Profile
Everybody knows that you can't beat the "wow" factor of a live band. And you won't find a classier, more exciting band than Swing City. With either 9 or 10 live musicians, Swing City have a look and sound that's guaranteed to make your event go with a bang. Whether the audience is big or small, young or old, Swing City have the line-up and repertoire to get feet tapping and put smiles on faces. You'll hear their unique blend of great songs and instrumentals, all delivered with style and enthusiasm.
Swing City can provide up to two and a half hours of live music:
- Smooth Jazz and ballads for your drinks reception.
- Mellow, unobtrusive music during your meal.
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Full live swing band as an alternative to your usual disco.
Swing City come equipped with a full professional PA system and disco lighting suitable for any sized function, to provide a full entertainment package. They will bring their own PA system and lighting, playing suitable CD music in between sets. For weddings Swing City are happy to play a song of your request for your first dance, and will arrange it for you if they do not currently have it in their repertoire.
Possible Line-ups are:
Nine piece band: Male vocals, trumpet, two saxophones, trombone, piano, guitar, bass, drums
Ten piece band: Female and male vocals, trumpet, two saxophones, trombone, piano, guitar, bass, drums
Swing City were formed in 2001 by bassist / arranger Dave Foster. The band is drawn from a pool of highly talented and experienced musicians and singers, all of whom have graduated from the country's leading music colleges and have played with established big bands such as NYJO, the BBC Big Band and Echoes of Ellington.
Swing City use their own custom produced arrangements, painstakingly transcribed from original recordings and adapted for live performance. When playing pop music, they use specially prepared backing tracks (with backing vocals, strings and percussion) to augment the sound of the live instruments and reproduce the original song with uncanny accuracy. When you book Swing City you'll be joining a long line of satisfied customers. The band have played to rave reviews at events in top venues all over London and the UK, and have travelled to perform in France and Switzerland. It's the authenticity and versatility of Swing City that has made each event unforgettable.
Testimonials:
"Swing City were a joy to listen and dance to to ...they added enormously to a wonderful day. They have that rarest of musical qualities... universal appeal - everybody, but everybody, danced 'til they dropped."
Terry Wogan and Katherine Wogan's wedding, January 2004
"Thank you and all the Swing City members for making the BH & HPA Banquet such a wonderful and memorable event. Our DG and National Chairman were very pleased with the end result and our members thoroughly enjoyed themselves...your choice of music was excellent"
Caroline Beard, BH&HPA, Harrods,
"The band were truly excellent and I had an awful lot of compliments : which is a great sign given what a tough audience a bunch of music and theatre industry people can be! Dave did a fantastic job and looked after us very well" Susie Heath, "Jailhouse Rock"
Opening Night Party Cafe de Paris
Swing City were great - we could have danced to another 3 hours!
Katie Grayston, Wedding, Wilts, October 2007
Swing City were fantastic please pass on our thanks to the band they made our day extra special. Everyone was up and dancing and had a great time. They really could not have been a better choice for our big day. Thank you!
Chris Giggs, Wedding, W Sussex, June 2007
It is always a risk when booking a band you have never heard before or seen. You can check out their repertoire on website and listen to some recordings, however this is often misleading. However, I can honestly say that the band were absolutely fantastic and were everything we had hoped for... The band played our first dance to perfection. They gauged the mood of the party-goers just right and played their set accordingly. As a 'gigging' musician myself, I'm afraid I was always going to cast a critical eye on the band; I'm happy to say that there was nothing about them I could find fault with - indeed quite the opposite. They kept people up and dancing all night long which can often be difficult at weddings. Everyone - without exception - thought that they were fantastic. The volume was right, the mix was right and the stage presence was great. In short, I would say that if anyone was looking for a band for a function and wanted to take the risk out of it, they should book Swing City - they will have the entire room talking about what a fantastic night it was afterwards. Please pass on our eternal gratitude to the band and tell them that they made our evening reception into a fairytale wedding that everyone is still talking about.
Elliot Foskett, Wedding, Bucks, September 2006
We just wanted to say a huge thank you for your fantastic gig down in Worth, Kent. The band exceeded all our expectations and the guests absolutely loved you judging by all the positive feedback we have received. It seemed to be the talking point of the wedding. I think the female vocalist's rendition of "songbird" by Eva Cassidy will haunt me forever - it was absolutely beautiful. We really appreciate your contribution to our perfect wedding day - it really made it special and nobody could resist a dance!
Charlotte & Paul Reid, Wedding, June 2006
Repertoire:
RAT PACK
Ain’t that a kick in the head
All or nothing at all
Almost like being in love
Angel Eyes
Bad Bad Leroy Brown
Beyond the Sea
Can’t take my eyes off you
Come fly with me
Days of Wine & Roses
Do nothing ‘til you hear from me
Don’t worry ‘bout me
Everybody loves somebody
Fly me to the moon
For once in my life
Girl from Ipanema
Have you met Miss Jones?
I get a kick out of you
It had to be you
I thought about you
I only have eyes for you
It’s alright with me
I’ve got the world on a string
I’ve got you under my skin
I won’t dance
Just in time
Just one of those things
Just the way you are
Lady is a Tramp
Let’s face the music and dance
Luck be a Lady
Mack the Knife
Me and my Shadow
Memories are made of this
Moondance
More
My heart stood still
My kind of town
Mr Bojangles
Mrs. Robinson
My Way
New York, New York
Nice and Easy
Night and Day
One for my Baby
Pennies from Heaven
Please be kind
Recipe for Love
Something Stupid
Something’s Gotta Give
Summer Wind
Sway
Tender Trap
That Old Black Magic
That’s Life
They all Laughed
Volare
Witchcraft
Where or when
Without a song
Wives and Lovers
You are the sunshine of my life
You make me feel so young
You’re nobody ‘til somebody
loves you
JUMP JIVE
Don’t let it go to your head
Flip Flop Fly
I love being here with you
On the sunny side of the street
Sing Sing Sing
Straighten up and fly right
That’s Amore
Undecided
PICK OF THE POPS
Beyonce
Dancing in the Street
The Vandellas
Dancing in the Moonlight
Toploader
Dancing Queen
ABBA
Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing
Incognito
Freedom
Wham
Heard it through the grapevine
Marvin Gaye
Hot Stuff
Donna Summer
I Feel Good
James Brown
I only wanna be with you
Dusty Springfield
I’m So Excited
Pointer Sisters
I’m outta love
Anastasia
Into the Groove
Madonna
It’s not unusual
Tom Jones
It’s Raining Men
Weather Girls
I wanna dance with somebody
Whitney Houston
I Wish
Stevie Wonder
Jump
Pointer Sisters
Just the way you are
Billy Joel
Knock on Wood
Donna Summer
Lady Marmalade
Patti LaBelle
Like a Virgin
Madonna
Look of Love
Dionne Warwick
Material Girl
Madonna
Midnight Hour
Wilson Pickett
Oh What a Night
Four Seasons
Play that funky music
KC and the Sunshine Band
Saving all my love for you
Whitney Houston
Shoop Shoop Song
Cher
Signed Sealed Delivered
Stevie Wonder
Sir Duke
Stevie Wonder
Smooth Operator
Sade
Son of a Preacher
Dusty Springfield
Stayin’ Alive
Bee Gees
Streetlife
Randy Crawford
Superstition
Stevie Wonder
Think
Aretha Franklin
Turn Me On
Norah Jones
Wake me up before you go go
Wham
Waterloo
ABBA
We are family
Sister Sledge
You might need somebody
Randy Crawford
You’re my first…
Barry White
You to me are everything
The Real Thing
INSTRUMENTALS
All of Me
Cool
Don’t be that way
Flying Home
In the Mood
Liberty City
Lil’ Darlin’
Makin’ Whoopee
Mr Lucky
Naked Gun Theme
Rockin’ in Rhythm
Sing Sing Sing
Soul Bossa Nova
Splanky
String of Pearls
Tuxedo Junction
Whoopin’ Blues