⚡ Industrial meets Indie: A Wedding DJ Setlist for the Non-Traditional Crowd – An Alternative Wedding DJ in London
There’s something especially satisfying about a wedding where the brief is “absolutely no ABBA — but also, don’t be afraid to drop the Macarena if the moment calls for it.” That’s pretty much what Xenia and Gareth gave me when they got in touch, looking for an alternative wedding DJ in London for their November wedding and I was instantly intrigued.
They wanted a DJ who could confidently move between metal, industrial, classic rock, glam, goth, Britpop, and 90s cheese, without flinching. A wedding that would open with Nights in White Satin and end with Bohemian Rhapsody, hitting Rob Zombie, Nine Inch Nails, Spice Girls and Kickapoo along the way? And all at the suitably industrial-looking The Old Brewery in Greenwich. Count me in!
🎧 Who says weddings have to sound the same?
Xenia got in touch via my website and mentioned she was typing her message wearing a Black Sabbath t-shirt (as a Brummie, I had to respect that). She also shared playlists that ranged from Rob Zombie and NIN to RuPaul and Lady Gaga, and described her partner Gareth as more of a classic/prog rock guy — Rush, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin — but one who’d still go for the full Macarena when the mood was right.
Between the two of them, their brief was wonderfully eclectic: part Camden dive bar, part wedding disco, part classic rock night out, all wrapped in a full-sweat dance party.
🎵 The final setlist: From Sabbath shirts to stilettos
On the night, we started just after 9pm in the main dining hall of The Old Brewery — a gorgeous but slightly fiddly venue to load into (a note for fellow DJs: pack light or prepare to heave gear past a sea of patio furniture). The couple’s gypsy jazz band wrapped up around 8:30, giving just enough time to set the scene before diving into their first dance: Nights in White Satin.
From there, it was full throttle, including a mid-reception costume change by the bride! With sequins!!
Here’s a taste of what made it into the 3-hour setlist:
- Nine Inch Nails – The Hand That Feeds
- Muse – Madness
- Rob Zombie – Dragula
- Spice Girls – Spice Up Your Life
- Macarena (yes, it worked)
- Hole – Celebrity Skin
- David Bowie – Magic Dance
- System of a Down – Toxicity
- The Darkness – I Believe in a Thing Called Love
- Tenacious D – Kickapoo (groom’s request)
- Led Zeppelin – Immigrant Song (bride’s request)
- MC Hammer – U Can’t Touch This (don’t ask, just go with it)
It was the kind of set that kept the dancefloor packed without ever settling into the usual wedding DJ grooves. People danced to Faith No More like it was Mr Brightside. Guests screamed along to Stacy’s Mom one minute and threw horns to Rage Against The Machine the next. Nobody asked for Ed Sheeran. Not once. We even managed a cheeky Pussy Liquor by Rob Zombie! That’s a first at a wedding for me.
📷 The only rule was “no rules (except maybe don’t play ABBA)”
What made this wedding so memorable — and such a joy to play — wasn’t just the playlist. It was the total trust Xenia and Gareth placed in me to read the room, shape the night, and throw the rulebook out the window. They knew what they wanted, but they weren’t prescriptive. Their music preferences form was detailed, but they also left space for the night to unfold naturally.
That’s the sweet spot.
If you’re planning a wedding and need an alternative wedding DJ in London and want something a bit left of centre — something that sounds more like your record collection and less like a generic function playlist — then I’d love to hear from you.
Whether you’re into alt-rock, industrial, metal, indie, 90s nostalgia, emo, glam, or anything in between, I specialise in building DJ sets that feel personal, not pre-packaged.
Ready to ditch the cookie-cutter wedding soundtrack?
Get in touch at www.curtisallen.co.uk.