If you run a pub, bar or tavern and you’re on the hunt for a pub cover band that can fill the room without you lifting a finger, you’re in the right place. Punch The Air have spent over a decade playing to pub crowds right across the Midlands, and we know the gap between a covers act that gets polite applause and one that gets the whole bar singing before the second song. We build our sets from songs your regulars already know, run our own sound so nobody’s night gets ruined by a blown-out PA, and turn up ready to work with no fuss. Contact band leader Andy to check on fee and availability.
What Makes Punch The Air a Reliable Pub Cover Band
We’re a three-piece indie rock cover band and we travel with everything we need: a full PA, our own lighting rig and all our backline gear. All a venue needs to supply is a corner to play in and a power socket or preferably two. We’re never the band that turns up late and asks the bar staff to sort out a mixing desk. We arrive with plenty of time to spare, get set up quietly, and run a proper sound check before anyone walks in.
We usually play two forty-five minute sets with a short break, or one continuous ninety-minute set if that suits your evening better, though we’re happy to work around whatever timings you need. Volume is adjusted to the room, not the other way round, so a tight snug bar and a big function space both get a mix that works. We’ve played everywhere from cramped local taverns to marquees, so adapting to a new space is second nature by now.
Watch Us Live as a pub cover band – All The Small Things by Blink 182
This clip was filmed live and gives a good idea of the energy we bring to a packed pub floor. It’s the kind of track that gets nearly every generation in the room singing along, which is exactly what we’re aiming for in a pub set.
Our Pub Set: Songs That Work in a Live Room
Our pub setlist leans hard into indie rock anthems, plus classic pop and rock spanning the last seven decades. Crowd favourites include The Killers, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, Kings Of Leon, Coldplay, Stereophonics, Kaiser Chiefs, The Fratellis, James, and Wheatus. These are songs your customers already know word for word, which means they’re off their stools and singing within the first few bars rather than politely nodding along.
We steer well clear of deep cuts and songs that only work in a studio recording. Every track on our pub set has earned its place because it’s been tested hundreds of times in front of a live crowd, and we know precisely which ones land. If you’d like to see our wider setlist, our full repertoire page lists everything we cover.
Pricing, Travel and Availability for Pub Bookings
Fees for pub and bar bookings depend on the date, the location and how many sets you need. As an indie rock party band based in Lichfield, Staffordshire, venues within reach of the Midlands generally see a lower travel cost built into their quote. There’s no agency in the middle either, so you deal directly with band leader Andy Starkey from your first message right through to the night itself.
Most of our calendar is taken up with weddings and corporate functions, so we only have a limited number of pub dates free each year. If you’ve a date in mind, get in touch sooner rather than later so we can pencil you in before someone else does.
New Year’s Eve at Oakridge Golf Club, Nuneaton
This clip was filmed live at Oakridge Golf Club in Nuneaton and gives a good sense of how we handle a packed room on one of the busiest nights of the year. It’s real footage from a real night, not something recorded in a studio, so what you hear is exactly what you’d get at your own bar.
Areas We Cover
We’re well placed to play pubs and bars across Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Birmingham, Leicestershire, the West Midlands, Shropshire, and Warwickshire. Being based on our own doorstep in Lichfield means local pubs are often the easiest and cheapest to book, but we’re always happy to discuss travelling further afield for the right night.
Come and See Us Perform Before You Book
Not sure whether we’re the right fit? We hold a handful of public shows each year at local venues, which are a free or low-cost way to watch us play to a real pub crowd before you commit to anything. Upcoming dates are listed on our public performances page.
If a public show doesn’t line up with your diary, our live video collection is packed with footage filmed at genuine events, giving you an honest sense of how we sound and perform in a live setting.
What Pub and Bar Owners should ask a pub cover band
How much floor space do you need?
We can work with a fairly tight footprint. Around 4 metres wide by 3 metres deep is comfortable, though we’ve squeezed into smaller spaces and still made it work.
How loud will you be?
We control our own sound and set levels to suit the venue. We’re not the band that cranks everything to full volume regardless of the room; we read the space and the crowd instead.
Do we need to provide a stage?
No. A flat area of floor is all we need.
How long does setup take?
Around 60 minutes from arrival to a completed sound check.
Are you insured and PAT tested?
Yes, on both counts. Documentation is available on request, which most venues ask for before confirming a date.
Can we watch you before booking?
Yes. Check our upcoming public performances or browse the live video collection.
