Pavilion At Oscars Estate Wedding Band: Live Indie Rock For Your Wedding Party

Our approach to a wedding is simple. Your wedding party should feel like the best night out your friends and family have had in years, not background music at a function. Andy sings and plays bass, and between the three of us we deliver guitar-driven indie rock and pop with plenty of noise, plenty of smiles and very little standing around. We want the dance floor to fill early and stay full.

You do not need to be an indie fan to enjoy it either. We mix in pop and well-loved classics, so a nan, a best man and a crowd of old university friends can all end up singing the same chorus. Here is a taste of us playing live.

Indie Anthems, Pop Hits And Classics For Every Generation

Our indie covers band repertoire stretches from the 1950s right up to the present day, so every age group at your wedding reception gets a moment. On the indie side you might hear Parklife by Blur, Disco 2000 by Pulp, Friday I’m In Love by The Cure, Rocks by Primal Scream or Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis. For the pop end of the night there is Shut Up And Dance by Walk The Moon and Don’t You Want Me by The Human League, while the older generation can join in with Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison, Can’t Buy Me Love by The Beatles and Hound Dog by Elvis Presley. Have a look through the full list and pick out the songs you cannot do without.

Timings That Work Around Your Wedding Reception

From experience, one long performance works best once the cake has been cut and the buffet has been cleared away. Nobody is queuing for food, nobody is being pulled in different directions, and you get the best of the band at the moment your guests are ready to let loose. That said if you’d rather we performed two sets instead then this really isn’t an issue for us. It’s your wedding so you should have it your way.

Music Earlier In The Day

If you would like live music during the ceremony, or while the prosecco is flowing before the wedding breakfast, Andy also offers a solo acoustic performance earlier on in the day especially for this. It keeps the drinks reception relaxed, and then the full band takes over when the dancing begins.

The Pavilion At Oscars Estate In Swinfen

The venue sits within 140 acres of private parkland and gardens, with lakes and a private deer park for a backdrop. The Pavilion itself is a light-filled room with high ceilings and warm lighting that seats over 300 guests, and the Annexe alongside it has its own bar and can host up to 220 standing. Outside there is a Walled Garden with a bandstand for drinks and photographs, a Cocktail Terrace with festoon lighting and fire pits, and Patience Cottage, where the wedding party can get changed and put their feet up.

The full address is The Pavilion at Oscars Estate, The Drive, Swinfen, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS14 9RE. We are based in Lichfield, so Swinfen is right on our doorstep.

Party Band In Lichfield, Swinfen And Nearby Towns

If you have been searching for a party band in Lichfield, that is exactly where we call home, and you can read more on our Lichfield wedding band and Lichfield party band pages. We also cover guests and couples travelling from Tamworth and Burntwood, as well as Shenstone and Whittington. If you are after a party band in Swinfen, we are only down the road.

Further afield, we are happy to travel to Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham, and we regularly play across Staffordshire and the West Midlands. Another Swinfen venue we have written about is Swinfen Hall.

Birthdays, Corporate Events And Private Hire

Weddings are not the only reason to book us. The venue lists company events, private dining, conferences and team away days, and we can bring the same energy to a corporate event, a birthday party, a wedding anniversary, a retirement party or a Christmas party for private hire. Same band, same sing-along songs, just a different reason to celebrate. Here is another clip of us in action.

Booking A Pavilion At Oscars Estate Wedding Band

We are a proper indie rock wedding band with no agency in the middle, so you deal directly with Andy from your first message right through to the last song. Get in touch with your date, your guest numbers and anything you have in mind for the night, and we will take it from there. You can also watch more live performances on our videos page before you decide.

Milford Hall Wedding Band For Your Salisbury Celebration

A wedding at Milford Hall is a day with a very particular mix of people. There will be grandparents, old school friends, work colleagues and a handful of cousins who only appear at weddings. You and that crowd is exactly who we are built for. We formed in 2013 and we play indie rock and pop covers with a lot of swagger, a lot of volume where it counts and plenty of sing-along moments in between.

If you want a proper indie rock wedding band rather than a function band that plays it safe, you have found us. We would much rather see your guests on chairs shouting the chorus than politely tapping their feet at the edge of the room.

What To Expect From Us On The Night

We are a friendly bunch and we like to be easy to work with. You book us directly, so there are no agency fees sitting on top of the price. You deal with the same person (Andy Starkey professional musician) from your first message to the last song, and nobody is passed down a chain of middlemen. We read the room as we go, so if the dance-floor wants something faster or a bit more singalong, we adjust on the spot.

Why Couples Choose A Milford Hall Wedding Band

Most couples tell us the same thing. They want a wedding party that feels like a gig they would have paid to see, not a backing track to dinner. Hiring a live three-piece gives you that. Every song is played properly by real musicians, with real teeny tiny mistakes from time to time (No ones perfect) and real grins, and your guests can tell the difference the moment the first chord lands. It is the kind of wedding reception people are still talking about months later.

Songs Your Guests Will Be Singing

Indie Anthems And Sing-Along Classics

Our set list leans on the big indie and Britpop tunes of the last thirty years, then adds a few pop and rock favourites so every generation gets a look in. You might hear Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis, Dakota by Stereophonics or Buck Rogers by Feeder. Then we might swing into Disco 2000 by Pulp, Day We Caught The Train by Ocean Colour Scene or Rocks by Primal Scream.

Older guests are not forgotten. Ever Fallen In Love by Buzzcocks, Teenage Kicks by The Undertones and Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison usually bring the parents and aunties onto the floor. For a mid-set shout-along, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Muse and Tubthumping by Chumbawamba rarely fail. Laid by James and The You And Me Song by The Wannadies are two more that get a room moving. Have a browse through the full band repertoire and song list and see what you would like to hear.

Timing Your Evening Entertainment

From experience, we find one long set works best. We start after the cake cutting, the buffet and the speeches have all wrapped up, so there are no distractions and your guests give the band their full attention. That said, if you would rather we performed two sets instead then this really isn’t an issue for us. It’s your wedding, so you should have it your way and no other way.

Live Music For The Ceremony And Drinks

If you would like live music earlier in the day, while the prosecco is flowing before the wedding breakfast, Andy also offers a solo acoustic performance designed for exactly that. It sits nicely alongside the full band later on, so you get gentle live music at the start and a proper party at night.

Hire A Milford Hall Wedding Band For Any Celebration

Salisbury is a city with plenty going on, and we are not only a wedding band. If you are searching for a party band in Salisbury for something other than a wedding, we are happy to talk. The hotel hosts all sorts of celebrations, and we can play for most of them.

Corporate Events, Birthdays And Anniversaries

We regularly play as a corporate event band for company parties and staff celebrations. We also cover milestone birthday party band bookings, a wedding anniversary party band night for couples celebrating a big year, and retirement parties for people who have earned a good send-off. Looking ahead to December? Our Christmas party band page has everything you need. The hotel itself promotes party season dinners, so a live band is a natural way to finish the night. If you like what you hear, our live party band packages show what is on offer.

Live indie rock and pop covers, played by a three-piece band who love a wedding party. Big songs, big smiles and a full dancefloor at Milford Hall in Salisbury.

Milford Hall Salisbury: The Venue

The venue sits at 206 Castle Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 3TE. It is a Grade II listed Georgian manor house, only about a five minute walk from Salisbury’s market square and a short stroll from the cathedral. The hotel now trades as Milford Hall Salisbury and has recently been refurbished.

The Function Rooms And Gardens

According to the hotel, there are two event spaces that can be opened out into one larger room, plus a Library for smaller ceremonies and an Alderman Suite for celebrations. There is also a private bar, a garden for drinks, a bridal preparation suite and a honeymoon suite. Boutique bedrooms include four poster beds and roll top baths, which is handy if your guests want to stay over. The hotel’s wedding packages list capacity of up to 100 day guests, with evening celebrations for up to 80, and there is car parking on site. It is always worth checking sound arrangements and finishing times with the hotel events team when you book.

Wedding Band Near Salisbury

Nearby Counties And Venues

Salisbury makes a great base for guests who want to explore Stonehenge and the New Forest, and couples often draw from towns such as Amesbury, Wilton, Romsey, Andover, Winchester and Southampton. We are happy to play as a party band in Wiltshire, Hampshire, Dorset and Somerset. Bath is a short hop north-west too.

If you are comparing options, you can also see our Limpley Stoke Hotel wedding band page for another Wiltshire venue. Further afield we cover Berkshire and Gloucestershire too. Brides and grooms  travel from all over the country including Cannock Chase, Staffordshire to hire this prestigious wedding venue. 

Milford Hall Wedding Band FAQs

Where is the venue?

Milford Hall Salisbury is at 206 Castle Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 3TE.

What kind of music do you play?

We play indie rock and pop covers, from anthems to classic sing-alongs that suit every age at a wedding reception.

Can we have one long set or two sets?

Either works. We find one long set after the food and cake works best, but it is your wedding and we are happy to play two sets if you prefer.

Ready to book? Get in touch and tell us your date and we will take it from there.

Hiring a Marchington Village Hall Wedding Band

A village hall wedding reception has a warmth that bigger venues struggle to match. Your guests are close to the action, nobody is stuck at the back of a cavernous ballroom, and the dance floor fills the second the right song kicks in. That is where we come in. We are built around live guitars, bass and drums with lead vocals, and the whole approach is about energy. We play the anthems you would hear at a cracking indie night, then mix in classics from the 50s through to today, so grandparents, cousins and your mates from uni all have a reason to be on their feet.

Every wedding party is different, so we shape the evening around you. Some couples want a full-throttle indie rock night, others want a broader mix, and we are happy to go either way. It is your day, so it should sound exactly how you imagined it.

The songs you can expect at your wedding reception

Our full song list lives on the indie covers band repertoire page, and it is a long one. To give you a flavour, think Dakota by Stereophonics, Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis, Yellow by Coldplay, Parklife by Blur and Place Your Hands by Reef for the indie crowd. Then You Really Got Me by The Kinks, Ever Fallen In Love by Buzzcocks and Tubthumping by Chumbawamba tend to get an entire hall singing along at once. Have a look at us in action below.

What to expect from a Marchington Village Hall wedding band on the night

We have found that one long set works best, played after the cake cutting, the buffet and the speeches are out of the way. There are no distractions, your guests are fed and ready to go, and you get the best of the band for the dancing. That said, if you would rather we performed two sets instead then this really is not an issue for us. It is your wedding so you should always have it your way.

Live music earlier in the day

If you would like live music during the ceremony or while the prosecco is flowing before the wedding breakfast, Andy also offers a solo acoustic performance earlier on in the day especially for this.

About Marchington Village Hall

The hall is in the centre of the village, at Marchington Village Hall, The Square, Main Street, Marchington, Uttoxeter, ST14 8LF. The main hall measures 12.5m by 8.5m and works for up to 90 dining guests, or 160 evening guests without tables. It has a sprung dance floor, a lighting rig and a large raised stage that can take an eight-piece band, so a three-piece like ours has plenty of room to spread out.

Bar, kitchen and lounge

Next door is the John Ellwood Lounge, and hiring the main hall includes its catering and bar facilities, plus 12 large tables, 10 smaller tables and 120 chairs. The kitchen is set up for a large party, with crockery and cutlery for 100 place settings, so your caterer is well looked after while we look after the dancing.

Getting there

Marchington is five miles from both Uttoxeter and Tutbury, and the hall is easy to reach from the A50.

Party band in Uttoxeter, Tutbury, Burton upon Trent and beyond

If you are searching for a party band in Uttoxeter, we are only a short hop away, and the same goes for a party band in Tutbury, a party band in Marchington itself or a party band in Burton upon Trent. Burton is home to Burton Albion, and you can see our Burton Albion Football Club wedding band page too. We are based in Lichfield, so if you are after a party band in Lichfield, take a look at our Lichfield party band and Lichfield wedding band pages.

Couples across the county can browse our Staffordshire wedding band page, and anyone planning a celebration over the border can visit our Derbyshire wedding band page. Other Staffordshire venue pages include Hoar Cross Hall and Hanbury Wedding Barn. Here is another clip of the band live.

Other celebrations at Marchington Village Hall

A hall this size is far from a one-trick venue. The village hall organises ticketed musical evenings of its own and is hired out for parties, dances and all sorts of events, which suits us perfectly. We play every kind of celebration, from a birthday party band night to a wedding anniversary party band set, plus retirement parties, corporate events, Christmas parties, fundraisers and private hire. Whether it is a 40th, a ruby anniversary or a works do for a business near Uttoxeter, you get the same energy we bring to a wedding. You can also read more about our party band nights in general.

Book your Marchington Village Hall wedding band

Weddings book up well in advance, so the sooner you get in touch the better. We are an indie rock wedding band with a live, lively sound, and we would love to help make your wedding party at Marchington one your guests talk about for years. Want to see more? Our videos page has plenty of live footage, and our packages page shows what we can offer.

Frequently asked questions

How many guests can the hall hold for a wedding party?

The hall holds up to 90 dining guests or up to 160 evening guests without tables in the main hall, which measures 12.5m by 8.5m.

Is there room for a band on the stage?

Yes. The hall’s full size stage can take an eight-piece band, and we are a three-piece, so there is plenty of space.

Do you play other events at Marchington Village Hall?

Absolutely. We play birthdays, wedding anniversaries, corporate events and private parties as well as weddings, so talk with us about what you have planned.

Your Shustoke Barn Wedding Band For An Indie Rock Night To Remember

We formed in 2013, and after a decade of weddings, birthdays and parties we know what gets a room moving. It is never anything clever. You play songs people love, you play them with proper energy, and the guests take care of the rest. Andy sings and plays bass, and the three of us keep things loud, tight and good humoured. Nobody on stage is putting on an act, we just enjoy ourselves and it tends to rub off on the whole wedding party. A barn packed with friends and family suits the way we play, which is loud, warm and a little bit chaotic.

Songs Your Wedding Guests Will Sing Back At You

Our set is built around indie anthems from the nineties onwards. Think Mr Brightside by The Killers, All The Small Things by Blink 182, Place Your Hands by Reef and Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis, plus Shut Up And Dance by Walk The Moon for the moment the whole wedding reception seems to jump at once. Then there are the songs the older generations wait for, like Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison, Ever Fallen In Love by Buzzcocks and Tubthumping by Chumbawamba, which is a proper singalong. You can browse our whole indie covers band repertoire and pick out your own favourites.

Drinks In The Courtyard Before The Wedding Breakfast

Plenty of couples want live music earlier in the day as well. If you fancy something gentle during the ceremony, or while the prosecco starts flowing out in the courtyard, Andy also offers a solo acoustic performance earlier on in the day especially for this. The full band then arrives later for the party itself, so the day has a proper build to it.

Booking A Shustoke Barn Wedding Band For The Evening Party

We find that one long set, after the cake cutting, the buffet and the speeches have all finished, works best. There are no distractions, nobody is still queuing for food, and you get the best of the band while everyone is ready to dance. That said if you’d rather we performed two sets instead then this really isn’t an issue for us. It’s your wedding so you should always have it your way. If you want to talk it through, get in touch and we will happily plan the evening around your timings.

What A Shustoke Barn Wedding Band Does To A Dancefloor

The clip below is a live recording from one of our wedding receptions. It is the real audio, not a studio track laid over the top, and you can see how quickly a wedding party turns into a proper night out once the guests let go. That is the atmosphere we aim to bring to a barn wedding in Warwickshire.

About Shustoke Barn On Coleshill Road

Shustoke Barn is at Coleshill Road, Shustoke, Coleshill, Warwickshire B46 2BL, and is part of the Cripps & Co group. The 18th-century red-brick barn has flagstone floors, big oak beams and a tall timber ceiling, with huge arched doors opening onto a courtyard planted with olive trees. It is licensed for civil ceremonies, and the venue lists space for 140 guests for the ceremony and wedding breakfast, rising to 200 in the evening. Food is served feast style from a rotisserie and barbecue, and couples get exclusive use of the venue.

Party Band In Coleshill, Nuneaton, Sutton Coldfield And Beyond

If you are hunting for a party band in Coleshill, the barn sits just east of the town, with Birmingham and Coventry city centres about twenty minutes away. Guests often travel a fair distance for a wedding here, so we cover Warwickshire, the West Midlands and Staffordshire. Our wedding pages for Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield give a feel for the towns nearby. If you are still weighing up venues, we also have pages for Mythe Barn near Atherstone, the Chase Hotel in Nuneaton and St John’s in Solihull. We are based in Lichfield, Staffordshire, so if you are after a party band in Lichfield, or have relatives up that way, we are just as happy to play there.

Birthdays, Anniversaries And Corporate Events Too

Weddings are only part of what we do. As an indie rock cover band we are booked for a corporate event band night, a birthday party band celebration, a wedding anniversary party band booking, a retirement party band send-off or a Christmas party band evening, as well as private hire. If you are planning a milestone birthday, an anniversary or a work do, in a barn or anywhere else, we would love to hear about it.

Questions About Booking A Band At Shustoke Barn

Where is Shustoke Barn?

Shustoke Barn is at Coleshill Road, Shustoke, Coleshill, Warwickshire B46 2BL, just east of Coleshill.

How many guests can Shustoke Barn hold?

The venue lists space for 140 guests for the ceremony and wedding breakfast, rising to 200 in total once evening guests arrive. Please check current numbers with the venue directly.

Do you play one long set or two sets?

One long set after the cake cutting and buffet have finished works best for us, as there are no distractions. If you would rather we performed two sets instead, that is not an issue at all. It is your wedding so you should always have it your way.

Can you play birthdays, anniversaries and corporate events as well as weddings?

Yes. We play wedding receptions, birthday parties, wedding anniversaries, retirement parties, Christmas parties, private hire and corporate events.

Ready to book the music for your day? Reach out and tell us about your plans.

Ansty Hall wedding band: live music that gets everyone dancing

Nobody books a live band so they can sit politely in the corner. We play the guitar-driven songs people grew up shouting along to, then mix in classics from earlier decades so parents, cousins and old school friends all find something to dance to. The aim is a wedding party where nobody is stood at the edge of the room checking their phone.

We have played weddings, birthdays and corporate events, and the approach is always the same. Read the room, keep the energy up and make sure the couple get the night they pictured.

How the evening runs with a live band at your wedding reception

We have found that the best time for us to play is once the cake cutting, buffet and everything else has finished. One long set at that point means there are no distractions, and you are getting the very best of the band at your wedding reception.

That said if you’d rather we performed two sets instead then this really isn’t an issue for us. It’s your wedding so you should always have it your way.

Songs your Ansty Hall guests will know word for word

Every wedding crowd is a mixed bag, so the set list is too. Expect Place Your Hands by Reef, Disco 2000 by Pulp, Rocks by Primal Scream and Day We Caught The Train by Ocean Colour Scene, alongside Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis and Dakota by Stereophonics. For the singalongs that get every generation involved there is Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison, Ever Fallen In Love by Buzzcocks, Shut Up And Dance by Walk The Moon and Friday I’m In Love by The Cure.

You can browse everything on our indie covers band repertoire page. As an indie rock wedding band, we are just as happy playing your favourites from the fifties through to today, so send over the tracks that matter to you.

Live music while the prosecco flows

If you would like live music for the ceremony, or for drinks on the patio before the wedding breakfast, Andy also offers a solo acoustic performance earlier in the day, especially for this. It sets a lovely tone before the full band takes over in the evening.

Inside Ansty Hall: the rooms and the grounds

Ansty Hall, Main Road, Ansty, Coventry, CV7 9HZ, is a 17th century manor house set in eight acres of landscaped gardens, and the hall’s own website lists five wedding spaces. Outdoor ceremonies take place beneath a 350-year-old cedar tree for up to 160 guests, while the Victorian St James’ Church is a short stroll from the gardens and holds up to 120.

For the reception, The Orangery is the roomiest option, with space for up to 120 guests at dinner and up to 160 for the evening party, and it opens onto a patio overlooking the grounds. The Cedar room seats 70 for the wedding breakfast, The Gilbert Scott suits up to 40, and Henry’s Library is a snug space for 18. The hall can be hired exclusively for the day, and it also offers flexible dry hire.

Party band in Coventry and across Warwickshire

Ansty sits just north of Coventry, so if you are searching for a party band in Coventry, we are happy to travel. We cover the whole of Warwickshire and the wider West Midlands, and Lichfield is where the band is based, so this part of the Midlands is familiar territory for us.

Couples planning nearby often ask about other local venues, and we have pages for Nailcote Hall, Chase Hotel in Nuneaton, Oakridge Golf Club in Nuneaton and Mythe Barn in Atherstone. Guests travelling in from Birmingham, Solihull or Leicestershire are welcome to come and dance too. You can also see our Lichfield wedding band page if you are curious about our home patch.

Birthdays, anniversaries and corporate events too

Ansty Hall also hosts celebrations and business events, so weddings are not the only reason to bring in live music. We regularly perform as a birthday party band, a wedding anniversary party band and a corporate event band, and we are just as comfortable at private hire evenings and milestone parties. If you simply want a lively party band for a big night out with friends, we can do that too.

Book an Ansty Hall wedding band for your big day

Dates fill up, so it is worth asking early. Get in touch with your date, your guest numbers and a few songs you love, and we will let you know if we are free to play your wedding party at Ansty Hall.

Frequently asked questions about a live band at Ansty Hall

Where is Ansty Hall?

Ansty Hall is at Main Road, Ansty, Coventry, CV7 9HZ, just north of Coventry in Warwickshire.

What kind of music do you play at wedding receptions?

We are a three-piece indie rock and pop covers band, mixing modern favourites with classics from earlier decades so every generation has something to dance to.

Can you play at other events at Ansty Hall?

Yes. We perform at birthdays, wedding anniversaries, corporate events and private parties as well as weddings.

How do we check availability?

Get in touch with your date and Andy will confirm whether we are free.

What Makes Punch The Air the Right Wildes Inns Wedding Band

There’s no shortage of wedding bands who’ll turn up, plug in and work their way through the same tired set of covers. Punch The Air was formed in 2013 with a different idea in mind: play the songs indie rock fans actually grew up on, play them properly, and let the energy of a real band do the work a DJ or a duo can’t. We’re guitar-led, three-piece, and every note on the night is played live.

One Set, Properly Timed, No Filler

Rather than splitting the evening into two shorter chunks with a long gap in between, we play one continuous set once the cake has been cut and the buffet has cleared. It means the room stays full, the momentum never drops, and none of the band’s time gets wasted on false starts because guests aren’t ready to boogy yet and are probably being forced to enjoy themselves too early. A later live performance means a more natural time to start enjoying the evenings entertainment. For a Wildes Inns wedding band booking, that timing matters, because you want your guests dancing at the point in the evening when they’re actually ready to. That said if you’d rather we performed two sets instead then this really isn’t an issue for us. It’s your wedding so you should always have it YOUR way. 

Playing the Ballroom at Wildes Inns

Wildes Inns, on Worksop Road in Clowne, is a substantial country house hotel with several function spaces to choose from depending on the size of your wedding. The main Ballroom handles the bigger receptions, while the Sherwood Suite offers a slightly more intimate reception room, and couples marrying on site can also use the Chapel or the walled garden for the ceremony itself. However you’ve arranged your day, a live band changes the room in a way that recorded music can’t quite match, and a Wildes Inns wedding band booking is as much about that shift in atmosphere as it is about the music itself.

The building itself has a longer history than its current name suggests. The Wildes Group took on the former Van Dyk Hotel and carried out a £6 million refurbishment, completed in early 2020, adding new bedrooms, a spa, a brasserie and three walled gardens alongside what was described at the time as a full rebrand of the venue. For a good while afterwards it traded as Van Dyk by Wildes, and that name still crops up on some booking sites, but the venue’s own branding has since settled on simply Wildes Inns.

Here we are performing live as a Wildes Inns Wedding Band at a lovely wedding reception.

A Drinks Reception Option Worth Knowing About

If your ceremony or drinks reception is happening on site before the wedding breakfast, Andy also offers a solo acoustic performance earlier in the day, separate from the full band set later on. It’s a nice way of having live music running through more of the day without asking a three-piece band to play for hours longer than makes sense.

Songs You Might Hear on the Night

Our full repertoire runs well beyond what fits on any one page, but a Punch The Air set at Wildes Inns might well include Feeder’s “Buck Rogers”, Walk The Moon’s “Shut Up and Dance”, The Fratellis’ “Chelsea Dagger”, James’ “Sit Down”, Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” and Bryan Adams’ “Summer of ’69”. It’s a mix built to move between eras and moods without ever feeling like a covers band ticking boxes.

Not Just Weddings

While most of our bookings at venues like this one are wedding receptions and wedding parties, the same three-piece set-up works just as well for other private events at Wildes Inns: milestone birthdays, wedding anniversaries, corporate parties and private hire evenings. If you’re planning any kind of celebration where you want a live band rather than a playlist, the same booking process applies.

Clowne, Chesterfield and the Surrounding Area

Wildes Inns sits just outside Clowne, close to the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire border, within easy reach of Chesterfield, Worksop and Bolsover, and not far from the edge of South Yorkshire towards Sheffield. We’re regularly booked as a party band in Chesterfield and across the wider Derbyshire area, and we also play venues further into Nottinghamshire and across into Yorkshire. Couples looking at other country house hotels nearby sometimes also compare us against our page for the Fox and Goose near Chesterfield.

As an indie rock wedding band, we’re used to reading a room full of guests who might range from teenagers to grandparents, and building a set that keeps all of them on the dancefloor rather than just the ones who know every word to the latest chart hits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Punch The Air a full band or a duo at Wildes Inns?

We perform as a three-piece band: guitar, bass and drums, with lead vocals from Andy.

Can you play a wedding reception and a birthday party at the same venue?

Yes. The booking process is the same whether it’s a wedding reception, an anniversary, a birthday or a corporate event at Wildes Inns.

Where exactly is Wildes Inns?

Wildes Inns is on Worksop Road, Clowne, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S43 4TD.

How do I check availability for my date?

Contact band leader Andy directly with your date and he’ll confirm fee and availability.

Hoby Village Hall wedding band: live indie rock for a village celebration

Most couples want the room to lift when the first chorus lands and stay lifted until the last song. That is the job, and we take it seriously. Andy leads the band on vocals and bass, and everything you hear on the night is played live, which is why the videos further down this page were filmed at real celebrations with real audio rather than mimed to a studio track.

We have been playing weddings and parties since 2013, so we know how to read a room. A Saturday wedding party in Hoby might have three generations on the dance floor, and that suits us fine. The Killers and Arctic Monkeys for the friends, proper classics from the 60s, 70s and 80s for the aunties and uncles, and a few daft singalongs for whoever has had one glass of prosecco too many.

Live photos from a wedding at Hoby Village Hall of Punch The Air performing by Ian Bursill. 

How a night at Hoby usually unfolds

Over the years we have found that the band works best when we play one continuous set after the cake has been cut and the buffet has been cleared away. The speeches are done, nobody is queuing for sausage rolls and everyone is ready to dance. You get the best of the band at the moment your guests are most up for it, with no distractions to break the mood. But we can also play two sets split if you wish, it’s really not a problem for us.

A video of Punch The Air performing at a wedding at Hoby Village Hall 

Live music while the prosecco flows

Would you like live music earlier in the day as well, perhaps around the ceremony or when the prosecco starts flowing before the wedding breakfast? Andy also offers a solo acoustic performance for exactly that part of the day, then the full band takes over in the evening. If you need a microphone for the speeches, we can supply microphone and speaker hire for speeches too, so the best man is not shouting at the back row.

Songs your guests will sing back at you

Our set list stretches across seven decades. On the indie side you can expect There She Goes by The La’s, Rocks by Primal Scream, Place Your Hands by Reef, Disco 2000 by Pulp and Sit Down by James. When the dance floor needs a push we reach for Chelsea Dagger, Tubthumping or Shut Up And Dance. The older crowd gets Brown Eyed Girl, Johnny B Good and Sweet Home Alabama, and there are noughties singalongs like Stacy’s Mom and Teenage Dirtbag for everyone in between. Have a scroll through the full indie covers band repertoire and see how many you would request.

Why a live Hoby Village Hall wedding band beats a playlist

A playlist cannot read the room. A band can pick up the pace when the dance floor is filling, or change direction when it is not. You can also see what previous clients have said on our live party band reviews page before you decide.

Watch the band at a real wedding party

Here are two videos from real events. The guests’ reactions say more than we can.

About Hoby Village Hall on Main Street

The venue is Hoby Village Hall, 32 Main Street, Hoby, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 3DT, also known as Hoby and District Village Hall. It has been part of village life since it opened in 1926 and serves the communities of Hoby, Rotherby, Brooksby and Ragdale.

What the hall offers for a wedding reception or party

Hire listings describe a traditional hall with a wooden-beamed roof, a small stage, a kitchen and a bar area, along with ramped access and a large garden with views across the valley. They also mention street parking nearby. Details and capacity figures differ between listings, so please confirm the layout, guest numbers and hire terms directly with the hall’s bookings administrator when you start planning your day.

Party band in Melton Mowbray, Loughborough and the villages around Hoby

Hoby is a village in the Leicestershire countryside, and the nearest market town is Melton Mowbray, famous for its pork pies and Stilton. If you are searching for a party band in Melton Mowbray for a wedding, a birthday or a family celebration, we are happy to travel. Loughborough, home to a well known university, and the city of Leicester are both a reasonable drive from Hoby, so guests coming from either should have no trouble getting there. We are just as happy playing as a party band in any of the villages around Hoby, wherever there is a hall, marquee or function room and a dance floor waiting.

Leicestershire, Rutland and further afield

We play right across Leicestershire, and just over the border is Rutland, England’s smallest county, with Oakham as its county town. To the north lie Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, and you can see everywhere we work on our East Midlands wedding band page. If you like the village hall feel, take a look at our page for Norbury Village Hall too.

More than weddings: birthdays, anniversaries and corporate events

A village hall gets used for all sorts of occasions, and so do we. As an indie rock wedding band we play wedding receptions and wedding parties, but we are just as happy at a birthday party, a wedding anniversary party, a retirement party or a corporate event. Private hire nights, family get-togethers and charity fundraisers suit us too, and our party band page explains more. Whatever you are planning, get in touch with your date and a rough idea of guest numbers, and there are no agency fees to pay, as our no agency fees page explains.

Hoby Village Hall wedding band: your questions answered

Why Choose a Daytime Wedding Band?

Not every couple wants the party to carry on into the small hours. Booking a daytime wedding band means the dancing starts while everyone is still fresh, fed and in a good mood, rather than at ten o’clock when half the room is fighting off a yawn.

Think about who is actually coming to your wedding. There may be grandparents who are happiest tucked up by early evening, children who would love to see a live band for the first time, and friends with a long drive home. A daytime wedding party lets all of them join in properly. You still get a full dancefloor and the buzz of a great night out, only in daylight, and with everyone home in time for a decent night’s sleep.

Daylight, a full dancefloor and a sensible bedtime.

Afternoon Wedding Reception Music Without the Late Finish

This is not polite background music. We turn up as a full band with our own sound and lighting, and we play like it is the last gig of our lives. The whole thing is live, and we know our songs off by heart rather than reading lyrics off a tablet, which means we can look at your guests and keep the room going.

For daytime weddings we find that moving back to whole “Split the set” works best, so you can fit in things inbetween like buffet, topping up drinks, popping out for a smoke, checking on the baby etc. Tell us when you would like us to start and we will fit around your timings. It is worth checking with your venue too. 

Songs Your Guests Already Know

With every generation in the room, we mix indie anthems with classics that get everybody up. You might hear Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis, Disco 2000 by Pulp, Friday I’m In Love by The Cure, Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison, Ever Fallen In Love by Buzzcocks, Tubthumping by Chumbawamba, Dance The Night Away by The Mavericks and Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Have a browse through our full indie covers band repertoire, which runs from the 1950s right up to today.

How an Afternoon Wedding Tends to Run

Every couple’s day looks different, but a daytime wedding often flows a bit like this:

• 3:30pm: The band arrive and set up while you are off getting married and being photographed from every angle. We will be the ones carrying heavy things and pretending we are not out of breath.
• 5:30pm: Guests arrive, drinks are poured and the buffet appears. Somebody’s uncle heads straight for the sausage rolls. Our DJ services keep the music going while everyone finds their seats.
• Speeches: Keep them short, keep the jokes clean and try not to cry before the main course. If you need a mic and speaker, well we’re here already so just use ours….for free.
• 6:30pm: Punch The Air take the stage for the first live set. This is where the dancefloor goes from “polite shuffle” to “someone’s dad is doing the worm”.
• 7:15pm: Time for a breather. Top up your drink, tackle the pudding, pop out for a smoke/vape or check the baby is still asleep. The DJ tunes keep things ticking over while we get our breath back.
• 8:00pm: The second live set. Everyone is fed, watered and warmed up, so expect the loudest singing of the day.
• 8:45pm: The DJ tunes return for a gentle wind down while we pack away and you finish your drinks. Some guests will still be dancing, and we love them for it.
• 9 to 9:30pm: The band leave, you go home and get an early night, ready for whatever the next day throws at you. Fix that fence, cut the hedge, clean the house, bath the budgie, sponge the chocolate cake of your hired suit before it needs to go back and hope no one notices. You are still allowed to smile smugly about the best wedding party in the county, though.

If you would like live music earlier in the day too, Andy also offers a solo acoustic performance. It suits the ceremony, or the drinks reception when the prosecco starts flowing before the wedding breakfast. We can also cover the gaps between events with music from our DJ services. For other kinds of daytime celebration, have a look at our page on the daytime live band.

Here is the band in action:

Party Band in Lichfield, Covering Staffordshire and Beyond

We are based in Lichfield, so if you are searching for a party band in Lichfield or anywhere around Staffordshire, you have found the right people. Our Staffordshire wedding band page is a good starting point, and the West Midlands wedding band page covers the wider region.

Couples in Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham are firmly on our patch, and we have played venues in Shropshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire too, including Telford and Shrewsbury. Wherever your wedding is, we are happy to travel.

Daytime Party Music for More Than Weddings

A lively afternoon party is not just for weddings. We play daytime and early evening sets for a birthday party band booking, a wedding anniversary get-together, a garden party or private hire, and corporate events where the team would rather dance than sit through another buffet. We also do charity fundraisers and outdoor events, including festival-style days as an indie rock festival band.

Booking a Daytime Wedding Band for Your Wedding Party

If you want an indie rock wedding band who can fill the dancefloor in the afternoon, the next step is simple. You book direct with the band, so there are no agency fees, and you can see what previous clients have said on our reviews page or watch more clips on the videos page. Smaller guest list? Our intimate wedding band page is worth a look. When you are ready, get in touch and tell us your date, your venue and the timings you have in mind.

Quick Answers

Can you play an afternoon wedding reception?

Yes. Tell us when you would like the music to start and we will work around your day, subject to your venue’s own arrangements.

Which areas do you cover?

We are based in Lichfield, Staffordshire, and cover Staffordshire, the West Midlands and the rest of the UK.

Will older guests enjoy an indie rock band?

Our repertoire runs from the 1950s to today, so grandparents get classics like Hound Dog and Johnny B Good while younger guests get their indie favourites. Our cover band FAQ answers plenty more questions.

How do I check availability?

Get in touch with band leader Andy, and he will confirm fee and availability for your date.

Hawkesyard Estate Wedding Band: Live Indie Rock For Your Reception

There is a reason so many couples search for a Hawkesyard Estate wedding band rather than settling for a DJ and a laptop. A room like the Armitage Suite deserves a proper live sound, and that is exactly what Punch The Air brings. We are not a covers act that reads from a script. Our set is built from guitar driven indie rock and pop songs spanning the last three decades, chosen because they get a genuine reaction on a dancefloor, not because they are easy to play. As an indie rock wedding band we have spent years learning what keeps a mixed wedding crowd on their feet, from grandparents to the couple’s own friends.

Live photos from one of our many weddings at this wonderful Rugeley wedding venue. 

Our Sound On The Night

We play as a three-piece: guitar and lead vocals, bass and backing vocals, and a full acoustic drum kit. There is nothing what so ever on backing-track about what we do. Once the meal, speeches and cake cutting are out of the way, we take the room with one continuous run of live music rather than splitting the night into disjointed chunks, so the momentum builds properly rather than stopping and starting. Here is a taste of what that sounds like in a real function room:

Songs From Our Repertoire For Your Big Day

Our full repertoire and song list runs to well over a hundred tracks, and we rotate it depending on the crowd. For a Staffordshire manor house wedding, expect things like Stereophonics’ “Dakota”, Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag”, Fountains Of Wayne’s “Stacy’s Mom”, Walk The Moon’s “Shut Up And Dance”, Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” and Bryan Adams’ “Summer Of ’69” sitting comfortably alongside the newer indie anthems. It is a set built to work for every generation in the room, not just one.

Inside Hawkesyard Estate: Suites, Gardens And History

Hawkesyard Estate sits at Armitage Lane, Armitage, Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 1ED, on the edge of Cannock Chase, and it is genuinely one of the more striking wedding venues in this part of the country. The current Hall dates back to the 18th century, with gothic revival details, battlements and pinnacles that give the place a proper fairy tale feel, all set within around 200 acres of parkland and formal gardens. Couples marrying here have their names and wedding date added to the estate’s historic Bell Tower, which is a nice touch of history to be part of.

For the reception itself, the Armitage Suite and Parkland Suite are both bright, air conditioned rooms with their own private bar and space for dining and dancing, comfortably holding up to 120 guests between wedding breakfast and evening party. The Lister Suite handles civil ceremonies under chandeliers with views over the formal gardens, and the Orangery serves as a charming garden bar for the drinks reception and photographs.

Ceremonies And Drinks Receptions At Hawkesyard Estate

If your ceremony and drinks reception fall earlier in the day, perhaps out in the Orangery or the gardens while the prosecco starts flowing, Andy also offers a solo acoustic performance especially for that part of proceedings, before the full band takes over once the wedding breakfast has finished. It is a nice way of having live music running through more of the day without asking the three-piece set-up to fill a smaller, quieter space too early.

A Grade II listed hall, 200 acres of Staffordshire parkland, and a band that actually plays live. That is the combination a Hawkesyard Estate wedding band should offer, and it is what we aim to deliver every time.

Weddings Near Lichfield, Rugeley And Across Staffordshire

Hawkesyard Estate is around ten minutes from Lichfield and about twenty minutes from Stafford, Cannock and Tamworth, which makes it a convenient venue for guests travelling from right across Staffordshire. We are based close by ourselves, so venues in and around Rugeley, Armitage and the Cannock Chase area are firmly on our home patch. If you are comparing other country house options nearby, we have also played Swinfen Hall, and for something further afield towards Birmingham we regularly cover weddings around Sutton Coldfield too. Guests coming from Burton upon Trent way will find us just as at home at venues like Burton Albion Football Club.

Other Celebrations We Play At Hawkesyard Estate

Weddings are only part of what happens at Hawkesyard Estate. The venue is equally set up for birthdays, engagements, wedding anniversaries and private hire, and both suites are built to handle a live band or a DJ with equal ease.

Corporate Events, Birthdays And Anniversaries

If you are organising a corporate event, a milestone birthday or an anniversary party rather than a wedding, the same suites and private bar set-up work just as well for that. We regularly play private parties of exactly this kind, bringing the same live energy to a fortieth birthday or a company celebration as we would to a wedding reception. Here is another clip that gives a fair idea of the atmosphere we aim for on the night:

Hawkesyard Estate Wedding Band FAQs

Is Hawkesyard Estate a good venue for a live wedding band?
Yes. The Armitage Suite and Parkland Suite are both spacious, air conditioned rooms with their own private bar, and live music is permitted, so a three-piece band has plenty of room to set up and fill the space properly.

What is the address of Hawkesyard Estate?
Hawkesyard Estate is at Armitage Lane, Armitage, Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 1ED.

Can Punch The Air play during the drinks reception as well as the evening party?
Yes. Andy also offers a solo acoustic performance for the earlier part of the day, such as the drinks reception in the Orangery, with the full three-piece band taking over for the evening once the wedding breakfast is done.

Does Hawkesyard Estate host events other than weddings?
Yes. Alongside weddings, Hawkesyard Estate hosts birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, christenings and corporate events, all of which suit a live band.