Wondering which songs are guaranteed party starters? What works for a first dance? How to close the evening on a high? Scotland’s top acts share their favourites. Get ready to boogie!
You can trust Pretty Ugly Club’s DJ Elle Jo to bring the party – she’s supported Sugababes and Sophie Ellis-Bextor to name but a few (Photo: Wattie Cheung)
Pretty Ugly Club
“I recently played ‘Everywhere’ by Fleetwood Mac for a first dance and everyone joined the couple on the floor, which is just what they wanted,” says DJ Elle Jo. “‘All My Friends’ by LCD Soundsystem is my most requested end-of-night tune from couples going down the non-trad route – a seven-minute epic that’ll get all your pals up for one last dance! And for a guaranteed floor-filler? Cher’s ‘Believe’. No one can resist it, no matter what age they are!”
Left: The floor will fill up fast as soon as Bass Rock Ceilidh Band start to play Right: Bang on trend, Marshali Scott Music will be sure to bring all the vibes on the sax (Photo: By Rhea)
Bass Rock Ceilidh Band
“I’d say our favourite first dance of the moment is ‘Take My Hand’ by Skerryvore,” says frontman Simon Harris. “It has a beautiful romantic first part for couples to dance to, then builds up perfectly to encourage guests to join them on the floor. The best last song is, of course, Runrig’s version of ‘Loch Lomond’. There are loads of tracks to get a party started, but we’d go for ‘Proud Mary’ by Tina Turner, ‘Mr Brightside’ by The Killers, or, for a more modern choice, ‘Fireball’ by Pitbull.”
If the groom is a DJ, you know there's bound to be a good party. Read about this entertainment filled real wedding at Seamill Hydro
Marshali Scott
“We were asked to play a slow reggae-style version of ‘Thinking of You’ by Sister Sledge for a first dance last year. It had an intimate ‘dancing on the beach’ vibe to it – I loved it,” recalls the sax player. “My ‘everything song’ is ‘Set You Free’ by N-Trance – the piano intro is so recognisable that everyone gets on the dancefloor! Gala’s ‘Freed From Desire’ is a big contender to finish with. The crowd always go bonkers. It is so simple, but what a great hook!”
Devotion Weddings are full-time professional wedding DJs and hosts, so you know their choices are well researched (Photo: Ferrier Brown Photography)
Devotion Weddings
Stuart and David at Devotion love that Beyoncé is getting people into country music. “If country floats your boat, as it does for us,” they say, “a first dance of Luke Combs’ ‘Forever After All’ is a classic. To get the crowd up, we reckon ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ will be a firm favourite in 2024. And we recommend having one more song ready to go after Loch Lomond – an upbeat track like ‘DNA’ by Billy Gillies has lyrics to bring out the love at the end of the night.
You’ll have splendid music choices thanks to event band Splendid Gentlemen
Splendid Gentlemen
“Shinedown’s ‘I’ll Follow You’ was one of our favourite first dances of 2023 – it has beautiful lyrics for a first dance, and it’s not too cheesy,” believes the band’s Dee McLaren. “We often get asked to play Rage Against the Machine’s ‘Killing in the Name’ to finish things with a bang. And ‘Heart of Glass’ is a track to get all ages up on the floor – Blondie are one of those timeless bands.
