I caught up with manager and lead singer Fiona Browne, who gives me the lowdown on this fab band!
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The Dionnes ladies (photo courtesy of Lisajayn Photographer)
Can you give me a little background on The Dionnes?
The Dionnes are a female fronted Motown wedding and party band. We formed in late 2012, as my husband James grew up listening to Motown and always wanted to play those Jamerson bass lines! I also loved the music, and as an actress I could also see real potential for theatricality and fun with having 3 girls on stage showcasing the style, the moves, the hair and the harmonies of the Motown era.
What makes The Dionnes different from the average wedding band?
Additionally, because there’s a ‘theatrical’ aspect to what we do including costume changes and choreographed dancing, people can just sit back and enjoy the performance if they can’t, or don’t want to dance.
There literally is something for everyone in what we do; and that’s the appeal of it for wedding couples and corporate companies who really want their guests to party.
The Dionnes getting gig ready
The Dionnes Motown Band
What makes a good wedding & party band?
Simply knowing what works in your set. We used to include lesser known Northern Soul hits that we loved but – but that the crowd didn’t know so well. Now we keep it to the more popular up-tempo numbers and our set is a really great mix of 60’s tunes from the likes of The Supremes, Stevie Wonder and Ike & Tina Turner ; as well as some of the more contemporary tunes from the artists I’ve mentioned above.
What’s one of your most requested first dance songs?
It’s a draw between ‘Say a Little Prayer‘ and ‘The Sweetest Feeling‘. Recently we did ‘For Once in My Life‘ by Stevie Wonder and I thought that worked really well.
Any funny moments you’d like to share?
One of our singers continued performing with us until she was 8 months pregnant. When she sang Son of A Preacher Man we played it up, asking if anyone had seen Billy Ray The Preachers son because our girl had some news for him- it was such a fun element that worked and became part of the show (until she went on maternity leave!)
How do couples go about seeing and booking The Dionnes?
When we’re not performing at weddings or corporate parties, we play in Dublin pubs such as The Goat in
The Dionnes
Clonskeagh, The Stillorgan Orchard and The Raheny Inn. We always suggest that couples come see us live to get a real feel for what we do.
Alternatively, some couples like to see us perform at a wedding specifically, so we’ll try to arrange that where we can.
Enquiries can be emailed directly to us at [email protected].
Any tips or advice for couples looking to book their band / wedding music?
Who are the wedding suppliers you recommend?
Fiona Browne is lead singer and manager with The Dionnes Band – you can find The Dionnes on their Website and on their social media pages: Facebook , Twitter and Instagram