Review Centre: Bands & Ensembles

"Thanks so much for a fabulous performance last Saturday. The band really made the night for me, and i hope you got a buzz from it too. You got lots of praise from our friends and even my 78 yr old father in law , although I think he perhaps shouldn't have sat on the table closest to the band! If you need any testimonials we'd be happy to oblige. Thanks once again!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I took my Fiancé to a Blackbeard’s tea party gig in York with a view to see if he would like them to play at our wedding. As soon as they started playing, the place was bouncing and our decision was made. When they played at our wedding reception, we were not disappointed; they were so much fun, all our guests had an absolute ball! Be warned, put your dancing shoes on, because you will not stop dancing! They are just too scrummy to miss!"

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:

"Absolutely fab. They created a wonderful at atmosphere at the party. They sounded amazing and had a great range of songs. They have a great look too, my 1 year old was utterly mesmerised by Daisy’s dresses. Would definitely recommend. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We booked The Cheers for our wedding reception and were incredibly impressed. We had only seen a couple of videos online, but the band surpassed all our expectations. There was a great mix of music, which got everybody up dancing. Feedback from our guests was unanimous about the entertainment. Some of our guests have already asked for details of the band for other events. Ben, who manages the band, was very easy to deal with throughout the whole process of making our arrangements, and the band showed great flexibility on the night as we ran a little off schedule. We really could not recommend The Cheers highly enough - you will be guaranteed a very memorable, fun-filled night!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Just wanted you to know That Delta Band were amazing on Saturday night and everyone at my party were full of praise for them. They got the playlist spot on, there was lots of dancing and we all had a ball. Would definitely recommend them to others!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I hired to Deutsche Fabrik to play for my husband's 40th and they were awesome. Super professional, very accomodating and patient when our venue had to change and lovely to chat to. Would absolutely recommend them for anyone looking for a fun 80s synth duo for an event or party. Made my husband's birthday that much more special. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I couldn't recommend It's No' Reel ceilidh band highly enough. From the first time I emailed them to see what their availability was for our wedding day, to the week of the wedding, nothing was a problem. They were very quick to reply to emails, and always extremely friendly. When it came to our wedding reception, we could not have asked for a better atmosphere. The music was exactly how we wanted it, ceilidh music and disco tunes alike! They were so energetic throughout their set, and really kept the party going. I found it difficult to dance as much as I wanted to as well as socialise with my guests as I was having so much fun! Thanks again for everything guys, we really appreciate it."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We booked Vernon for our wedding on the 24th April 2015 and he really was fantastic, we had pre arranged what music he was going to do off his playlist. We corresponded by email and had no problems with contacting him and he arrived on time for our evening reception, he set up and played straight through until about 10. We found his own music very good especially his song (see that girl) he made the evening fun and got us up dancing, our guests loved him and enjoyed his music, Vernon is a friendly talented musician and we would book him again or recommend him for a wedding or party. Many thanks Vernon"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you so much! You really brought the evening to life!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"From the moment we met Francis of Band One Steel Band we knew we had to have the band a part of a wedding! I can say that the band were amazing! They played during our cocktail hour and really brought the energy to the day! They made the occasion memorable! Our family and friends loved them and we loved them! They have great range of songs and they also can perform new pieces of music that you may request. Please do not hesitate to book this wonderful band to be a party of your special occasion! Thank you Steel Band One for everything! I would highly recommend them!!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I can highly recommend Goldsworth Gerry to get your party started and keep you up on the dance floor! They play a mix of music through the ages and all the guests at our party were really impressed with the live music, vocals and energy in the room! Lead singer Martin’s communication from booking the band to the end of the gig was brilliant, he made my sure our requirements were fulfilled on the night! They made our party memorable - thank you GG."

Reply by Goldsworth Gerry
Hi Michelle - many thanks for your kind words and for taking the time to give us a review. We're really pleased you had a memorable night and everyone enjoyed themselves - we had fun too, coming out into the crowd at the end and passing the mic round for you all to join in with Mr Brightside was a highlight! Thanks and Regards, Martin and Stuart

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you so much for providing such excellent entertainment at our wedding. You went out of your way to learn a new song I requested just for my dad to hear. The guests loved you. You also played one final song for me, because I missed it. Myself and Michael had our own personal rendition of Forever by Chris Brown. Thank you once again Dave."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Massive thank you to these guys for performing at our wedding back in April. I first saw Diversion perform at a wedding show and knew I had to have them at my wedding. We booked them to perform throughout the day and during the evening... they did not disappoint! They are so incredibly talented and our guests absolutely loved them. They played so many great songs and knew how to get the guests up to fill the dance floor. Thank you for the most amazing music all day!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I’d like to thank Shaun & Carrie for a fantastic night. Great entertainment and provided a brilliant atmosphere. Will definitely be seeing them in the future."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: