- Overview
- Videos (3)
- Set list
- Reviews (1)
- Venues (20)
- Further Info
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Andy Alston
Overview
Andy Alston — keyboard player with Del Amitri, available as a solo pianist for weddings and events across Scotland and the UK.
Andy Alston has spent over thirty years behind the keys with Del Amitri, one of Scotland's most successful bands. Six million albums sold worldwide. Five UK top ten records. "Nothing Ever Happens", "Always the Last to Know", "Roll to Me" — songs that went top ten in America at a time when almost no British band was managing it. He's still in the line-up today, playing keys and accordion on the band's current tours.
And in between, he plays at weddings, private and corporate events.
What Andy brings to a room
Musicians of Andy's standing don't need to work hard to hold a room, and that's rather the point. His playing is unhurried and quietly assured — the sort of music that lifts a space without ever competing with it. Guests notice the atmosphere before they notice the pianist, which is exactly how good background music should work.
The repertoire is genuinely enormous. Sinatra and the Great American Songbook. Beatles, Bowie, Elvis, Stevie Wonder. Adele, Bill Withers, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones. Film scores from Cinema Paradiso, Schindler's List and Once Upon a Time in America. Jazz standards by the dozen. If there's a piece that means something to you and it isn't on the list, ask — it very probably is at his fingertips anyway.
Where Andy performs
Andy plays wedding ceremonies, civil partnerships and Champagne receptions, and he's a regular fixture at corporate events and drinks receptions where the music needs to be elegant rather than attention-seeking. He also headlines in his own right in casinos, hotels and restaurants across the UK.
For weddings, the usual shape is an hour of ceremony music followed by a two-hour daytime drinks reception, though we can look at alternative timings if your day runs differently. Andy carries full public liability insurance, uses PAT-tested equipment, and is comfortable working in venues with sound limiters.
Why couples book Andy
The honest answer is that you're getting a world-class musician for the price of a very good pianist. Andy's fee sits comfortably within most wedding budgets, which surprises people once they've heard him play. He's also refreshingly easy to work with — no ego, no fuss, just someone who has played enough rooms to know precisely what yours needs.
One small note, so nobody's expectations get ahead of them: you're booking Andy as a solo pianist, not Del Amitri. What his career with the band gives you is the musicianship, not the set list.
Watch Andy playing with Justin Currie in the video above, on accordion duties that time.
Ready to check Andy's availability? Click Enquire Now and tell us your date and venue, or add him to your wishlist while you compare. Gaye or Lisa will come back to you with a no-obligation quote and a straight answer about whether he's free.
FAQs
Is Andy Alston still in Del Amitri?
Yes. Andy is Del Amitri's keyboard player and continues to tour and record with the band.
Can Andy play during our wedding ceremony?
Yes. Andy regularly plays ceremonies, civil partnerships and drinks receptions, and can learn a specific piece for your entrance or signing if you ask in advance.
What sort of music does Andy play at weddings?
Solo piano across Sinatra and jazz standards, classic pop and rock, film scores and modern ballads. His repertoire runs to several hundred pieces.
Where in the UK does Andy perform?
Andy is based in Scotland and performs at weddings and events throughout the UK.
Does Andy provide his own equipment?
Yes — PAT-tested equipment and full public liability insurance, and he's able to work with venue sound limiters.
Set list
Reviews (1)
We found the whole Hireaband experience to be stress-free. Communication was prompt and friendly and when our original booking choice wasn't available, another pianist was recommended which was really helpful particularly since we made the decision to have live (rather than recorded) music during the ceremony and drinks reception at a fairly late stage in the planning process. Andy Alston was a great addition to our wedding. I was too busy chatting to hear much of the music but our guests have said he was very accomplished and helped to create a relaxed vibe which is very much what we wanted. Would thoroughly recommend.
Venues
Some of Our Previous Venues
Balbirnie House
Balmoral Hotel
Blair Castle
Brig O' Doon
Cameron House
Carlowrie Castle
Crossbasket Castle
Dumfries Arms Hotel
Dundas Castle
Enterkine Country House
Fairmont Hotel
Gleneagles Hotel
Hilton Glasgow
Loch Lomond Arms Hotel
Lochgreen House Hotel
Lochside House Hotel
Mar Hall
Norton House Hotel
One Devonshire Gardens
Trump Turnberry
Further Info
Line-Up
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Default Line Up
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solo pianist
Performance Times
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1-hour ceremony
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2-hour daytime drinks reception (fee quoted)
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Alternative Timings May Be Available Upon Request
Booking Add-ons
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Early Arrival
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Alternative Timings Available on Request
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Daytime Entertainment Options Available
Provided by the Act
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Public Liability Insurance & PAT Tested Equipment
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PA System
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Able To Work With Sound Limiters
Check availability and price for Andy Alston
To find out if this act is available and what it would cost to hire them, please fill out the form.
To ensure the quote is as accurate as possible, remember to tell us the postcode or nearest town to your venue. Good Luck!