Archive for November, 2011

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The Top Ten 90s Old School Dance Anthems…Ever!!!

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

 


 

Continuing our occasional series of top ten lists of tracks from every genre we bring you the top ten old skool dance anthems …ever!

Old skool dance music continues to be a popular music style for DJ’s playing in the high street venues where audiences find the uplifting tunes a great part of any night complimenting the current trend for four on the floor RNB and UK hip hop. It is now often referred to as cheesey by some of the DJs who would have played it back in the day when it was cutting edge but if you listen to a Radio One request show there will always be a few old skool anthems requested and the same holds if you stand in a DJ booth in any city centre bar. Indeed many thirty something wedding couples booking a DJ for their big day will want some old skool played at their reception…often it is part of the music mix of their youth.

Live Music Management have some great bands that play dance music classics as well as top DJs.

1.Livin Joy-Dreamer

2.Rozella-Everybodies Free

3.Black Box-Ride On Time

4.Ce Ce Penistone-Finally

5.Baby D-Let Me Be Your Fantasy

6.Ultra Nate-Free

7.Technotronic-Pump Up The Jam

8.Faithless-Insomnia

9.Snap-Rhythm Is A Dancer

10.Corona-Rhythm Of The Night

Live Music Management are a UK based entertainment agency supplying function bands and DJs to night clubs ,events ,weddings and parties throughout the UK and beyond. You can see more by visiting www.lmmuk.com or by liking us on facebook here (go ahead and like us….we’re nice guys!) http://www.facebook.com/livemusicmanagement

 

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Posted in Top Ten Songs Ever By Genre, Wedding DJ Agency | No Comments »

The Top Ten Best Cover Versions….Ever!!

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011
A Great Cover Band

A Great Cover Band

A cover version is a version of a song already released by another artist. All the LMM wedding bands , function bands and party bands are essentially cover bands playing well known songs in their own style. Their is also a rich tradition of well known acts covering other peoples songs. Below is a top ten list of songs bettered by the cover. Often these songs have become the definitive article.

You can hire a great cover band from Live Music Management. Call 08454 900515 or email us for details.

1.Ami Winehouse-Valerie….Ami took an okay song by The Zutons and made it into a carear defining hit.

2.Marvin Gaye-Heard It Through The Grapevine…part of the Motown philosophy was to let several acts cover the same song and battle it out but this version beats the Gladys Knight version by several miles.

3.Elvis Presley-Blue Suede Shoes….took Carl Perkins rock a billy original and sexed it up…and then some.

4.Primal Scream-Slip Inside This House….the 13th Floor Elevators obscuro made into a dreamy dance rock classic.

5.Happy Mondays-Step On…..I grew up listening to John Kongos original version of this but never dreamed it could be popped up and made into a massive dance floor hit.

6.The Beatles-Twist And Shout…took a great version by The Isley Brothers and made it even better.

7.The Clash-I Fought The Law….Bobby Fullers rock and roll hit amped up to the max.

8.The Wondermints-Knowing Me/Knowing You….for those who love Abbas songs but wish they would rock out a bit!

9.Adele-Make You Feel My Love…..hate to say this as I am a life long Bob Dylan fan but if you play this alongside the wheezy original 9 out of 10 people will prefer Adele.

10.Aretha Franklin-Respect….well she knocked spots off Otis Reddings original and made it her own.

Live Music Management are a UK based entertainment agency supplying function bands and DJs to night clubs ,events ,weddings and parties throughout the UK and beyond. You can see more by visiting www.lmmuk.com or by liking us on facebook here (go ahead and like us….we’re nice guys!) http://www.facebook.com/livemusicmanagement

 

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Posted in Function Bands For Hire, Top Ten Songs Ever By Genre | No Comments »

Brightside Party Band And Jesse Malin New York Rocker Reviews

Monday, November 28th, 2011
Jesse Malin at The Rescue Rooms

Jesse Malin at The Rescue Rooms

 

It’s been a weekend of contrasting gig attendances for the LMM team.

On Saturday night I popped into Sheffield Walkabout where DJ Lenny Sultana was holding court and party band Brightside were a brilliant last minute addition to the bill.

Sheffield Walkabout holds a great place in my affections being one of the first northern Walkabout bars to open (and  in my old home town at that.) I can remember sitting in the old church building prior to the venue opening with Steve the sound engineer discussing the tech spec and working out how all the equipment was going to be set up. Since then we have had hundreds (maybe thousands) of function bands playing on the stage. It was also the home, for a long time, of Bandeoke (aka Live band Karaoke or Rockaoke) in the North Of England.

On Saturday Brightside put on a great show with set opener “Sweet Home Alabama” giving way to Stay Tonight by Eagle Eyed Cherry before the band brought it bang up to date with Lady Ga Ga and other chart hits. Brightside have forged a reputation as a good value wedding band and Saturday showed just how versatile this band are. With a confident and exceptional female singer they had no trouble motivating the city centre crowd with their anthemic set and on the money musicianship. As ever Steve’s sound levels were brilliant. DJ Lenny who has a side line in mobile DJ work as well as his city centre shows proved himself to be a strong host and played some top tunes.

We finished our Sheffield Saturday in Dada which is a new edition to the Thornbridge Brewery empire in the site of the old Trippets Wine Bar on Trippet Lane. With a strong line up of beers and nice decor with a distinct Sheffield vibe (even down to Pete McKees signature on the wall) this is a welcome addition to the Sheffield bar scene.

Sunday night saw us at the Rescue Rooms in Nottingham watching New York rocker Jesse Malin who is a hard working,touring singer cut from the Springsteen, Gaslight Anthem, Ryan Adams mould. He was playing one of his early albums (The Fine Art Of Self Destruction ) in it’s entirety. It was a brilliant,passionate show which suggested that this singer songwriter with his band of New York,leather clad bandmates should be way better known. Support from acts like Special Needs and New York singer songwriter Don D’Marto (???) made this a top value night out for lovers of melodic jangly rock music. Check out Jesse Malin and The St Marks Social when they pass through your town.

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Posted in PARTIES/FUNCTIONS AND UNIVERSITY BALLS, Walkabout Australian Bars | No Comments »

Wedding Bands In Yorkshire

Friday, November 25th, 2011


Looking to hire a band for a wedding or party in the Yorkshire area and not sure where to start?

Live Music Managementare one of the UKs top entertainment agencies. We have offices in London and the Midlands but we also have a big connection with Yorkshire as one of our Directors spends a great deal of time in his hometown of Sheffield. Live Music Management book live bands into many venues in the Yorkshire area.

We are the sole suppliers of bands for Sheffield’s premier live music venue the 800 capacity Walkabout bar on Calver Street and for the Bar Risa venue in Leeds and we have supplied live bands to hundreds of Yorkshire weddings over the past twelve years of trading.

Our Yorkshire based wedding bands have played in some of the counties favourite wedding venues from Goldsborough Hall to The Cutlers Hall in Sheffield to Merchant Taylors Hall,Ripley Castle, Fountains Abbey and Bolton Castle amongst many others.

We have a great selection of bands based in the Yorkshire region all suitable for weddings and we are able to meet with any budget or theme. Please call our office on 08454 900515 or take a look at fabulous acts like Freak Out , Nat King Bing , Powder or Storm.

The hiring of wedding music is made easier with Live Music Management who are the UK’s top supplier of wedding entertainment and mobile DJs.

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Should Musicians And Bands Be Paid?

Thursday, November 24th, 2011

WEdding entertainment

Last week I contacted a large festival down on the South Coast as I thought one of our acts would suit their bill. The response I got amazed me. Their email said (and I paraphrase)  ”Please remove us from your mailing list. In 2010 our event attracted over 40,000 people and we have a policy of not paying our acts or offering any expenses.” It went onto to say that it was registered as a charity (although it didn’t go on to mention any worthy charities it raised money for.)

Of course struggling musicians trying to find an audience for their original music projects will always need to perform some shows F.O.C but with 40,000 people attending this event it’s hardly like playing to a dozen people in the back room of a pub. Even without an admission charge the event must generate some serious money either through sponsorship,council grants,food or drink sales etc. The badge of honour that they didnt pay musicians wound me up.

To reach the level of a musician worthy of playing in front of an audience takes years of training and skills comparable to any other trade.

The equiptment required to be a gigging electric guitarist, for instance, can run into the thousands.

A gigging band often carries tens of thousands of pounds worth of equiptment once you take into consideration the cost of PA and lights.

Rehearsal room costs can be as much as a couple of hundred pounds per session and are rarely less than forty.

On top of that there is the cost of van hire or purchase and the fuel costs to get to an event.

If we are talking about a wedding band , a function band , tribute band or party band then you are likley to have stage costumes which need purchasing,dry cleaning and maintaining.

Beyond that there is the matter of PAT certificates which need to be carried out on electrical equiptment and public liability insurance which most clients and venues demand.

At Live Music Management we specialise in supplying mobile djs and party acts , wedding bands and nightclub DJs for bars,parties,wedding and events. We believe in a fair price for a job well done and we represent the best acts in the UK in these fields.

We are proud of the fact that they get paid for their services.

After all you wouldn’t dream of ringing a plumber and suggesting he does your job for charity.

 

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Posted in Function Bands For Hire, Live entertainment | 1 Comment »

Top Ten Tips On Organising A House Party.

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011
Organising a house party

Top Tips on organising a house party

“It ain’t nothing but a House Party!”  So sang The Showstoppers back in the day on their classic soul hit and house parties remain a popular choice for many Live Music Management clients. In fact we supply well over a hundred acts (either DJs or live bands) to house parties every year and this isn’t counting the many marquee weddings taking place at private residencies.

Organising a house party is one of the simplest event planning opportunities and many people enjoy having guests in their own home as opposed to a corporate venue. There follows a top ten list of tips for people organising a house party. The list is slanted towards entertainment rather than tips on food etc (we will leave that to Nigel, Nigella and Jamie! ) and some of the tips may seem obvious but we hope they offer a good check list for anyone planning a party in their own home.

1.Inform the neighbours of your intentions.Get them on your side by inviting them.

2.Sound travels and it carries further when you are in an isolated spot without immediate neighbours. A party on a housing estate may be loud enough for the people in the same street to hear but in a rural community it can carry some miles. So you might want to inform the people living across the valley in case they feel the need to call the police wondering where the noise is coming from (which happened at a party recently.)

3.Organise appropriate entertainment. See below.

4.Afternoon barbecue or garden party-why not consider an acoustic duo to play pop hits in an unplugged style or a jazz band to provide a laid back and sophisticated ambiance.

5.Dinner party-What about jazz or classical guitar players? A piano player to provide dinner jazz or classical music….maybe a small classical string section.

6. A party which will run through the evening where you expect people to want to dance? Consider if you have the space for a party band if not then take a look at the duos or solos who provide a full band sound with backing tracks.

7.No space for a band or a duo? You may want to book a solo act or a mobile DJ who can get the party rocking.

8. Place the act in a space large enough to accommodate them (in the case of most full four bands this is around 8 foot by 15 foot,for duos you can get get away with around 4 foot deep by 8 foot wide, DJs will need around 4 foot by 4 foot but may need some space for lighting.)

9.Place the act near the power points or run a power point out to them.

10. Ask for the same degrees of security as a professional venue would want. Professional acts will have public liability insurance and PAT certificates for their electrical equipment. Speak to a professional agency like Live Music Management in order to ensure this is provided.

Call Live Music Management on 08454 900515 for details of best deals on house party music.

 

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Posted in events and parties | No Comments »

Jazz In London-A Guide to Hiring A Jazz Band For An Event Or Wedding

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011


If you are looking for a jazz band to hire in the London area then Live Music Management are the entertainment experts.

Live Music Management have been supplying jazz in Londonfor over twelve years to a variety of prestigious venues throughout the capitol and our acts have played at all the key London jazz venues from Ronnie Scotts and Pizza Express to the Royal Albert Hall and The Festival Hall!

The jazz available in London to hire for private parties and events ranges from great Swing acts drawing on the classic American song book of tunes made famous by Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald through to modern fusion acts offering a different take on ambient background music.

Live Music Management have solo piano players and jazz guitarists to hire and a large number of band options . If you do not find the act that you are looking for in our jazz section please call our office on 08454 900515 or email info@lmmuk.com as we are the experts at putting together bespoke solutions to jazz requirements.

In the past few years we have supplied a jazz DJ/keyboard player and violinist to The Gatsby Club during Wimbledon fortnight and a Dizzie Land Style send off for a funeral. Our acts have played in store retail events and hundreds of weddings and parties where their professionalism has gained them many re bookings and great testimonials.

From big bands to solo acts…all the jazz in London you could need.

Call the Live Music Management office for further details.

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Posted in jazz-blues-swing | No Comments »

Indie Bands For Hire….(And What Exactly Is An Indie Band?)

Monday, November 21st, 2011
One Night Standeoke Indie Karaoke Band

One Night Standeoke Indie Karaoke Band

Live Music Management have the UK’s best selection of indie cover bands for hire to weddings,parties,universities and events. Great live indie bands who can play authentic versions of your favourite indie and rock hits.

What exactly is an indie band?

Any music lover will be able to give you a rough definition of the phrase ” indie band” but you can almost guarantee that no two definitions will be the same.

The word “indie” came into being to define a band signed to an independent label….ie not one of the big record labels like EMI,Warner Brothers,CBS etc.

In the mid 80s the term “indie band” referred mainly to the kind of act featured on the John Peel show. Bands like The Wedding Present, The Pastels, The Smiths, The Fall. Although stylistically different they all projected a certain roughness, a less polished DIY aesthetic which came from their position on independent labels. It carried all the way from their sound to their image and artwork .Their audience tended to be selective but loyal.

By the 90s it was already established that an “indie” band could be signed to a major label with acts like The Smiths signing to EMI. It was also the case that some indie labels were acting like and achieving the success of majors.

Then came Oasis and the underground went overground.

Indie now refers to almost any band with a guitar sound.

Live Music Management have great indie cover bands for hire to weddings and parties, universities and events.Call the office on 08454 900515 or visit the main website for options. If you are a fan of indie music you might want to browse our Rockaoke/Bandeoke/Live Karaoke Band section where you will find bands able to offer a live backing to your guests whilst they sing their favourite indie party tracks.

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The Top Ten Classical Music Pieces For A Wedding

Friday, November 18th, 2011
Top Ten Classical Music Tracks for Weddings

Top Ten Classical Music Tracks for Weddings

Classical music is a beautiful addition to a wedding ceremony ,wedding breakfast or drinks reception and here at Live Music Management we are proud to represent some of the UK’s top classical musicians. We are a UK based entertainment agency with offices in the London and the Midlands and acts based throughout the UK. We have been established over twelve years and our services are used by wedding planners and event organisers for their classical requirements.

Below is a list of the top ten classical pieces as voted for by our team of classical musicians.

1.Wedding March by Wagner

2.Wedding March by Mendelssohn

3.Cello Suite by Bach

4.Andante from Divertimento byMozart

5.Barcarolle  by Offenbach

6.Chanson de Matin  by Elgar

7.Jesu’  Joy  by Bach

8.Flower Duet  by Delibes

9.O Mio Babbinio Caro  by Puccini

10.Arrival of the Queen of Sheba   by Handel

Our classical musicians have featured on TV and Movie sound tracks as well as at some of the UK’s most prestigious wedding venues. We have classical music options to suit every budget. We hope that you find our list of the top ten classical music tracks for weddings helpful. Please call the LMM office on 08454 900515 for help and advice if you need more information about wedding music.

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Posted in String Quartets And Classical Musicians | No Comments »

The Top Ten Best Alternative 80′s Songs….Ever!

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

Alternative 80s

The 1980s music scene is very much associated with shiny pop music produced by the likes of Wham, Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet and of course many 80s night DJ’s play this much loved music but if you dig a little deeper into the 80′s music scene there are a whole load of forgotten classics.

Recently Live Music Management were asked to supply a DJ for an event at which most of the mainstream 80s songs would be covered by the live 1980s tribute band booked by the event organiser. As the client was a high end brand with a cool image they wanted to stick with the 80′s theme but also to offer an evening of underground hits.

These ten 80s classics are just a few of the tracks played on the night.

1. Teardrop Explodes-Reward

2.Psychedelic Furs-Pretty In Pink

3.The Smiths-Panic

4. Grace Jones-Pull Up To The Bumper

5.Blue Rondo A La Turk- Klacto Vee Sedstein

6.Gina X- No GDM

7.Blow Monkeys-Diggin Your Scene

8.Curiousity Killed The Cat-Down To Earth

9.Joy Division-Love Will Tear Us Apart

10.Devo-Whip It

The above represent just a fraction of the great alternative 80′s hits….can you add to the list?….please contribute.

Live Music Management are a UK based entertainment agency supplying function bands and DJs to night clubs ,events ,weddings and parties throughout the UK and beyond. You can see more by visiting www.lmmuk.comor by liking us on facebook here (go ahead and like us….we’re nice guys!) http://www.facebook.com/livemusicmanagement

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Posted in First Dance Songs For Weddings, Top Ten Songs Ever By Genre | 1 Comment »

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