Review Centre: Party Bands

"Cover Tree played at my husband’s 50th birthday party recently, and I can honestly say I have never seen such a packed dance floor from beginning to end! The band seemed to know intuitively what would work for a party with ages ranging from 11 to 82! They are all fabulous musicians who make a really authentic sound, bringing many old favourites fully to life. They clearly enjoy what they do, and have a good rapport with each other. The lads were also great company off stage, and had a very professional approach to their work throughout, giving us the reassurance we needed to know that our party was safe in their hands. Our guests were hugely impressed by the musical entertainment, and many asked for the band’s contact details. We would definitely recommend them to others, and will certainly hire them again at our next big occasion."

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:

"Just a note to say a HUGE thank you for the most wonderful set you played at my 50th. The band and the song choices were simply brilliant and totally aligned to the Gatsby theme, but I wanted to particularly call out your AMAZING voice and performance. So many people told me how impressed they were… "

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"The band was high energy and kept everyone dancing throughout the evening with friendly banter and great music. They are really flexible and adapt to the age range and song choices as well as being great value. I would definitely recommend them."

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"Thank you so much for an incredible ceilidh – it brought all of the cultures, ages and dance abilities together and everyone is still commenting on how great you all were! We ourselves had an amazing night dancing away, so a huge thank you for the perfect ending to a wonderful day! We wish you the best in the future (and shall be recommending you to everybody!)"

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"The Celebrations from Pineapple music were great, they played at our wedding and we passed their details on to other friends who were getting married. each time they rocked the joint, played some classic tunes and were a very slick line up. Lots of fun and very professional to work with."

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"You were really terrific and the complimentary feedback from the directors and staff has been overwhelming."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Just wanted to say how much we enjoyed your performance on Saturday. You were amazing and just right for our event. Thank you so much, and we will definitely be in touch in future as will the golf club."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Eccentric Pony - WOW !! A "surprise" birthday party (60th) was truly turned into a night that I know I'll remember for a LONG time thanks, in no small way, to these four lads - they were tireless, performing a wide range of music all night with effortless ease and filling the room with songs across at least the last five decades The sound system was also set up perfectly for the venue, with family and friends (well, the very few that couldn't find room on the dance floor) still able to talk to each other without having to raise voices to a "shout" - VERY cleverly done, chaps - BRILLIANT !! In the days since our party, there have been SO many positive comments about this group and the atmosphere they generated in the room - I've honestly lost count of how many times I've heard "how good was that band?" These guys are the real deal and it's also very obvious how much they enjoy what they do - if you're lucky enough to find they are available for your next celebration/event, just book them - I promise you WON'T be disappointed Thanks again, Gents - I wish you EVERY success - you deserve it !!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Cannot recommend this lovely and talented band enough! From booking up to the week of the wedding we had great communication from them. There was a slight delay with our evening reception starting and the band were very accommodating and reassuring. Our guests haven't stopped commenting about how amazing the music and atmosphere was and the dance floor was full from the moment they began their set until they played their last song. Thank you again for making our wedding evening so memorable and fun ?"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you so much for performing at our wedding. Everything was absolutely perfect. You guys are so professional and we felt really confident in everything you suggested from the get go. We have had nothing but praises from our guests at how great you guys were! Thank you so much for making our wedding (and first dance) unforgettable. Charlotte & Kenny x"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you so much for providing the very excellent music and superb instructions at our wedding party. Many of our guests remarked how much they enjoyed the ceilidh and what fun it all was. The combination of Scottish and tango worked even better than we could have imagined."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Beautiful vocals & harmonies, and musical arrangements to set the tone for a wonderful evening..."

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"Thank you so much for playing at our wedding. All of you were absolutely amazing. We've had so many compliments about the music and you've been a pleasure to deal with, so we'll definitely be recommending you to everyone."

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"I found Shama to be a wonderful delight to work with. We recently hired her and her band to perform at my sister's Sangeet night. In the build up to the event Shama was excellent to deal with. She solved a lot of our logistical issues and her team and particularly her sound engineer were all overly helpful and highly professional. And most importantly, after all the planning and all the stress comes the night; and the singing was just exceptional. Within minutes people were up and dancing and one of the greatest compliments we've had about the night was the music and the singing. I highly recommend Shama and her team and would have no hesitation in hiring them again for our next event."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: