I sang at a function at the Thistle Hotel Glasgow last weekend. It was a fab night with a great crowd, everyone was dancing from the word go!
Here are some pictures:
Vintage Weddings Scotland
Vintage weddings are becoming more and more popular around Scotland these days, as people look to the 1960s, 1950s, 1940s, 1930s and even back to the 1920s for inspiration for their special day. There are some fabulous vintage wedding suppliers in Scotland, so I thought it would be a nice idea to make a video to showcase their creations.
And what better day than Valentine’s Day to spread a bit of retro romance!
For a suitably vintage musical backdrop I chose the 1930s song ‘What a difference a day makes’. Dinah Washington won a grammy award in the 1950s for her bluesy take on this song, and so I chose to perform this version (as opposed to the more disco feel of the 1970s Esther Phillips version) as I thought it provided the perfect romantic sentiment.
The video features some wonderful suppliers of vintage weddings from all over Scotland, including the following:
Gavin Macqueen – an outstanding photographer from Glasgow whose unique, creative style is very much in demand at weddings all around Scotland.
La Belle Epoque – beautifully unique hair adornments reworked from antique pieces by the very talented Miriam Davies-Cole.
Make Believe Events – an extensive range of gorgeous chair covers, linens, and event hire items, together with free design consultation.
Fairy Dust Celebrations – deliciously pretty, these bespoke wedding cakes and favours are all homemade and freshly baked, using the finest of ingredients.
Miss Dixiebelle – Vanity Thrills is head stylist at Scotland’s award-winning vintage hair and beauty parlour. Hair, makeup and nails, together with stunning reproduction dresses, make Miss Dixiebelle your go-to place for that complete vintage look!
Ribbons & Lace – a bridal boutique with a friendly, cosy atmosphere that makes you feel right at home as you take your pick from a stunning array of gowns created by top designers.
A Vintage Tea Party – vintage crockery hire to give your wedding that charming finishing touch!
A big thank you goes out to all the fabulous vintage wedding suppliers for contributing their beautiful images to be featured in this video.
Hogmanay in Perthshire
Happy New Year!
Well it’s been a busy time for me over Christmas and New Year. I’m just about settling back to normal routine and quite amazed that it’s nearly the end of January already!
I managed to get back home to see the folks for a couple of days over Christmas, so it was lovely to have a little break. New Year’s Eve saw me performing up north again, in a beautiful little Perthshire village called Alyth, where I celebrated Hogmanay with a mixture of locals and visitors.
Alyth must be a very healthy place to live, as there was a lovely gentleman at the bar in his 90s, still looking very fit and active, who had served in the distinguished ‘Black Watch’ Scottish regiment in his younger days. Him and his wife enjoyed the whole night and stayed well into the wee hours!
As it was Hogmanay I included several Scottish favourites, including the essential Loch Lomond and Auld Lang Syne at the stroke of midnight. I also added in some more contemporary Scottish songs by artists such as Rod Stewart, Frankie Miller, Eddi Reader, Paulo Nutini and Emeli Sande.
It turned out to be a very romantic night, as one young man proposed to his girlfriend just after midnight. I think that’s the first time that’s happened at one of my gigs – as soon as she said yes I launched into the traditional Scottish song ‘Mairi’s Wedding’ to get everybody in the mood!
I am booked to sing at quite a few weddings over the next few months, plus a few of my friends are also planning to tie the knot this year – looks like 2014 is going to be a very romantic one!
So, let’s get in the mood with this sentimental swing classic by Ella Fitzgerald: ‘I only have eyes for you’.
James Bond Show at The Angus Hotel Blairgowrie
A sunny and scenic drive up North took me to the pretty town of Blairgowrie in Perthshire last weekend, to perform my James Bond Theme/Tribute Show ‘Casino Royale’ at the Angus Hotel. I was met by Noel, the friendly and helpful assistant manager, who showed me around then proceeded to demonstrate his vast knowledge of James Bond movies and theme tunes! The pressure was on – I knew I would have to get all my Bond facts right tonight, with such a huge fan in charge of the proceedings!
I performed my show after dinner to a very smart-looking audience – many of the men had come ‘dressed to kill’ in tuxedos and the ladies would have made any Bondgirl proud with their elegant dresses.
The audience at the Angus were a real hoot, and they certainly took the Bond theme to heart. If I asked any of the guys their name I received an answer such as ‘James’ or even ‘Scaramanga’!
There were a couple of 60th birthday celebrations in – one male and one female – so of course I couldn’t resist the temptation to get both birthday boy and girl up to play the part of James and his Bondgirl. They proved that 60 is definitely ‘just a number’, as they really got into the swing of things and started improvising to great comedy effect. Many thanks to Hazel and Tam for entertaining us all!
Later on in the evening I performed a mixed set of songs from the 60s to the present day for everyone to dance to. I was most impressed by the standard of dancing – from ballroom to disco, everyone filled the dancefloor and seemed to be having great fun.
A big thank you to all at the Angus Hotel for giving me such a friendly welcome on my first visit here – may there be many more to come!
1940s show at RAFA club, Prestwick, Scotland
I was very glad to get the opportunity to perform my 1940s show again at the fantastic RAFA club in Prestwick recently. This club has got to be one of my favourites, as everyone there just loves to enjoy themselves. Everyone got in the mood and danced from the start to the finish of the evening. A big thank you once again to Del and all the gang at this great club for making me feel so welcome!
Airth Castle Hotel – A Vintage Fairytale Scottish Wedding
Vintage Fairytale Scottish Wedding
I had the pleasure of singing at a beautiful vintage fairytale Scottish Wedding at Airth Castle Hotel last weekend.
Even though Airth is less than an hour away from me (near Falkirk), I’d never been there before (and was not even aware it had a castle!) so it was nice to get the chance to visit a new place.
Airth Castle Hotel provided a beautiful venue for this vintage fairytale Scottish wedding. The castle itself dates back to the 14th century, and was once owned by the family of Robert the Bruce.
Of course, it’s now been refurbished to the high standards that people expect for a luxury vintage Scottish wedding, with outstanding facilities, plus an excellent team of friendly attentive staff.
The bride had asked me to provide some romantic vintage love songs while people were enjoying their Wedding Breakfast. She wanted some swing and jazz from the 1940s and 1950s – lovely old classics such as ‘The way you look tonight’, plus some more modern ‘chilled out’ music, including ‘Come away with me’ by Norah Jones. This is not a song I’ve ever done before, but it was a great suggestion, as it’s such a beautiful song with a very romantic sentiment. So I’ll keep that one in my set list for future weddings. It’s a waltz too, which always comes in handy at functions, as everyone loves to dance a waltz, and there are not so many great songs in that particular time signature.
Wedding photography was provided by the excellent TDH Media. Well, ‘wedding photography’ doesn’t really fully describe their service, as they also provided videography, and even the latest craze: ‘marryoke’. All the guests had a lot of fun singing along to the marryoke song, as they created a unique video to celebrate the occasion. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of this trend, as media companies get creative and provide more fun interactive services for their wedding parties.
Idyllic surroundings, gorgeous suites and fabulous dining – not to mention the luxurious Spa facilities – make Airth Castle Hotel a very popular venue for wedding parties from all over the world. The bride was a big Disney fan, and it looks like she picked the right place for a perfect vintage fairytale wedding.
Prior to the guests’ arrival… the view from my microphone!
Vintage Wedding Show Glasgow
Last weekend saw me at the Trades Hall in Glasgow as I appeared at a wedding showcase for Freak Music which was part of The Vintage Wedding Show at the Merchant City Vintage Festival.
It was great to see Glasgow packed with all things vintage, with so many people showing up dressed for the occasion. Merchant City was transported back in time as people braved the weather to watch live bands, learn jive dancing and get hair and beauty makeovers. It certainly seems like the Vintage scene is alive and kicking here in Scotland.
First up at our showcase was the quirky and unique fourpiece ‘Banjo Lounge Four’ who performed a great mixture of songs both old and new. Playing banjo, guitar, double bass and drums, they had a cool acoustic sound and made every song their own – from classics such as ‘Just a Gigolo’ to the latest chart hits from artists such as Beyonce and Calvin Harris. We were even treated to a unique take on the theme from Knightrider, via their version of Punjabi MC’s remix ‘Mundian To Bach Ke’.
Next up was little ol’ me! I performed a range of songs from the 1940s and 1950s, and featured some of my favourite wedding songs such as ‘The way you look tonight’, ‘Let there be love’ and ‘At last’. I’m just an old romantic at heart!
Last but not least was the fabulous Swing singer Andy Miller. I’m always glad to get the chance to work with this superb performer, as not only is he a great singer, but he is also a really nice guy – always a bonus in this business! Andy is a true all-rounder, as not only does he do a fantastic Swing show, but he is also in great demand for his Robbie Williams and Michael Buble Tribute shows.
Afterwards I had a wander around to see some of the other exhibitors at the show. Bouquets, cakes, photography, flowers, and of course, wedding dresses – all in a gorgeous vintage style – it makes me wonder why anybody would consider having a ‘normal’ wedding!
Then as luck would have it, I bumped into my good pal and ‘dancer extraordinaire’ John Ritchie from top Big Band ‘That Swing Sensation’.
Fred Astaire eat your heart out!
All in all, the day was a big success, with a great turnout of prospective Brides and Grooms looking for that stylish Vintage touch to add to their special day.
A big thank you goes out to Chris from Freak Music for being on hand throughout the day for help and support.
We’ll Meet Again
I got a phone call last week from a schoolteacher in a London school. She told me that her schoolchildren have been learning the Vera Lynn 1940s song ‘We’ll Meet Again’ from a version of mine that they found on You Tube.
How cute! It’s good to know that 1940s music is alive and well, seven decades on! Just goes to show that good music will always stand the test of time.
I had a look at my You Tube page and was surprised to see that the video has had over 14000 views from people all over the world – it seems that this song really touches peoples’ hearts, even now.
James Bond Tribute and Best of British Music at Berwick
Last weekend I nearly made it back onto English soil; travelling down to The Borders to perform my James Bond tribute show ‘Casino Royale’ at Berwick Holiday Park. They put on a special ‘Best of British’ themed night for the owners’ party – so of course ‘Bond’ fitted the bill perfectly!
The team at Berwick did a great job in decorating the room in true British fashion, with plenty of bunting and balloons to add to the atmosphere. The crowd were obviously up for a party and many had come in fancy dress (including one very inventive ‘postbox’ from Newcastle!) so I added into the set some uptempo pop songs from British favourites such as Emili Sande, Jessie J and Amy Winehouse to keep them on the dancefloor.
I was appearing with top Elton John Tribute Act Joel Coombes. What a great performer this guy is! He not only looks and sounds the part, but he is also a fantastic musician. A true professional and a pleasure to work with, he really got the crowd going with all the popular Elton John classics such as I’m Still Standing, Rocket Man, and of course the classic Candle in the Wind.
Joel Coombes as Elton John
Dinner Dance Vintage Cabaret at Stirling Castle
Vintage cabaret is all the rage nowadays! I had the pleasure of singing my favourite 1940s and 1950s songs at the beautiful Stirling Castle last weekend for an event organised by corporate travel experts Hello Scotland. I’ve driven past Stirling Castle many times before so it was lovely to see it ‘up close and personal’ at last. What a stunning venue for weddings and other functions!
I performed a ‘swing‘ style vintage cabaret set for the guests during dinner (5 sumptuous courses! They were well and truly spoilt!) then fabulous DJ Paul Binney took over with dance music to complete the evening’s entertainment.
The event was organised for a group of Swiss visitors who had come over to Scotland for a few days to enjoy the sights and sounds… but possibly not the weather, as it’s been pretty cold and rainy recently! Still, they kept their spirits up and enjoyed their last night in Scotland, partying in style at beautiful Stirling Castle.
A big thank you to Elaine and Heather, who made me very welcome and did a great job organising the night’s event, making sure everything ran smoothly.
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- Next Page »
