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.

Hartlebury Castle Wedding Band: Live Music for a Grade I Listed Setting

Hartlebury Castle has been standing in one form or another since the 9th century, when the land was first granted to the Bishop of Worcester. For well over a thousand years it served as the Bishops’ residence, and today it’s cared for by the Hartlebury Castle Preservation Trust, with money raised from weddings going back into keeping the building standing for the next few centuries too. It’s a properly historic backdrop, and it’s not the kind of place that suits background music playing quietly through a speaker in the corner. A wedding reception in a room like the Great Hall wants a band that can hold its own against the architecture.

Why an Indie Rock Wedding Band Suits Hartlebury Castle

There’s a temptation with grand old buildings to assume the music should be as traditional as the surroundings. We’d argue the opposite. The contrast between medieval stonework and a three-piece playing Kaiser Chiefs or The Fratellis is part of what makes a wedding reception at a venue like this memorable rather than predictable. Guests remember the moment the room shifts from polite mingling to an actual party, and that shift tends to land better when the music has some bite to it. We keep the set built around guitar-driven indie and pop that people already know, played properly rather than through a backing track.

Inside the Great Hall, the Saloon and the Bishop’s Study

The castle’s state rooms, the Medieval Great Hall, the Georgian Saloon and the Bishop’s Study, are all licensed for civil ceremonies and can accommodate a wedding breakfast for up to 100 guests, with room for further guests joining in the evening. The Carriage Circle outside gives couples an impressive spot for photographs and, weather allowing, a natural space to spill out into during the reception. It’s worth checking directly with the castle on which room your reception will be held in, since the acoustics and layout of the Saloon differ a little from the Great Hall, and we’ll always ask ahead of the day so we can plan our setup around the space you’ve actually booked.

The Reception: Prosecco, Speeches and the First Notes

A lot of couples getting married at Hartlebury Castle build their day around a drinks reception in the grounds or the Carriage Circle before guests move through to the wedding breakfast. If you’d like live music during that earlier part of the day, while the prosecco is flowing and guests are still finding their seats, Andy also offers a solo acoustic performance specifically for this part of the timeline, ahead of the full band taking over later on. It’s a nice way of having music running through more of the day without the volume of a full band competing with speeches.

Once the meal, speeches and any cutting of the cake are out of the way, that’s when we come in properly. Rather than splitting into short bursts through the evening, we find one continuous set works far better once the formalities are done, it keeps the momentum going and makes the most of the time we’ve got with your guests on the dancefloor. But we can of course split the set and take a break inbetween them if you wish. 

Songs That Fill a 15th-Century Great Hall

Our full band repertoire covers everything from Feeder and Walk The Moon through to Stereophonics and Van Morrison, so there’s plenty to choose from whatever mix your guests are likely to want. For a room with as much presence as the Great Hall, we tend to lean on tracks with a big, driving sound early in the set, before easing into some of the singalong classics once the dancefloor’s properly full. If there’s anything specific from our list you’d like weighted more heavily for your day, that’s exactly the sort of detail worth flagging when you book.

Other Celebrations at Hartlebury Castle

Weddings aside, a building with this much character also works well for other private events. We’ve played corporate events, milestone birthday parties and wedding anniversary celebrations at venues with a similar historic feel, and the same three-piece setup that works for a wedding reception translates easily to any private hire event where you want live music rather than a playlist.

Worcestershire, Kidderminster and the Surrounding Area

Hartlebury sits just south of Kidderminster, with Stourport-on-Severn a short drive to the west and Droitwich Spa and Worcester both within easy reach to the south. We cover weddings right across Worcestershire, and it’s a part of the country we know reasonably well, having played venues from the city of Worcester up towards Birmingham and the wider West Midlands. If your guest list is drawing from across this stretch of the county, getting an indie rock wedding band that’s used to working in historic, listed buildings is worth having on your shortlist.

A three-piece indie rock band, one continuous set after the meal and speeches, and a room with a thousand years of history behind it. That’s the combination a Hartlebury Castle wedding band brings to your reception.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a live band play inside the Great Hall at Hartlebury Castle?

Yes, the state rooms including the Great Hall and the Saloon are used for wedding receptions and can accommodate a live band, though we’d always confirm the exact space with the couple and the venue ahead of the day.

How many guests can Hartlebury Castle hold for a wedding breakfast?

The state rooms can seat up to 100 guests for a wedding breakfast, with additional guests able to join for the evening reception.

Do you offer music for the drinks reception as well as the evening?

Yes, Andy can provide a solo acoustic set for the earlier part of the day, such as the drinks reception, with the full band taking over once the meal and speeches are finished.

Is Hartlebury Castle suitable for other private events besides weddings?

It’s primarily known as a wedding venue, but its rooms and grounds would suit other private celebrations such as anniversaries or milestone birthday parties in a similar way.

Hartlebury Castle
Stourport Road, Hartlebury, Worcestershire, DY11 7XZ

There are three of us, we formed in 2013 and Andy fronts the band on vocals and bass. The line-up is guitar-based and rocking in all the right places, which suits a set built around songs that everybody has sung along to at some point in their lives.

The Hub St Marys Lichfield Party Band: Guitar-Led Indie Rock for Your Big Night

Most people who book us want one thing: a dance floor that stays busy. So we lean on indie anthems and pop singalongs, then slip in older classics for the parents, grandparents and workmates who grew up on different records. Think classic indie and early 2000s indie, a bit of punk, a few rock and roll standards and plenty of choruses that carry themselves.

At a party we play one long set once the buffet (And cake cutting and speeches for weddings) are out of the way. We have found it works far better than splitting the night into pieces. There are no gaps for people to drift away, nobody is chatting through the first half of the first set, and you get the best of the band while the room is still fresh.

What a Night With the Band Feels Like

We don’t do polite background music. We want people up and dancing, singing the chorus back at us and forgetting their phones for the duration. We chat to the crowd, keep the tempo up and read the room as we go. If it is your birthday, we will even play the Happy Birthday song for you.

Songs You Might Hear at Your Party

Our full band repertoire stretches from the 1950s to the present day. Proper singalong chorus’s with Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis, Dakota by Stereophonics, Sex On Fire by Kings Of Leon, Yellow by Coldplay and more.

For the older generation we have Hound Dog by Elvis Presley, Johnny B Good by Chuck Berry, Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison and Valerie by Amy Winehouse. Here is the band playing at real events:

The Hub St Marys Lichfield Party Band and Wedding Reception Music

The Hub is best known for touring bands, talks, exhibitions and arts events, so it is not the first name that comes to mind for most wedding couples. It is available to hire for events and celebrations though, so a wedding party or evening reception there is possible. If that is what you have in mind, check the venue’s hire terms for your date, then talk to us about the music. As a wedding reception band we bring the same energy to a wedding party that we bring to any other night, ideal if you want an indie rock wedding band rather than a standard function act.

If you would like live music earlier in the day, for the ceremony or while the prosecco is flowing before the wedding breakfast, Andy also offers a solo acoustic performance for exactly that. The full band then takes over in the evening.

More Reasons to Book a Live Band for a Lichfield Celebration

The space is used for community events, gigs and performances, and we are just as happy playing a party there as a wedding. Here are the occasions we play:

• Birthday parties, including 21st birthdays and 40th birthdays
• Wedding anniversary parties
• Retirement parties
• Corporate events and staff celebrations
• Charity and fundraising nights
• Christmas parties and private hire events

Whatever the occasion, the approach is the same. You tell us about your guests, we build the night around them, and you can add extras such as microphone and speaker hire for speeches or a late night DJ if you want the music to carry on. Have a look at everything on our live band extras page.

Finding The Hub at St Mary’s

St Mary’s is a former church in the middle of Lichfield, reopened after an award-winning renovation that began in 2018. The library is downstairs, while the top floor is home to The Hub, with its coffee shop, gallery and performing arts space. The venue describes itself as fully accessible, which is handy when a party spans several generations.

Lichfield and the Towns Around It

Lichfield is home for us, so we know this part of the world well. We also play for people in Tamworth, Burton upon Trent, Walsall and Cannock, and our Hednesford and Burton pages show a few of the local venues we have played. Further out, we cover Sutton Coldfield, Stafford and Birmingham.

Our county pages cover Staffordshire and the West Midlands. Closer to The Hub, see our Lichfield party band and Lichfield wedding band pages, or our pages for the Guildhall and the Cathedral Hotel. If you need a wider look at what we do, our indie rock party band homepage has the lot.

Booking The Hub St Marys Lichfield Party Band: Quick Answers

Have you played at The Hub at St Mary’s before?

Yes, we played a birthday party there recently. The venue is available for hire for events and celebrations, so check its hire terms for your date before you book.

How long does the band play for?

Usually one long set of around 90 minutes, once the food and cake are finished. It is your party though, so get in touch if you need something different.

Do you only play weddings?

No. We play birthdays, anniversaries, retirements, corporate events, charity nights and Christmas parties as well as wedding receptions.

Ready to plan your night? Get in touch with Andy and tell us the date, the occasion and how many guests you are expecting.

Longbourn Barn Wedding Band: Live Indie Rock for Your Wedding Reception

We formed back in 2013 and we have been playing weddings, birthdays and parties ever since. On stage it is guitars, bass and drums, with Andy singing and playing bass. There are no backing tracks doing the heavy lifting and no laptop hiding behind the amps. What your guests get is a proper, sweaty, singalong guitar band, which is why so many couples who love their indie playlists book us for the last big stretch of the night.

What a wedding party in a stone barn needs from a band

Longbourn Estate Barn is a historic stone building with flagged floors, a vaulted roof and huge wooden doors, so it already has real character before a single decoration goes up. A room like that rewards a band that plays with energy and feel rather than just volume. We read the room, keep the sound punchy and clear, and let the crowd do the rest. Your grandparents can sit comfortably at the back while your friends take over the floor.

The songs your guests will sing back at us

Our set list leans on the big guitar records everyone knows. Expect bouncy singalongs from Wheatus and Fountains Of Wayne, feel-good anthems from Stereophonics, James and Feeder, a bit of Walk The Moon for the dancers, and a few older favourites from The Undertones and Van Morrison when the mood suits. Bryan Adams and Blink 182 usually make an appearance once the bar has been busy for a while. You can browse the whole list on our indie covers band repertoire page and tell us which tracks matter most to you.

The Main Barn, Threshing Barn and Milking Parlour

The venue sits at Longbourn Barn, Brookhampton Lane, Kineton, CV35 0JF, Warwickshire, in around 100 acres of South Warwickshire countryside. There are three main areas: the Main Barn, the Threshing Barn and the Milking Parlour. According to the venue, the Main Barn measures roughly 27 metres by 8 metres and comes with a split level stage, spotlights, a projector and a screen, which makes it a natural home for both the wedding breakfast and the dancing afterwards. Outside there is an orchard, a sweeping lawn, a space on The Green for a marquee, and a meadow that doubles as a car park. The church of St Peter and St Paul in Butlers Marston is described by the venue as a walk across the fields.

Why one long set after the buffet works best

We have tried different formats over the years and we always come back to the same one. A single long set once the cake has been cut and the buffet has been cleared gives you our best energy with no distractions. Nobody is queuing for food, the speeches are done, and the dance floor is ready to go. It also means we are not stopping and starting while your guests are trying to build momentum. But if you would like us to split the set into two then just say so and we will plan around your timings.

Live music for the ceremony and the drinks reception

If you would like live music earlier in the day, Andy also offers a solo acoustic performance for exactly this. It works well during the ceremony or when the prosecco starts flowing before the wedding breakfast, and it gives your guests something lovely to listen to while the photographs are being taken. Then the full band takes over in the evening.

Watch the band play

At a glance: three-piece guitar band, formed 2013, one long set after the buffet (Or split sets), optional solo acoustic performance earlier in the day, and a set list packed with indie rock and pop singalongs.

More than weddings at Longbourn Estate Barn

A big open barn like this suits plenty of celebrations besides weddings. If you are planning a wedding anniversary party, a milestone birthday party, or a private hire event for family and friends, we bring the same energy we bring to a wedding party. We also play for companies, so if you are looking at a summer staff party or client celebration, take a look at our corporate event band page.

Hiring a Longbourn Barn Wedding Band from across the region

Kineton sits in the south of Warwickshire, with Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick and Leamington Spa all within easy reach. Banbury and the wider county of Oxfordshire are close by to the south east, and we also play across Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. Our Warwickshire wedding band page has more on the county, and you can see the neighbouring areas on our Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire pages. If your guests are travelling from further afield, we also cover Birmingham and the West Midlands.

Other Warwickshire and Cotswold edge venues we have written about include Nailcote Hall, Mythe Barn in Atherstone and Dumbleton Hall. If you want a guitar-driven indie rock wedding band for your own barn wedding, get in touch and we will happily talk through your plans.

Questions couples ask us about barn weddings

Where is Longbourn Barn?

The venue is at Brookhampton Lane, Kineton, CV35 0JF, Warwickshire, set in the South Warwickshire countryside.

How long does the band play for?

We find that one long set after the cake cutting and buffet have finished, so there are no distractions and your guests get the best of the band. We will plan the length and start time around your evening. We’re also to split the set into 2 or even 3 though if you so desire.

Can Andy play during the ceremony or drinks reception?

Yes. Andy offers a solo acoustic performance earlier in the day, which suits the ceremony or the drinks before the wedding breakfast.

Do you play other events besides weddings?

Yes. We play wedding anniversaries, birthdays, private parties and corporate events, and you can talk with us about what you have in mind.