It’s a long day, but we gotta rock n roll!

Jack and Ellie’s wedding had been in the diary for a while. We were excited to be with them on the night as St Andrews is an awesome place, particularly in the summer. As it happened, they asked us if we could also play the ceremony and the drinks reception during the day. So Dion and Jamie were in for a long day!

So our two heroes loaded up the van all by themselves and headed up to St Andrews in the beautiful summer weather. Arriving suitably early, they headed up to the main hall and set up our small PA and did a very quick soundcheck before guests started to arrive. As the guests walked in and found their seats, the boys played them all in with some chilled out tunes before the bride arrived. The bridal party walked in to Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton, which we got almost to the end of before we got the signal that it was the brides turn to walk in. So we ended the song before starting with My Love is Like a Red Red Rose and the bride started her decent. The family dog was there and was so excited to see her that the dog started yowling at the top of its voice in excitement. This was cute, hilarious but also somewhat confusing as between the dog, the music and the laughter, the boys had no idea what was going on haha! What was actually going on? Was someone in trouble at the old mill? Had a distant uncle gotten lost in the excitement? They also couldn’t see where the bride was, but by some miracle stopped the song seemingly just as the bride arrived. These little moments make weddings so much fun. The ceremony was lovely and the boys played out the happy couple to Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac… with a cheeky wink from the groom showing his approval.

Next the boys moved to the quad and set up for the drinks reception. The university bells were ringing loud and clear so they waited for them to stop before starting. But no such luck. The our heroes started the set and weirdly the bells seemed to be in tune. Playing drinks receptions are often quite similar. Very different to the evening entertainment as everyone is so happy to see each other and spends time catching up, sharing stories etc. The music often fades into the background and just keeps the ambience and atmosphere. But we were blessed by some lovely backing singers, guests who were pitched up near us and singing along at every opportunity. I think we should have given them a name…. The Rear View Backing Singers!!! The mood, the weather and the vibe was amazing and the boys had great fun playing. I think Jamie even got a wee tan too. They finished up and the guests moved in for speeches and food. The Father of the Bride proudly telling the guests, in jest, that the sausage rolls were ready and being served on the left! Nothing could be further from the truth. The boys sat with photographer and planner and were treated to a lovely meal!

The rest of the band joined us at about 6.30pm and we started the load in. It was a tough one as it was so warm, our poor drummer was dripping with sweat… par for the course really. Once set up, were were good to go and looking forward to the first dance. There is no better feeling than hearing the music played on the big stage, though our big PA system and an enthusiastic crowd egging us on. The first dance was a lovely country number by The Chicks… and the soft spot for country was apparent throughout the night. After the first dance, came the ceilidh. This time, Jack and Ellie had opted for a ceilidh section for the first half of the night, rather than the usual mixed throughout. This was great, as there were so many guests from overseas and this gave them the full experience before the covers started. We had the awesome Meirion with us that night, who expertly guided the crowd through all of the moves. It was a fun one for sure and the crowd did so well with learning everything on the fly. A quick Gay Gordons, Canadian Barn Dance, Dashing White and an epic Orcadian Strip the Willow and we were done! Ready for a quick break before round two!

Round two of the night began shortly after. And this was no disappointment. This crowd meant business! Right from the start, we could tell that they were up for this. They were ready to rock and did right to the end. This part of the set is usually pretty fast paced. If you leave the dancefloor hanging, you pay for it! So we hit them hard and fast, just as we always do. And they took it in their strides and gave us such a great night. This is the part we love. Getting the crowd going and feeding off the energy they bring. It really becomes a two way street: We bring the energy and the crowd reacts…. they give us the energy back and we get excited! And round and round we go in a sea of sweaty dancers parading before an excited band! And some of the things we saw on the dancefloor was amazing. People jumping up and down, hands in the air, crowds screaming the lyrics at the top of their voices and something we see not too often; How low can you go to Standing in the Way of Control!

The night ended on a high for us. What a great crowd! Honestly, this was so much fun and a perfect example of why we do this. So after 25 songs, loads off water, even more water… it was time for the traditional Loch Lomond sendoff.

Thank you so much for having us guys, we had a blast!