Review Centre: Party Bands

"They were amazing from start to finish! "

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"Thank you for your performance on NYE, everyone enjoyed the performance! Zdravka, Genting Casino Manager in Reading. 31.12.19"

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"Thank you so much for a brilliant performance, everyone enjoyed it"

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" 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. "

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"Thank you!!! Was a brilliant day and SoulNFunk, were the icing on the cake! Thanks Lee."

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"Thanks guys - a fantastic set for our masquerade ball fundraiser. You had great energy, fabulous song choices and a sense about you that gave us confidence from beginning to end! Highly recommended "

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"Thank you so much for a fantastic evening of great music. Everyone enjoyed the evening and we had lots of people say how fab the band were."

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"LOVE IT! Thank you for letting me be your 7th member 😂"

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"Booked these guys for my 21st and they were amazing. I'd requested a few songs before the day came as well and they played them all. All the songs were really upbeat and fun, and my friends were all so impressed. I'd definitely book them again!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We were lucky enough to have The Misfit Makers perform at our wedding, and we couldn’t have been happier. Their performance was incredible, and they created such a fun, lively atmosphere. They made sure to include all our favourite songs and even threw in some surprises for our guests. So many people commented on how great the band was. "

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"Absolutely awesome guys. Thank you so much for making it such a memorable night . The golf club was buzzing, and the comments last night and today from those that were there were unbelivable. We are indebted to you. Tickets were sold out within 2 hours. You pitched it perfectly to the audience."

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"I had Radio Dukes for my wedding and all I can say is it's the best money we spent! The atmosphere was amazing! Highly recommend."

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"Just wanted to say thank you for a brilliant show on sun night we had a ball! Thanks for making our party one everyone will remember. Thanks again."

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" 77 live were fantastic. Really easy to book and helpful to talk through music and the plan of the evening. The music was incredible, our family and friends are still talking about how good it was from start to finish. You made our wedding evening truly fantastic thank you so much. "

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"I love Blondie and was not disappointed. In fact you would think you were at a Blondie gig if you closed your eyes. All the other songs they did were great too. Love these guys."

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