Blog Archives - Page 4 of 6

James Bond Shows in Glasgow

November 21, 2014 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

I’ve been performing my James Bond shows in Glasgow over the past couple of weekends, in some marvellous venues.

The first was for a fundraiser ball at Oran Mor, a stunning building right in the heart of Glasgow’s West End.

Oran Mor is a converted church, and this is evident in its beautiful architecture and unique setting, including the celestial ceiling mural by Alasdair Gray, which is one of Scotland’s largest pieces of public art.

Unique ceiling at Oran Mor

Top funk soul and disco band ‘Funk Nation’ were also on the bill, looking and sounding absolutely fantastic. Here they are in action (I got a bird’s eye view from the gallery!)

The evening was compered by Glaswegian comedian Alan Anderson, and we were also joined by the fabulous opera singer Lucy Kay, who you may remember from Britain’s Got Talent.

A big thank you goes out to resident Stage Technician Ross, and also to agents Freak Music .

My next James Bond show was at the very plush Grand Central Hotel, right in the middle of Glasgow. This hotel can be accessed directly from Central Station, so I was able to travel to the gig by train, which made a nice change for me!

For this event I teamed up with Richard Knight, a wonderful tenor who specialises in Opera and West-End show songs, as well as James Bond themes.

Richard has to be one of the most hard-working acts I’ve ever worked with. He managed to look cool, calm, and collected, and remained in true charming ‘007’ style throughout the evening, despite having spent all day travelling all the way from Bournemouth to Glasgow. He kept the audience thoroughly entertained from start to finish with his fast-paced show, and didn’t rest until he had the whole crowd up on their feet singing and clapping. What a star performer!

It was nice to hear some happy feedback from the clients too:

“Dear Lisa & Richard

Just wanted to say a great big thank you to you both for a fantastic night. I have feedback from other guests and people have said what fun they had – they loved your singing and the fact they could dance and sing along too. Thank you once again and I hope we see you again soon.

Best wishes

Gillian, Colin & the team”

Big thanks to agents Masquerade Productions.

Silver Wedding Anniversary at Mar Hall Hotel Scotland

October 28, 2014 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

The Mar Hall Hotel provided the perfect venue for a Silver Wedding Anniversary party I performed at recently. Situated in Bishopton, near to Erskine, this Edwardian Scottish mansion is a luxury five star hotel with gorgeous views over the River Clyde.

It was a beautiful sunny Autumn day with clear blue skies as I drove into the hotel grounds. Set within a picture-perfect 240 acre woodland estate, I was struck by the tranquil peace and beauty of the area.

The interior of the Mar Hall Hotel is decorated in an elegant vintage style that exudes class and sophistication. The pianist playing softly in the lounge added to the relaxed ambience.

I had been asked to perform a mixture of Swing classics and 1950s & 1960s songs, with the anniversary couple picking the majority of the songs themselves from my set list. Their main objective was to keep all their guests up on the dancefloor, and this was no difficult task as everyone was really up for a party from the word go.

I started with a ‘1^st dance’ for the anniversary couple: the gorgeous Etta James classic ‘At Last’. I was glad they chose this song as I love it as a first dance; it’s so romantic and works beautifully, plus it’s familiar to all age groups because it was recently covered by Beyonce.

The rest of the guests needed no prompting to join in the dancing and looked like they were thoroughly enjoying themselves. I love singing at wedding anniversary parties because there’s a certain atmosphere to them that’s a little different to weddings – everybody is so relaxed and at home with each other, as the two families have had all those years to become well-acquainted.

As the night went on I sang a mixture of Swing standards and kept the emphasis on fun, dancing, and romance, with ‘Let there be love’, ‘Cheek to cheek’, ‘My baby just cares for me’ and many other classics. I even threw a bit of Jessie J into the mix in response to a request on behalf of the younger members of the audience 😉

The night was over too soon, but I’m glad to report some excellent feedback from the happy couple:

“We booked Lisa to perform at our Silver Wedding Anniversary event where we had guests across a wide age group. Without exception every single guest commented on the amazing performance that Lisa gave – her set of 50’s and 60’s classic’s fitted perfectly with the theme of our evening and we could have been in a New York supper club from that era.

Her delivery was effortless and the quality of her voice was exceptional – without doubt she put the gloss on what was a fantastic evening and the dance floor was never empty. We would have no hesitation in recommending Lisa to anyone wanting to add a touch of class to their event, we only wish we could do it all again!”

~ Jane and Simon Grey.

(From Free Index business directory)

To see more of my reviews, please visit my testimonials page.

So, all in all, a wonderful evening at the Mar Hall Hotel. I would thoroughly recommend this hotel as a top-class venue for a wedding or anniversary function. Many thanks to Jane and Simon for making me feel so welcome at their lovely party.

Views over the Clyde at Mar Hall

1940s Wartime Tribute Show in Cumbria

October 21, 2014 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

I recently paid a visit to Grange-Over-Sands where I was booked to perform my 1940s wartime tribute show at the Cumbria Grand Hotel.

The Cumbria Grand Hotel is a lovely old building which overlooks Morecambe Bay. I have great memories of this area as we used to go on holiday there to Pontins when I was little – ahh the exotic and glamorous vacations of my youth!

The Grand Ballroom at the Cumbria Grand is a very good size with an excellent dancefloor. I was reliably informed by one of the audience members (who was 83 and still cut a fine figure on the dancefloor!) that the floor was one of the best around for dancing as it ‘wasn’t sticky’. Apparently a lot of places are reticent about having a slippery dancefloor these days due to the risk of anyone having a fall and claiming compensation.

The audience were up for dancing from the word go, so for my 2^nd set I did my 1950s show, with plenty of rock and roll numbers for jiving to. After the show it was nice to get a chance to go around and have a chat to the audience members to find out where everybody had come from.

There were groups who hailed from all around the UK, including London, Newcastle, Wales, and even some from near my hometown on the Wirral. It was nice to hear that familiar accent again, as I don’t get to hear it that much nowadays, having lived in Scotland for the past several years.

Normandy Veterans Association war memorial

The next morning was a lovely day with lots of autumn leaves around, giving a real rustic look which seemed to really suit the hotel off to its best advantage. I had a look around the area, stopping at the train station and the Normandy Veterans Association war memorial, which was set in a very peaceful and picturesque sunken garden. According to the plaque, this area is thought to be the most historic place in Grange-Over-Sands, and it was certainly a charming place to visit on a sunny autumn morning.

Beautiful countryside in Cumbria

Sunrise at Grange-Over-Sands train station

Cumbria really is a beautiful part of the UK, and the Cumbria Grand is well worth a visit, especially if you like dancing.

Golden Wedding Anniversary at Douglas Park Golf Club

October 6, 2014 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

Last weekend I sang at a beautiful Golden Wedding Anniversary party at Douglas Park Golf Club. It was a nice local booking for me as Bearsden is less than an hour away.

It’s the first time I’ve performed at Douglas Park Golf Club, and I must say I was very impressed, not only by the stunning views of the golf course, but also by the lovely staff, who were genuinely friendly and very welcoming. A big thank you goes out to Moses and Lisa for all their help and hospitality on the night.

The clubhouse itself was very nice indeed: a perfect venue for an intimate gathering. The room was a nice comfortable size for a small party, plus it also featured a good-sized dancefloor. Excellent use of lighting gave the room that extra-special touch too.

I always love to perform at Golden Wedding Anniversary functions, as it feels such a wonderful and important thing to celebrate a couple who have stayed happily together for such a long time. It’s so lovely to be part of that very special celebration.

When I look around at all the guests I wonder who was originally present at the wedding and imagine what life was like for them on that day 50 years ago; how they have changed, and how the world around them has changed too.

In this case it would have been 1964, and the world was indeed a very different place back then. The average weekly wage was £16, BBC2 made its first broadcast (which was Play School!), the Forth Road Bridge was opened, and Harold Wilson was poised to become Britain’s first Labour Prime Minister in 13 years.

Music was very different back then too. Whenever I sing at a Wedding Anniversary party I like to look back and see what was in the ‘Hit Parade’ back then, so I can include some of the songs that would have been around when the happy couple were in the first blush of romance.

In 1964 Beatlemania was in full flow, and they had pretty much taken over the charts. Their first film, A Hard Day’s Night, was released in July of that year. The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, and Cilla Black were also very popular.

James Bond featured in the cinema and in the charts too, as there were two ‘007’ movies out that year: ‘Goldfinger’ and ‘From Russia with Love’, with their respective theme tunes becoming huge hits for Shirley Bassey and Matt Monro.

On this occasion however, I had been asked to perform music from a slightly earlier era: Swing songs and other classic easy-listening standards. I was glad to do so as this is my personal favourite genre of music!

I chose a mixed program that included plenty of lovely old romantic songs such as ‘Fly me to the moon’ by Frank Sinatra, ‘I only have eyes for you’ by Ella Fitzgerald, and the 1950s Jo Stafford hit ‘You belong to me’.

I soon realised that the guests were really up for a party as they were up on the dance floor from the word go. So as the night went on I shifted from swing music to timeless pop classics such as ‘Baby Love’ by The Supremes and ‘Kissin’ in the back row’ by The Drifters, to keep everybody happy on the dancefloor. I also got a request for some country music, so I added a bit of Dolly Parton into the mix, plus a Boney M medley in response to numerous ‘Slosh’ requests!

I finished off a lovely evening with what is in my opinion the perfect Golden Wedding Anniversary song: ‘The Anniversary Waltz’ by Vera Lynn.

My warmest congratulations go out to Andrew and Brenda. May they enjoy many more happy years together.

1940s themed party night at BMC Club Edinburgh

October 1, 2014 By Lisa Martin 2 Comments

The BMC Club in Edinburgh held a fantastic 1940s themed party last Saturday night.

The club was decorated beautifully with 1940s memorabilia and bunting to get everybody in the mood, and the club members had really gone to town with their cool vintage outfits – everyone looked fabulous.

When I arrived to perform my 1940s wartime show it really felt like I had been transported back to the 1940s as I looked around at a packed club full of land girls, officers, home guards, sailors and American GI’s. I even caught a glimpse of Adolf Hitler loitering at the bar!

Belles of the ball

And I must say, I think it’s amazing how all those land girls ever got any farmwork done in their 6 inch stiletto heels 😉

A special mention must be made to our irrepressible trio of Andrews Sisters, who were good enough to join me in an impromptu performance of their hit ‘Don’t sit under the apple tree’ (although I’m not quite sure where their allegiance lay, as they were to be spotted later on carousing with some SS officers!)

Fun-loving Andrews Sisters

Everybody really got into the party mood, waving their flags and singing along to old favourites such as ‘Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag’ and ‘Bless em all’, plus of course the Vera Lynn classic ‘We’ll meet again’.

Captured by the enemy!

Rab the DJ from Chaplins Disco helped create just the right atmosphere with his friendly banter and great collection of 1940s themed party tunes, and of course he looked the part too in his wartime uniform.

It was a lovely surprise to see Anne Nelson and her team of ‘Jump ‘n’ Jive’ dancers turn up to entertain the crowd with their wonderful dancing. These guys are the friendliest group of people you could hope to meet, and their dancing brings a great retro feel to any occasion.

Want to learn how to dance like this? Well you can! Anne holds ‘Jump ‘n’ Jive’ dance classes (beginners / intermediate) around the Glasgow area on the following nights:

Monday: United Reform Church Hall, Rutherglen, 7.30 – 10pm

Tuesday: St. Columba Scottish Episcopal Church Hall, Bathgate, 8 – 10 pm

Wednesday: Goodyear Social Club, Drumchapel, 7.30 – 10pm

Yvonne and the troops at The BMC Club

A big thank you to Yvonne and the team at the BMC club for organising such a fantastic 1940s themed party night. They thought of everything – even bringing out some delicious ‘stovies’ at half time.

It just goes to show that with a bit of imagination and some good organisational skills, clubs can still pull in a full house and have a really successful night, even in this day and age.

It was a busy week of gigs for me last week. Thursday saw me heading down the M6 to Birmingham where I was booked to perform at a corporate function in The Forest of Arden Hotel and Country Club.

What a beautiful venue it was. With an impressive golf course and herds of wild deer roaming around the grounds, you would never imagine it was just a few miles away from Birmingham Airport.

Whenever I sing at a corporate function I always find it fun and interesting because I get to meet and work with other businesses and entertainers, and this was no exception.

I performed my Swing show, and was joined onstage by the beautiful Vegas Show Girls.

They certainly added a touch of glamour to the night, with their glitzy costumes and fabulous dance routines (choreographed by Emma-Jane Ashman).

The Vegas Showgirl dancers and Lisa Martin

The Vegas Show Girls in action (Photo courtesy of www.brillpix.com)

They were also lovely and helpful backstage in helping me with my dress, which seemed to have developed a mind of its own!

Even more glamour and showbiz was to be found in the reception area, where a stunning Marilyn Monroe lookalike was onhand to provide drinks, alongside a very convincing Oscar award ‘living statue’, both provided by top corporate event agency www.steppin-out.co.uk.

Jamie Bennion and his team at http://businessav.co.uk/ took expert care of sound and lights.

Steve Brill of Brillpix Photography was busy all night taking photos of all the proceedings.

Northamptonshire-based, Steve specialises in wedding, commercial, and corporate photography. Check out his excellent work here: http://brillpix.com/

A big thanks to Steve for letting me use some of his photographs from the event.

That night I headed straight back up north to Manchester, to break up the journey back to Glasgow. Unfortunately the M6 was not kind to me and I ended up driving for hours due to various road closures – all the while listening to the Scottish referendum results as they came through on the radio.

It was around 3am by the time I reached my hotel – a beautiful little country guest house called Ash Farm in Altrincham.

This was such a charming place in very picturesque surroundings, with very friendly hosts – unfortunately though, I didn’t have much time to enjoy it as I was heading straight back to Glasgow later that morning. Hopefully I will get a chance to return for a longer stay whenever I’m next in the Manchester area.

That night I was singing at a cabaret night at The Columba Club in Barrhead. It was a lovely night, very well-attended, and lots of funds were raised for Mary’s Meals charity.

On Saturday I revisited one of my favourite clubs, The RAFA in Prestwick, for their annual Battle of Britain ball.

I’ve performed at this event for the past few years now and it’s always a pleasure to return and see all the friendly and familiar faces.

As usual, the dancefloor was packed from start to finish with lots of talented and energetic dancers, and lots of fun was had by all.

Check out this video from the RAFA club, it seems that we had a lot of teenagers in that night! 😉