Review Centre: Bands & Ensembles

"Thank you for singing at our wedding, Our guests were blown away by your voices and you're still a talking point! You were very accommodating with our song choices and our last minute changes, thank you for being part of our day and making it feel so special!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"LA Mixtrax - thank you so much for your professional and flexible approach to HM23, from the pre-event planning to arriving to set up on the day at 8am(!) and then delivering on everything you had promised. You went the extra mile for our runners in extending your playing time to accommodate the significantly larger number of runners we had this year. We loved your main stage performance, which had such an infectious energy and the quality of your musicianship was self-evident, and played a lovely part in making this event a very successful and memorable one!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Great experience all around, would highly recommend these guys for your next event! Very professional communication in advance of the event, and they sound amazing live. Bravo!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thursday night was a blast. Couldn’t have gone any better! On Thursday the 25th of January, the Exeter Caledonian Society hosted a Burns Night Ball accompanied by the Black Velvet Band. The band was brilliant. Their musical prowess, stamina and all round musicianship was a joy to work with - and to listen to - making the night ever better. I am so thankful for what they did. The band is easy to work with, knowledgeable about timings and can cater to any requirements. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We had Haylee at the Three Horseshoes in Hazlemere…and what a fantastic evening! Amazing performance! 2 lovely people 🥰 Will be having them back soon 😀"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Brilliant Hot hot hot!!! The Tudor Arms, North Watford on Saturday 29 June 2019 It was a scorching hot day and evening and we were melting, but try keeping off the dance floor, when you have a hot band playing good music and playing it well. Wife and I had a brilliant evening, listening to and dancing to some great sounds. We definitely hope to see ‘Jukebox’ again soon...."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Just wanted to say thank you so much for the beautiful set last night, it was absolutely brilliant, everyone was totally immersed in the atmosphere, and your voice was so beautifully expressive. It was everything we could have asked for!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We were really pleased with both performances from the group; it was exactly the kind of music that we were looking for to suit the occasion. A great sound, very professionally delivered, so please thank all the members of the band. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We had It Takes Two to play during the drinks reception at our wedding and they were absolutely FAB! Kelly was amazing before hand and made the organising really easy...letting us choose songs we wanted played and contacting the venue directly to arrange their set up. They played funky, upbeat covers outside at our venue and really made the atmosphere extra special as our guests enjoyed the sunshine and their reception drinks. So many people commented how much they enjoyed their sets and we are so glad we had them as it made that part of the afternoon really fun and memorable. Thank you both so much!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"It was a pleasure to meet you - myself, the restaurant team and guests were thrilled with your performance. You really were so professional. I thought you were brilliant and perfect for Frankie and Benny’s style. I will definitely come to you first when I have any events requiring a singer. Thanks again!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The band were fabulous! I cannot praise them enough!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Nightcaps blew us away at our November Loft"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The band were brilliant. The guys in the band were prompt to set up, friendly , professional and kept us informed during each stage of the booking process. The music was great, they sounded great and the choice of songs were perfect for what we wanted. The guests enjoyed it and everyone was kept entertained all night. The repertoire was fabulous I would definitely recommend. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We were thrilled to have booked The Verge for our anniversary party. We couldn’t have wished for anything better!…incredible talent, great fun, very professional and reliable from the first enquiry with them, and they totally blew us away!!! The dance floor was rocking !..they also did acoustic sets which we’d highly recommend as well. So many guests said they were the best ‘event’ band they’d ever heard and we agree! Thank you James and co for a great evening and for your kindness and energy to help us celebrate!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

" At the risk of sounding pretentious and somewhat smug, as a former music journalist and critic, I am someone well used to hearing performances covering the whole spectrum of ability, from very talented, to no talent whatsoever; mainly on the working circuit, encountering much from the bottom end of the scale, the flaws of which seemingly pass by, or go over the heads of the audience, mediocre musical acts often gaining acceptance despite (or because of) their lack of any talent whatsoever. So, when on a random whim, I booked MAYHEM into The Old Crown, Hayes, I was pleasantly surprised to come across that jewel one constantly seeks: a light hidden in the bushel, an act of great quality. Don’t get me wrong, on the surface, MAYHEM are basically just another covers band, with certainly not much more to offer in terms of choice of material than others treading the same circuit. The difference though, is in the depth of thought in the vocal arrangements, and the attention to detail in the performance of the songs. Someone in the band has true musical knowledge. The way the vocals are arranged and used is no accident, and the music has a depth and surety that is pure class. Carol’s voice is unique, and at many points conveys rare emotion for those who can hear. The two voices are a happy accident of coincidence; Carol’s rather treble voice, Billy’s gruff baritone, both interesting voices taken in isolation, but together producing a sound that is perhaps greater than the sum of its parts. The quality of both singers shows itself also in the faultlessly correct intonation, the thrilling blend and invention of the harmonies, the search for expression in the vocals, the subtle use of the arrangements to produce expression. Most of these subtleties are of course lost on the general public, but the band still have enough battle-hardened experience and know-how to ride out any waves of indifference, and overcome the hardest heart with a friendly approach to their clientele, patiently trying out various styles and eras, constantly striving to reach their listeners, despite a kind of yearning in the music for serious recognition. Personally, I found it somewhat sad that a talented band like this has to resort to some popular (and bland) material, but one must bow to reality, and work is work. Still, the musicians didn’t just accept the status quo of this material; they always had a few surprises in store in the way they approached any song, however scraped from the bottom of the barrel. Carol’s voice sounded at its best on songs like “SUMMER OF ’69” and “I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT”, but she shone through on harder songs too, like “LIVING ON A PRAYER” and “DON’T BRING ME DOWN”. Billy didn’t sing quite as many lead lines, but when he did, it was with a power and confidence that knew just how best to carry the melody, and the strength of harmony singing was in a different league from the average one would expect to hear in a situation like this. On “Living La Vida Loca” the dual vocals were outstanding, perhaps the most equal blend of the day, with other such highlights for me being “Don’t Stop me Now” and “I Wanna Know what Love is”. The locals however enjoyed some of the lighter material more, such as “Rockabilly Rebel”, square dancing their way through the afternoon with great whoops and hollers, playing their part in a very pleasant day in a very pleasant pub. There was a humorous moment when the lads at the bar joined in with “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” all pointing and dancing in the manner of Tom Cruise in “Top Gun”! A vivid sight to behold, for sure! The day ended with a raucous rendition of “Rockin’ All Over The World”, the two singers showing that they could rock it with the best of them when the chips are down. Can’t wait to see this band again. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: