All posts by Mitch Cockman

Stirk House Wedding Band, Clitheroe

August 15, 2018Events, Manchesterclitheroe, manchester, Stirk House, weddingMitch Cockman

Stirk House was the fantastic backdrop to Chris and Lorna’s wedding that we were privileged to play at this year. Stirk House is lucky enough to be surrounded by 22 acres of glorious Lancashire countryside and is just a stone’s throw away from the famous Pendle Hill.

Stirk_House_Wedding_Band_1 — Stirk_House_Wedding_Band

Chris and Lorna had Lucky by Jason Mraz as their first dance which kicked off a night full of dancing, laughs and good times.

It was great to be involved with your wedding day and we wish you both all the best for the future 🙂
Special thanks to The Big Pic for the fantastic photos 🙂

The Millhouse, Skidby Wedding Band and Acoustic Duo

August 10, 2018Acoustic, East Yorkshire, Eventsacoustic, the millhouse, weddingMitch Cockman

We had a full day of playing for Luke and Rebecca’s wedding at the Millhouse in Skidby this month. Our acoustic duo played in the afternoon during the happy couples drinks reception (see video below) and then the 5 piece core band for the evening entertainment. It was a lovely day and especially nice when we get to play the acoustic set earlier in the day as we have much more time to speak to guests and get to know people!

The evening started with a LIVE father / daughter dance to ‘My Girl’ and it was lovely to see Bill dance with his daughter.

The Millhouse is a bright, open venue where you can choose from a range of different rooms to suit your occasion. We were in the glasshouse where you have great views over the countryside of East Yorkshire.

The Alice in Wonderland theme went down a treat and we loved the stilt walkers and giant garden games 🙂

Thanks again Rebecca and Luke and all the best to you both for the future 🙂

Fishlake Mill Wedding Band

July 14, 2018Events, Sheffielddoncaster, fishlake mill, weddingMitch Cockman

We had an AMAZING time at Lucy and Gez’s wedding last Saturday. What a cracking bunch! Fishlake Mill is lovely venue in Doncaster near the small village of Fishlake. It’s a quirky 18th century mill and the bride and groom can actually stay in the mill on the wedding night!

Lucy and Gez had Shut Up and Dance With Me as their first dance and they had a fully choreographed dance to go with it. Gez did a great job!!

It really was an awesome night playing for some of our favourite people! All the best to you both for the future and we hope to see you again at some point soon!

And thanks for the feedback Lucy 🙂

Wedding and acoustic music at Merewood House Hotel – Lake District wedding

April 12, 2018Acoustic, Events, Lake Districtacoustic, lake district, merewood house hotel, weddingMitch Cockman

Merewood House Hotel Wedding and Acoustic Set

Last weekend we played at a lovely wedding in the Lake District for Amy and Chris at the Merewood House Hotel. This is a fantastic venue with a great view and a lovely setting. We played and acoustic set in the afternoon followed by our 7 piece showband in the evening.

Amy and Chris had Finally Found by the Honeyz for their first dance which was a great choice. What a lovely couple couple and a great venue! All the best for the future!

Merewood House Hotel Wedding and Acoustic Set

The Aldwark Arms Wedding York

April 11, 2018Events, YorkAldwark Arms, wedding, yorkMitch Cockman

We got to play at a lovely new venue this weekend – the Aldwark Arms near York who opened their doors to married couples last year. It’s a lovely rural venue and the marquee looked absolutely amazing.

We had the privilege of being Naomi and Tom’s wedding band and it was a cracking night with lots of lovely people. They had You and Me by the Wannadies as their first dance which got the dance floor going and which never stopped until right at the end!

The Aldwark Arms has a lovely outside area with chimineas and the food was great too. Well worth getting in touch with Pete and the team if you want a rustic, easy going venue for your wedding – https://aldwarkarms.co.uk/

So thanks again to Naomi and Tom – it was lovely spending the evening with you, your family and friends and we wish you all the best for the future 🙂

WaterAid Ball With Yorkshire Water at New Dock Hall Leeds

March 21, 2018Events, LeedsLeeds, new dock hall, wateraidMitch Cockman

New Dock Hall Leeds WaterAid and Yorkshire Water

Last weekend we had the privilege of playing at the New Dock Hall in Leeds for the fantastic charity WaterAid.

Wateraid are part of an active global network and work hard getting water, toilets and hygiene to the millions of people still living without these basic human rights.

While one billion people have escaped extreme poverty in the last 20 years, at least 10% of the world’s population still live without safe water to drink and one in three people live without a decent toilet. As a result, 500,000 children die every year. This wholly unacceptable situation causes untold suffering, holding back human and sustainable development. It particularly affects the lives of women, who carry the burden of collecting water and caring for sick children, and the lives of girls who often fail to finish their education because of a lack of toilets in schools.

We had an absolutely fantastic time and we would like to thank the folks at Yorkshire Water for having us on board at this great event. Lots of money was raised for a great charity with a fantastic cause.

You can make a donation to WaterAid here – https://www.wateraid.org/uk/donate

Getting The Most From Your Wedding Band in 2019

February 26, 2018Articlestips, wedding bandMitch Cockman

Getting married next year? Read our handy guide on how to get the most from your wedding band!

1. First! Make sure you have an EXPERIENCED band. They will likely have encountered just about everything that might happen at a wedding before. They should know how to take care of most things which takes much of the pressure away from you!

2. Save 25% on your wedding band! Agencies will always add a large booking fee so find the band you want on the agency site or google, and then approach them directly. Saving is nice!

3. SONG CHOICES – It sounds obvious, but pick a band that plays the type of music that you like. At an early stage ask to see their setlist and check that their music is the type of thing you want. Bear in mind that the band will not sound the same as the original. Songs that you like from your ipod might not work that well with a live band but conversely, songs that you wouldn’t normally listen to might sound amazing!

4. THINK ABOUT YOUR GUESTS. What type of music do your guests prefer? Other people might not share your music tastes so ask the band to play things that would appeal to everyone over the course of the evening. If you manage to hit something that everyone enjoys then you are on to a winner.

5. FIRST DANCE OR NOT?! Would you like the band to play your first dance? This is a super special moment and having a live band play your special song is something you will remember forever. Be sure to give them plenty of notice so they can have a think about the best way to play it.

6. Finally – An experienced wedding band will know which songs to play and in which order. Use their knowledge of what works and then suggest some songs that you like too. That way you have the best of both worlds. Use their experience to make sure you get what you want – all your guests having a great time!

Radisson Blu Edwardian Manchester – Event for AEC

February 23, 2018Events, Manchestermanchester, radison bluMitch Cockman

Radisson Blu Edwardian Manchester - AEC Event

We had a great time playing at a recent event for AEC at the Radisson Blu Edwardian hotel in Manchester. It was their 20 year event and special thanks to Tracey for asking us to play and being such a good host! The Halle suite is an amazing space – the sound was brilliant and the lighting just as good. We have been regulars at the Radisson Blu Manchester over the last couple of years are we always love playing here 🙂

The Radisson Blu Edwardian Manchester is a 5 star hotel in the centre of the city which hosts lots of events all year round. The food was amazing as usual and the staff super friendly.

RADISSON BLU EDWARDIAN MANCHESTER – EVENT FOR AEC

Thanks again to Tracey and AEC for having us at your event at the Radisson Blu!

Ackworth Grange Pontefract – Tipi Event

February 12, 2018Events, Leedsackworth grange, event, LeedsMitch Cockman

$Ackworth Grange Pontefract - Tipi Event$

This weekend we played a tipi event at a new venue in Pontefract, Yorkshire called Ackworth Grange. This grade II listed building has a private walled garden area and is in close proximity to neighbouring towns and areas of Wentbridge, Pontefract, Doncaster, Barnsley and Wakefield. It has hosted many private parties over the years and is now opening its doors as a totally new venue.

We were lucky to be involved with Juste Nous catering who provide great quality outside catering for all sorts of different events. Thanks to Clare for a fantastically well organised event!

Ackworth Grange will be open for events for the forseeable future and hopefully we will be back here at some point for another great event.

Special well done to Rosettas Variety Entertainment who`s dancers did a fantastic job entertaining the crowd.

The Queens Hotel, Leeds – Ferrari Owners Club Event

January 16, 2018Events, Leedsevent, ferrari, Leeds, queens hotelMitch Cockman

Last month we played a great event for the Ferrari owners club at the Queens Hotel in Leeds. The Queens Hotel is a really popular event venue choice in Leeds and they host many weddings, conferences and amazing events like the one we were invited to play for the Ferrari owners club!

Queen Hotel Leeds Ferrari Owners Club Event

The Queens Hotel is one of the most famous landmarks in Leeds with it’s beautiful Art Deco-style rooms and lovely restaurant. We always love playing here and the event for Ferrari was no exception.

Thanks again to the Ferrari owners club and the Queens Hotel Leeds for having us!

Groove Manuva Blog

Wedding, function, party band based in Manchester & Leeds, Yorkshire