Not content with already having a lengthy list of the best wedding bands Scotland has to offer, we've added another spectacular wedding and function band to our family. Welcome to The Rockettes!
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1. Describe your band in 3 words
Fun, Vibrant and Enthusiastic
2. What made you get into music?
We all met while studying music at University, and so individually music has also been a very prominent part of our lives. We all have different tastes and specific focuses we base our studies around, which adds a whole range of experience from different genres and sectors of the music industry that we can each bring to the band!
3. What are your hobbies, and do they inspire your music?
Although it’s safe to say music is the main hobby and passion for us all, we all have different interests outside of this, including sports and theatre. We enjoy taking skills and qualities we’ve picked up and learned from our other hobbies and interests and applying them to our performances somehow!
4. How many events have you played at?
Together as a band, we’ve played a number of gigs and events across Edinburgh venues, usually about once every week or two, but also manage to get involved in different gigs every so often as individual musicians within the Scottish music scene.
5. What’s the most difficult song to play and why?
There are a few songs that are hard to play for different reasons, for example, ‘Can’t Stop’ by the Red Hot Chili Peppers is a tough one on our vocalists because of all the words and when certain things are sung, and there’s a few songs when they have to try out some rapping as well like in ‘Beggin’ and ‘Let’s Get It Started’. As well as this, there are a few songs like ‘Don’t start Now’ and ‘Careless Whisper’ which we use samples for, and so these take a lot of concentration so that we ensure we stay in time with them! Some songs have intricate solos our guitarists have to take on and some have big and challenging vocals for the singers to take on.
6. The most memorable venue you’ve performed at and why?
We recently had the opportunity to play at an Edinburgh University Charity Fundraiser Ball at the amazing Gosford House where we played to nearly 1000 students! Overall, it was a great night for a great cause and we all really appreciated the opportunity. The fact that Tynchy Stryder was also performing at the same event as us, made it pretty memorable!
7. Best song / piece of music ever and why?
This is always a hard question for us to agree on as we all have such different music tastes as individuals! Our styles range from jazz and soul to electronic and dance music, and so we all have very different answers for different reasons. That’s another reason why we like to keep our repertoire as broad as possible!
8. What’s your favourite part of a wedding?
The first dance is always a memorable moment, and it’s lovely to be involved in that during some weddings, but the end of a wedding is always a great moment too as we get to see everyone come together one last time (especially if Loch Lomond is on!)
9. What music-related advice would you give anyone looking for a band for a wedding / event?
Although the promotional videos and all the information provided by Music for Scotland is a great way to decide which bands take your interest, it’s always great to see a band live if possible! This way you can see how they perform firsthand and give you a taste of what you could have at your event. Also, always feel free to contact the band with any requests you may have- we’re here to make YOUR night as special as it can be and want to accommodate you in any way possible!
10. What are your rehearsals generally like?
We tend to rehearse at least once a week for a couple hours at a time. To start, we always like to choose a couple new songs to go over so that we can constantly update our repertoire. Once we’ve done this, we go over any of our favorite songs to play to end the rehearsal on a high.
11. Any wedding hacks?
We include a range of music in our sets, making sure there’s something for everyone, and always ensure we include the crowd-pleasers and guilty pleasures too! We also like to tailor our sets to specific events we’re playing at in order to make it slightly more personal for those who have booked us.
12. Describe a typical Day in The Life Of your band (on an event day)
On the day of an event, we usually like to have a short and relaxed rehearsal in the morning, just to get into the swing of things and warm up. Then once we head to the venue, we’ll set everything up ensuring to leave enough time to settle in before we can finally start performing.
13. Best way to motivate a shy crowd?
We find songs that have some sort of audience participation are always a great way to get them involved as we can get them clapping, singing or dancing along! Ceilidhs are also a great icebreaker, even if you’re not familiar with some of the dances.
14. Do you have any signature dance moves?
Our guitarist and saxophonist likes to move A LOT when he’s playing, and so we always have to watch out and make sure we don’t get in the way, otherwise, we’ll get hit by him and his instruments by accident!!
Want to hear The Rockettes in action? Head on over to their page to them performing in HD and if they're the band for you, send us a no-obligation booking enquiry.