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Corporate Entertainment in Edinburgh

July 27, 2017 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

The Balmoral Hotel provided a beautiful setting for my show recently, where I provided some corporate entertainment in Edinburgh.  I was booked to perform a surprise James Bond tribute show at the Chaine Des Rotisseurs Gala Dinner.

The Balmoral has been a landmark in the heart of Edinburgh for over a century, beginning life as a grand railway hotel and now remaining a striking feature of Princes Street with its historic Balmoral Clock and kilted doormen.  It was a good choice for a James Bond tribute show, as everyone’s favourite ‘Bond’ – the one and only Sean Connery – officially re-opened the hotel in 1991.

J.K. Rowling is also a fan of this hotel, and obviously found it inspirational, as she stayed here to finish ‘Harry Potter and the deathly hallows’, making the Balmoral something of a pilgrimage for Harry Potter fans.

Did you know that the Balmoral Clock has traditionally always been set three minutes fast, so the people of Edinburgh don’t miss their trains?!  How thoughtful!  It is set at the right time just one day per year – and as you can probably guess, that is at Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve), so nobody gets confused as to when to set their fireworks off!

The Chaine Des Rotisseurs are an international gastronomic society who celebrate fine food and wine around the world.  By the looks of the sumptuous dinner they were served at The Balmoral, they were certainly well catered for in Edinburgh and shown some of our famous Scottish hospitality.

My James Bond / Casino Royale show is perfect for these sort of corporate functions, as it is a show that people can just sit back and listen to.  Featuring all the great theme songs from the movies, it includes classics from the 1960s right through to modern day favourites such as Skyfall by Adele, so it has something for everyone.

And here’s Dame Shirley Bassey with a couple of all-time greats that I always make sure I include in the show!

James Bond night at Alea Casino Glasgow

November 7, 2015 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

James Bond fever has well and truly hit Glasgow these past few weeks!  With the release of the new Bond movie Spectre, fans have been flocking to the cinema to see Daniel Craig in action.

The Alea Casino at Springfield Quay Glasgow ran a special Bond theme night in conjunction with the Odeon Cinema to coincide with the film’s release.

The Long Bar was the setting for a Vegas-style welcome for the lucky Bond fans who bagged themselves VIP tickets to this event.  Cocktails and canapés were the order of the evening, with the bartenders whipping up ‘Pussy Galores’ for the ladies and ‘Bour-Bonds’ for the gents.

Bond-Alea

I was on hand to provide the entertainment, performing my James Bond show, including all the popular Bond theme tunes.  I must say I was impressed by the audience’s trivia knowledge – they were experts in all things Bond – obviously die-hard fans!

We had a lot of fun, I really enjoy those kind of informal nights where I can get to know the audience and have a bit of banter.  When it comes to Bond, there are plenty of great songs to choose from.  I included a mixture of old and new Bond themes, such as the recent Skyfall by Adele, and of course the ever popular Shirley Bassey numbers such as Goldfinger and Diamonds are Forever.

Autotune – Handy Studio Tool or Singer’s Curse?

April 14, 2013 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

I was doing some session work the other day and was having a bit of a lively discussion (!) with the producer about pitch correction devices such as autotune.  He seemed to think that autotune was just another editing tool that could be used in the same way that reverb and other effects might be added to the vocals, and made the point that even legends like Frank Sinatra had their work edited.

I feel quite differently; it’s one thing to ‘cut and paste’ the best parts of a performance during a studio session – but to change the actual notes that a singer decides to sing interferes with the artistry of singing, in my opinion.  When a machine is used to alter these notes by measuring and gauging whether they are perfectly ‘in tune’, I think we can run a real danger of removing some very important nuances of the singer’s performance.

Pitch correction software such as melodyne shows each vocal note on the screen.  Every little ‘flaw’ is made visible, making it very easy for producers to ‘pull’ the errant note back into perfect pitch; effectively editing with their eyes instead of with their ears.

But why this need for everything to be so ‘perfect’? 

Some of my favourite songs are full of ‘imperfections’ in terms of pitch.  In fact I think those very imperfections are what makes them so unique.  Take Billie Holiday’s ‘The Very Thought of You’, or Marilyn Monroe’s ‘Diamonds are a girl’s best friend’ – two very different styles of singers – but it would be a travesty to change a single note of either of these performances, in my opinion.

When I compare Marilyn’s version of ‘Diamonds are a girl’s best friend’ with the more modern ‘Glee’ version, I am in no doubt as to which one I prefer.  I would much rather listen to a performance with pure heartfelt emotion, as opposed to a technically perfect, but soulless version.

Imagine iconic moments such as Audrey Hepburn’s rendition of ‘Moon River’ in the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, taken and hacked neatly into submission by a pitch correction machine… would it remain such a poignant and unforgettable piece of movie history?  I personally don’t think so.

Now, I don’t completely disagree with producers who claim that autotune is a vital time-saving piece of studio equipment; used judiciously I agree that it can be a useful addition to the producer’s toolkit, especially in time-limited situations.  However the problem arises when people get ‘lazy’- doing a couple of quick takes and leaving the rest to the ‘post-production magic’.

Pitch correction software first came out in the mid 1990s, and ever since it has become more and more ubiquitous in the world of popular music.  Like it or not, it seems it is here to stay.  Just like when we see models with flawless complexions in the pages of magazines, we will never again be sure that we are faced with the ‘real’ thing, or a technically altered version.

I just count my blessings that this kind of technology was not around in the days of Billie, Ella, Frank, Nat, Judy, and all the other legendary singers whose artistry we are fortunate enough to be able to listen to in unadulterated form.

1940s, 1950s and 1960s tribute shows at Nardini’s, Largs, Scotland

March 22, 2013 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

Lisa Martin 1950s showI recently appeared at a great venue on the West coast of Scotland called Nardini’s.  This famous Scottish landmark was first opened in the 1930s, and it still retains its ‘retro’ art-deco style – perfect for me of course!

I was booked to perform 3 tribute shows in one night – starting with my 1940s wartime show, then my 1950s show, and finishing off with my 1960s show, plus some lively modern songs to keep everyone dancing.

I really enjoyed my first visit to this fabulous restaurant.  The staff were very friendly and helpful, and the audience were ready to enjoy themselves.  A big coachload of ladies from Ardrossan ensured that I was kept as entertained as my audience – they were really up for a laugh and enjoyed dancing and singing along to all the old favourites.

 

James Bond Tribute Show at Gleneagles Hotel

February 9, 2013 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

Last week I appeared at a function in the world-renowned Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder; a beautiful town within the magnificent Perthshire countrside, deep in the heart of Scotland.  I was booked to perform my James Bond tribute show for a multi-national group of business people.

Also appearing were Sean Connery, Daniel Craig, Kate Middleton and Our Majesty the Queen.  Well, not quite – they were all lookalikes – but very convincing nonetheless!  It was a lovely night with a very friendly audience who were really enjoying themselves.  The organisers really took care of every detail, with a lavish dinner, lots of great entertainment (including the fantastic showband Stax of Motown), and even some Knighthoods by Our Madge!

Gleneagles Hotel

Lisa Martin Retro Singer

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About Lisa Martin

Lisa Martin retro singerLisa Martin is a professional singer based in Glasgow Scotland who specialises in classy vintage style shows.. Read More…

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