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Monthly Archives: July 2014

5 Return To Wroxall Abbey

It’s always a pleasure to play on our home turf in the West Midlands, and even more so playing one of our favourite Warwickshire wedding venues – Wroxall Abbey! Returning for our 2nd live show of the year, this time as a 5-piece, the ornate surroundings felt all the more familiar. Of course, this familiarity with the venue helps the band get off to a relaxed start!

Have I Told You Lately?

The first dance was Van Morrison’s Have I Told You Lately. Our version borrows from the Rod Stewart rendition of the track, and made a beautiful song for a first dance. It’s a classic, and a great way to kick off the dancing.

Kicking into the early evening songs, a double guitar lineup made short work of a lively Sweet Home Alabama rendition, with pop tracks like Jessie J’s Pricetag making their appearances to a bustling dance floor.

Upping The Tempo

As the night drew on, the tempos and the energy built. A few not-so-regular tracks made their appearances, including our rendition of Love Machine, which sits somewhere between the Arctic Monkey’s version and that of Girls Aloud: much fun!

The night drew to a rapturous close, the band’s renditions of Summer Of ’69 and Don’t Look Back In Anger left the audience wanting more. A delightful night, and one that leaves us looking forward to our next trip to Wroxall Abbey (next February at the time of writing!)

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It’s always a pleasure to play on our home turf in the West Midlands, and even more so playing one of our favourite Warwickshire wedding venues – Wroxall Abbey! Returning for our 2nd live show of the year, this time as a 5-piece, the ornate surroundings felt all the more […]

26/07/2014

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The Vegetarian Option – Wedding In Quorn

Tonight our merry band of CoverUps found themselves playing at a wedding in the little village of QUORN just outside Loughborough, Leicestershire. The bride and groom were a pleasure to work for, and as we tucked into our very welcome pig roast buns a polite young waitress turned up with a big tray of complimentary brownie and cheesecake which we thankfully duly scoffed (photo at the end).

Don’t Get Your Kickers In A Twist

I couldn’t help but notice the poster below that was hanging by the dance floor. I didn’t notice any underwear but I was quite busy.

Perfect Weather For A Campfire Wedding

It was a really lovely campfire style marquee wedding in a beautiful farmers field and was made even more perfect for the lucky couple by being bathed in God given 30’c sunshine that turned into a beautiful sunset for the photos. We’re always really chuffed for the bride and groom get the best out of the weather: it almost seems like a reward for all the hard work wedding planning.

We really enjoyed our time in Quorn, and I might even try some for my tea in honour of the little place.

[pwaplusphp album=”QuornWeddingJuly2014″]

Tonight our merry band of CoverUps found themselves playing at a wedding in the little village of QUORN just outside Loughborough, Leicestershire. The bride and groom were a pleasure to work for, and as we tucked into our very welcome pig roast buns a polite young waitress turned up with […]

26/07/2014

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The Captain’s Summer Ball – Aston Wood Golf Club

It’s always a pleasure driving up to a great golf course. The feeling of space and nature that envelops you as you make your way onto the grounds is always a delight. Aston Wood Golf Club in Sutton Coldfield is no exception – the 18 hole course set in 300 acres of rolling West Midlands countryside really is idyllic.

A Spectacular Room

A recent addition to the facilities at Aston Wood Golf Club is the Fotherly Suite – and truly lovely it is too. Wooden construction around a modern, yet elegant room made not only a wonderful space to be in, but the acoustics around the dance floor made it a great place for us to play.

Once again playing alongside a DJ – this time the Club’s House DJ – the band were there to set the tone and keep the diverse audience moving. Comprised of Golfers and self proclaimed Golf Widows, the demographic was pretty much as wide as they come with all manner of guests there. And so, to play a variety of tunes to please them all – this was the challenge!

Lively Dancing Songs

With the full 5-piece lineup, the set list could stray into the popper end of the spectrum, though it’s safe to say that the classics were what really got this audience going. We love playing all manner of music, but when a particular track – this time one of Michael Jackson’s finest – brings everyone to the dance floor it makes for a really fun night. Check out our photos from the night below – taken by our good friend the DJ!

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It’s always a pleasure driving up to a great golf course. The feeling of space and nature that envelops you as you make your way onto the grounds is always a delight. Aston Wood Golf Club in Sutton Coldfield is no exception – the 18 hole course set in 300 […]

19/07/2014

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Back At Hinckley Island Hotel With P&G

It’d been a couple of years, though it hardly seems like yesterday the band were rolling up to the Hinckley Island Hotel, Leicestershire for our show with Proctor and Gamble. The room had an air of familiarity, though packed with more consultants and a fully modernised set – the stage was ready for the band to rock!

Rocking The Conference

These events are always great fun. However much energy is put into engaging the delegates during the day, they’re there to learn, get up to speed on the products, to focus. The presentations are usually injected with suitable amounts of humour, they’re all full multi-media presentations: but when we come on, it’s time to cut loose!

Always ready for a party, it’s great fun join the day when everyone’s letting their hair down. Tonight’s audience was largely female – though the lads made up for their fair share of the dance floor. Hits from Take That back to Chuck Berry, there’s always something there for everyone. The night rocked straight through with our breaks being filled by DJ Mikey B.

Wind Up Smelling Of Roses

Well – I can’t guarantee that everyone did – after some hearty dance moves braking out we ended the night on a real high. At least they’ve got the fragrance to sort that out! From Pharrell Williams’ Happy, a bit of Journey and Kings of Leon, the packed dance floor made for a great end to the night. Check out the photos below!

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It’d been a couple of years, though it hardly seems like yesterday the band were rolling up to the Hinckley Island Hotel, Leicestershire for our show with Proctor and Gamble. The room had an air of familiarity, though packed with more consultants and a fully modernised set – the stage […]

15/07/2014

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An Awesome Wedding In The Heart Of London

Being part of a couple’s wedding day is always an honour, whether at a village hall, marquee or hotel. Now and then we get the privilege of visiting somewhere really special, and Saturday at Claridge’s was exactly that. Amongst London’s most prestigious venues, Claridge’s is world renown for it’s elegance and steeped in history. Even as we arrived at the venue, the world flags give the entrance a real sense of grandeur.

London Wedding Bands

Despite being wed in the very centre of the UK’s capital, the couple had made the (very wise!) decision to source their entertainment from further afield. While we’re not based in London itself, the journey down from Coventry is a straight forward one for us.

As with all such historical venues, built without drums, amps, guitars and the like in mind, the load in was – how shall we put this? – something of a work out! Always good to get the blood pumping. Load in followed by one of our speedier setups meant we were ready for our dinner when it arrived. First course was wolfed down before we got a photo – but you’ll see we were treated to desserts too. Anyway, enough about the food…

“One Day Like This A Year Would See Me Right”

The couple’s first dance was Elbow’s “One Day Like This”. It’s a beautiful choice for a first dance, summing up elegantly the feeling of being in love, and special occasions like weddings. While the band were keen to play their own rendition of the song, the bride and groom wanted to hear Guy Garvey’s dulcet tones – and why not, that man has such gorgeous tone.

From there on out it was down to us and our DJ friend, Paul Kavanagh, to keep the dance floor grooving until the wee hours. We blasted through a pop-centric set, with our female front delighting the audience with a mix of Amy Winehouse, Jessie J and Katy Perry tracks. A short break and we were back with some set favourites, Billie Jean being a particular highlight, and saw our set out with some of the rockier indie tracks including Monster, Seven Nation Army and Sex on Fire – solid choices by the groom we’d say!

Hitting The Road

While the streets of London may not be literally paved with gold, it’s fair to say they’re lined with some classic venues. We’re looking forward to our next jaunt to the nation’s capital, but until then, enjoy a few photos from the night!

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Being part of a couple’s wedding day is always an honour, whether at a village hall, marquee or hotel. Now and then we get the privilege of visiting somewhere really special, and Saturday at Claridge’s was exactly that. Amongst London’s most prestigious venues, Claridge’s is world renown for it’s elegance […]

12/07/2014

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“Party in the Park” Baginton – 12th July

Millennium Park, in Baginton, a small village just outside Coventry, played host to their own “Party in the Park” festival on Saturday 12th July.  There were food, drink, face-painting, children’s entertainers and demonstrations of the local dancing troupe’s talent – all of which on their own would make for a very pleasant afternoon in the great British Summertime.  As if that were not enough, attendees were treated to performances by the ‘Blackwell Concert Band‘ – a 20-piece wind/brass orchestra playing arrangements of classics; ‘Espressivo‘ – a fine quartet of singers accompanied by piano who performed arrangements of opera and musical theatre hits; ‘The Mill Hill Billies‘ – a homage to blues/bluegrass featuring local star Dave Willetts (best known for his appearances on the West End Stage); and, of course, ‘The CoverUps‘.

Taking To The Stage

A compere introduced acts and maintained the flow of the evening’s performance while a stage manager ensured everyone was in the right place at the right time so all we had to do was focus on performing.  Though we don’t often appear among such a varied line-up of acts, the change brought out the best in us so we made sure we brought the party – particularly singer and front man, Willy Norton, who gave his all on stage and really got the crowd going.

Community Atmosphere

There was a great atmosphere throughout the day; friends, family, neighbours, residents and visitors shared in the community spirit eating, drinking, laughing and dancing together.   The main stage was well-constructed and the sound setup was superb.  With the event so well-organised it’s no wonder that it has become an annual fixture in the local calendar.  The event owes its success to the tireless effort of the planning committee, its supporters and the endeavours of the village community.  The CoverUps hope ‘Party in the Park’ continues to grow from strength to strength.

Check out http://www.baginton-village.org.uk/recent-events/73-party-in-the-park-2014 for the photographer’s shots of the day, and you can see ours below!

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Millennium Park, in Baginton, a small village just outside Coventry, played host to their own “Party in the Park” festival on Saturday 12th July.  There were food, drink, face-painting, children’s entertainers and demonstrations of the local dancing troupe’s talent – all of which on their own would make for a […]

12/07/2014

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Air Guitars At The Ready!

Last Saturdays venue has quickly become one of our favourites here at the CoverUps with just a 10 minute drive home for some of the band! Not only that but when we arrived, load in was a breeze; the staff were approachable and friendly and the venue sounded great straight from sound check too. Where is this place we hear you ask? The Brandon Hall Hotel in the little town of Brandon just outside Coventry, that’s where!

Those Summer Nights…

With such a perfect summer evening coupled with an outdoor barbeque, it can sometimes be hard to pull people back indoors! But once we announced the Bride and Groom’s first dance everyone came pouring in and surrounded the dance as they danced to ‘One’ by U2.

A Crowd Of Music Connoisseurs

We were informed beforehand that there were lots of musicians in the audience, and this was revealed when we kicked into the Gun ‘n’ Roses classic ‘Sweet Child of Mine’. As Gaz played the iconic guitar riff, the air guitars came out and all eyes were on him as he nailed the well-loved guitar solos!

The second set ensured that the dance floor stayed packed and we ended the night on a high with ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ – a song that seems to bring everyone together no matter where we play it! For a few band members it was time to get home, but the CoverUps didn’t stop the party there! We then played an hour set of tracks handpicked by the Bride and Groom through our PA system to keep their guests entertained.

Brandon Hall Hotel hosted a wonderful wedding reception and a great night was had by all. Congratulations Mr & Mrs Shenton!

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Last Saturdays venue has quickly become one of our favourites here at the CoverUps with just a 10 minute drive home for some of the band! Not only that but when we arrived, load in was a breeze; the staff were approachable and friendly and the venue sounded great straight […]

05/07/2014

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The Call Of The Cotswolds

Cotswolds’ Character

As The CoverUps, we have the privilege to travel all over England doing what we love; playing great music and ensuring our client’s special days end on high notes.  As an added bonus we get to see some fabulous places in beautiful parts of the country and The Cotswolds is certainly high on our list of favourites.

Half an hour from Oxford, The Bay Tree Restaurant and Hotel in Burford is a stunning venue for a wedding; this Tudor House has character coming out of its eaves!  The combination of quirky side-rooms and larger dining and dancing areas allows for the simultaneous running of live music, conversation, photo-booths and open bar. Several years ago The CoverUps experienced a similarly distinguished venue from The Cotswold Inns & Hotels group, the Manor Hotel, Moreton-in-the-Marsh. We were welcomed with the same hospitable and professional service and excellent food!

Fireworks

This weekend we had the added pleasure of The CoverUps’ 5-Piece Line-Up fronted by Rachel on vocals. As well as the CoverUps’ usual musical variety of  rock/pop/indie and through-the-ages, this pop-oriented line-up pumped out tunes such as Duffy’s ‘Mercy’, Beyonce’s ‘Crazy in Love’ and (making the most of it being the 4th of July) Katy Perry’s ‘Firework.’ Though there were no real fireworks, we had a crowd-pleasing fire-pit at the end of the garden for everyone to enjoy as well as enough excitement on the dance-floor to make the night go off with a bang!

 

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Cotswolds’ Character As The CoverUps, we have the privilege to travel all over England doing what we love; playing great music and ensuring our client’s special days end on high notes.  As an added bonus we get to see some fabulous places in beautiful parts of the country and The […]

04/07/2014

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And The Award For The Best Award Ceremony Goes To…

Taking a mid week break from the busy weekend wedding season, we were asked to play for the second year running at The Co-Op Midlands Award Ceremony at the prestigious Belfry Golf Course near Birmingham.  An early arrival coupled with an easy set up meant that we got to enjoy lovely food and enjoy a relaxed pre-show meal overlooking the luxury golfing green.

Waiting backstage we could hear awards being given out, and it was clear as we got on stage that the celebration of such achievement meant people were in high spirits as we kicked into our first song ‘Stuck in the Middle’.  The dance moves came out in full force – especially when we played Michael Jackson legendary ‘Billie Jean’ , with one guest getting on stage showing off his finest MJ impression!

Lively Crowd Means No Rest For The Band!

We played both sets straight through with no breather to keep the guests entertained and the final song of the night summed the evening up nicely – ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams. An evening of good cheer and celebration made for a great atmosphere to play in, and a short drive home back to Coverups HQ rounded off the night nicely!

Congratulations to all those that received awards and we hope we can come back and see you next year for the third year running!

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Taking a mid week break from the busy weekend wedding season, we were asked to play for the second year running at The Co-Op Midlands Award Ceremony at the prestigious Belfry Golf Course near Birmingham.  An early arrival coupled with an easy set up meant that we got to enjoy […]

03/07/2014

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