Wedding Setlist

darrenw5094

Can anyone with some experience, let me know what songs would be suitable or normally played at weddings. I really need the tunes for the first half of the set, opening songs and waltz tunes. Plenty of Elvis and 12 bar 60's music after that and then finish of with the more modern songs.

darrenw5094

Anyone?

JimiTime

darrenw5094 wrote: »

Anyone?

TBH, its a bit of a generic question. I would think, if you just want to play what the audience wants, why not consult the couple who hired you? If you've been hired on the back of your performance somewhere, then I assume you're already playing what the couple wants. Personally I hate hearing the same cr@p from every band at a wedding, and most I know feel the same way. Yeah, I still get up and enjoy myself, but think the band were pretty lame. As I said though, its about who's hiring you most of the time.

From experience, what never fails, are timeless genre's. A big Rock and Roll set. A big 60's set. Then a few Irish tunes, a bit of c0ck rock, and a few modern tunes.

darrenw5094

Yeh, same old story with all wedding bands. We have the second half alright from our pub setlist. It's just the cheese at the start. Waltz stuff and then hit them with a clatter of 12 bar stuff like Johnny Be Goode and the Elvis tunes, hound dog, blue suede shoes etc. Second half is rock. Anyone who doesn't like that bit, can go home early.

DerKaiser

Start with the couples choice of opening dance
then it's usually some fairly safe rock'n'roll, Let's twist again/rock around the clock/runaway kind of thing,
List your songs in triplets; three songs joined together in a mini set and number them or letter them so for speed of transition someone just shouts out "Set A"
Do maybe two rock'n'roll mini sets
Waltzes, where do you go to my lovely/whisky on a sunday or any trad waltz will do, just something for the aul' wans to dance to, usually one of these will suffice
Another rock'n'roll, beatles or country set should follow, ring of fire goes down well
Elvis set, earlier Elvis maybe, keep the 60s/70s stuff til the second half
flesh that out to around an hour and break at this point
open the second half with something very uptempo, a hard rock or pop punk mini set (basket case/teenage kicks works well there)
Classic rock mini set
Games (the garter/the boy girl ring thing, the couple will advise you if they want that, play it 3 times and mix up the tunes for each turn, it's good to have a novelty song for this, such as the birdy dance)
Modern indie pop rock (killers/white stripes bla bla)
More rock'n'roll (the more risque numbers can come out now)
End out the show with a good mix of hard rock/modern rock/Elvis (suspicious minds/burning love) and end on a high note. the Fratellis chelsea dagger works really well
The couple may have more requests so tailor your show around them, and other people will request stuff too, people may want to get up and sing so always keep popular songs at the ready, learn loads of beatles and elvis, and every gig is different, you judge it on the crowd that's there, use your common sense and observe the reaction, after doing 4-5 you'll know what works instinctively

unclebill98

Never ever play games unless its pre approved by the Bride and Groom. Its will boom if they do not want it.

Don't play the bloody birdy song. Its a wedding, not a 4th brithday party on Mosney!

DMPR

hey, get the names of the other bands and check out their websites and check the setlist for ideas!