Review Centre: Bands & Ensembles

"Hi Andy. Just wanted to to thank you for Saturday night, we had a great time and your performance was brilliant. We would like to re book you please in December if you are free?"

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"Just a quick note to say thank you so much for a great gig at our wedding, you were brilliant. Everyone loved the band. We had an amazing day and a fantastic party!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We were delighted with Carousel. The boys had travelled a long way to the venue but we’re there in plenty of time, they quietly set up during the speeches and then bang!! They just literally hit the sound and the party was ignited. They had learnt our first dance and it was super, they also gave an epic performance of ‘You’ve Got The Love’, which almost became a unifying floor filler for the whole wedding and they let my husband join them to sing ‘Mustang Sally’. They were brilliant."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Greetings Anne, I enjoyed the concert in the church last evening. There must have been a lot of work to prepare, but well done all. The high point for me was your viola performance, a favourite instrument for me, a rich sound too so appealing. I hope it was all worth while and the collection worthy of the performances you all gave. As ever, Stewart"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The Pretty Ugly were even better than we had hoped they would be. We had been to watch them perform at a venue in Sheffield where they were easily the best band on the night so we knew that we liked their sound and energy. They very kindly learned a few songs that we liked (Tom Walker and some songs by The Script) and encouraged us to send them a list of songs that we would like to hear on the night. They also came over to our venue to meet us and check out the logistics and their communication was always very prompt and professional. They really got the crowd up and dancing and so many people commented on what a professional sounding band they were. We also had a number of excellent musicians and music teachers amongst our guests so it wasn’t an easy crowd to impress! We will definitely follow their progress on social media and go to more of their gigs as they are definitely a band with a great sound and who have the potential to go far! Thank you again for making our wedding/party such a huge success!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Absolute Mayhem The Horse & Chains, Bushey on Saturday 30 September 2023 It's a rare thing to go into a local pub and hear a keyboard player who has been described as a musical "genius" by none other than David Bowie. This is no tall story either. The musician Billy Ritchie was the first player in rock music to give keyboards a prominent role -- and that was before Keith Emerson (ELP) and Rick Wakeman came on the scene. Billy told me that he remained good friends with the Thin White Duke until his death in 2016. Lanark-born Mr Ritchie now provides the skilful and fancy keyboards and records backing tracks for his latest incarnation Mayhem with talented female singer Carol Leslie. Carol is a really strong vocalist with a gutsy style. This dynamic duo started their first set at the cosy Sebright Arms with Elvis's late sixties' classic Suspicious Minds. The second song was a surprise -- Kirsty MacColl's comedy number There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears His Elvis. It was a perfect choice after the first song. Carol and Billy select their material wisely and give their audience something very different from the predictable Mustang Sally, Brown Eyed Girl and I Saw Her Standing There, churned out by so many pub bands. So it was great to hear Georgio Moroder and Phil Oakey's electro smash Together In Electric Dreams, Matchbox's catchy rocker Rockabilly Rebel, Starship's uplifting We Built This City (on which Billy demonstrated his keyboard dexterity) and Solomon Burke's gospel-ish Cry To Me. And that was just the first half. Carol is happy to tackle songs usually associated with male vocalists and she started part two with a raucous version of Bryan Adams' rocker Summer Of 69. If you have never seen Mayhem, ask Billy to perform Light My Fire, the Doors rock classic from 1967. This was a sheer musical masterclass as he re-created both vocally and instrumentally this great song. Billy has a rich, tuneful voice and this was a stunning performance. Other highlights in the second half included Journey's rock anthem Don't Stop Believing, Carol's gritty interpretation if Shania Twain's Man I Feel Like A Woman and a fine performance of Bon Jovi's Living On A Prayer A total of 24 songs and I cannot wait to see this duo again. My only concern is their name. I think many club and pubgoers might think Mayhem are a heavy metal band rather than an all-round, top class duo. COLIN FENN, DJ, Freelance Journalist Colin Fenn, DJ - Freelance Journalist, Thursday 5 October 2023"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"These guys were just amazing. We had a four piece for 2 sets of 2 hours at our wedding celebration in July 2022 and they were absolutely perfect. So many of our guests commented on how great they were. One of the things we looked for in a band was true musicality and they delivered on that in every way - they are first and foremost great musicians. Their repertoire is huge and they were really proactive in gathering information to make sure they played the most suitable tracks for us, the playlist they provided for between the sets went down really well with everyone, and they were easy to contact and make plans with before the event. Thank you so much!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Hi Chris I just wanted to say a REALLY BIG THANKYOU for playing at my 50th. Everyone commented and loved your music, it really helped to keep a range of different people happy and made the evening very special. Thanks again and looking forward to seeing you play locally, best wishes "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We recently booked Revolve to play at our wedding and were very happy! The band were fantastic, with a range of music and great crowd interaction. Everyone had a wonderful time dancing and commented on the top performance. Highly recommend!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We booked The RockPins for our company party of 500 people. We were looking for a band who could play the right kind of songs to get people dancing and play those songs well. The band didn’t let us down, they were brilliant! The biggest compliment I can give is the dance floor was still packed when they finally finished their last song. They are a very professional band who can inject energy and fun into a party and come highly recommended. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you so much for performing at our Piazza event on Thursday 24th April. You managed to create an ambience which bought the whole event together, the amount of positive feedback I have had has been incredible. Very professional, punctual and flexible with the added bonus of lots of smiles. I would most definitely recommend Warwickshire Trios to anybody and I look forward to working with you again in the future. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"They will blow your socks all the way to the Balkan mountains!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you for playing at my birthday party – the group was great and I had a lot of really positive feedback from my friends. I certainly enjoyed it and Banish Misfortune really made my party go with a swing – exactly what I wanted!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Vernon is just the best! He recently came and sang at my birthday party and was a complete hit with me and all the guests. It was a surprise party so my husband organised for Vernon to sing for us and he got it spot on. Vernon was so personable to all our guests and adapted his songs to bring some humour to the occasion. I would 100% recommend Vernon to anyone and book him again in the future! Thanks so much Vernon! "

Reply by Vernon - Smooth Guitar/Vocalist
Dear Lindsay, thanks so much for such a lovely review and comments. I wasn't expecting a review from you after such a lovely review from James. Your party was a highlight for me. Friends and family who welcomed me with such warmth. I hope the bits of video that you all took remind you of a special and magical evening celebrating your birthday. Warmest regards, Vernon

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thanks guys for the wonderful job you did at the ‘Schillings’ event. The marketing team were so pleased and thought it the perfect way to thank their clients for another great year. Your performance was pure style - they just loved it."

Reply by Havana Kings
Hi Christie, Thank you so much for this great review. Sorry for the late reply but I’ve only seen this now. All the best Flavio

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: