Corporate function at The Forest of Arden Hotel, Birmingham

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

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

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

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

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

The Vegas Showgirl dancers and Lisa Martin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

World War One Centenary Event in Scotland

Preston Pans Royal British Legion was filled with nostalgia this September when they paid tribute to the World War One Centenary on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

 

The club was very busy with people who had come along to commemorate the centenary.

 

A fabulous brass band started off the proceedings with their beautiful renditions of World War One classics such as ‘The sunshine of your smile’ and the rousing ‘It’s a long way to Tipperary’.

 

Vintage Retro Singer Scotland Lisa Martin

I continued on with the trip throughout the decades with my 1940s World War Two show, followed by some 1950s Rock n Roll numbers to get the audience up dancing.

 

The fantastic duo ‘Just John and Paul’ took us to the 1960s and really got the crowd going with their superb versions of The Beatles classics.

 

It’s always a pleasure to work with Just John and Paul as they’re so talented and enthusiastic about what they do, plus they’re both such lovely friendly guys!

 

Beatles Tribute ScotlandA great afternoon was had by all.

 

Big thanks to all at the club for organising and participating in such a fabulous day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some videos of the day:

 

 

 

Cabaret night at Columba Club Barrhead Glasgow

I’m looking forward to appearing at the Columba Club in Barrhead, Glasgow on Friday 19th September.  The night is in aid of Mary’s Meals, which is a fantastic Scottish charity.  I’ll be performing a wide variety of songs to suit all ages, so come along and join us for a night of music and dancing.  Tickets only £5 (please book in advance by phoning the club on 0141 881 4889).

Hawick Town Hall 1940s & 1950s show

Hawick Town Hall will be transported back in time to the 1940s & 1950s when I visit on Saturday July 26th to perform my 40s & 50s tribute shows.

I’m very glad to be working again with the lovely Emma from Time Events to present a wonderful nostalgic night full of all the fabulous music from a wonderful ‘time gone by’.

Songs from all-time great performers such as Connie Francis, Doris Day, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Vera Lynn, The Andrews Sisters, plus many more will ensure that it is a night full of singalongs, dancing, and great memories!

Tickets start at just £5 and can be purchased by clicking HERE.  Book early to avoid disappointment, and feel free to come along dressed in your favourite vintage styles!

Looking forward to seeing you in July at Hawick Town Hall for a night of retro fun 🙂

Glenburn Hotel Cabaret Shows

1950s tribute show

I will be visiting the lovely Scottish Isle of Bute quite a few times over the coming year to sing at the Glenburn Hotel in Rothesay to perform some of my shows, including 1950s Rock n Roll, Swing and James Bond show.

 

One of the best things about the Glenburn Hotel is the fantastic staff there – especially the wonderful entertainment team.  Host Gary MacKean is a great favourite among all the guests, providing lots of laughs plus a very popular Elvis tribute act.  John and Marianne form the talented duo ‘Limited Edition’, supplying a wide variety of music for all the guests to enjoy.  They all made me feel very welcome when I appeared there last week performing my 1950s show, so I am very much looking forward to my future visits to the Glenburn this year.

 

Fancy a weekend away on a beautiful island off the western coast of Scotland?  Then come along and join us at the Glenburn Hotel.

 

Phone the hotel on 01700 502500 to check what dates I’m appearing and which show I’ll be performing.  Looking forward to seeing you there!

 

PS, check out the stunning views from the hotel.

(Thanks to John Martin for the beautiful picture)

Glencoe Hotel View

The view from your room!