It probably isn’t surprising that we often visit Moxhull Hall – with over 160 weddings a year they’re one of the busiest wedding venues in the West Midlands, if not the UK! We’ve been regulars at Moxhull Hall since our very earliest days as a wedding band, so it certainly has some fond memories for us and no doubt for the couples who we’ve played for too.
Arriving During Speeches
We arrived just as the speeches we about to begin. We had a quick chat with the wedding coordinator and set to work. Despite being the other side of a thin curtain, we’re still able to set up. Many couples are concerned about the noise – but fear not! We’re well practiced at a silent setup. The noisy bit, the sound check, usually takes less than 5 minutes and can happen anytime before the performance, so it’s never a problem!
As you can see in the photos, they had organised a little sweepstake to spice up the time between dinner and first dance! Guessing the first dance meant that we had to keep our set lists hidden, but it provided a lot of fun for the guests as they chatted over the relative merits and likelihoods of what was pretty much an A-Z of great first dance songs. We’ve played most of them at one point or other over the years!
Legendary Live First Dance
It’s a track we’ve been busting to do since its release, so we were really pleased to be asked to play John Legend’s All Of Me. It’s a gorgeous song, and really sums up how couples feel getting married. From there, and the request of the Happy couple, we kicked straight into Happy by Pharell Williams. It’s association with Despicable Me notwithstanding it’s a great party track, and often a highlight of the night.
From there the pop tracks kept rolling. Fascination by Alphabeat is a favourite of ours, and it’s infectious energy gets dance floors going pretty much across the board. It was a great fun night, and we’re looking forward to getting back to Moxhull Hall Soon! Until then, check out these photos, or this link for a story of the shots.
[pwaplusphp album=”MoxhullHallBirminghamOctober2014″]
It probably isn’t surprising that we often visit Moxhull Hall – with over 160 weddings a year they’re one of the busiest wedding venues in the West Midlands, if not the UK! We’ve been regulars at Moxhull Hall since our very earliest days as a wedding band, so it certainly […]
Read More
The Forest Of Arden Hotel and Golf Club houses a beautiful wedding venue. The band’s first time at the venue for some time it was nice to return in 2014. As with all venues of this calibre, the event was running along in a timely manner, so we arrived a promptly set up all the band equipment ready for the show!
Wedding Bands And DJs
This night was something of a party for the couple, having got married abroad earlier in the year. Their guest list ran into the hundreds, and a big night was anticipated. To that end, the bride and groom had hired not only a wedding band but a DJ as well. It’s always fun for us playing alongside a DJ – there’s usually a good bit of banter behind the scenes, and we get the opportunity to appreciate the work the other is doing during the breaks.
The DJ kicked off the evening with the first dance, which was Barry White’s First Last and Everything. From there we took things on with a chilled but poppy first set. American Boy was a rarity for us, but it feels about time to bring it back in – it’s a gorgeous track, and much fun to arrange for that early evening relaxed vibe.
Wedding Party Vibes
Wedding parties can have quite a different feeling to whole day wedding celebrations. After a long day of formalities, sometimes people’s energy reserves are depleted (at least until after a good buffet!). At a party, people have turned up expectantly, fully prepared for an evening of dancing… And that’s what we found! With 250 guests, I don’t think there was ever everyone on the floor (someone needed to keep the bar propped up!) but the dance floor got rocking early on, and never dipped through to the finale’s of Summer Of 69 and Don’t Look Back In Anger!
The Forest Of Arden Hotel and Golf Club houses a beautiful wedding venue. The band’s first time at the venue for some time it was nice to return in 2014. As with all venues of this calibre, the event was running along in a timely manner, so we arrived a […]
Read More
This Friday evening The CoverUps arrived at the glorious Eastnor Castle for the wedding of Amy and Jason! Built in the 19th century, Eastnor Castle is a revival castle only two miles away from the town of Ledbury: and a glorious example of such a place it is too. Pulling into the car park, the band familiar with the venue, we set straight to work loading the equipment through the ramparts to the wedding reception room.
Paul Weller – Live First Dance
After a straightforward setup in a room they’re well used to, the band tucked into some exquisite food. While a meal the calibre of a wedding breakfast isn’t required (a ‘bandsagne’, as we like to call them, will usually hit the spot!) it’s always a treat – and tucking into such perfectly cooked meat is always a treat that will put any musicians in a great mood!
And so to the first dance and Paul Weller’s well-known anthem You Do Something To Me. It’s a beautiful song, the piano hook sounding wonderful played by a the live band (gorgeous pianos provided by Pianoteq for anyone interested!).
Indie Hits
The bride and groom’s choices spanned across the decades, but there was a definite penchant for indie hits. We rolled out some classics that took us back to the days of learning guitar: She’s Electric, Sit Down, Parklife to name but a few.
As the night rolled on, the dance floor went from bustling to jam packed, and the castle rocked to the band’s music! Great finale to a wedding day and a real pleasure playing for the couple!
[iframe src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/C95VWXS_AhI?rel=0&showinfo=0″ width=”100%”]
[pwaplusphp album=”EastnorCastleLedburyWeddingOctober2014″]
This Friday evening The CoverUps arrived at the glorious Eastnor Castle for the wedding of Amy and Jason! Built in the 19th century, Eastnor Castle is a revival castle only two miles away from the town of Ledbury: and a glorious example of such a place it is too. Pulling […]
Read More
This Saturday evening led The CoverUps back to our most local venue, Coombe Abbey, just 10 minutes down the road from our HQ! It’s the second time this year the band made the short trip to Coventry’s busiest wedding venue, and it’s always a joy.
Wedding Requests
We’re always happy to take requests from the couple when putting together our set list and work them in wherever we can. This party was going to be crammed full of requests, and some classics that there were in there too: You Can Call Me Al, Don’t Stop Me Now, Happy, California Gurls… the list was bursing with great party tunes!
Packed Dance Floors
The CoverUps aim is always to draw people to the dance floor with a wide selection of party classics, and this night was no exception! The expectations ride high at an exquisite venue like Coombe Abbey, and that’s why we’re always happy to play there as the finale of the night and get the party going. The 5-piece band had the wedding crowd rocking the dance floor through the night – and a great night it was too!
This Saturday evening led The CoverUps back to our most local venue, Coombe Abbey, just 10 minutes down the road from our HQ! It’s the second time this year the band made the short trip to Coventry’s busiest wedding venue, and it’s always a joy. Wedding Requests We’re always happy […]
Read More
It’s been a little while since the band last played a wedding at Woburn Abbey, so it was an honour to be asked to play for James and Stephanie’s wedding. It’s our 4th event for the family, and such repeat bookings give us a lovely feeling, seeing a family in some of their biggest celebrations.
The Woburn Abbey estate is set in a 3,000 acre deer park and hosts beautiful weddings all year round, and the gorgeous grounds make the perfect backdrop to an elegant countryside wedding.While the abbey remains a family home to the Duke of Bedford, it is open on certain days to the general public along with the grounds surrounding it. Next time we’ll have to check out the Woburn Safari Park!
Musician Friends
After our usual swift set up and wolfing down of some excellent dinner, it was time for the couple’s first dance. The choice was the excellent Ray La Montagne with You Are The Best Thing – a marvellous and lovely choice. This night however, their good friend and excellent musician, Joe Corbin was invited to take the lead vocal. Check out his own tunes on the link! It’s lovely to have family and friends involved in this way at a wedding. Having only played the track a few weeks ago ourselves, the band backed our newest member deftly as the bride and groom took to the dance floor for their first dance.
Beautiful Wedding Venue
From there it was very much business as usual – a diverse and lively audience kept the dance floor bustling through the evening. It’s great being at such a gorgeous venue with a plentiful audience. While the music and dancing are the focus of the evening, just enjoying the venue remains an important part of the day. As such, there’s often a rotation through the evening, with some people dancing, others just enjoying the live music in the wonderful room. The sculptures are really something to behold!
Here’s hoping we get to return one day soon! For now, check out our photos of the evening!
[iframe src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/EII1kpi5A0M?rel=0&showinfo=0″ width=”100%”]
[pwaplusphp album=”WoburnAbbeyBedfordshireWeddingOctober2014″]
It’s been a little while since the band last played a wedding at Woburn Abbey, so it was an honour to be asked to play for James and Stephanie’s wedding. It’s our 4th event for the family, and such repeat bookings give us a lovely feeling, seeing a family in […]
Read More
