Gearing Up for a Magical Wedding Season with Manhattan
As spring blossoms into summer, Manhattan are officially entering one of our favourite times of the year — wedding season!
As spring blossoms into summer, Manhattan are officially entering one of our favourite times of the year — wedding season! The excitement in the air, the unforgettable moments, and the privilege of providing the soundtrack to a couple’s most important day... it’s what we live for.
Behind the Music: Our Wedding Season Prep
While the spotlight is on us for just a few hours during each performance, the work that goes into preparing for wedding season starts long before the first chord is struck.
We’ve been fine-tuning our setlists, polishing transitions, and adding new songs to keep things fresh and personalised. Every wedding is unique, and we pride ourselves on delivering a performance that feels tailor-made for each couple. Whether it's a dreamy first dance or a high-energy party set that gets everyone on the dance floor, we’re ready to bring it.
Rehearsals & Refinement
Preparation is key, and we've been putting in the hours. Our recent rehearsals have been focused on vocal harmonies, seamless medleys, and mastering those subtle cues that keep the energy flowing throughout the night. This dedication ensures that every note is in place and every moment on stage reflects our commitment to excellence.
Ready for the Road
With weddings taking us across the UK and beyond, our logistics game is on point. From loading in at remote countryside venues to setting up in bustling city hotels, we know how to make things run smoothly. Our equipment is prepped, our van is road-ready, and our team is sharp and smiling.
It's More Than Just a Gig
For us, this isn’t just about playing songs — it’s about creating moments. We understand the significance of a wedding day, and we approach every booking with the professionalism, care, and passion it deserves. It’s a privilege we don’t take lightly.
Here’s to an Unforgettable Season
We’re incredibly grateful to be part of so many love stories this year. With dates filling up fast, it’s shaping up to be a phenomenal season — full of music, magic, and memories.
To all the couples getting married this year: we can’t wait to celebrate with you.
See you on the dance floor!
– Manhattan Function Band
August 2022!
See what we’ve been up to in August…
Welcome to our blog for August 2022!
Another jam packed month for us!
Huge thank you to all our couples and clients who have had us as part of their special day! We would like to say a massive congratulations to everyone who tied the knot this month! All the best for your future :)
Here’s some photos of a few weddings/event we played this month:
We also had our regular monthly gig at Finnegans Wake.
Our public shows are the best way to come see us do what we do best! We play 3 x 45mins sets, this give you a great opportunity to see just how many different genres and decades we cover!
If you are playing to attend any of the upcoming dates please drop us an email and we can try and arrange a guest list so you definitely get in. Finnegans Wake is on the busiest bars in Edinburgh so they reach capacity fairly early into the night, especially at weekends.
October 7th - 10pm until 12:45am
November 11th - 10pm until 12:45am
All gigs are free entry :)
We release our fourth and final new Promo Videos! Check out our version of ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ by The Darkness. Keep an eye out for new videos coming in the future!
Make sure to follow us on Facebook & Instagram to keep up to date with all our upcoming Public Shows and our new videos!
facebook.com/manhattanfunctionband
instagram.com/manhattan_band
Until next month…
All the best,
Manhattan.
July 2022!
See what we’ve been up to in July…
Welcome to our blog for July 2022!
Another jam packed month for us!
Huge thank you to all our couples and clients who have had us as part of their special day! We would like to say a massive congratulations to everyone who tied the knot this month! All the best for your future :)
Here’s some photos of a few weddings/event we played this month:
We also had two Public shows this month. Our regular monthly gig at Finnegans Wake and a show at Stramash.
Our public shows are the best way to come see us do what we do best! We play 3 x 45mins sets, this give you a great opportunity to see just how many different genres and decades we cover!
If you are playing to attend any of the upcoming dates please drop us an email and we can try and arrange a guest list so you definitely get in. Finnegans Wake is on the busiest bars in Edinburgh so they reach capacity fairly early into the night, especially at weekends.
September 9th - 10pm until 12:45am
October 7th - 10pm until 12:45am
November 11th - 10pm until 12:45am
All gigs are free entry :)
We also release the third of our new Promo Videos! Check out our version of ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ by Oasis. Keep an eye out for our forth and finally video coming very soon!
Make sure to follow us on Facebook & Instagram to keep up to date with all our upcoming Public Shows and our new videos!
facebook.com/manhattanfunctionband
instagram.com/manhattan_band
Until next month…
All the best,
Manhattan.
June 2022!
See what we’ve been up to in June…
Welcome to our blog for June 2022!
Well into the full swing of wedding season we have been pretty crazy over this month!
Huge thank you to all our couples and clients who have had us as part of their special day! We would like to say a massive congratulations to everyone who tied the knot this month! All the best for your future :)
As huge music fans ourselves we managed to go see The Killers live this month! Now playing in a wedding band can sometimes ruin songs for us ha! One in particular would be Mr Brightside, we must have played it at every single gig for years! But seeing The Killers play it live was unreal and kind of re sparked our love for it!
We are delighted to return to Finnegans Wake in Edinburgh for the first time in over 2 years!
Our public shows are the best way to come see us do what we do best! We play 3 x 45mins sets, this give you a great opportunity to see just how many different genres and decades we cover!
If you are playing to attend any of the upcoming dates please drop us an email and we can try and arrange a guest list so you definitely get in. Finnegans Wake is on the busiest bars in Edinburgh so they reach capacity fairly early into the night, especially at weekends.
August 19th - 10pm until 12:45am
September 9th - 10pm until 12:45am
October 7th - 10pm until 12:45am
All gigs are free entry :)
We also release the second of our new Promo Videos! Check out our version of Deacon Blue’s ‘Real Gone Kid’. Keep an eye out for some others we have coming very soon!
Make sure to follow us on Facebook & Instagram to keep up to date with all our upcoming Public Shows and our new videos!
facebook.com/manhattanfunctionband
instagram.com/manhattan_band
Until next month…
All the best,
Manhattan.
Picking Your First Dance
Need some tips on picking your first dance?
Picking your first dance can be extremely easy for some couples but for others it can be a stressful decision. A list of songs being vetoed by your future husband/wife and the thought you will never pick the perfect song you both agree on! We would like to give you some tips and help point you in the right direction!
Lyrics
Our opinion, don’t over think it! It can be a huge task finding a song that has lyrics which resonate with you both. On top of that the song may not be one you are too crazy about, but it has to be romantic lyrics so you picked it. This can sometimes be the wrong approach.
We would suggest finding a song that you both love and the lyrics should come second. It doesn’t matter too much if the words aren’t all lovey-dovey but is far more important the song is one you both like and are comfortable to take to the dance floor with!
Don’t get us wrong, the song can still have a lot of meaning to you both. For example a song that was playing in the bar when you first met, the song you shared your first kiss to, the one that was playing when you popped the question. The lyrics of the song don’t have to be why you picked it, a special moment together with the song can be just as or more meaningful.
A great option, pick your favourite song! Lyrics or romantic connections out the window! Do you both like similar bands or artists? Have you been to gigs together to see your favourite acts? Maybe this is the route to go down. Both love Stevie Wonder, Beyonce or The Jacksons? Look through their song lists and see if you agree on one together.
It Doesn’t Have To Be A Ballad
A large percentage of couples chose a ballad for their first dance and that’s great if that’s what works best for you both. But why not do the opposite? Having an upbeat song can be a great way to start the night off. It makes the transition from first dance to party time seamless!
A great example, we had the ‘Time Wrap’ for a first dance! The couple loved the song and wanted to do something a bit different. They didn’t want to bother with having the couple up for a verse and chorus then invite everyone up. We got all the guests up and into position before we started, even the venue staff were getting involved! It went down a storm and had all the guests up and ready to party from the get go!
What People Think
What if people don’t know the song? My friend hates that song! Will my guest want to get up for our choice?
Bottom line, your first dance is YOURS! You’re not sure if your guests will know the song or will have heard of it? Who cares! As long as you are both happy with your choice that is all that matters.
For example if you pick an Oasis song, but your friends really don’t like Oasis it shouldn’t change your decision at all! Your friends will be happy for you and will get up to join you, it’s your day and all about the two of you.
There has been many occasions where we haven’t heard of the song before and we see that as a good thing. It’s always great to be introduced to new bands and artists!
We recently got asked to play ‘Pushing Up Daises’ by Brother Osborne for a wedding. None of us in that band had heard of it before but loved it and it was fun learning a country song as we don’t get to play country very often.
No Rules!
At the end of the day the best piece of advice we can give you is there are no rules in picking your first dance! Pick a ballad from Ed Sheeran, or a rock song from AC/DC or even Sandstorm by Darude! You can be influenced by other people or you can completely make your own decision. The big question is ‘Are you both happy with your chosen song?’. If you are happy then we are happy to learn it for you!
We hope these few tips can help you if your stuck on what to pick! It can be a little stressful going back and forth between the two of you and both not wanting to compromise. But the perfect song for you is out there, you just have to be honest with one another in what route you want to go down. Whether it is a ballad or upbeat, rock or pop, new or old we are sure you’ll get there in the end!
Some honourable mentions:
All Night Long - Lionel Richie
Happy Together - The Turtles
Lose Yourself To Dance - Daft Punk
All The Small Things - Blink 182
Let’s Dance - David Bowie
I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing - Aerosmith
Everlong - Foo Fighters
My Girl - The Temptations
May 2022!
See what we’ve been up to in May…
Welcome to our blog for May 2022!
We’ve had a jam packed month! It has been a pleasure to help celebrate many couples & clients wedding day and events!
Due to COVID many couples had to postpone their big day so it’s great to finally be able to end their wedding day with a bang! Here’s some photos of a few weddings/event we played this month:
Some awesome first dance requests this month! Ranging from Green Day to Aerosmith! Keep an eye out for an upcoming blog about tips on picking your first dance. We often get asked from couples on some advice so hopefully this will help you out!
We are delighted to say that we will be returning to Finnegans Wake in Edinburgh for the first time in over 2 years!
Our public shows are the best way to come see us do what we do best! We play 3 x 45mins sets, this give you a great opportunity to see just how many different genres and decades we cover!
If you are playing to attend any of the upcoming dates please drop us an email and we can try and arrange a guest list so you definitely get in. Finnegans Wake is on the busiest bars in Edinburgh so they reach capacity fairly early into the night, especially at weekends.
June 17th - 10pm until 12:45am
July 15th - 10pm until 12:45am
August 19th - 10pm until 12:45am
All gigs are free entry :)
We also release the first of our new Promo Videos! Check out our version of Elton John’s ‘I’m Still Standing’. Keep an eye out for some others we have coming very soon!
Make sure to follow us on Facebook & Instagram to keep up to date with all our upcoming Public Shows and our new videos!
facebook.com/manhattanfunctionband
instagram.com/manhattan_band
Until next month…
All the best,
Manhattan.
We're Back!
Well, it has been a while! Where do we begin?
March 2020 was a shock to the entire world. Many industries came to a stand still, including ours, while we all sat around in complete fear with many questions that no one had answers too; Are we safe? How long will this last? When can we go back to normal?
We hope now that we are at a stage of near normality that you and your loved ones are well. Our hearts go out to anyone that sadly lost someone during this terrible time.
We are so unbelievably grateful to be back doing the thing we love the most! We would like to give a huge heartfelt thank you to all of the couples and clients that had us booked over 2020/2021 that had to postpone their wedding/event days. I can only imagine how stressful it was moving your wedding day, some couples multiple times. We done everything we could to help you make the change to a new date as easy as possible by working with your venues and other suppliers. Thank you for keeping us in the loop and still having us as part of your big day.
A special thank you to some generous couples/clients who offered to pay their full balance upfront without even having a new date booked yet. Honestly, we were blown away by that! It meant so much to us, we truly cannot show our appreciation enough.
Our first gig back was 5th June 2021, Mr & Mrs Cunningham’s wedding! If we are honest it was a mixture of excited and anxiousness haha! There was still some rules in place at this time, limited numbers, all guests seated etc. But, oh man was it good to be playing live music again!
The following gigs we played were along the same lines, but slowly over time rules were lifted and before we knew it we had packed out dance floors again!!! It was amazing!
Since we’ve started playing again it has been all guns blazing! We have been crazy busy which is awesome, hence why we are finally getting round to a blog post now ha! We’ll try and keep them coming more frequently now :)
We got back into the studio again to do some new promo videos! We have released one so far ‘I’m Still Standing’ by Elton John. Keep you eyes pealed as we have a few more to show you all!
Once again, it is so good to be back :)
Until the next one, take care!
Manhattan
October 2019!
See what we’ve been up to in October…
Well that’s a wrap for our Wedding Season of 2019!!
Thanks to all the amazing Couples that had us for their big day! Absolute pleasure playing for you and helping you end your wedding day with a bang! Please keep in touch in your new marriages and we hope to see you in the future.
Although wedding season was winding down we still had a jam packed October.
We released our new Two Part Promo video! We have had so many amazing compliments on them so far and we thank you very much for that! Trying to pick songs that really show off what we do can be a bit tricky but we feel we have managed to showcased a little bit of everything that Manhattan can bring to your wedding day!
Summer weddings don’t seem to be the done thing anymore! We played some of the best weddings in October and the weather held up, for the most part! The band also had the pleasure of playing a very close friend of ours wedding! Having so many familiar faces in the audience was a little intimidating but was great to see you all!
Due to what we do summer holidays are a no go! So to round off the year a wee trip was definitely needed. There was only one place fitting to go to, the best city in the world… Manhattan!
Liam bumped into the one and only Nicole Scherzinger. Unfortunately she declined the invite to join the band, something about being too busy and the commute was a bit much for her every weekend!
Roll on 2020! Can’t wait to meet all of you that have booked us for your wedding and events!
We still have some Public gigs left this year so pop by to see the band in action!
Until next time,
Manhattan.
August 2019!
See what we’ve been up to in August…
Oh Boy have we been busy!!!
August is always a crazy month for function bands! We have been playing weddings and events all over the country. We would like to thank all of our amazing Couples and Clients who have had us for their special day or events. Thanks for all the wonderful testimonials you have left us, it makes us really proud to read them! We pride ourselves in being the best band we can be and make sure your event is extra special, when we read that we have succeeded this we know we are doing our job well!
Here’s a few photos from some of the weddings we have played in August!
As well as gigging like mad we have also been in the Studio!! We had a blast working with our good friend Gus Stirrat again! We were prepping everything for our new videos that will be coming your way very very soon! Can’t wait for you all to see them! Say hello to our special guest Joshua who joint us in the studio!
As always we have been playing our usual Pub gigs. Been great meeting everyone that has came along to see us. If you are thinking of booking the band please come along to one of our Public Gigs. Its the best way to see us do what we do best! Of course you could always wedding crash as well ;)
Keep an eye out on our Facebook Page for the launch of our new videos. We might have a few surprises for you when they go live….
Until next time…
Manhattan.
The Top Picks of Our Favourite Venues!!
Some of our favourite venues we have played over the years…
We have had the pleasure to play some amazing and memorable Venues over the years! Here is some of our top picks that we love to get the chance to come back and hopefully can help you if you are looking for your perfect wedding locations!
Brig O’Doon
Fantastic Venue! Located in Ayrshire, Brig O’Doon is a pleasure for us to play. Great sized room with one side all glass windows looking out at over River Doon. Grand staircase the Bride & Groom walk down as the are welcomed back into the room and friendly staff.
Dundas Castle
Local to us, Dundas Castle is located just outside Edinburgh near the Queensferry Crossing. There is a permanent Marquee next to the castle with a stage for the band as well as an outside seating area to enjoy the nice weather ( if you’re lucky.. It is Scotland we’re talking about after all! ).
Balbirnie House
A very familiar Venue in many bands diary! Really open dance floor and big enough to have all your guests up all night long! Balbirnie is also known as one of the best load ins for band which is always a plus in our books!
Aswanley
Up in Huntley, Aberdeenshire, Aswanley is a converted Victorian Barn. The room is split down the middle, with one side having the tables for your meal and the other is just a huge dance floor! With a stage for band so you have a good view of us dancing along with you while playing your favourite hits!
Seamill Hyrdo
Seamill Hydro is located in Ayrshire. The venue has stunning views of the beach to the rear with a back garden where you can get great photos on your big day! The staff here have your night organised like a well oiled ship!
The Barony
This former church is now part of Strathclyde University. This room is huge! So if you are in Glasgow and planning on having a large amount of guest this could be the one for you! Always great fun running around that big stage!
www.strath.ac.uk/conferencingandevents/venues/baronyhall/
The Hub
Last but not least we return to our home town of Edinburgh! The Hub is right at the top of the Royal Mile, a stones through from Edinburgh Castle! The ballroom is very similar to The Barony. Grand large hall with a stage for your band.
We hope if you are still looking for your perfect venue this might have helped you in the right direction!
May 2019!
See what we’ve been up to in May…
Welcome to our blog for May 2019!
We’ve been busy! With wedding season in full swing we have had the pleasure of celebrating many couple’s big day and some awesome corporate events!
We would like to thank you all for having us at your Wedding or Event! We are glad we could help you make your day extra special!
We asked, you answered!! Thanks to everyone who took part in our Facebook poll about putting on a Showcase.
We try our best to play as many Public Gigs as we can so you can come and see the band in action before confirming your booking. However we understand that some of the gigs are late and may not be easy for you to make it along. So we are going to look into putting on some Showcases earlier in the evening so you can come along and meet the band!
Dates Coming Soon!!!
Lastly, we hope you managed to check out our new live video for Stevie Wonder’s ‘I Wish’! One of our favourites to play and always gets the crowd going! This is something we are going to try and do a few times a month so you can hear more and more of the bands set and hear exactly how we will sound at your event!
Like our Facebook page to keep up-to-date with all of our Gigs and what we get up to!
www.facebook.com/manhattanfunctionband
Until next month…
All the best,
Manhattan.
March 2019!
See what we’ve been up to in March…
This month we started to kick into wedding season! A Stand out for us was the amazing wedding of the new Mr & Mrs Murdoch! Dare we say it was the wedding of the year so far, although we are only in March it will take something to beat it ha! Such a lovely couple and your guests were so much fun! All the best in your new married and hope to see you again soon!
We also had a few band outings! Went to see one of our favourite comedians, the one and only Limmy!! We asked him to join the band but unfortunately he declined!
Our singer Liam also went to get some tips from his favourite singer Chris Stapleton at this years Country 2 Country! Some incredible Bands and Artists over the whole weekend too! Would highly recommend everyone to go next year!
Again this month we had the pleasure of being guests at a wedding! Our good friend Simon and his beautiful new wife Kelly! Two of the nicest people we know and their wedding was amazing! We were up on the dance floor all night long. The food was on point and cracking ice cream! Liam even made a wee guest performance for the drinks reception!
As always we had a few of our regular pub gigs! Box in Glasgow and Finnegans Wake in Edinburgh! Keep an eye out on our website or facebook page for all our upcoming public shows that we would love to see you along at!
Finally, we released our third video from our Live Lounge Set! This one has Mr Lee Harper on vocals. Crowded House’s ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’! One of our new additions to the set. We will post the forth and final video very soon!
Until next month!
Thanks
Manhattan
February 2019!
See what we’ve been up to in February…
This month we have been busy with our Public Gigs! Been great meeting some of our clients at them ahead of their weddings this summer! As always we invite you to come along and have a chat with us. Whether you have us booked for your Wedding/Event or are thinking of doing so, our Public gigs are a great chance to see us live and meet the band.
We have also started rehearsals for some of our upcoming first dances! We ask for 6 weeks notice for your first dance. This allows us plenty of time to learn and rehearse your chosen song so we can play it at the standard Manhattan are known for!
Keep an eye out for a future blog on help when it comes to choosing a first dance!
This month we also had to pleasure to attend a wedding! Massive congratulations to our good friends Phil and his beautiful new wife Susie! Food was awesome and we may have had a wee bit too much beer ha! Was a brilliant night and even got up to play a few tunes!
Lastly we are happy to share with you the second video from our Live Lounge Style Set. One of the most popular songs we play ‘My Girl’ by The Temptations! Along with it we are running a competition to win a discount for your booking so be sure to get involved! All details can be found on our facebook page.
As wedding season starts to kick in over the next few months we will continue our monthly blogs letting you know what we are up to and hopefully have some live videos coming your way soon!
All the best
Manhattan.
January 2019!
See what we’ve been up to in January…
As for most function bands, January allows us a little down time. But whilst we have enjoyed a couple weekends off we’ve been working hard behind the scenes! The quiet time has allowed us to add some new additions to our Song List, as well as work on some new medleys that we are really excited for you to hear!
Although Weddings and Functions have been quiet, we have still been busy with our local pub gigs. We have a great relationship with some of the best venues in Edinburgh, Finnegans Wake, Stramash and Whistlebinkies. We are very grateful that they can fit us in so often!
Our Public gigs are a great chance for people to come and see the band live in action! Whether you want to see us live before you confirm your booking or want to come have a chat with us about anything, these gigs are the perfect place to do so! They also allow us to perform a large amount of our song list so you will get a good idea of the huge range of music we cover.
Our highlight of the month was being a part of the Annual Dinner Dance for Dana Petroleum up in Aberdeen! Thanks for booking our band for your event and we look forward to seeing you next year. Great crowd, lovely people and we were fed extremely well! Was hard to get up on stage after that!!
Keep your eye out for our next monthly Blog where we can keep you up to date with everything we get up too!
Thanks
Manhattan
Why Choose Manhattan?
There are many Wedding and Function bands out there and choosing the right band can be a bit overwhelming! We would like to help you out and let you know why Manhattan are the right band for you!
There are many Wedding and Function bands out there and choosing the right band can be a bit overwhelming! We would like to help you out and let you know why Manhattan are the right band for you!
SCOTLAND’S TOP MUSICIANS
Manhattan are made up of some of the finest session musicians in Scotland. Not only are we approaching 10 years of Wedding and Function experience but some of the band have been playing together since the age of 16! We have been very lucky and have had great opportunities to play all over the UK, France, Germany and the U.S.
Not only are we colleagues but, importantly, all of us in the band are great friends and have even studied together, which we believe shows in our performances. The band have great chemistry on stage and really know how to get the crowd going! The members of the band are all friendly, approachable and professional!
WE ARE INDEPENDENT
Manhattan are one of the few bands that are totally independent and don’t go through a Wedding or Function Band agency. We don’t have anything against agencies but we love to be more involved with our clients from the initial enquiry right through to the last song of the night!
Whether you email us through our site or message us through Facebook/Instagram it is always one of the band you will speak to.
HUGE DIVERSE SONG LIST
We pride ourselves in keeping your dance floor packed all night! We do that by making sure our set list caters to everyone, from up-to-date songs you hear on the radio to absolute classics, we do it all! From The Beatles to George Ezra, Tina Turner to Foo Fighters we cover all decades and genres and try our best to accommodate all of your guest’s varying music tastes.
For weddings the band will learn your first dance! If there is a song you love but don’t see it in our song list, let us know and we will learn it for you!
Our band consists of Drums, Bass, Keys and Guitars. We have a male lead singer with a wide vocal range and 4 other singers in the band, so there’s really not a lot we can’t do for you!
We can also provide a DJ Set for an hour at the end of our performance to keep the party going into the wee hours.
Want some ceilidh? Manhattan can also provide some Traditional Scottish Ceilidh dances for you. We can play up to around 45 minutes of ceilidh and we will call the dances for you! The dances can be played all together or we can spread them throughout the night!
WE BRING THE SHOW!
We provide a top of the range PA System and lighting rig, as well as high-end instruments and equipment. Making sure the band sound as good as possible is very important to us. We like to sound good but we also want to make our performance look great too! We have a fantastic lighting rig that we bring to every performance. We can control our lights from on-stage, making them sync up to songs, have dramatic blackouts and also strobe lights when the right song requires it. This makes our performance more of a ‘Show’, much like you would see from a touring band. We feel this sets us apart from some of other bands out there.
All of our equipment is PAT Tested and the band have Public Liability Insurance.
BUDGET
The entertainment for your Wedding or Event is only part of the booking process. We completely understand that after paying for your Venue, Food, Decorating the room etc, the cost adds up! Manhattan’s pricing is very reasonable and is the amount you will typically see from most 5 piece bands. The price we quote includes all of our expenses and a deposit.
COME SEE US LIVE!
The best way we can convince you that Manhattan are the band for any occasion is for you to come see us in action. We play very regular gigs, usually 2 or 3 a month, in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Some other bands only do a couple of ‘Showcase gigs’ a year and get to play for 20 minutes at most. Our Public gigs consist of two or even three 45 minute sets. We can fit a lot songs into these sets so you can get a great idea of the huge range of styles and decades we cover. Our Public gigs also give you a great opportunity to come meet us and we can talk about anything you would like to know about the band!
