RAG TAG MISFITS
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30 Dec 2016 Function, Functions, House Concert, Party, Wedding acoustic, acoutic guitar, celebration, cheshire, cover music, dj, engagement, evening, event, female singer, function, guitar, house concert, how to propose, lancashire, live entertainment, live music, live performance, liverpool, merseyside, music, ormskirk, party, party band, party entertainment, pop up acoustic, proposal ideas, propose, rag tag misfits, serenade, southport, surprise, wedding, wedding band, wedding entertainment, wedding proposal, wedding venue, will you marry me ideas 0

Surprise Wedding Proposal – “Will You Marry Me?”

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Wedding Proposal Ideas –  Yay another wedding proposal, how I love these gigs. They give me a warm fuzzy feeling. If you’ve read our previous blogs you will see just how much they mean to us and about previous ones we have performed at. Each one is unique and is personalised around the happy couple. They are so exciting and romantic.

wedding proposal ideas live music ideaWe were originally contacted when Peter found us on the internet as he was looking for some live music to propose to his girlfriend. As the details emerged, it seemed Peter had opted to surprise his future fiance Jenny at their house. During previous conversations he mentioned to surprise her out on a walk. Although it may be difficult for him to stumble across us in the middle of nowhere and that the weather could change everything. The house was the more viable option.

A couple of days before, Peter rang to say he remembered a song that she would really appreciate and asked if we could learn it. It was Jenny’s favourite song ever. So we said yes we can do it and began learning the song as best we could.

Since it was also her birthday he was going to tell her that they were going out for the evening. In reality the room was prepared and approximately 20 friends and family and a pair of Rag Tag Misfits would be sneaking into their downstairs lounge where all would be revealed.

After a text Peter informed us to park just up the road where we would see a group of her friends waiting. Someone would inform us how to get in the back of the house through the neighbours garden friends and family in tow. So that’s exactly what we did.

After meeting just a stone’s throw away from the house they knocked at the next door neighbours. Peter’s neighbours looked completely bewildered at a load of strangers entering his house. A big group of people including, a band, a baby in a pushchair and even a dog. It was all very Mission Impossible and quite amusing.

wedding proposal ideas live music ideaWe managed to all get around the back of the house without raising suspicion. We noticed the speakers and microphone setup in the back room as Peter came through. A nice touch of red candles and love heart balloons were strategically placed on the floor ready for him to pop the big question.

With everyone hushing about and whispering aside from a Dog who decided now would be a good time to howl. Howl it did and it wouldn’t stop. We began to setup as quick as we could..
Since we were using the pop up acoustic we were set up in under ten minutes. Now we were setup Peter gave us the nod.

He escorted Jenny into the room where she was blindfolded with headphones on. He removed the headphones and we began to perform Jenny’s favourite song 1000 years by Christina Perri.

He walked her right in front of us and then someone removed the blindfold. In front of her on one hand and one knee was the very romantic Peter. He was holding some cards with personal words on, with the final one being the big question “Will you Marry Me?” Jenny was sobbing all the way through.

Since the song was new to us we just hoped we wouldn’t make a serious blunder and as it turns out we pulled it off quite well. She was made up and more importantly said “Of course I’ll Marry You” to which there was a big cheer.

wedding proposal live music ideaAfter the proposal the party continued and Peter asked us if we could play an additional set to keep the party going. The house was a lovely detached property with everything anyone could need inside. He had guitars, a bass a piano and even a drum kit upstairs. It’s fair to say they have a beautiful home and beautiful friends.

Its funny because when we were talking to Jenny afterwards she thanked us for learning her favourite song and performing it so well. We asked her did she suspect anything in which she replied “I thought I had the headphones on because I was going on a helicopter ride for my birthday”. Ha ha; luckily she wasn’t disappointed and was so overwhelmed with the events that occurred that day. She was of course now on the road to marriage.

The evening was finished off by a Mexican catering van outside. Peter kindly offered us a bite to eat and chatted about the surprise and how well it had gone. We washed it down with a shot of tequila and our job was done.

Thank you to Peter for asking us to perform for such a special occasion. Thank you to your lovely friends and family who made us feel so very welcome. Most of all congratulations to Peter & Jenny we wish you both well in the future. We hope it’s a future filled with love, laughter and sunshine.

ORGANISING AN EVENT?

If you wish to book live music for your venue, festival, wedding, event or party you can contact us HERE to check our availability

23 Dec 2016 Function, Functions, Party acoustic, bedford, bedford bid, bedford city bid, bedford live entertainment, bedfordshire, bedfordshire buskers, busking, cajon, celebration, Christmas, cover music, evening, event, function, guitar, harmonica, harpur centre, harpur shopping centre, lancashire, live music, live performance, liverpool, love bedford, merseyside, music, ormskirk, party, party band, party entertainment, pop up acoustic, rag tag misfits, street party, uk, unique, venue, wedding band 0

Love Bedford & Live Music – Christmas Entertainment & Frosty Noses

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ove bedford live music city BID live entertainment music bedfordshire christmasLove Bedford Live Music – Love Bedford is a name given to The Business Improvement District in Bedford. They organise events and aim to create a fun and safe environment for customers and businesses with the goal to improve trade and the overall shopping experience. We were approached by The Bedford Bluecaps who patrol the town when we were busking in the summer when we were en route to France. They took a card for any future events they may have. A few months later they contacted us with a date on the run up to Christmas.

So when the time came we jumped in the van and left for Bedford, it’s a fair journey, nearly 4 hours and I’m happy to say we hit hardly any traffic. We decided to book a travel lodge for the night. We knew it would be pretty cold and it is somewhere to warm our bones up after an outdoor performance on a winter’s night.

When we were a few miles away we decided to phone the shopping centre to ask about parking. We spoke to a lovely lady who told us could park in VIP car park and security would greet us. When we arrived we were given a special pass. The lovely man on security took our equipment (on the pushchair) down the ramp and met us downstairs. We didn’t have to carry or push anything to setup. They are so friendly and helpful.

love bedford live music city BID live entertainment music bedfordshire christmasThe lovely lady we spoke to on the phone showed us were to perform. In the middle of the town centre next to the beautifully sparkling Christmas tree. Since we anticipated traffic on the way to Bedford and didn’t hit any we arrived a couple of hours early. We suggested that if no one else is performing we can set up and just play extra through to our scheduled finish time. They were more than happy with this as it meant more live entertainment.

So, the stage was set. The Christmas Tree was shining in all its glory, the town was fairly busy given the time, with market stalls offering an array of goods and Jack frost was here. Let’s play.

As we began to play the warmth we had from the van began to diminish and the cold started to work its way in to our bones. It was a cold, cold night. With the steam of our breaths covering the microphone our flask of coffee was certainly appreciated. When you’re playing instruments it gets your fingers and your toes. If there’s a Costa, Nero or Starbucks nearby you may find us in the toilet warming our hands. We’re sorry to say we are the ones that cause the queues.

love bedford city BID live entertainment music bedfordshire christmasNevertheless it was Christmas and we had lots of Christmas songs to play. We have played in the cold many, many times and we can do this. It builds up our immune systems and keeps us well. Its when an icy wind and rain kicks in that it becomes unbearable. Luckily the sky was calm tonight and the stars were out.

It was quite busy at first and the man off the sweet stall in particular was really appreciating our music. Cheering and clapping. People were passing by and getting into the swing of things. They were dancing and singing and giving us lovely compliments. It really did bring a nice atmosphere to the town. With the market stalls still out people were meandering down the streets enjoying the atmosphere.

After a couple of hours the market stall holders packed up and Bedford town seemed to turn into a ghost town. They had obviously had enough for the day. People decided to leave and it became eerily quiet. At one point all that was left was a few stray cats & a couple of estranged people. The atmosphere changed instantly. The sound of our music echoed through the empty streets. As one of the shops locked up, the alarm started ringing. love bedford city BID live entertainment music bedfordshire christmasTo be honest we felt quite vulnerable. Thankfully the lovely blue caps were doing their rounds and walked passed us a few times assuring us that they were within distance.

Then it started coming in dribs and drabs. It did pick up, I mean there were swathes of people about and then it would go remotely quiet again and vice versa. A man later approached us and had a meaningful conversation about music being the universal language. Interesting guy. Himself relating to his native Indian people and the music he grew up with. We agreed and couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Music is enjoyed throughout the world and can be appreciated by all the people all despite creed and colour. It can stir all emotions and it is understood by everyone. He told he was thoroughly enjoying our performance and stopped to listen for a while.

love bedford city BID live entertainment music bedfordshire christmas We were booked to perform for an hour and a half and ended up playing earlier than scheduled, staying for about 3 hours. We wanted to give Bedford as much as we could and entertain till the end. I’m not going to lie. We did freeze and became like living statues with icicles hanging off our faces. Luckily someone came with a blow torch and unfroze us.

You know what though? It was worth it. We would love to return and hope to work with Bedford BID again. Bedford town is a lovely place and the people are so friendly. Live music in towns and cities creates a vibrance.  Children especially love it and it’s not an unusual occurrence of bored boyfriends or husbands to sit and watch whilst their partners hit the shops.

We love the fact that companies like Love Bedford are working hard to try and make our towns and cities a better place. Seriously without Business Improvement Districts towns would become permanent ghost towns; day and night. Its not something Joe Public would often think about, but we’ve seen the decline and also improvements over the last few years in various towns and cities throughout the UK.

We have performed for Christmas celebrations many times outside. In a town like Bedford I can definitely see the potential for busy late night Christmas shopping. I think the live music brought people through the town and I believe the couple of market stalls stayed a little later because of this. By the time we left though most of the shops were closed.

love bedford city BID live entertainment music bedfordshire christmasMy solution if I were the queen (I reckon a crown would suit me) would be to have a separate late night Christmas market every week in the build up to Christmas. Light switch on is a perfect time to advertise this and create a buzz. If all the stalls are there at light switch on and the shops are open; surely people will return the week after. Especially knowing the market will be on and if parking is free. People don’t necessarily come to shop at Christmas Markets they come for the experience and do a bit of impulse buying when they are there.

With stalls selling Christmas goodies; things you can’t enjoy on the internet. Stalls offering hot chestnuts, hot chocolate, an array of warm food, homemade goods and of course live music; all the things a Christmas market should be about. I think there has to be quite a selection of things going on to attract people and markets are brilliant for this. I remember performing in Birmingham one year and we couldn’t believe how busy it was at such a late hour. I know its a huge city with a large population but in smaller towns numbers are usually relative to the town size. Anyway I’m not an expert at all on marketing, so all opinions are my own and are not that of well… anyone else.

We would like to say a great big whopping thank you to everyone at Bedford BID and The Harpur Centre we certainly did Love Bedford. Thank you so much for booking us, supporting live music and realising its importance to create an atmosphere and bring life to the streets. Also a massive thanks to the blue caps for looking after us and making us feel safe (and for being as mad as a box of monkeys) and last but not least the lovely people of Bedford for your kind words and encouragement.

Hopefully we’ll see you again in the New Year. In the meantime have a wonderful Christmas and a fandabbadoozy New Year.

ORGANISING AN EVENT?

If you wish to book live music for your venue, festival, wedding, event or party you can contact us HERE to check our availability

21 Dec 2016 Birthday, Function, Functions, Party acoustic, celebration, cheshire, cover music, dj, eating place, evening, event, food, function, hickories, hickories smokehouse, hickory smokehouse, lancashire, live entertainment, live music, live performance, liverpool, merseyside, music, ormskirk, party, party band, party entertainment, pop up acoustic, rag tag misfits, restaurant, uk, unique, wedding band, west kirby, wirral 0

Live Music at Hickories Smokehouse, West Kirby, Wirral

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hickorys smokehouse west kirby wirral merseyside live musicLive Music at Hickory’s Smokehouse in West Kirby – Once in a while you dine out in a restaurant, enjoy a beer and think, mmm…I could just eat that again. Such was the case here, a superb fully authentic American restaurant chain called Hickory’s Smokehouse. We were initially contacted a few weeks ago and asked if we would like to perform at their restaurant. It was our first time at Hickory’s Smokehouse so we were unsure of what to expect. Over the water we went, up to the Wirral. Based in West Kirby, Merseyside and as described on their website as a “Buzzing American BBQ joint serving hickory-smoked and grilled meat, kids’ menu, shakes and US beers”.

We’ve witnessed restaurants attempt the American Theme before only to be closed a year down the line. Now, we’ve actually  been to America performing a couple of times and obviously had to eat. One of the things Americans offer in restaurants is a great service. There’s a fine line between friendly and cheesy. Not your typical “Have a nice day now” but a balance of helpfulness, friendliness and assertiveness for your customers. They appreciate your custom. Now I’m not an expert in the restaurant business, far from it but in my opinion without this; even if you’re serving the greatest food in the world, customers will rarely return. It’s all about the overall experience.

Hickory’s Smokehouse have, by all accounts hit the nail on the head. If it was not for the accent you really would actually believe you are in America when you enter. Excellent service, mouth watering smoky smells, a great choice of music and a buzzing atmosphere hit you as soon as you walk through the door. We were greeted upon entry by a really friendly lady who asked us to wait in the bar area for our table. We checked out where we would be performing and ordered a drink. We explained to the bar man who we were and he was so friendly and helpful. Asking about the type of music we do etc.,

hickorys smokehouse west kirby wirral merseyside live musicThe food is a real take on American styled eateries, from the side dishes to the specially imported ole pit smokers from Missouri, not to mention the music, you’d think you were in the Hill Billy Mountains and Dolly was just around the pass. Then the old Chigago blues tunes were pumping out, It really was a great selection. Having met Buddy Guy himself in Chicago I’m sure he would really give it the thumbs up.

Within 5 minutes we were shown to our table which had been reserved by management. The waitress took our order, gave us a jug of water and a little bag of fresh popcorn. All the little touches you would expect in an American restaurant. You can kind of see why Americans become really confused when they have to queue up in establishments such as Wetherspoons and pay for their food at the bar and then queue up again for a drink leaving their food to go cold.

With chatty trendy bartenders, nippy waiting on staff and an open kitchen the service was excellent. Our food arrived and wow how good is that. I opted for a salad and Andy for a burger. It was one of the best meals we’ve ever had. As we were coming to the end of our meal the manager approached us and asked what time we would need to set up as she would have to clear the space. Talk about efficiency.  The hassle it saves when you need to move people and apologising, feeling really awkward. The staff even helped us with our gear so it was like having our very own roadies.

hickorys smokehouse west kirby wirral merseyside live musicAs the time approached playtime it did seem to empty out a bit although there were still a few present to perform to. The ones that were still in there did stay which is always a good sign. We introduced ourselves and played it cool for the first few songs to warm them up. We noticed a couple of tables finishing their drinks and heard them saying “should we stay for another and watch the band?” and that is exactly what they did.

We were approached by one of the barmen and asked if we could sing happy birthday for one of the bar staff as a surprise. We happily agreed and the bar staff entered with sparklers as the staff and punters in the restaurant burst into song to the unsuspecting bar tender.

After hearing our Birthday performance we were approached by a group of girls who were out celebrating for their friends birthday. They asked if we could do the same for her. It was a double celebration, Yeah. The group of girls ordered another round of cocktails and a fish bowl I think, so it worked out quite well. So with the birthday requests out the way, we played our last 45 minutes worth of songs. A group of lads arrived towards the end of the second set and were really getting into the music. I think there was some type of chemistry going on between the two groups as we could see a few flirtatious looks, especially from the men.

hickorys smokehouse west kirby wirral merseyside live musicOverall it was a successful gig. We got asked for “one more song. One more song” so that’s always a good sign. Our music suited the venue and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

If you’ve never tried Hickory’s Smokehouse in West Kirby we highly recommend it. With the food, the atmosphere, the service and the venue we can see why it is a success. You can literally see the staff are treated fairly as they are all walking around with smiles on their faces and going the extra mile for everyone. They work really well together as a team; almost like a big family.

Thank you to all the staff at Hickory’s smokehouse for being so warm and welcoming and for supporting live music. Thanks to our appreciative audience who cheered, clapped and sung along; we couldn’t do it without you. We shall be returning in the New Year for another gig and are looking forward to it already.

ORGANISING AN EVENT?

If you wish to book live music for your venue, festival, wedding, event or party you can contact us HERE to check our availability

16 Dec 2016 Birthday, Blog, Function, Functions, Fundraising, Party acoustic, captains dinner, celebration, charity ball, cheshire, cover music, formby, formby golf club, formby hall, function, function room, fundraising, golf, golf resort, lancashire, live entertainment, live music, live performance, liverpool, merseyside, music, ormskirk, party, party band, party entertainment, pop up acoustic, rag tag misfits, uk, unique, venue, wedding band, wedding entertainment, wedding venue 0

Formby Hall Golf Resort – Live music – Rag Tag Misfits

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Formby Hall Golf Resort

formby hall golf club live entertainment music  In some venues we have the honour of performing at  bespoke, prestigious, grandeur, distinguished and esteemed venues. We have been lucky enough to have travelled all over the world with our music and performed in some very nice venues. I think the House of Blues in Chicago was the biggest one. It’s totally different from street entertainment. You know the type where someone at some point in their lives makes you feel like a first class respectful citizen. Tonight Andy had no choice but to remove his little white ankle socks it was part of the dress code you see.

Such is the case here, the venue; Formby Hall Golf Resort in well, Formby. An eccentric character and successful Yo Yo champion extraordinaire Don heard us busking in Ormskirk. Don invited us along to play for the annual Captains Dinner at Formby Hall Golf Resort.

Let me tell you about Don. He is in his early 80’s and neither looks nor acts like it. Don can be seen at various spots with his green bucket in the local area raising money for charity. His amazing effort of fundraising has nearly reached the 200k mark. Don is a real character and is the type of person you could spend hours talking to. On the night he was telling us he used to be homeless at one point. He said he was a good for nothing nobody until his wife rescued him and helped turn his life around. He describes her as his rock and was given the opportunity to work in a card shop.

Formby Hall Golf ResortTo cut a long story short he became a successful card shop owner. He built the businesses up and then sold them for a small fortune. He then he informs us that he is a UK Yo Yo champion. Its extraordinary a Yo Yo champion of all things.

A friendly and generous man he hosts the annual event himself. He’s calling it Don’s Christmas Do, The upstairs area of the hall is reserved for the Captains Ball. Around 20 – 30 tables especially prepared and laid out for the evenings meal. The special lighting in red and white supplements the decor perfectly. Don said if we needed anything to just ask. He told me “wait there a minute”. On his return he handed me a beautiful pen set. The pen sets were gifts he was giving out to the ladies this evening and told me I was no different. “Every lady must receive one” he exclaimed. Such a sweet, sweet thing to do.

He then handed us the envelope with our payment in and said “I’ve stuck a bit extra in there, you deserve it”. Like a whirlwind of energy he said “now have you eaten? Let me take you to the restaurant, come on follow me”. We followed him down to the restaurant and swiftly through a short cut in the bar (the bar staff were looking at us as if to say, who the hell are you?). He then whisked us over to the server. Talking to the server he said “Now, these people are very important, they are in the band and please give them anything to eat or drink and stick it on my tab”. Thanking him he told us he would meet us upstairs in a short while and to enjoy our meal.

Formby Hall Golf ResortSo they prepared a table and we fine dined together. Obviously we didn’t want to take advantage of his generosity and didn’t order the most exquisite thing on the menu (steak or lobster), but the food we did order was divine and just enough to keep us going. Formby Hall Restaurant is one of those places where the more you pay, the less you get. Although every fork full is sublime. It was also surprisingly filling. I don’t like to eat too much before a performance as it makes it difficult to hold the notes with a full tummy. It was the perfect amount in beautiful surroundings.

At times like these you can’t help but think how blessed we are. It may be the norm for some people but when you’ve lived off bananas and noodles whilst sleeping in a van it puts things into perspective. You have to experience the rags to appreciate the riches.

We discussed how much we love our jobs as we have eaten in some of the finest restaurants throughout the world and also stayed in some of the finest hotels. It’s usually through the generosity of other fortunate people who appreciate live music and want to let us know how appreciated we are. Its quite a humble experience.

Formby Hall Golf ResortIt keeps us going especially when there are times when performing on the street and you are stone cold or being baked in the ruthless sun. When the rain is pouring and chilling you to the bone. Being called names on the street by people who need a slap or perhaps just educating. When people shout at you “get a real job” or throw things at your head. We’ve experienced being first class citizens to second class citizens within days of each other and it truly fascinates me.

We’ve learnt that its only a small minority of the population who will put you down; but the scars can stay with you. We have nothing to prove to anybody and just think to ourselves if only you knew. You may ask “why do we do it then?” Well firstly music is probably the only thing were half decent at, I couldn’t imagine either one of us doing anything else. The thought of sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring depresses me.

When we can’t go out performing it gets us down. Listen to the words of Sister Sledge “Lost in Music” One of my favourites and the song sums it up beautifully. Not to mention the sweet guitar sounds of Nile Rogers. Simply put we do it to bring a little moment of happiness into the world and to give us wonderful opportunities such as tonight with hopefully many more to come.

After dinner it was time to go back upstairs to rendezvous with Don. As we were approaching 9pm we noticed that the mains were still being served. We were scheduled to start at 9pm but it was looking more like 10pm. You get to know these things; timings always run over when dinner is involved.

Formby Hall Golf ResortWaiting around isn’t so bad. We arrived at the venue for 6pm but in between setting up and Dons stories and generosity we were kept well entertained. It was back downstairs for another coffee. Although on this occasion another band were booked to perform after us. Three guys who perform for a variety of golf shindigs were booked to play at 10pm. Obviously things had run a little over time.

Since the meal run over and at some point the raffle had to be drawn with the prizes given out our set was going to be cut short. We hung around a bit trying to not act like spare parts until Don gave us the nod. Our performance lasted around 40 minutes which wasn’t too bad considering. It gave us just enough time to perform a cross section of the most appropriate songs. Warming the guests up nicely with some dancing songs ready for the band. We ended our set on a high to an appreciative audience.

Packing the equipment up was funny. Since the band where starting after us we literally had 5 minutes while the raffle took place to do so. Grabbing our gear we flung the whole lot out into the hallway and decided to pack it up out of sight. One thing I cant understand is how leads become so tangled when every time you put them away they are folded nicely. Since we had literally grabbed the equipment the leads represented a huge spaghetti junction puzzle worse than unpacking your Christmas tree lights. It threw all our setting down routine out of the window. It took us a while but we got there in the end.

Formby Hall Golf ResortWhile we were packing up we were approached by the president of Formby Hall Golf Resort. He told us he thoroughly enjoyed our set. He told us he wrote songs etc., and had previous success with these. He gave us some advice (which is always good to hear from someone in the music business) and informed us that we will be re booked for another party with them.

We’d like to say a huge thanks to Don and all your friends who made us feel so welcome. Don you are a superstar and truly one of a kind. You make the world a better place and spread love and happiness wherever you go. May we wish you all the luck in the world with your fundraising and may your efforts be an inspiration to others.

ORGANISING AN EVENT?

If you wish to book live music at Formby Hall Golf Resort, festival, wedding, event or party you can contact us HERE to check our availability

13 Dec 2016 Blog, Function, Functions, Party acoustic, busking, celebration, cheshire, christmas entertainment, christmas music, cover music, event, function, golden square, lancashire, leisure complex, live entertainment, live music, live performance, liverpool, market, merseyside, music, ormskirk, party, party band, party entertainment, pop up acoustic, rag tag misfits, shopping centre, street party, uk, unique, warrington, wedding band 0

Golden Square Christmas Entertainment, Warrington

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Live Music Warrington at Golden Square – During the month of December the inclement weather can take its toll on the hardiest of buskers, rain, wind, chill, cold weather and very numb fingers and toes can really test your endurance.

live music busker warringtonSo when the opportunity arises to perform indoors we gladly accept. Such is the case with Golden Square, an indoor shopping centre in the heart of Warrington. After a busking spot in Warrington last year we contacted to enquire if they ever allow buskers to perform in their complex. The lady I spoke to told us this is something they were thinking of trialing over the festive season. Live music and choirs will create an extra special Christmas shopping experience. This was our second year performing At Golden Square in Warrington.

Reaching Golden Square in Warrington takes you up a narrow spiral column (similer to a skelter for vehicles) and into the multi storey car park. From the car park its a short ride down a slide (I wish) it’s in a lift really to reach the shopping complex.

live music busker warringtonThey erect barriers for groups who were booked in to perform. Apparently it was to do with Elf and Safety (if you get my Christmas pun). So once we had visually seen where to setup we decided to name it our own little play den. It was quite good really as no one could approach you from behind and scare the living daylights out of you (as they have in the past). We checked in at the office and Tweeter and Zippy were able to have their very own VIP badges.

Throughout the festive period you may be lucky enough to see Father Christmas. Every hour he travels around the complex on a big sleigh with his elves. It’s a lovely touch as he comes gliding past with the Christmas music waving at the children. We have to stop our set for 10 minutes as he passes, but no problem I’m probably enjoying it as much as the children. He then parks his sleigh and there’s an opportunity for photos and a meet and greet for everyone. It really is magical and adds to the Christmas sparkle at Golden Square.

live music busker warringtonWe quickly settled in and joked to each other how delightfully windy and cold it was. To be honest it was a blessing as it was freezing outside. It was a relief to get away from the cold weather and opt for a more tropical environment. The acoustics were sounding great. Being indoors and surrounded by glass we didn’t need to be loud. The music was bouncing around making for a big sound as we played through the afternoon.

You see we treat music as our job. We try to put in as many hours in as we can. Although circumstances can change this e.g. the weather, council job worth’s or an abundance of buskers. So sometimes it’s like turning up to work and not being able to put a shift in. It can be frustrating at times but these are circumstances that can’t be helped and we’ve learnt to adjust to them.

live music busker warringtonWe busk throughout the week and gig of a weekend. Busking helps the gigs find us instead of having to chase them. It’s a way of promotion. I’d say 99% of our gigs are as a result of busking or through word of mouth following a performance.

Although a lot of the population listen to recorded artists there are still lots of people who thrive from live music. The perspective of buskers and street entertainment is changing and people are starting to understand that we are not begging but we are working. If people appreciate the music they throw some money in the case if they are able. We are providing a service to everyone especially to those who love live music.

Children are the best. Since most children rarely have the opportunity to see live music (as they are usually tucked away in bed) it absolutely fascinates them. Sure they hear it on the radio and the internet, but the look on their faces when they see us performing lights up the room. It gives them an understanding of where music comes from. They can see that music is produced using instruments of some kind and is not simply made through a flick of a button on a computer or phone.

live music busker warringtonSo next time you see a street musician you are enjoying, stop for a moment and let your children watch. You don’t need to put money in if you don’t have any, it’s a show for all to enjoy. Please don’t be one of those parents who simply drag their child off screaming when they stop and stare. They are being inquisitive and its perfectly natural. Let them enjoy the moment. It’s good for them and believe me the music can be a pause button for tears or tantrums.

Music is a universal language most children can understand and has happened many times before. The right choice of songs can help babies sleep, toddlers dry their tears, teenagers dance and adults smile. Please appreciate it while you can and realise the importance of it in our society.

Going back to our Golden Square experience our sets here comprised of one or two hour slots given to us by management. This is quite a short set for us as we like to move around and busk for a minimum of four hours. Its good practice and the longer we are performing the more people are able to see us.

Thank you to all at Golden Square for supporting live music and to all those who danced, sung, cheered and clapped. We love what we do and we couldn’t do it without you.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

ORGANISING AN EVENT?

If you wish to book live music for your venue, festival, wedding, event or party you can contact us HERE to check our availability

9 Dec 2016 Birthday, Function, Functions, Party acoustic, birthday, birthday party, celebration, cheshire, cover music, dj, evening, event, function, lancashire, live entertainment, live music, live performance, liverpool, merseyside, music, ormskirk, party, party band, party entertainment, pop up acoustic, rag tag misfits, uk, unique, venue, wedding, wedding band, wedding entertainment, wedding venue 0

Live Music for Joint Birthday Party in Liverpool

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st benets litherland live party band liverpool birthday weddingTonights venue is St Benets, Litherland in Liverpool – After driving back from our gigs in The Lake District tonight was the double celebration, it was the birthdays of Diane & Gary. Arranged by their daughter the very organised and sweet Hannah. Hannah did a great job organising the party. With the venue, the catering, decorations, a DJ, live entertainment, invites and all of those lovely little touches that makes a party personal. It was going to be a good night and hopefully one to remember.

When we arrived at St Benets in Litherland the door was locked. After banging on the door for a while a man came to let us in. We explained we are the band etc., etc., so he showed us the room we would be performing in. He had to lock the door every time we came in and out which is obviously quite time consuming with a van load of equipment. As we went through to the room it was beautifully decorated but not a soul in site.

There were things on the stage and I didn’t know if it was a resident DJ who would be performing or if they had outsourced one. Therefore we were unsure on how much space on the stage we could have.

About 15 minutes later the DJ arrived and introduced himself as Tony from TK Entertainments. There was a bit of confusion as to were we would perform as Tony told he had quite a lot of gear. There was talk from Tony of us setting up on the dance floor but Hannah insisted she wanted us on the stage as she predicted the dance floor would be full later on with guests.

live party band liverpool birthday weddingThere was quite a lot of people going to be attending so we worked it out with Tony and assured him we don’t need much room and everyone was happy.  After we worked out that we could both utilise the stage we began setting up our gear and TK Entertainments did a fantastic job providing excellent lighting and visuals for the birthday celebration.

He wasn’t kidding about the amount of gear he had and told us there was more back at home. Seriously, he could do a light show for Wembley. It was fantastic. Working as a team and re positioning some furniture the stage was set. Sound check done and we were ready for the party to begin.

Tony started warming the guests up and introduced us as the act for the evening. This was our first time working alongside TK Entertainments and if ever you are looking for a DJ for your party he’s your man. He’s a lovely man, really helpful and considerate. He tweeked his lights to suit our performance and checked our set list so he didn’t play any of the songs we would cover.

This is quite important as at one gig a couple of years ago we were performing alongside a DJ and we finished on a song. He then proceeded intentionally on playing exactly the same song but the recorded version. Not quite sure what that was all about.

Tst benets litherland live party band liverpool birthday weddinghe first few songs sounded great. It was a large room for us to fill and around 170 guests turned up. Thankfully the sound carried across perfectly with the Guitar, Drum and vocals. Our new QSC’ speakers smashed it. Loud yet the clarity was brilliant.

We started the party off well and the younger ones seemed to be up for a dance first. With the excellent sound and amazing visuals the party was soon getting underway. After finishing our first set we announced “The Buffet is open”. With a few rugby tackles and broken arms everyone ran over trampling on anyone who got in their way to get to the food. Obviously I’m only kidding but can you just imagine if that did happen.

The buffet was delicious and catered for everyone. Between the price of drinks and the entertainment, the buffet is one of the talking points of a party. I can say with all certainty this buffet was fit for a king or two Rag Tag Misfits looking for a little nibble.

Before the second set we performed a song I think everyone in the world knows the words to. Happy Birthday (imagine owning the royalties to that one). The tune to Happy Birthday was actually taken from a tune called “Good Morning to All” and is attributed to Patty and Mildred Hill. Apparently the big boys  over at Warner/Chappell Music own it now. Dating back as far as 1893 there have been disputes to the original tune so we’ll leave it at that. Maybe they will send the ownership rights it to us in our next birthday card.

st benets litherland live party band liverpool birthday weddingAfter a great version of happy birthday in the key of C was performed, the candles were blown out, there was a few speeches and the dance floor was full. This was our chance. Lets keep it filled with the classics. So we burst into our upbeat numbers and I’m happy to say that is what happened. Unfortunately someone spilt quite a large drink on the dance floor.

The dance floor was temporarily out of use, but that didn’t stop them. They just moved onto the carpeted area and continued to dance. After a while someone came over to mop up the mess, but by the time they did it was too late as our set was nearly over.

It was time to leave the lively audience in the hands of the fantastic Tony. I feel it necessary to mention the professionalism of Tony at this point. In the past we have performed alongside many DJs and they are a mixed bag. One of the things I loved about working alongside him was he didn’t feel it necessary to over power our performance. You see with a DJ its easier to crank the volume up to maximum level and drown most musicians out. With instruments feedback can become an issue when your trying to compete with a DJ even if you dont want to.

st benets litherland live party band liverpool birthday weddingSometimes there are just too many ego’s in the room and I can’t stand big ego’s. Tonight this wasn’t the case, the volume levels were perfect. They worked in harmony so the volume was consistent all night and a lively and pleasing level for the audience. He waited until both of our sets were finished before the volume was cranked up a little more. He finished the evening off with some fantastic song choices and kept the dance floor filled till the end.

As we were packing up we were approached by an estranged woman in a rain mac who entered from the public lounge. She kept asking me how much the DJ charged. I explained I’m with the band so I’m not sure. I told her she would have to speak to him. But she just kept asking me the same question. She told me she had already spoken to him, but how much does he charge? Again “I don’t know”. Then she told me“I have his business card and I’m going to phone him”.

Horaay, thinking I’m finally making progress in getting my point across now and guess what she said? You’ll never guess “but how much does he charge?” I said “Really I do not know” in which she replied “well if the price is right, I might have some work for him for my birthday party” Classic.

st benets litherland live party band liverpool birthday weddingWith Tony’s lights out and most of our equipment packed down we were suddenly in darkness. Usually in a venue they just turn the main lights back on, but nothing. It had been 10 minutes since the party had ended yet there was no one to be seen. It took me another 10 minutes to find anyone to turn the lights back on from behind the bar. I seriously could have had a private little drinking session for free if I was that way inclined. Then it was light, cameras, action, yay we can see.

All in all it was a brilliant gig and we had excellent reviews from Hannah and her guests. It was an absolute pleasure to work alongside Tony from his company again TK Entertainments you can find a link to his website HERE.

Huge thanks to Hannah for booking us and were so happy all your hard work paid off. A big thanks to all your lovely friends and family for making us feel so welcome and your kind words.

live party band liverpool birthday weddingDiane & Gary a big Happy Birthday to you both and I hope you had a fantastic evening to remember. We may see you again soon as one of your fiends has booked us for another party in the New Year.

Until next time…

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5 Dec 2016 Blog, Function, Functions, Party acoustic, bay beat street band, celebration, cheshire, Christmas, cover music, cumbria, dj, evening, event, festival, function, hawkshead, hawkshead christmas, hawkshead christmas festival, lake district, lancashire, live entertainment, live music, live performance, liverpool, merseyside, music, ormskirk, party, party band, party entertainment, pop up acoustic, rag tag misfits, uk, unique, venue, wedding, wedding band, wedding entertainment, wedding venue 0

Hawkshead Christmas Festival, South Lakes, Cumbria

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Hawkshead Christmas Festival. Christmas time mistletoe and mulled wine, Hawkshead singing Christian Rhymes. I could continue with the whole song replacing words but I don’t think Sir Cliff Richard would thank me. Yes it is that time of year again. Christmas is  just a few weeks away. This time of year is a busy one for us, entertainment flying out left right and centre. It’s a time when schools, universities and offices wind down with Christmas parties. It’s time to let their hair down and relax. For musicians it’s a time to get going and for some nonstop musical action.

hawkshead christmas festival live music lake district cumbriaWhich is fantastic for us by the way, because come January, the lull hits you. January for us is a time to catch up and write. Our first gig was at The Queens Head in Hawkshead. We were booked for 2 gigs and had another one in Liverpool later that evening. We were to perform on the Friday night with the next morning being the annual Hawkshead Christmas Festival.

As people from all over come here to enjoy what is the Lake District. This fairly quaint little town gets its fair share of the many tourists visiting the lakes throughout the season.

The hotel, being rather old doesn’t have much room to manoeuvre when it comes to setting up your equipment. It’s very cosy so you have to carefully unpack trying to keep out of the way of staff and punters. It makes setting up the gear slightly more challenging.

hawkshead christmas festival live music lake district cumbriaThis time of year we also have to consider a tree. It’s a beautiful Christmas tree sparkling in all its glory but unfortunately due to the space in the hotel it has nowhere else to live. Except in the middle of the performance area. It takes careful preparation and lots of gaffer tape to manoeuvre our setup. We had a word with the tree and reassured it that we would try not to damage its baubles and a compromise was made between us. We would temporarily relocate it a few inches back.  Alas armed with our gaffer tape we did it without tripping anyone over (where’s there’s blame, there’s a claim). We are happy to say the tree continued to sparkle.

The meals at the Queens are always popular with locally sourced food it smells divine. Tonight we would be staying in the hotel and I can definitely vouch for the breakfast from previous gigs. Once setup we took our bags up the room. Wow, the room was beautiful. They have been refurbishing the rooms and this one was spotless. You really wouldn’t think that this hotel was over 400 years old. After a nice cup of tea (oh we are so rock and roll) we headed back downstairs to entertain the lovely people of Hawkshead.

As we started to perform people were still eating so we opted for a background feel, laid back, chilled, don’t mind us type of feel, yeah just chillin…. Our audience were very appreciative of this approach and were enjoying our more mellow numbers as we like to call them.
live music lake district hawkshead cumbriaIt was fairly busy with tourists for the time of year so after the meals and desserts, the pub was quite full so we played some more upbeat numbers. Although it quietened down by the end of the night it was a nice little gig with an appreciative audience. I expect everyone hit the sack early in anticipation for the infamous Hawkshead Christmas Festival.
The next morning, having had a lovely nights sleep in the hotel we woke up early, had a nice hot shower and went down for some breakfast. The breakfast here is devine and cooked to perfection.

Seriously this isn’t like your greasy spoon special. It comes with the finest quality sausage, bacon and black pudding with a perfectly cooked free range egg. Mushrooms, tomatoes, toast, cereals and even little sachets of Marmite (mmmm). This is not the only option on the menu but we always go for the full English, it would be a crime not to. The breakfast sorts you out for the rest of the day, perkes of the job.

hawkshead christmas festival live music lake district cumbriaAs we finished breakfast our thoughts turned to the Christmas Market and the many stalls being setup around the village. Since we had left all of our gear in the pub overnight it dawned on us that driving the van through the village would be tough if not impossible. By mid morning much of the North West’s Ramblers Association and hordes of tourists had flocked into Hawkshead making it impossible to get through. The van was parked some distance away therefore the pub offered to lend us a trolley. Tah dah, trolley dolly to the rescue. It was a bit tricky to load and manoeuvre through the crowds but we did it.

One day we may have roadies but until then it was up kerbs, down kerbs, oh sorry, excuse me, aggh watch that doesn’t fall off. Who said being a musician was just about turning up and playing? Luckily we did it all in one trip and didn’t have to carry it piece by piece.

hawkshead christmas festival live music lake district cumbriaThe Queens Head Hotel had a little marquee setup outside the pub so were preparing hot food and selling warm mulled wine and brandy. With pulled pork and slow cooked beef stew the smell was making our mouths water. Even after our lovely filling breakfast. Nonetheless we have a couple of hours performing to work our appetites up. It was early yet but Val & Jane (the owners of The Queens) were in full swing and warming themselves up with the mulled wine and brandy. They offered us a tipple of this steaming tasty mixture. It was medicinal as it was pretty cold outside and surely it’s better to warm up from the inside out. I have to say the mulled wine and brandy really packed a punch and I’m glad I only asked for a small one. It did the trick though and warmed my cockles right up.

With the crowds beginning to queue for the delicious foods and with various craft stalls scattered around the village, it was time for us to perform outside the pub. It didn’t take long to setup our pop up acoustic gear and before long we were in full flow singing Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. It seems amazing the amount of people this small village attracts. But then again it was a really varied market with a lot on offer.

hawkshead christmas festival live music lake district cumbriaWe were playing for around an hour when we heard the crashing thunder of drums. It completely drowned out our little amp but sounded fantastic. It was the sounds of The Bay Beat Street Band. As we looked down the street we could see them with a brass section and various drums performing Christmas songs. They sounded brilliant.

We stopped to allow them to perform and after about ten minutes they moved through the village to entertain the crowds. It was time to fire back up for us. So off we went. About 15 minutes later we heard them coming again from a different direction. As they approached us they saw we were mid song and one of them signaled the others to stop. They moved up through the village and continued to play in a different spot. Huge thanks for your respect, it didn’t go unnoticed. It really was considerate of them and we would have done the same for you.

hawkshead christmas festival live music lake district cumbriaGoing off track a bit, I say this because in a similar instance sometimes when you are busking you get the odd ten piece Hare Krishna bands turning up. Now, the The Bay Beat Street Band are obviously not a Hare Krishna band but it’s of similar volume.  You see, it’s happened to us on several occasions when we’ve been busking they turn up playing at full volume and just set up opposite or next to you. It’s a public space and no one has the right to own it I get that, so we are no different. When we are setting up we try to be as considerate as we can to the people around us.

It may be bold of me to say and I understand they have beliefs and want to spread the word and love. But I just can’t help feel infuriated by their selfishness. If they were to walk past performing and go out of earshot that would be fair enough.  But they don’t, not in my experience anyway. They just smile at you and carry on regardless. It becomes a battle of sound and to be honest what can you say if it happens. If it were another busker you would be able to compromise with them. But for some reason with a Hare Krishna band you feel as though you just have to let them be. For us it usually means game over and we have to pack up, move on only to be hit by them again when they decide to move to your new spot.

hawkshead christmas festival live music lake district cumbriaNow let’s get back on track to the Hawkshead Christmas Festival. Our set went down brilliantly and we sold quite a few CD’s. The village was very busy, the food was delicious, the entertainment throughout the village was excellent, the people were friendly and although it was cold the sunshine had his hat on for the day. Overall a great success.
Sadly we could only stay for two hours as we had gig for a private party in Liverpool to attend in the evening. After we played for a while we were offered some delicious hot pot. It was welcomed with open arms as the yummy smells of the food were tormenting us throughout the performance.

Big thanks to Val, Jane and all the staff at The Queens Head for a wonderful time and thanks for looking after us.  We shall see you on New Years Eve with some party numbers.

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13 Nov 2016 Function, Functions, Party acoustic, bbc, cathedral cave, celebration, cheshire, cover music, cumbria, dj, evening, event, function, lake district, lakes, lancashire, little langdale, live entertainment, live music, live performance, liverpool, music, ormskirk, party, party entertainment, pop up acoustic, rag tag misfits, skelwith, skelwith campsite, skelwith fold, skelwith fold caravan park, skelwith holiday, uk, unique, venue, wedding band, wedding entertainment 0

Halloween at Skelwith Fold Caravan Park – Live Music in The Lakes

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cathedral cave little langdale cumbriaTonight we are at Skelwith Fold Caravan Park. Continuing on from a successful gig at The Eagleshead and a very comfy night’s sleep (courtesy of the lovely Arthur and Dahnell), it was time to go down the road to Skelwith Caravan Park. Since our gig at Skelwith is in the evening we had most of the afternoon to explore. We have visited the Lake District many times and even resided here at one point. We searched for a place we had never been to. With a little help from Google we descended on a little place called Cathedral Cave situated in Little Langdale.

The small network of inter-linked quarries above Little Langdale provide a great walk and insight into the inner workings of the former mine. The various caves network far under the rock above and its main chamber. It stands forty feet in height and is lit by two windows off the main quarry. It was a beautiful place to visit and interesting to explore. The acoustics in the main chamber are fantastic and would be perfect for a gig or recording. I couldn’t resist a good “tra la la” while I was in there.

live band music skelwith holiday caravan park cumbria lake districtFinishing off our little adventure at Cathedral Cave we started Scooby (our van) up and searched for a food stop and dressing room. We spotted a perfect little place just off an A road in a cave like entrance. We parked up and cooked our tea on the stove in the back of the van and slipped into Halloween costume number 2. A pussy cat.

It’s quite funny when you’re eating a meal in the front of the van, knife and fork in hand and a cuppa steaming up the windows. You get some really funny looks, particularly from the German car drivers, (usually the ones with the bikes on the back). I’m sure they are saying “Helga look, vot a great idea zat is”.

Feeling refreshed with full tummies we drove a few miles down the road to Skelwith Fold. On entrance we were told to follow the buggy up the hill to the Marquee. There has to be a song in there somewhere about following a buggy. The staff at Skelwith Fold always look after us and are very friendly.

When we reached the Marquee area we noticed the food stalls already setup and immediately noticed the lovely aroma of the burger van. The organisers had erected a special marquee just for us and it was equipped with sides and a hard standing. Protected from the elements in our own little VIP tent. Whoop whoop.

live band music skelwith holiday caravan park cumbria lake districtWe parked right next to our performance area which made setting up a breeze as we unloaded our gear. Just as we finished setting up we were offered a burger, on the house, umm….Having just eaten, one of us at least couldn’t refuse. Just a bit more energy to dance off later then. Andy can’t resist a burger, but they make me burp and burger burping and singing don’t mix too well. Especially if your sharing a microphone ha ha.

A while later we were informed that the Halloween event consisted of the organisers taking the families through the back of the campsite into the forest. The organisers were calling it the haunted wood walk, where spooky objects were placed in trees. They were maimed and tormented with ghoulish and spooky noises. To enhance this effect we aimed the speakers at the forest and played some deeply disturbing yet friendly haunting sounds that we had streamed from our phones.

live band music skelwith holiday caravan park cumbria lake districtIt was a bit experimental as the organiser had only just asked us if we had sound effects. The first one we played was horrendous, it sounded like people being tortured. Too late it had already pelted out across throughout Cumbria, ooops. It really was disturbing and was a bit too much. Thanks Youtube for that. So as to not scar the little ones for the rest of their lives we opted for some more pleasant sounding noises. Werewolves and creeping floorboards was a little bit less traumatic for their ears.

After a while we could see the hoards of people being guided out of the forest brandishing their costumes and face paint. It was time to do the music and get this Halloween Party started. The night saw around 200 people gather for the event. With competitions, live music and a sweet shop for the kids, there was plenty to keep them entertained. People brought their own tipple meaning everyone was in full swing.

live band music skelwith holiday caravan park cumbria lake districtThe Halloween songs we learnt went down fantastic in particular The Time Warp. They were all doing the dance and chanting “Let’s do The Time Warp Again”. Ghostbusters went down well also, if you can imagine a huge crowd of people screaming ghost busters it really was great moment. During our first break it was time for the competition to see who was the scariest of them all. Kids first and then over to the adults. I always feel sorry for the judges in these competitions. The children really, really want to win.

Personally I have quite a good reputation for winning fancy dress competitions. One of my proudest moments was during a camping holiday when I was a nipper. We didn’t realise there was a competition on until the day. So my mum being my mum put her creative head on.

live band music skelwith holiday caravan park cumbria lake districtShe put me in a bin bag, back combed my hair, put black on my face, stuck a load of waste items on me (like used teabags, empty crisp packets) and a sign saying “what a load of rubbish” on my back. I won first prize. So since I’ve had a taste of it from when I was young, I love dressing up and find any excuse to do so.

Sorry, let’s get back to the gig. Once the prizes were handed out we cranked the music up and played all the classics. It was like a mini festival as revelers danced in the mud in their costumes. At the end of our set we received a magnificent applause and “one more song” “one more song”. So we gave them three just for being so nice. After the last, last, last song (not a typo but a triple encore) we asked the audience to pose and smile for the camera.

As you can see from the picture it was a spooky night out. We gave a shout out to all the organisers, staff and of course our lovely audience who filled our muddy dance floor for the evening.

live band music skelwith holiday caravan park cumbria lake districtThank you to the organisers at Skelwith Holiday Park for asking us to entertain your lovely guests, it was an absolute pleasure. Well done;  it was a fabulous success and we are looking forward to next year already.

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11 Nov 2016 Function, Functions, Party acoustic, BBC Radio Merseyside, cheshire, cover music, cumbria, dj, eagles head, evening, event, function, fundraising, halloween, lake district, lancashire, live entertainment, live music, live performance, liverpool, merseyside, music, music in the lakes, ormskirk, party, party band, party entertainment, pop up acoustic, rag tag misfits, Satterthwaite, uk, unique, venue, wedding band, wedding entertainment 0

Halloween Party – Eagles Head, Cumbria

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live band music eagles head cumbriaThe Eagles Head, Cumbria is situated in a little village called Satterthwaite in the Cumbrian countryside. With more livestock than people it has a lovely quaintness and great community spirit. The Eagles Head is  a beautiful country pub that is in effect in the middle of nowhere. Unless you have ever been to Grizedale then you may have stumbled across it. Surprisingly each time we have played at the Eagles Head it has been quite busy especially for a rural pub. It seems in season all the holiday makers eat and drink here and out of season the locals flock by the tractor load.

This particular gig was the first in a two part gig for us in the Lake District as we were also booked for Skelwith Caravan Park, each of these gigs had a common theme in that it was a ghostly ghoulish night going by the name of Halloween.

live band music eagles head cumbriaFor a bit of fun we dug out some materials to make Halloween costumes. I decided I wanted to be music related. So in full satire as a voodoo doll complete with pins though I had mistakenly thought that the band I wanted to aspire to was called the voodoo dolls. It was in fact the Goo Goo Dolls. Ooops.  Mr Misfit dressed as a wizard complete with cape and a long twisty pointed hat that was very heavy. Both costumes were homemade. Andy’s hat is actually quite funny. It is in fact a cowboy hat with wire coat hangers on top with some brown material stitched on. The hat was drooping throughout the performance. Needless to say the hat was made redundant half way through the show.

When you make the effort to dress up a thought crosses your mind. I hope everyone else is making the effort and they are into dressing up the same as we are. Although part of you thinks, well maybe they won’t even give a thought for Halloween. Aside from the cobwebs & spiders in the pub, your on you own and by then it’s too late. I mean you can’t pass of a Regatta coat and some muddy walking boots as any kind of effort. Unless your dressed as a psycho walker. It reminds me of the scene off Only Fools and Horses with the Batman and Robin sketch. They arrive at the party only to find out its a black tie event and Trigger is wearing a suit and tries to convince Del Boy he has come as one of The Blues Brothers. Classic scene.

live band music eagles head cumbriaAlas our thoughts of us being the only ones to have made an effort were short lived as a few of the locals had come out dressed to impress and we breathed a sigh of relief.

We were met by the owner of the pub Simon, who made us feel most welcome as usual. He’s so friendly and welcoming, always offers us a drink and reserves a spot for us to set up. Setting up in time for our 9pm start we were well catered for and greeted by some friends from nearby. It was going to be a Halloween party with some ghastly goings on.

Before the Halloween gigs we decided to learn a few spooky songs Ghostbusters, Time Warp etc., and they went down particularly well.

live band music eagles head cumbriaOverall it was a fantastic gig with a wonderful and appreciative crowd. Huge thanks to all The Eagles Head for making us feel so welcome. Huge thanks to all who danced, sang cheered and boogied especially Frankie and his funky dance moves and of course our good friends Arthur and Dhanell for putting us up for the night in the comfiest bed in the world. Great crowd, lovely venue and definitely worth a visit if your ever in this beautiful part of the country. Until next time xxx

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18 Oct 2016 Function, Functions, Party, Wedding 23 fleet street, acoustic, BBC Radio Merseyside, celebration, cheshire, concert square, cover music, dj, engagement, engagement party, engagement party band, evening, event, function, lancashire, live entertainment, live music, live performance, liverpool, merseyside, music, party band, party entertainment, pop up acoustic, rag tag misfits, uk, unique, venue, wedding band, wedding entertainment, wedding venue 0

23 Fleet Street, Engagement Party – Liverpool

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Tonight’s gigs was at 23 Fleet Street, Liverpool. During a performance in Liverpool a lady approached us with a big smile. She told us she was let down and was looking for some live entertainment for her daughter’s engagement party. I asked her “when is the party?” expecting to say to be next week. “Tomorrow evening” she replied. Unusually and luckily we were still available. Last minute musicians that’s us .com. Details arranged, we would be playing 2 sets at their engagement party at 23 Fleet Street, Liverpool. A lovely little venue hidden away in the heart of Liverpool with really friendly staff.

They informed us that it was a small venue and approximately 80 guests would be in attendance. They suggested the pop up acoustic may be suitable. Now, going from previous experience we know that small rooms filled with large amounts of people equates to lots of noise. We decided to go and check the venue out at 23 Fleet Street to be on the safe side.  After a short debate on using the pop up acoustic it was agreed that due to the venue size, the timings and amount of people we would definitely need the large PA on this occasion.

23 fleet street liverpool Being just around the corner from Concert Square in Liverpool the night life was booming. The pubs and bars were bouncing with thirsty revelers. The venue was obviously privately booked out by Christina & Matty (although I’m sure people had wondered downstairs off the street and not upstairs into the public bar). At one point I had to redirect a couple of ladies who were looking for male strippers (not a pretty sight at an engagement party). It was really busy in the function room and anyone could have walked in.

We were so glad we made the decision to use the large PA. In fact we needed to crank it right up. The noise was phenomenal in the room. The party was going in full force. Our first set was absolutely brilliant. The dance floor was filled from the start and people were really getting into the music. The party guests were in great spirits.

After an hour it was time for a short break. On our return to our horror one of the speakers had been knocked over and was lying on the floor. Thank goodness it hadn’t landed on any of the equipment. The guitar could have been split right in half. Luckily there was no damage. We re positioned the equipment, it was time to prepare for the second half.

Bursting into our next set the second half was even more successful than the first one. People were dancing, singing at the top of their voices, cheering, clapping and wahooing (nothing quite like a good wahoo). It was heaving and the party was now in full swing. Christina works for the NHS and I think half of the Liverpool medical team were there and they really know how to party.

A man approached us and asked if he could say something into the microphone. As I started to explain that maybe he could when we were finished, he grabbed the mic and just started swearing and shouting things down it. Everyone just looked at him with disgust. I don’t think he quite received the cheery reaction he was hoping for and I’m not entirely sure he was even on the guest list.  He told us “he’s not usually like this, I’m usually quite normal” Either way he went red faced and disappeared into a corner somewhere. I just said “Anyway, thanks for that. Should we do some more music now” to which there was a big cheer.

23 fleet street liverpool Approaching the end of our second set and finishing on a number, we received a rapturous applause. “One more song” “one more song” so we happily obliged. Of course after the encore they wanted another one and another one. Luckily the DJ was at hand and was keen to start his set. He started pumping out some tunes while we made an attempt to pack up. There is a technique to packing up in a busy club where your stage is on the dance floor. Firstly lots of patience. Then leads in first; then the equipment. If you take the equipment out first people will be moving into your spot. It makes it so much more difficult as they dance around your gig bags. With bums in your face and being trampled on with killer heals (they call them killer heals for that reason). Not good.

Our next mission was to collect the percussion instruments. This was going to be quite a challenge. Usually at gigs people return the instruments or children have competitions to see who can collect the most and put them back in the box. Although when one has had one too many glasses of fizzy pop, the last thing one is thinking about is returning instruments. Who can blame them?

In a dimly lit room with music  pumping so loud you can literally feel the bass in your bones the mission was on. Now the trick is to listen out for the instruments. An odd shake of the bells or a tambourine bashing away to the grooving sounds of the DJ. We managed to find most of the instruments but unfortunately couldn’t retrieve them all. Over the years it must have cost us more in replacing percussion instruments than the cost of our public liability insurance. It’s well worth it though.

It was funny as before our performance Christina’s mum mentioned that she had seen us busking when she booked us to her family and a couple of guests. She told us she received a few slightly skeptical comments before our performance. Such as “I hope you’ve not booked them because you feel sorry for them” “Buskers? For a party?”

23 fleet street liverpool It comes with the territory to be honest. We are used to the second class citizen approach.  We try to explain to people we go busking to promote and practice. Would you prefer a band that gigs everyday or one that practices once a week and gigs on the odd weekend. Busking is fantastic not only does it allow us to promote ourselves but it enables us to learn a lot of songs to a good standard. If it wasn’t for busking in Liverpool One the day before we wouldn’t be doing this gig.

After our performance her mum came up and said “That will teach them, absolutely brilliant, you’ve made the bloody party and everyone is raving about you”. We received so many positive comments and really surprised the unsuspecting skeptics with a memorable show. It was difficult to get our heads out the door.

Trying to get the van back to pack the gear up was like ploughing through a sea of drunken monkeys, carefully trying not to run anyone over in the narrow cobbled streets. With the van doors all locked we waded our way out through the progressively deafening dance floor, up the flight of stairs and out to the van. Doing it in several stages and working as a team we now have a routine.

After the gig our heads were spinning. I think walking out of a gig and into a booming bustle of Concert square would leave any sober working person disorientated. It was a really good night though. The gig overall was a fantastic success. What an amazing group of people who really know how to party in style. The dance floor was packed out all night and the live music was a nice touch.

Huge congratulations to the wonderful couple Christina and Matty and we wish you all the love and happiness for the future. Huge thanks for asking us to be part of your special day and to your lovely friends and family for making us feel so welcome and appreciated. We may see you in the near future should you need our services again for your big day. Who you gonna call, in the tone of Ghostbusters, The Rag Tag Misfits.

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If you wish to book live music at 23 Fleet Street Liverpool, festival, wedding, event or party you can contact us HERE to check our availability

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Rag Tag Misfits

3 hours ago

Rag Tag Misfits

Here's a snippet of the lovely and talented Vincent van Hessen advertising the show this weekend, he's on straight after us so make sure you stay tuned in 😁 ... See MoreSee Less

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6 days ago

Rag Tag Misfits

IF YOU APPRECIATE MUSIC PLEASE SHARE. Thanks for your support during these crazy times. We are really excited to be a part of this. A weekend of virtual live music for all you funky music lovers to help you beat those lockdown blues. Be sure to tune in to Piranha North Studio Minnesota, USA. We are performing on the same lineup as musicians from around the world on Saturday 16th January at 10.30pm (UK Time) Check out the full line-up theartgarage.org/collections/charitybash #virtualshow #livemusic #piranhanorthstudio #Usa #uk #charitybash #letsdothis #allinthistogether #lockdownblues ... See MoreSee Less

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2 weeks ago

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Hello January, we are soooo excited about being part of this fantastic show which is being aired online and at The Art Garage in USA. We have been working hard putting a documentary together. Please share to help us spread the word. Since live music venues in the UK are closed you can enjoy the show in your living room, kitchen or even when your on the toilet. We are on the bill with some very talented artists and if you love music you'll definitely love this. It's a whole weekend of live streams from artists from around the globe, including yours truly. We will be on at 10.30pm (GMT) or 4.30pm to our American Friends. It will cost you nothing and any money raised through donations goes to charity. Please, please help us by hitting the share button and tuning in, love & hugs to all xx ... See MoreSee Less

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20 Oct

Just posted a photo https://www.instagram.com/p/CGj2bl9HHAP/?igshid=1rvocmt6r0dg

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15 Jul

Your not allowed to busk, but the businesses, shops and restaurants will be open??? That makes no sense. Surely music on the streets should be welcomed as we try to get things back to normal. With the virus… https://www.instagram.com/p/CCq7nfmnCxt/?igshid=1vheo7rz75ecl

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27 May

PLEASE RT - Want to be in our new music video? It's about life during lockdown. Kind gestures & community spirit @bbcmerseyside People from all walks of life, young and old. Please PM or see our Facebook page for details http://www.facebook.com/ragtagmisfits

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