Review Centre: Bands & Ensembles

"Naomi was the violinist for our wedding. She was responsible for all of the music during the day, including the ceremony, reception and first dance. We have to say that she is incredibly talented in her own right as a violinist. We gave her a list of songs to play and despite their contrasting styles she was able to play them in such stunning fashion. She was able to add layers to songs that you could not imagine. Her music created such a beautiful backdrop to the day and our guests loved it. She was also such a lovely person and we can’t thank her enough for being part of our wedding. We would highly recommend her."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Summer Samba exceeded all of our expectations! They entertained our 70 guests with enthusiasm, talent and even dressed the part! (1920's theme). They were a delight to co-ordinate with, and engaging with our guests throughout. They performed four 45 minute sets, with short breaks between. Swing, Jazz, Samba and Salsa throughout. I couldn't recommend them more! An absolute bargain if considering entertainment for a private bash or a work do! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We are so glad we found John and the band and asked them to play at our wedding! They completely made the night at our tipi wedding reception in the forest and fitted into the laid back festival/party atmosphere just perfectly. John spoke to us on numerous occasions before our big day; the organisation seemed so easy and all went according to plan. They even caught some videos of everyone dancing the night away which have given us some great memories! Everyone has been talking about the band and how brilliant they were, a perfect mix of music with a bit of a difference! Thanks to John and the band for making our wedding so incredible "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"One of the hidden treasures of London is the range of talent that exists on the folk and acoustic scene that rarely get the acclaim they deserve. Three London based bands that excel at performing Eastern European/Balkan Music are Szapora, Mukka and Beskydy, each of whom are worth looking out for. Nine strong Beskydy perform songs and tunes from across Eastern Europe and beyond, in fact looking at the sources on their cd listing is almost like a tour around that part of Europe, from Macedonia to Hungary via Galicia and Bulgaria and taking a detour through Slovakia. The bands name itself comes from the range of mountains that run through the centre of former Czechoslovakia which according to the band has heavily influenced their musical choices whilst they turn their hand to music from a range of sources (excellantly). The first track is a Macedonian song, Jovano, Jovanke (click here to hear the song) and the range of Joanna Fosters vocal skills are further displayed in the three Slovakian songs that make up track 4, from the slow Janosik to the more up beat cheery Anicka Dusicka and A Ja Taka Dzivocka although Foster and the band manage to intertwine the tunes with sufficient skill so the songs merge as one. Again Track 9 is a duet with Accordian player, Peter Murphy, joining Foster on the Macedonian song Iz Dolu, along with some damned fine fiddling. The range of Beskydys musical skills are illustrated well by the instrumental tracks ranging from the delightful Slovakian Waltzes (Track 5) to the slightly more manic Tropanka from Bulgaria (track 10) and onto the ordered upbeat and furious synthesis between sax, fiddle and accordian that is Tantz, Tantz Yiddelekh (a wonderful Galician Jewish tune), yet again garunteed to result in limb movement, a delightful fusion of fiddles and saxaphone, furiously creating a wonderful atmosphere one that demands a physical response. One very minor complaint is the sleeve of the CD, it would be nice (or do I just lead a very shallow empty life) to have some information/lyrics or even translations of the songs, something about the origins of the tracks. That said its more than possible for bands with large bank accounts to produce nice extensive sleeves but not so easy for bands whose talents lie in their music rather than some slick marketing agencies. It would be impossible to identify one part of this cd that could be said to stand out more than the rest. The band have produced an album that is thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish - the question that comes to the fore when listening to this is when is the follow up going to be available?"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Lady Luck were a huge success at our recent family festival, along with really getting the crowd going on the day the band were really helpful leading up to the event making their sets bespoke to our requirements and were responsive throughout the booking process. All round great band and would definitely book them again!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We both wanted to say a massive thank you for your amazing work at our wedding in August. So many of our guests commented on your fantastic set and how you kept the atmosphere going all night."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The guests enjoyed the music played. Rory was well presented, on time and very pleasant."

Reply by Rory
Hi Mary, No worries, thanks for the additional feedback, it is much appreciated. Please do let me know if I can be of any assistance in future. Best regards, Claire Maillot

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you so much for playing, you were absolutely fab!! We honestly had so many comments about how good you were, everyone loved you! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"They were fab. Played at the times we wanted and played for a lot longer than any other band. They kept our guests entertained all night. Thank you for making our wedding day special."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Absolutely amazing string quartet. Nick was fantastic to deal with in the lead up to the wedding, he was so helpful in terms of music choice and timings. And the music on the day just sounds incredible. We had an unexpectedly beautiful day for weather and all the guests stayed outside so Vitula moved their setup without being asked so guests could enjoy the music during the drinks reception. Thank you Vitula!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We booked W!RED for our private event and Christmas party night at Drayton Manor Resort. They really delivered a phenomenal night. Sue's vocals were phenomenal and the whole bad were amazing. We have received so many compliments about the band. I really would not hesitate to book them again. Thank you for a perfect and fun evening "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Brotherhood played at my husband's surprise 50th in January & they were BRILLIANT! They turned the party into an event & friends are still talking about the amazing, talented band. They are complete professionals and made the party. The range of music was so good - everyone from teens to 70 somethings were up dancing. An added bonus is they are the nicest people to deal with & went above & beyond to help me get the music organised. These guys are the real deal if you want a really stand-out band to make your party special."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Hi Andy. Thank you for your performance last week - Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves and the whole evening was a lot of fun! I'd be happy to supply you with a reference/recommendation. 10/10!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Well what can we say!?……thank you from the bottom of our hearts for providing such a fantastic set. Despite the down pour (we’re saying it added to the day :) ) your playing and vocals were really special. You blew everyone away!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"What can we say about these people - AMAZING !! They played our songs for us in such a professional and special way it melted our hearts. We got married in a castle and wanted the whole day to be romantic - this string quartet made it happen The communication before and after with them was superb and they played all the songs we requested (even though 3 of them they had never played before) We would highly recommend them for any function but if you are getting married don't look anywhere else - book these - MAGICAL Thank you David & Cheryl Robinson"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: