Curtis Allen

🛠️ A Season Finale Like No Other

After 28 weddings this year, my final wedding job of the 2025 season turned out to be one of the most memorable. Eva & Doogal’s wedding at Grangefields Barn, just outside Ashbourne, was a wildly personal, musically rich, and beautifully untraditional celebration — exactly the kind of night that reminds me why I love being an alternative wedding DJ in Derbyshire.

🎧 When Emo Meets Indie (And a Bit of Germany)

Eva reached out looking for someone who could handle a chaotic mix: metal, emo, alt-rock from the groom’s side; indie, folk, retro pop, and a smattering of German classics from the bride’s. They didn’t want the usual wedding disco — they wanted a night that felt like them.

What followed was one of the most fun consultations I’ve had all year. We pored over playlists, discussed curveball ideas, and mapped out a night that would go from gentle partner dances and sentimental slow songs to full-blown alternative chaos.

💒 The Setting: Grangefields, Derbyshire

Grangefields Barn was the perfect fit — all exposed brick, moody lighting, and open space. It’s got that blend of rustic and industrial cool that works just as well for a slow waltz as it does for a rock breakdown. If you’re planning a Derbyshire barn wedding and want something a bit different, this place deserves a look.

🎤 Acoustic Chaos Before the Storm

Before I even touched the decks, the energy in the room was already buzzing. After the speeches, their mate Jimi took to the floor with an acoustic guitar and absolutely owned the moment — including “Start Wearing Purple” by Gogol Bordello, followed by a raucously crowd-pleasing rendition of “Tribute” by Tenacious D.

It was chaotic, brilliant, and totally on-brand for this wedding. People were already singing their hearts out before the dancefloor had technically even opened — which meant I stepped up to a room that was primed for mayhem.

💃 The First Dance: Paramore, But Make It Yours

Eva & Doogal chose “Still Into You” by Paramore as their first dance — but not the standard version. We started with the soft acoustic cover by Isabella Kensington, then blended mid-track into the full-fat Paramore version for a surprise lift. It went down perfectly, and launched straight into “Love Really Hurts Without You” by Billy Ocean to keep the floor alive.

💞 The Partner Dance Section

For the first 90 minutes or so, we leaned into sentimental and slower songs — a mix of German tracks, swayers, and soft soul. Requests like:

• One for Sorrow – Insomnium
• Paint the Moon – The Czars
• Lady in Red – Chris De Burgh
• Flightless Bird, American Mouth – Iron & Wine
• Alles war aus Gold – A beautiful, emotional moment late in the evening

It was heartfelt and intentional — a great reminder that dancing doesn’t always have to mean bouncing off the walls.

📸 A Chaotic Photo Game (with Weird Al, of Course)

Around 10:25pm we kicked off a “photo line” game — guests queued up to grab rapid-fire pics with the couple while Weird Al’s Angry White Boy Polka played in the background. Totally their idea. Totally brilliant. The photos were chaotic and joyful — just like the soundtrack.

🤘 Chaos Mode Activated

Once the emotional weight had landed, it was time to unleash the party. Over the next couple of hours, we hit everything from:

• Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, Taylor Swift, ABBA
• To MCR, Fall Out Boy, System of a Down, and Killswitch Engage
• All the way to Aqua, Shania Twain, Pink Pony Club, and Rednex

If it sounds chaotic — it was. But it was curated chaos. The floor loved it, and it was exactly the collision of genres this couple wanted.

🎤 Wrapping Up With Oasis

We wrapped up around 12:25am. I’d saved “Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis for the closer — a special request from the couple, and a perfect end to a night full of feeling, madness, and memories.

🧭 Looking for an Alternative Wedding DJ in Derbyshire?

This wedding was the perfect reminder of how powerful music can be when couples make bold, personal choices. If you’re planning something similar — something a little weird, a little sentimental, and a whole lot you — I’d love to be part of it. Get in touch here.

I’m based in the Midlands and regularly DJ across Derbyshire, the Peak District, and beyond, specialising in weddings that want more than just the standard party mix.

Let’s make it something worth shouting (or screaming, or crying, or headbanging) about.