled out into all corners of the room as the guests strutted their best dance moves.

Full Dance Floor Christmas Party Marriott Hotel Manchester Live Music Yorkshire

Thanks to all the staff at The Marriott Hotel and to Arena Entertainment, who took very good care of us.

On the first Saturday in December we had a local event in the beautiful town of Harrogate in North Yorkshire. The event took place at the Majestic Hotel, which is a stunning venue and perfect for large events. We have performed many times at this wedding and corporate location, including last years New Years Eve party.

For this event we arrived early and set up our equipment in the adjacent room to where the guests would be dining. The room looked sensational, as all the walls had been covered in a glistening star curtain; the LED light backdrop created a truly magical effect.

Live Music Christmas Party Glistening Backdrop Majestic Hotel Harrogate

We went on stage at 10pm after the guests had finished their evening meal.

The band kicked off with James Brown classic ‘I Feel Good’ to draw the guests into the party room. As the guests flooded onto the dance floor it was clear that Christmas party time was well and truly here!

The dance floor sparkled with stunning sequin ball gowns and suit jackets which added to the festive decorations, which twinkled around the room.

Majestic Hotel Harrogate Xmas Party Live Music Dancing Winter Wonderland

We had a fantastic time performing at the Majestic Hotel and look forward to coming back in a couple of weeks for another Christmas ball.

Winter Wonderland

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Christmas came early for Func on the Rocks this year. Starting with a magical snowflake ball on Friday the 24th of November, at the Royal Armouries for the annual Burberry Christmas Party.

The Royal Armouries Museum sits proudly within the complex of Leeds Dock located in the heart of Leeds, West Yorkshire. The huge museum displays the National Collection of Arms and Armour along with hosting an array of corporate events. The Burberry Christmas ball catered for 400 guests who arrived in style; beautiful sequin dresses and black tie.

The evening certainly got everyone in the Christmas spirit. Huge snowflakes fell from the ceiling along which with glistening blue fairy lights, each table was decorated with a large snowball and glistening blue and shining Christmas crackers.

Christmas Ball Snowflakes Party Live Music Leeds Royal Armouries Xmas Event

We performed our first set at 9.45pm, kicking off the show with our rendition of Jocelyn Brown’s ‘Somebody Else’s Guy’ including the famous vocal piano introduction to grab their attention and draw the crowd onto the dance floor.

Christmas Party Royal Armouries Leeds Live Music Jocelyn Brown Dancing

Our plan worked! The guests flooded onto the dance floor and began to show us their funky moves. We kept the live music up beat and groovy so we could keep the guests up on their feet from start to finish.

Our second set of live music brought the evening to a close. To make sure we finished the night in style, we performed ‘Sex on Fire’ by Kings of Leon as the encore and make sure everyone in the room was jumping and singing their hearts out. It was an amazing sight.

Christmas Party Dancing Dancefloor Best Function Band Leeds Royal Armouries

Really looking forward to a fun filled December of Christmas events, parties and festive weddings as we step into the Christmas countdown.

Christmas countdown Royal Armouries Leeds Live Singers Entertainment Party

Gorgeous Autumnal Weddings

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As a wedding band we have noticed October is a becoming a very popular month for a couple to tie the knot; and we are not surprised!

The beautiful autumn colours, crisp clean air and clear skies add an extra magical touch, which provide the perfect setting for a new Mr & Mrs.

Over the past couple of weeks we have entertained at some gorgeous wedding venues.

We are very lucky to have an incredible family of singers; therefore we can always count on a singing sensation to lead our Yorkshire based party band. On the 21st of October our band was lead by singing sisters, Melody Reed and Marina Gears.

Wedding Singers Live Music Party Band Leeds Holdsworth House Halifax

The stunning Wedding venue, Holdsworth House Hotel and Restaurant in Halifax was the perfect location for our newlyweds autumnal wedding.

The Bride and Groom chose an intimate performance of ‘Northern Sky’ by Maximo Park for their first dance as Husband and Wife. To make this moment extra special for the happy couple, our live rendition was performed as a duet by vocalist Melody Reed and guitarist Jake Whitehouse. The new Mr & Mrs danced beautifully to the duos rendition of their personal song.

This memorable moment was then followed by a special request from the Bride. The full band kicked in with the 1970’s Van Morrison classic ‘Brown Eyed Girl’. The Bride danced to this song with another very important man in her life; her father! The proud Father of the Bride had a wonderful time dancing with his little girl to a live performance of their special song.

The evening continued with a dance-floor full of smiling faces all there to celebrate the marriage of Amanda and Matt.

Live First Dance Yorkshire Wedding Band Party Holdsworth House Dancing

Func On The Rocks thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the bride and grooms special day and would like to wish the happy couple a lifetime of happiness together.

On the 28th of October, Func On The Rocks headed up North from Leeds to one of our most visited wedding venue’s Middleton Lodge in Richmond.

The Bride first encountered Func On The Rocks at her sisters wedding in August 2016 at Eshott Hall, Northumberland and as she had such a good time listening to the live music she decided to book Func On The Rocks for her own wedding too.

She could then sit back and relax knowing she had picked a wedding band whom would stop at nothing to make sure their special day was unforgettable.

The huge illuminated initials of the Bride and Groom ‘K and J’ sat proudly on the dance floor and looked fantastic!

K&J Wedding Illuminations Dance Floor Middleton Lodge Wedding Party Band

We loved the earthy theme to this wedding; with wedding cake stand being a huge round tree stump and the gorgeous decorations around the wedding reception marquee.

Wedding Cake Autmnal Middleton Lodge Live Music Func On The Rocks

The Bride and Groom chose a very upbeat, feel good first dance; The 1966 hit ‘I’m A Believer’ by the Monkeys.

We were very excited to perform this live as we knew it would get the guests ready for an evening of dancing.

It was such a thrill to watch the couple have so much fun on the dance-floor and the friends and family of the Bride and Groom just couldn’t wait to get up and join in!

Wedding Party Crazy Dancing Bride and Groom Middleton Lodge Live Party Band Leeds

The Great Barn

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On Friday the 29th of September we were back at one of our favourite Yorkshire venues ‘The Great Barn at East Riddlesden Hall’ in Keighley.

This was our second visit to the very popular wedding venue this month, performing there just a fortnight earlier.

The majestic wooden beams in the barn were draped in sparkling warm gold fairy lights, which glistened on the grand stone walls.

Gorgeous Wedding Venue East Riddlesden Hall Live Music Band Leeds

The Bride wore a truly elegant gown with exquisite detail and a stunning low back. The wedding dress was complemented by the Bridesmaid’s floor-length cappuccino coloured dresses, which added an extra touch of elegance.

The wedding breakfast and speeches were followed by the cutting of the cake, which then ran smoothly into the Bride and Groom’s first dance as husband and wife, which we performed live.

Live First Dance Dua Lipa Bride Groom Leeds Function Band

Although our groom Adrian is a huge Dire Straits fan, the newlyweds settled on Dua Lipa’s 2015 hit – ‘Be The One’ as their first dance.

Dua Lipa’s latest single ‘New Rules’ hit number one in the charts this August making her the first solo female UK artist to get a number one single since Adele.

As friends and family joined the Bride and Groom on the dance floor we knew they were definitely ready to celebrate with a bit of boogie time!

The dance floor was accompanied by some beautiful light up letters spelling out LOVE, which gave the groovers their very own spotlight!

Love Lights Music First Dance Leeds Wedding Band

We continued with the live music after a short DJ break – remembering to add some Dire Straits hits for our Groom.

The crowd were now in full swing so we kept the second set modern with a few 90’s classics including ‘Show me Love’ Robin S and some indie favourites such as ‘Mr.Brightside’ by the Killers.

Grooving Dancing East Riddlesden Live Band Yorkshire Encore

As the guests called out for more we made sure to get everyone together for a sing-along encore, and rocked out to Queen’s ‘Don’t stop me now’.

Another fabulous wedding at East Riddlesden, we look forward to seeing you again soon.

New Stunning Coastline Venue

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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

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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

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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

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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!