Martin Brake Adaptable, soaring vocalist with exciting acoustic guitar!

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Price Guide

The guide prices below are for events within 20 miles of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire. Outside this area extra travel expenses will apply. Please get in touch for an accurate quote.
2 x 45 minute sets:
Pubs (solo): from £245
Weddings and private events (solo): from £350
Duo (add cajon): from £532
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About / Biography

Martin Brake is a solo acoustic singer and guitarist based in Nottingham. Although a proficient songwriter, Martin takes delight in entertaining people with cover songs as part of making an event even more special through the performance of live music.

Stemming from his diverse music taste, Martin prides himself on being highly adaptable. His soaring vocal and creative guitar arrangements cover a wide range of styles – he regularly performs sets of well known rock, pop, indie, blues, jazz, soul and folk songs, all depending on the type of event. Capable of laidback crooning, cheeky jazz flourishes, upbeat party vibes or full throttle rock n roll – Martin delivers the goods, and all performed with sincerity and passion.

Martin is at all times a professional, and this comes from years of tireless experience gigging in both entertainment contexts and in performing original music.

He has played in countless pubs, bars, restaurants and at weddings and corporate events, meaning Martin is always at ease with a crowd. This means if needed he can either become a vibrant personality on stage or alternatively tone things down as to become part of the background. During 2016, he undertook a 60-date tour of the UK’s Parkdean Resorts as part of the lauded caberet duo Twist and Shout, embracing the demand for utmost professionalism and high quality musical entertainment.

Previous endeavours have taken him onto the Pepsi Max stage at the prestigious Download Festival, as well as YNot Festival and MacmillanFest. Notable artists he has performed alongside include Reef, Chuck Mosley, TesseracT, Jim Bob, Breed 77, Spear of Destiny and OPM. He has also made appearances in Classic Rock, Rocksound, Kerrang and Metalhammer magazines.

As well as his musical performance skill, Martin is also an adept sound technician. Possessing excellent audio equipment and a BA Hons degree in Popular Music and Music Technology, he is dedicated to ensuring all his shows meet a high standard of sound quality.

Reviews (27)

There are currently 27 user ratings for Martin Brake

AVERAGE RATING

10 / 101

Location

Based in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

Will travel up to 150 miles
green circle = areas covered (up to 150 miles)
pink circle = free travel (up to 20 miles)
Please note that the circles shown on the map are calculated "as the crow flies". By road distances may vary, so please get in touch for an accurate quote.

Busy Pub/Bar/Party

Smooth - Santana

Hey Ya - Outkast

Ain't Nobody - Chaka Khan

Good Times - Chic

Dynamo of Volition – Jason Mraz

Uptown Funk – Marc Ronson

The Day We Caught The Train - Ocean Colour Scene

Supermassive Black Hole – Muse

Bad Things – Jace Everett

Kiss – Prince

Up – Olly Murs

By The Way - Red Hot Chilli Peppers

7 Nation Army – The White Stripes

Superstition – Stevie Wonder

Word Up – Cameo

Message In A Bottle – The Police

Foxy Lady – Jimi Hendrix

Bad Romance – Lady Gaga

I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor – AM

Go your Own Way – Fleetwood Mac

20th Century Boy – T-Rex

Take Me To Church – Hozier

Get Lucky/One More Time – Daft Punk

She's Electric - Oasis

Grounds for Divorce - Elbow

American Idiot - Greenday

Let’s Dance – David Bowie

In The End – Linkin Park

Parklife – Blur

In Bloom – Nirvana

No – Meghan Trainor

Forget You – Ceelo Green

You Oughta Know – Alanis Morisette

Higher and Higher – Jackie Wilson

Under Pressure – Queen

Best of You – Foo Fighters

Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin

Mellow / Background Vibe

Fly Me To The Moon – Frank Sinatra

Budapest - Goerge Ezra

Sitting on the Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding

All of Me - John Legend

Wicked Game - Chris Isaak

Slow Dancing in a Burning Room - John Mayer

Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd

Three Little Birds – Bob Marley

Folsom Prison Blues – Johnny Cash

Whisky in the Jar – Traditional

Red House – Jimi Hendrix

All You Need Is Love - The Beatles

In The Air Tonight – Phil Collins

Red Red Wine – UB40

Mrs Robinson – Simon and Garfunkel

Hotel California – The Eagles

The Power of Love - Frankie Goes To Hollywood

Dreams – Fleetwood Mac

Bad Things – Jace Everett

Good Riddance – Green Day

Tender – Blur

The Lazy Song – Bruno Mars

Jolene – Dolly Parton

True Faith – New Order

Careless Whisper – George Michael

Waves – Mr Probz

Singing In The Rain – Gene Kelly

Technical Info

What are your basic technical requirements?

One electrical power socket, within a metre of the performance space.


Do you provide sound and lighting equipment?

All sound equipment is fully self contained, including a 200W RMS PA system. I unfortunately cannot offer lighting at the moment.


What information do you require about a venue?

- Up to date directions are always useful in case the venue is in a difficult location to find
- Does the venue already have a PA system in place? If they do, this can help attain an even higher sound quality as often the PA will be installed and setup specifically for the room in question. That way I could potentially have both that and my own system running together. In such a case I would need the venue's contact details to discuss technical requirements with them directly.


Can you provide a Spotify/DJ service before and between your sets?

Yes, all my shows include a DJ-style Spotify playlist service. The music choice can either be left up to my discretion or can choose the song list yourselves.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best gig you've ever done and the best venue you've ever played at?

It's a tie with:
- Performance on the Pepsi Max stage at Download Festival 2013 to over 4000 people as the singer for Midlands rock band "Emperor Chung". Truly an unforgettable experience and a dream come true!
- Headlining Nottingham's Rock City for the first time as singer for Europe's number System of a Down tribute, "Chop Suey" in 2021. Not only was this another dream come true to play this iconic and much loved venue - this show took place as Rock City's first event after the end of the 2021 lockdown. Performing to over 800 people seeing live music for the first time in almost 2 years, sharing in that experience was nothing short of magical. We have seen gone on to play Rock City every year on the August bank holiday weekend, and the attendance has only gotten better each year, in 2023 reaching almost 1000.


Which artists have you been most influenced by, who is your favourite artist and what is the greatest song of all time?

For my covers shows, one of my hugest influences is the loop artist Marc Rebillet. Although he is a piano player rather than a guitarist like me, the way he improvises and produces full tracks of new material from scratch using his loop station at every show is nothing short of astounding. And he does it all with an unmatched level of charisma, showmanship and incredible vocal talent to match.

His show has been a massive influence to me on how I layer up guitar, bass, percussion and vocal parts to create a high energy sound onto well-known songs that's perfect for party vibes! A perfect example is "Good Times" by "Chic" with that killer bassline, layered vocals and funky guitar.

I am a huge fan of funk in general and love Stevie Wonder, Prince and James Brown, although my musical taste are incredibly broad!

My roots like in rock and alternative music though...for me the greatest song of all time is "The Drapery Falls" by "Opeth". An 11-minute rollercoaster of emotion <3


What's your previous experience and how did you start gigging?

I have been a full time musician for over eight years now, and have performed at all kinds of events and venues all over the UK and abroad, both as a soloist and as part of larger bands.

As a soloist I have performed at countless weddings and private events (please see the reviews section) as well as corporate clients such as Browne Jacobson, The London Stock Exchange Group, Parkdean Resorts, FatFace and The Campaign For Real Ale.

I have been the lead singer for Europe's number one tribute to System of a Down - "Chop Suey" since 2015, which tours relentlessly every year in both the UK and internationally, even as far Australia. While this kind of heavy metal music may not being applicable to most people looking for my acoustic solo act, this project has required the utmost level of professionalism, stamina and discipline in delivery high quality performances and working with high end venues every night.

Not bad for a boy who did his first show with his high school band at age 14 eh?


What's your favourite type of event to play at?

I absolute love doing upbeat party events where people are keen to dance, and feeding off that energy where everyone is there to have an amazing and wild time! That said, I love doing different kinds of gigs and also enjoy being a background vibe as well playing more chilled out songs. In general I relish the opportunity to get out and perform for people.

Performance Info

What are your typical setup and performance times?

My standard set performance times are x2 45 minute sets, typically with a 30 minute break in between. This is however completely flexible depending on the client's needs, all of which I'm happy to discuss beforehand. Very often for weddings I will end up doing x3 45 minutes throughout the evening.

As a soloist my setup is fairly simple and only requires about 30 minutes to set up my equipment and soundcheck. Depending on the event timings I usually aim to arrive a good hour before performance is due to start.


Are you happy to perform outside?

I am very happy to perform outside so long as the area is sheltered from the elements and has a solid flat surface for me to set up on, as well as a power socket nearby.


Do the clients have a say in what you play or is it a set repertoire list only?

I love working with clients in the lead up to the show to build the perfect setlist for their event. I am very happy to learn songs especially for the client, up to 5 new songs per booking included. Everything else would need to be chosen from my existing repertoire, but this is over 500 songs strong and is not exhaustive, covering a huge range of styles. It's very possible that even if a song you've set your heart on isn't on the list, I might know it already!


How do previous clients most commonly describe your performances?

The most common thread amongst my clients reviews is my high energy show, stage presence and big vocal range, but it's also lovely to see how many people remark on my personality. I always like to think of myself as friendly and easy to get along with, and it's great to see that come through on feedback. People also seem to like the way I cater every show and setlist to their needs and tastes, I get the impression it makes it all the more special for them.

Recent Clients

Martin Brake has performed for these clients:

Cheltenham Racecourse

The London Stock Exchange Group

Parkdean Resorts

Browne Jacobson

Cash Converters

The Campaign for Real Ale

FatFace

Venues

Martin Brake has performed at these venues:

Over the last 8 years I've played more venues than I can possibly count, so here are the most notable:

SOLO

Public shows:

The Great British Beer Festival, Olympia West Kensington, London, UK (2022, 2023)

Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, UK (2021)

The Wool Market, Doncaster (2019, 2020)

Cheltenham Race Course, Cheltenham, UK (2017)

Southwell Race Course, Southwell, UK (2018)

Mercure Piccadilly Hotel, Manchester, UK (2018)

Mour Hotel, Annesley Woodhouse, UK (2017)

With CHOP SUEY

Rock City, Nottingham, UK (2021, 2022, 2023)

O2 Academy, Islington, London, UK (2022)

O2 Academy, Liverpool, UK (2022)

The Underworld, Camden, London, UK (2016, 2017, 2018)

The 1865, Southampton, UK (2023)

The Brickyard, Carlisle, UK(2021, 2022 ,2023)

Epic Studios, Norwich, UK (2022, 2023)

Boogaloo Club, Zagreb, Croatia (2023)

Zappa Baza, Belgrade, Serbia (2023)

Fabrik, Coesfeld, Germany (2023)

With EMPEROR CHUNG

Download Festival, Donington Park, UK (2013)

YNot Festival, Pikehall, UK (2011, 2012, 2013)

Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, UK (2013)

The Intrepid Fox, Soho, London, UK (2013)

With CONFYDE

Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, UK (2017)

YNot Festival, Pikehall, UK (2023)

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