These are the 10 most iconic walk-ons in today's darting era

For decades, it has been a tradition for professional darters to make their walk-on to the stage at major darts tournaments. Bobby George is the creator of this concept, which has since become a popular recurring feature of a night at the darts.

A walk-on song helps the darter create a personal brand identity. The song is often associated with the player and helps them stand out from other darters. In addition, the music builds tension and enthuses the audience for the ensuing darts match. It creates a festive and energetic atmosphere in the arena, making the spectators more involved in the match. Also, the walk-on songs contribute to the overall entertainment value of the event. Darts is not only a sport, but also a show, and the music plays an important role in creating an engaging experience for fans in the room and people watching at home on the couch. In this article you will find, in no particular order, what Dartsnews.com believes to be the 10 most iconic walk-ons of the current darts era.

The energetic Ricky Evans has been known for turning his walk-on number into a proper darting party. "Rapid Ricky" has been using Village People's song YMCA as his usual walk-on song for several years. YMCA is a very recognizable and popular song that invites people to sing and dance along. The familiar hand motions associated with the chorus are often performed by the audience, which increases the atmosphere in the arena and makes for a fun and energetic environment.

At the World Darts Championship, however, the lightning-fast Englishman chose the Christmas classic Merry Christmas Everyone by Shakin' Stevens, with which he managed to set Alexandra Palace ablaze each time. During the 2023 World Darts Championship, Evans even wore a Santa hat and beard at his walk-on.

At major tournaments, Nathan Aspinall uses the song Mr. Brightside by The Killers to make his way to the stage. This sing-along, karaoke classic is one of the most beloved walk-on songs for the fans in attendance.

The song is passionately sung along to by the crowd wherever Aspinall goes, even when the song has been quietened out by the director. The rousing and energetic nature of "Mr. Brightside" can help 'The Asp' get the right adrenaline coursing through his body to start a match.

The song Eye of the Tiger has been inseparable from darter Raymond van Barneveld for many years. The hit by the band Survivor was used as the title song for the movie Rocky III, the film series that 'Barney' is a huge fan of.

Van Barneveld has previously indicated in an interview that he sees a lot of common ground with the character Rocky. ''That he is through, that he becomes world champion, that he wins easily, that he is defeated, that his wife has to speak to him on the beach and he says: I'm afraid! Those are things I've actually experienced in my life.''

Raymond van Barneveld's most iconic appearance was at the very first time the PDC stopped by Ahoy Rotterdam for a Premier League night. The video of that walk on has been viewed nearly a million times on YouTube.

Peter Wright, one of the most colorful darters ever, is known for his striking walk-on song Don't Stop the Party by Pitbull. This song is not only an energetic and uplifting song, but it also perfectly suits Wright's exuberant and flamboyant personality.

Furthermore, "Snakebite" is known for his striking appearance, with his brightly colored Mohawk, eye-catching clothing and sometimes even face painting. The walk-on song reinforces his flamboyant image and adds to the festive atmosphere he creates at his entrance.

During his walk-on, Wright uses the song to encourage interaction with the audience. He often dances along to the music, waving to fans and making sure the atmosphere is exuberant and festive.

Another walk-on that provides a goose-bump moment is the emergence of Joe Cullen. 'The Rockstar' enters the stage with Oasis' sing-along Don't Look Back in Anger.

Cullen chose this particular song because of a sad reason. The song was used as a tribute to the victims in the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. This venue is also used as one of the venues in the Premier League Darts.

Are you going to a game where Michael van Gerwen is also in action? Chances are that the crowd favourite chant of "Ooohh Michael van Gerwen" will often pass by and be sung along passionately.

The use of Seven Nation Army as a walk-on song reinforces Van Gerwen's image as a powerful and dominant darter on the circuit. The song exudes confidence and ruthlessness, two typical characteristics of "Mighty Mike.

The iconic "Sweet Caroline" by American singer Neil Diamond is of course not to be missed in this list. The song is used as a walk on song by Daryl Gurney. Sweet Caroline is an upbeat and uplifting song with a catchy melody and sing-along lyrics. The song creates an atmosphere of joy and enthusiasm in the dart arena when Gurney takes the stage.

'Superchin' lends another hand to this by standing at the front of the stage after entering the stage and using arm gestures to whip the audience into singing on.

Australian darter Damon Heta does not have a set attendance number, but he is a standout with his fiery hat that he wears at his turnouts these days. This hat also perfectly matches Heta's nickname, "The Heat.

In the past, Heta has also taken the stage as firefighter, cricketer, ice hockey player or with ski gear.

Say hardstyle, you say Dirk van Duijvenbode. The Dutchman has become an absolute crowd pleaser among darts fans with his bruisingly hard attendance music.

At first, Van Duijvenbode used the song Glimpse of the Future by DJ Typhoon, but that song was swapped for Just Like You by Dutch DJ Radical Redemption after a while.

Characteristic of the energetic Van Duijvenbode's walk on is that he walks across the stage chopping after entering the stage in an attempt to excite the audience even more.

Crowd favourite Stephen Bunting had a special walk-on number in the past with the Family Guy inspired Bird is the Word, but today the choice is Titanium by DJ David Guetta.

It further boosted the popularity of The Bullet. Spreading his arms, Bunting entered the stage, after which the Englishman also enthusiastically sang along to the song's chorus himself.