Hire The Lads | Function band in Manchester

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From£875

1 hour

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Proud Mary

Rockin' All over the World

Sweet Caroline

About The Lads

Over 600+ successful events played. Past Clients: Amazon UK, World Snooker, World PDC Darts, NHS Awards and played hundreds of weddings.

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Function band

Manchester

Public liability insurance of £10 million

Verified profile

We've been lucky enough to play multiple arena gigs - supporting Blue, Heather Small, S Club and more. Other events - played with Nicko Mcbrain (Iron Maiden) and Tony Mccarroll (Oasis drummer) We've also played hundreds of weddings, including Snooker World Champions Stuart Bingham (2015) and Shaun Murphy (2005) Hi! We're The Lads. We’re a 4 piece professional party band & DJ service based in Cheshire with multiple 5 - star reviews. We’ve been lucky enough to play at some of the biggest venues in the UK, including the London Dorchester hotel, the King Power Stadium (Leicester) and 4 times at the M&S Bank Arena. On top of everything you'd expect, we also offer: A festival level - lighting rig and a state of the art digital PA system that can easily cater for up to 1500 people. Still here? Good! Well, seeing as you're already reading, here are a few reviews for you: Well done boys. A magnificent performance on the greatest day of my life. Everyone said how brilliant you were and you definitely have a few fans down south now! STUART BINGHAM ( 2015 WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPION ) They played at my wedding in May and they were absolutely incredible! Very professional and easy to deal with leading up to the day. They accommodated absolutely everything I wanted for the setlist and they sounded awesome!! Dance floor was full to the very end and guests kept coming up to me all the way through saying how good they were. I would highly recommend! SARAH BEAR They played at our wedding and they were AMAZING!! Their communication beforehand was excellent. They accommodated my setlist requests with no problems. They arrived on time and set up with no hassle. I was a little nervous of hiring a band over the Internet (I’d never seen them live before!) but I need not have worried – the dance floor was packed – they are fantastic musicians with a repertoire to suit all tastes. We were singing and dancing along and had the best time! MICHELLE DIXON We raised a lot of money tonight guys and everyone enjoyed it. Cheers lads, well played! ( charity fundraiser ) TONY MCCARROLL ( EX - OASIS DRUMMER ) No matter how small or large your event, we'll be able to help you get your party started. Thanks for reading, get in touch!

The Lads

5 out of 5

43 verified reviews

Satisfaction

5.0

Professionalism

5.0

Communication

5.0

Punctuality

5.0

The Lads' Reviews

5 out of 5

Absolutely fantastic! Don’t know where to start, so efficient, very friendly, and massively contributed to the success of our wedding! They had everyone up and dancing all night, so talented, and lots of fun! Thank you so much to all of you, love Katie & Luke -12.12.24

Reply from The Lads

6 days ago

Thank you so much Katie and Luke! It was such a great night, we loved it! Thanks for having us! X

5 out of 5

Amazing! The Lads are a fantastic band. The atmosphere they created and the songs they played kept us all on the dancefloor until the very end of the night. We didn't want it to end! They sounded brilliant and are genuinely nice people. John was super responsive and professional throughout the booking process. I couldn't have picked a better band to make my birthday celebrations so special and memorable. Thank you!

Reply from The Lads

11 days ago

Hi Emma! Ah thank you so much! We had an amazing time, you're all such a great bunch of people and it was a genuine pleasure to pay for you. Thank you!

5 out of 5

The band played at our wedding and were amazing. Exceeded our already high expectations. People are still talking about how good they were. Would fully recommend them to anyone!!! Plus they are really nice guys too !!

Reply from The Lads

2 months ago

Geraint, thank you so much for that!! We appreciate it and we had a really great night. It was lovely to meet you both!

5 out of 5

Excellent. The band were fantastic and a great night was had by all.

Reply from The Lads

3 months ago

Thanks John, we had a great night too!

Read all 17 reviews

5 out of 5

I had seen the Band at my nieces wedding and had no hesitation in booking them for my own wedding on the 9th Sept, they have a great selection of music to choose from, and they had everyone up dancing and having a great time was had by all, I would highly recommend them, thanks John and Co

5 out of 5

We love the John Cooper Band! They played an incredible set at our wedding 6 years ago and had everyone up dancing the entire night and last weekend they came back for my sons christening do. This time it was in the day and they adapted accordingly even letting the children interact on their string guitars and playing to the audience. Still everyone was up dancing they are just so fantastic. We’ll be using again in the future no doubt 🙂 that’s if all of our family and friends don’t book them first xx

Read all 26 reviews

Encore badges

Top 10 booked musician of 2023

25 gigs

Pro: 25 bookings through Encore

Saved the day!

Booked for an Encore gig with less than 24 hours’ notice

1st Anniversary

This act has been working with Encore for over a year

Member of the Encore community forum

The Lads' Song list

50's / 60's songs

Wolly Bully - Sa The Sham And The Pharoahs

Reet Petite - Jackie Wilson

Hound Dog - Elvis

Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry

I'm A Believer – The Monkees

Wonderful World / Cupid - Sam Cooke

Jumping Jack Flash - The Rolling Stones

Honky Tonk Woman - The Rolling Stones

Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones

I Saw Her Standing There – The Beatles

Hard Day’s Night - The Beatles

She Loves You – The Beatles

Can't Buy Me Love - The Beatles

Help - The Beatles

Blackbird - The Beatles

All You Need Is Love - The Beatles

Hey Jude – Beatles

Can’t Take My Eyes Off You – Frankie Valli

Higher And Higher - Jackie Wilson

Sitting On The Dock O’ The Bay - Otis Redding

My Girl - Temptations

Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison

Sunny Afternoon – The Kinks

Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond

Hi Ho Silver Lining - Jeff Beck

Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf

Keep On Running - Spencer Davis Group

Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival

70's songs

Rockin' All Over The World - Status Quo

To Love Somebody - Bee Gees (Keith Urban version)

Proud Mary - CCR (Tina Turner version)

Wild Horses – Rolling Stones

Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers

Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd

Drift Away – Dobie Gray (Uncle Kracker version)

Country Roads – John Denver

Three Little Birds - Bob Marley

Alice - Smokie

Jolene - Dolly Parton

Don't Stop – Fleetwood Mac

Stuck In The Middle - Stealers Wheel

Long Train Running - Doobie Brothers

Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry

Superstition – Stevie Wonder

Alright Now – Free

Maggie May - Rod Stewart

Jean Genie - David Bowie

Ever Fallen In Love - The Buzzcocks

Teenage Kicks - The Undertones

Sweet Home Alabama - Creedebce Clearwater Revival

80's songs

Relight My Fire - Take That

I'm Still Standing - Elton John

Your Song - Elton John

A Little Respect - Erasure

Take On Me – AHA

Free Falling - Tom Petty

She Bangs The Drums - Stone Roses

Sally Cinnammon -Stone Roses

Tainted Love - Soft Cell

Don't You Want Me Baby - Human league

You Give Love A Bad Name - Bon Jovi

Walking On Sunshine - Katrina And The Waves

Dancing In The Dark – Bruce Springsteen

Town Called Malice - The Jam

That’s Entertainment – The Jam

Purple Rain - Prince

Summer Of ‘69 - Bryan Adams

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths

Fight For Your Right To Party – The Beastie Boys

500 Miles - Proclaimers

Red Red Wine - UB40

Fast Car - Tracy Chapman

Jean Genie - David Bowie

Happy Hour - The Housemartins

Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen

We Will Rock You - Queen

Don't Stop Believing - Journey

I Love Rock N Roll - Joan Jett

Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley

I Think We're Alone Now - Tiffany

Turn Back Time - Cher

Simply The Best - Tina Turner

90's songs

Parklife - Blur

Don't Look Back In Anger - Oasis

Wonderwall - Oasis

Live Forever - Oasis

Cigarettes And Alcohol – Oasis

Half The World Away - Oasis

She's Electric – Oasis

Roll With It – Oasis

Sit Down - James

Laid – James

Time Of Your Life (Good Riddance) – Green Day

Basket Case - Green Day

Day We Caught The Train – Ocean Colour Scene

The Riverboat Song – Ocean Colour Scene

Lucky Man – The Verve

Sonnet – The Verve

Iris – Goo Goo Dolls

Everlong - Foo Fighters

Breakfast At Tiffany’s – Deep Blue Something

Babylon - David Gray

Hard To Handle - Black Crowes

Get What You Give - New Radicals

Brimful Of Ash – Cornershop

Why Does It Always Rain On Me – Travis

You And Me – Wannadies

Sally Cinnamon – Stone Roses

She Bangs The Drums - Stone Roses

Truly, Madly, Deeply – Savage Garden

A Million Love Songs - Take That

2000's+ songs

Mr. Brightside – The Killers

Human - The Killers

Last Nite – Strokes

Greatest Day – Take That

Rule The World – Take That

All The Small Things - Blink 182

Stacey's Mom - Fountains Of Wayne

Teenage Dirtbag - Wheatus

Drops Of Jupiter - Train

Hey Soul Sister - Train

Wherever You Will Go - The Calling

Valerie – Amy Winehouse (The Zutons)

I Bet That You Look Good - Arctic Monkeys

I Predict A Riot - Kaiser Chiefs

Best Of You – Foo Fighters

Have A Nice Day - Stereophonics

Dakota - Stereophonics

Chelsea Dagger – The Fratellis

Umbrella – Rihanna

Dreaming Of You – The Coral

Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol

All I Have – Snow Patrol

Sex On Fire - Kings Of Leon

Use Somebody - Kings Of Leon

Molly's Chambers - Kings Of Leon

Paradise - George Ezra

Budapest - George Ezra

Wake Me Up / Hey Brother – Avicii

Get Lucky - Daft Punk

Can't Stop The Feeling - Justin Timberlake

I Kissed A Girl - Katy Perry

Shake It Off - Taylor Swift

Shut Up And Dance - Walk The Moon

Ho Hey – The Lumineers

Perfect - Ed Sheeran

Tenerife Sea - Ed Sheeran

Rule The World - Take That

She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5

Sugar - Maroon 5

The Lads' Prices

Last updated: 2024

Note: prices may vary based on travel distance. For an exact quote, click “Check availability”.

Performance duration	Price
Up to 1 hour	£875
Up to 2 hours	£950
Up to 3 hours	£1100

Wedding ceremony2 musicians

This includes music before the service begins, music during the signing of the register, and music as guests leave.

£100

Drinks reception2 musicians

A duo acoustic performance of up to 1 hour during your drinks reception, to provide a great background vibe for your event.

£125

First dance recording 4 musicians

We will set up to be able to professionally record your first dance, so you have a momento of that special moment.

£125

Customer questions

What do your clients love most about your performances?

Good question. We make a real point of engaging with the crowd while we're playing. It's AMAZING how many musicians there are out there, who forget why they've been hired in the first place! Also, we have fun with each other on stage! We're all friends, and that really goes down well with a crowd.

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

Lots! We've played pubs and clubs, we've played small festivals, barns, hotels, conference centres, even arenas. You know that "been there and done it" T-shirt? Ours have holes in and we should probably throw them out. :)

Which artists have you been most influenced by?

All the usual suspects - Beatles, Oasis, all the 90's bands that we grew up watching (showing my age here) We have quite an eclectic taste I would say, but the one thing I know that we all have in common is songs. It doesn't matter who the artist is - if it's a good song, it's a good song. (It's all about the song basically)

What is the most high profile gig you've performed?

There have been quute a few! We've been very lucky. The ones that stand out are: Playing the World Snooker Awards In London Playing with Nicko Mcbrain (Of Iron Maiden) at the Leicester King Power Stadium Supporting Blue at Liverpool M&S Bank Arena Supporting Heather Small (Liverpool M&S Bank Arena) Supporting S Club (same place - they must like us!)

Will the singer be the same as who I see in the videos?

Yes. We're very lucky because we have 2 great singers in the band, who regularly perform for us. (although, we may look like we've lost a bit of weight when you see us in real life - the camera adds 10 pounds you know!)

Do you have different line-up options?

We always have the same core members of the band. However, just in case a band member is ever ill (hasn't happened yet, but you need to be prepared) we have, over the years, built up a roster of 5 drummers, 3 bass players and 2 extra keyboard players.

What if my timings change after I've booked you?

This is the question that people ask us the most often! Since 2008, we've played over 600 events, and we can tell you, it's not a case of "what if" things run over, it's it's a case of "when". We've learned over the years to expect the unexpected, and be as flexible as possible.

Can you provide an iPod/DJ service before and between your sets?

Of course! This is something we provide for free with every booking. We'll actively encourage you to put together a great playlist, and that will keep the party going for as long as we've agreed.

How much time do you need to set up?

We usually need between 1 to 1.5 hours to set up, soundcheck, and set the stage with our lighting rigs. As soon as our PA is set up we can also provide a free playlist service, which always helps to create a good atmosphere.

Can I pick the songs you play from the set list?

Yes you can. Ti help you with this, we can provide you with an example setlist that we have performed hundreds of times. It contains songs that we KNOW ensure guests dance and have an amazing time. We'll work with you to make sure your event is a success.

Is all of the equipment (e.g. PA & lighting) included in your quote?

Yes it is. We like to keep things as simple as possible, so the price we quote you will include everything as standard. Our only "extra" would be a recording of your first dance (wedding booking) which we need extra audio equipment for.

Can you learn song requests before the event?

Of course! This is how we've been able to build up a repertoire of over 200 songs! First dances for example, are a big moment in the wedding, and having a special song played LIVE can create a memory that will last forever.

Musicianship

Genres:

Covers, Classic rock, Top 40, Pop, Acoustic, Britpop, Rock, 1990s era music, 1980s era music, 1970s era music, 1960s era music

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Types:

Function band, Party band, Cover band, Wedding band, Rock band, Indie band, Festival band, Acoustic band, Alternative band, Acoustic duo, Rock duo, Rock trio, Rock n roll band, Vintage band

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Event types:

Corporate event, Wedding, Private event, New Year's Eve, Birthday party, Christmas party, Charity event, Hotel / Restaurant event, Bar / Club / Venue event, Concert

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