Gorgeous Autumnal Weddings

Posted on November 26, 2017 by funcontherocks

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

Posted on October 25, 2017 by funcontherocks

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

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!

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

Magnificent marquee wedding

Posted on June 12, 2017 by funcontherocks

Congratulations to everyone who took part and supported ITU World Triathlon in Leeds this weekend, truly inspirational athletes.

We were aware roads around the City Centre would be closed for the event, however luckily for us we only had to make a short trip to one of Yorkshire’s little gems – Ilkley.

We were stunned to see Ilkley Golf Club green had been transformed into a Wedding Wonderland.

The Marquee was beautifully decorated with delicate summer wildflowers and embellished with charming bunting, which was handmade by the Mother of the Bride. The Father of the bride designed stunning planters, which were gracefully poised at the entrance to the marquee.

The personal touch made Ilkley Golf Club the perfect setting for our Bride and Groom Jen and Rich.

Ilkley Golf Club Wedding Marquee

Whilst the guests enjoyed a cool glass of Pimms our boys performed a jazz trio ensemble; playing some well-loved Jazz standards and Rat Pack favorites including Autumn Leaves, Summertime and Fly Me To The Moon.

The trio played ‘The Girl from Ipanema’ as a special request for the Bride and head Bridesmaid to bring back memories of their time together in Brazil.

After the wedding breakfast and speeches Func On The Rocks we ready to get the party started and begin the evening reception.

The happy couple performed their first dance as husband and wife and chose one of our favorite Van Morrison classics Moondance.

Mr & Mrs Bean had perfected their unique dance routine, which stunned all their friends and family. It set the bar when it came to dancing for the evening!

Jen and Rich Wedding First Dance

The guests were certainly up for the dancing challenge and joined the newlyweds on the dance floor with delight, they even brought a blow up sheep with them which we found hilarious.

Yorkshire Wedding Party

Wedding Band Horns

After our first set we had a catch up with some familiar faces Cathrine and Jeff. We performed at Jeff’s Birthday party in Bramham Village Hall a few years ago and always spot the gorgeous couple on the dance floor at The Bramham Summer Ball at Bowcliffe Hall.

We will be performing at Jeff’s daughters wedding in September, which we are really looking forward to.

Familiar faces

We also had a chat with England Rugby star Phil Dowson and his beautiful fiancée Dani who are getting married in 4 weeks. Good luck guys we know your Wedding day will be incredible!

Wedding Singers with Phil Dowson

By the second set of live music the full moon was out in full glory, as were the extra special dance moves from Jen and Rich and their friends and family. There was such a sense of love and friendship on the dance floor, a truly humbling sight for us.

Wedding Band Dance Floor

Leeds Wedding Band Singers

To bring the live music to a close we got the crowd to sing their hearts out with us and I’m sure the passion in their voices could be heard for miles around.

Jen and Rich Wedding Ilkley Golf Club

Thanks so much to everyone for helping Jen and Rich celebrate their big day, I’m sure they will look back with such fond memories as their day was pure perfection from start to finish.

Bride and Groom Dance Floor

Lots of love to you both Mr & Mrs. Bean, we wish you a lifetime of happiness together.

Jen and Rich Wedding Ilkley Golf Club

Same time next year!

Posted on September 6, 2013 by funcontherocks

A great night was had by all at the recent charity event Bramham Ball raising funds for some amazing local causes. The crowd were unbelievable, dancing long into the wee small hours. The night also featured some other fab entertainment including mind-boggling magic and there was even a local celebrity (see if you can spot them!). We had such a ball that we’ll be back to do it all again next year, so get your dancing shoes ready and we’ll see you there.

With thanks to everyone involved in putting on such a great event, and to Pixrich Photography who captured the evening perfectly.

“We booked Func on the Rocks for Bramham Ball this July, raising funds for local charities. They surpassed all expectations and were one of the major reasons why the Ball was so successful. Their unbounded energy and enthusiasm and their ability to keep the dance floor full and buzzing all night meant we had no hesitation in booking them immediately for next year’s Ball. One of our guests booked them soon afterwards for a Birthday party and we can’t wait to hear them again. Great guys, great musicians, great choice of songs = a great night enjoyed by all!” – Nick Hall, Bramham Ball 2013