The venue was a converted barn that felt a little bit like a school camp site, but it had been lovingly decorated into a rustic and cosy bush wedding setting for these Brisbane city-slickers to enjoy for the night.

One of the musical highlights of the evening was the groom getting up on the bass and performing a very impressive slap solo during an improvised blues jam with his best man on guitar and the rest of the Radio Club Band faithfully supporting.

The romantic highlight of the evening was the bride and her entourage of maids performing a choreographed dance for her seated husband to Beyonce’s “Love on Top”. He was in seventh heaven and couldn’t help but join them for a boogie after a couple of minutes. “Can’t take my eyes off you” by Frankie Valli was the song chosen for the bridal waltz in an upbeat and fun twist on the tradition. The Temptations “My Girl” saw the bride and her father share their last dance. The Jamiroquai tunes went off left, right and centre along with Al Green and other Motown classics.

Although it was a long way from our home in Brisbane (about 2.5 hours drive south!), and quite a trek home at the end of the night, it wasn’t hard to stay awake at the wheel when we were buzzing so hard after a beautiful and truly exciting gig for an amazing young couple.

One such venue is Mantra on Salt Beach, Casuarina. Their ballroom is massive, clean and beautifully lit, and made for the perfect venue for us to play for Kala and Ben’s wedding. Their ceremony happened on the beach at Casuarina while we set up to get ready for their reception dinner.

Our first set was laid back and acoustic – no drums for a change, just guitar, piano, bass and vocals. We provided a very smooth and soulful soundtrack to the start of the evening, though we could tell things would take off like a rocket before long with many of the guests watching us closely with smiles, and wiggling their bums in their seats.

The staff at Mantra took really good care of us, laying on beers and beautiful food all night while we relaxed in the spacious and comfy lobby lounge in our breaks and during the speeches. Once the formalities were over we kicked off the party with the Bridal Waltz – a pensive and popular tune we learnt especially for this couple: “The Only Exception” by Paramore. Once this dance was done, we kicked straight into a set full of the requested dance classics like “Take Your Mama” by the Scissor Sisters, “I Saw Her Standing There” by The Beatles, and “The Way You Make Me Feel” by Michael Jackson.

We had heaps of fun entertaining the guests of Ben and Kala’s beautiful wedding reception and left with full tummy’s and ringing ears from the roaring applause of the very dance happy crowd. It’s such a good feeling when we can pack a dance floor and keep it packed all night long!

We all had so much fun and the energy in the room just continued to build all night. I invited the Bride up to the stage for a spontaneous egg shaker solo to the sound of the roaring crowd, and then the Groom came up to end the night with a top notch vocal performance of his favourite song “Play that funky music white boy”. The feedback we got from the Bride and Groom and the guests of the wedding was fantastic. They absolutely loved the music, and on several occasions we had a massive circle on the dance floor with people taking solo dance performances inside the ring.

It was very satisfying to be apart of such a special night and to personally hear so many positive comments on how great people thought the band was and to see how much fun they were having all night! To the Bride and Groom – Thanks so much for the opportunity to play at your wedding, and we’re so glad you had such a good time. For us the night was more than just entertaining at a wedding, we felt that we had made two good friends by the end of the night!

Radio Club Band

I’m pretty sure this has to be one of the best jobs in the world, playing music at arguably the most spectacular venue on the sunshine coast. The Manor never fails to impress rain hail or shine with it’s amazing mountain views and lush manicured estate. Marlene, Kathryn, Bruce and all the staff are such a hospitable and caring crew (thank you guys and gals!) and the kitchen hits it for six every time, as myself and the guys all agree! Thank you to the Bride & Groom for booking us, and for your great feedback, I hope you enjoy your honeymoon in Thailand!

Lead Singer/Guitarist
Radio Club Band

You have the ring on your finger and now it’s time to start thinking about wedding preparations. It can be a daunting task organising a wedding and finding the time to research and prepare for the big day whilst also juggling your job and life. However, the lead up to your wedding is a time that you will never forget, despite the stress and busyness. So, when it comes to thinking about the music for your night, here are some tips that might help you along the way.

Band Hire Tip Number 1: Which Wedding Band to Hire!

There are a few things to consider when hiring the right wedding band. Firstly, make sure you do your research on which band to hire for your special event. Have a think about what theme you would like for your wedding music and general ambiance. Do you want it to be a ‘classy event”, “laid back and relaxed”, or “one big party”? If your theme is a classy event, the last thing you would want is for a 3 piece goofy wedding band, with members wearing Hawaiian shirts rocking up singing the Bee Gee’s. It might ruin the mood! No matter which band you hire, request demo CD’s and if you can, go along to hear the band play live so you know what you are getting on the night. The showcase is the perfect opportunity to come along and hear any band play live and also meet them in person. That way you avoid any surprises and make sure the music is exactly to the standard you would like for such a special occasion. Don’t forget, music does set the mood for the night, so if you have a corny band, belting out old love songs that no one knows or doesn’t inspire people to get up and have a dance, then you could be in for a long one! That’s why the band hired can make it or break it!

Band Hire Tip Number 2: Music choices.

This is the fun part! It’s a great idea to sit down as a couple and go through your favourite songs and artists. Have a think about songs that have a particular meaning for you as a couple. This could be the song you heard when you first met, or one that was playing when he proposed or a special song that you listen to on road trips that brings back some great memories. Write them all down and send them to your band hire options so that it gives them an idea of what type of music you would like played. They will use this list on the night to put together sets and get people up on the dance floor. Remember, whilst it might be tempting to list every song you want played, the best bands are great at reading an audience and playing the music to suit, giving them your favourite song styles will point them in the right direction.

Band Hire Tip Number 3: Budget!

Let’s be realistic. Weddings can be expensive events and when you add up the dress, venue, flowers, cars, band hire, invitations – well, it all starts adding up. Before you start crossing the live music off the budget list, make sure the band you hire are able to work within different budgets and find a solution that is not going to put a dent in your bank account.

Band Hire Tip Number 4: Space.

When you book in your wedding venue, make sure you have a look at how much space there is for the wedding band to play. Some venues only have room for a 3 piece set up, whilst others can easily hold a 9 piece band. It’s worth having a chat to the venue managers and making sure there are no sound restrictions for live music and even chatting about what configurations have worked there in the past. If you need help deciding what will fit and suit the band you hire- just give the wedding band a call. A good band will LOVE to hear from you!

Band Hire Tip Number 5: Dancing.

Weddings are all about getting up and dancing and celebrating the special occasion with the bride and groom. It’s best to hire a band that looks professional, sounds sensational and plays music that gets people up on the dance floor. Keep this in mind when researching which band to hire so you find one that is right for you. Wouldn’t it be amazing if your wedding is the one that is talked about the most amongst your guests because the music was so amazing and the dancing was so much fun.
Hopefully, these small, yet often overlooked band hire tips gives you some things to start thinking about. When it comes down to it, you are looking for a wedding band who are passionate about what they do!

Contact Radio Club Band, Hire The Best In the Game!