Entertainment & Agency news and Act announcements from Big Foot Events

2012 Brit Awards Tribute Acts

Written by admin on February 22, 2012 — Leave a Comment

In the wake of the 2012 Brit Awards we are set to see an upsurge of bookings for Tributes to some of the stars that featured in the Award Ceremony last night.

 
Popularity for ‘Rolling In The Deep’ singer Adele is at its highest and Adele tributes such as Olivia Leigh and Katie Alexander are scooping up live gigs throughout the UK and abroad. The Grammy Award Winning Star picked up 2 Brits to add to her collection last night for Best British Female and Best British Album.
 
Rihanna won Best International Female and rightly so. The dance diva has topped the charts since 2005 and continues to be one of the biggest names in R&B. Tributes to Rihanna have been in demand for a few years now and this trend is bound to continue with artists such as Disturbia and Rihanna by Perusi doing justice!
 
The Brits also paid Tribute to 2 Artists no longer with us: Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse. Tributes to both of these incredible stars have shown increased popularity and none more so than Laura Butler performing My Winehouse and Beverly Savalin as Whitney Houston.
 
 
Although there isn’t currently a Tribute to One Direction on the market, it is only a matter of time before one emerges! The latest young boy band won Best British Single.
 
Olly Murs Tribute Acts are currently entering the Tribute live music scene as is fabulous new Boy Band Tribute – The Most Wanted, tribute of course to The Wanted!
 
For more information on Tribute artistes, click here.
 
Posted in Adele, Amy Winehouse, Olly Murs, Rihanna, The Wanted, Tribute Artists, Whitney Houston

Elton John Performing Live In Blackpool

Written by admin on February 22, 2012 — Leave a Comment
The news broke this week that flamboyant showman Elton John will be performing in Blackpool on 16th June at the Tower Festival Headland, a brand new 10,000 capacity concert venue!
 
The legendary star will be the first artist to appear at the Tower Festival Headland which is situated on the Golden Mile in Blackpool and is sure to be a sell-out!
 
If you can’t persuade Elton John to attend your venue why not book Elton John Tribute and lookalike Marcus Andrew instead! Emulating the look, vocals and mannerisms of the man himself, Marcus performs all the hits including: Rocket Man, Crocodile Rock, Your Song, Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting, Candle In The Wind, Don’t Go Breaking My Heart and many more! Almost as good as the real thing ;o)
Posted in Elton John

Who will be this year’s Christmas No. 1?

Written by admin on November 18, 2011 — Leave a Comment

The battle for the UK’s Christmas No.1 slot has always been a hard-fought contest and this year will be no exception.

Whilst there have been a few best-selling artist and popular band Number One hits, the majority of Christmas Number One singles have previously been either novelty songs, charity songs, songs with a Christmas theme or winners of reality TV show the X Factor!  

The Beatles had four Number 1 hits: ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’, ‘I Feel Fine, Daytripper’ , ‘Hello, Goodbye’.

George Michael appeared on 2 Number One hits: ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ and ‘Last Christmas’.

Cliff Richard has spent four times at the one position with ‘I Love You’, ‘Mistletoe & Wine’, ‘Saviour’s Day’; and he also appeared on ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’.

The Spice Girls managed to reach the coveted Christmas Number One slot three consecutive years in a row! 1996 brought us ‘2 Become 1’, 1997 was ‘Too Much’ and in 1998 we had ‘Goodbye’.

 

‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ was Number One for 3 generations of Band Aid, the first one being one of the best selling singles in history.

Rage Against the Machine made history in 2009 when they made Christmas Number One following an internet campaign! ‘Killing In The Name’ resulted in biggest download single of the Xmas week!

Last year’s Christmas Number One was Matt Cardle, winner of X Factor 2010, with his single ‘When We Collide’.

So what will this year’s be? Many think it will be another X Factor winner, although one of the bookies favourites is 10 year old talent Arianna Morgan who releases ‘Songbird’ on 4th December.

Other famous Christmas Number One’s include:-

1969: Rolf Harris “Two Little Boys”

1971: Benny Hill “Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In the West)”

1973: Slade ‘Merry Xmas Everybody”

1974: Mud “Lonely This Christmas”

1976: Johnny Mathis “When A Child is Born”

1978: Boney M “Mary’s Boy Child”

1980: St Winifred’s School Choir “There’s No One Quite Like Grandma”

1984: Band Aid “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

1985: Shakin’ Stevens “Merry Christmas Everyone”

1988: Cliff Richard “Mistletoe and Wine”

1989: Band Aid II “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

1990: Cliff Richard “Saviour’s Day”

1993: Mr Blobby “Mr Blobby”

2000: Bob The Builder “Can We Fix It?”

2004: Band Aid III “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

2006: Leona Lewis “A Moment Like This”

2008: Alexandra Burke “Hallelujah”

 

Posted in Christmas Number One Hits

Highlights from the Big Foot Events Showcase 2011 The Stage Review

Written by admin on November 16, 2011 — Leave a Comment

Boomin’ provided one of the real highlights of this showcase last time around and their appearance this year only served to underline what a weird, wonderful and totally overwhelming live band they are. A huge noise from a traditional guitar, bass and drums line-up and the Boomin’ mode of gigging seems to be made up of picking songs out of the air and segueing them together. Boomin’ are a great fun, high energy band. A huge surge of fresh air blew through the ballroom at the Norbreck as soon as they appeared.

A cover of the great Jocelyn Brown track Somebody Else’s Guy heralded the arrival of Nina and the Bottle Rockets. Three highly competent looking musicians on guitar, bass and drums are fronted by an eye-catching blonde with one of the gutsiest and most soulful white voices I have come across. We heard a stand-out vocal performance and as a unit Nina and the Bottle Rockets are straight out of the top drawer.

Electric Dreams are a four-piece 80s genre band, featuring a female bass player plus guys on keys, drums and lead vocals. There was something fresh and likeable about this band.

Enter a four-piece live band, comprising a ballsy singing bass player, rhythm and lead guitarists with attitude and a drummer who seems to find all the fills and then some. Kings Ov Leon fills stadiums at festivals right across Europe and these guys are my current favourite tribute band.

Slingback are a three-piece, semi-live party-style attraction, with a bonny and winsome singer in the shape of Jennifer Cox. Given the scaled down line-up, this may be a band for the fee conscious, but the lively presentational skills and the punchy self-contained sound make Slingback suitable for all kinds of venues. Tracks by the Pretenders and the Stereophonics made great listening.

Next up was a four-piece semi-live band called Rocket, who gave us a version of the little heard House of Pain hit Jump Around. Clad entirely in black Rocket made all the right noises as the audience lent a collective ear to their R&B and rap dance floor fillers. A superb performance.

The Uncut are a black-shirted four piece, who have the look of the type of function band you might book for a wedding or a company do. A stand-out female singer here and the traditional back line for music and separate vocal PA suggested a band which could fit into many venues. 

I have seen and enjoyed tribute singer My Winehouse in a number of tribute showcases. It was nice to see a singer who possesses the distinctive and rich Winehouse timbre and doesn’t pursue the derisory route. The Zutons more guitar-rift laden version of Valerie was the pick of the songs and fans of the late Winehouse would not be disappointed with this living imitation of a great artist.

Two ladies performing a variety of impressions/tributes came next. Known together as Disturbia, we saw bits from the respective repertoires of Rihanna, Beyonce and Lady Gaga and the variety of stage entrances and exits made this glamorous to watch and interesting to listen to. If the ladies had been accompanied by backing dancers, we would really have seen something.

Yorkshire lass Olivia Leigh performed her tribute to Adele and it was like watching the real thing. A first-class vocalist certainly and there is demand for this most marketable of solo tributes at the moment.

Closing the show out were the Kaiser Monkey Killers. If there is a better quality indie rock-based band tribute out there, I have yet to see them. These guys are busy at tribute festivals and the more musically savvy people in the audience at the Norbreck Castle Hotel appreciated the sheer quality of what was going on out there on stage.

It was good to visit Big Foot Events boss Erica Crompton, daughter of that great comedian of yesteryear Colin Crompton. The circus skills jugglers and stilt-walkers did their part to set the scene and the point about the networking value of live showcases, as opposed to internet promotion of acts, was particularly well underlined here.

Published Friday 4 November 2011 by Mark Ritchie The Stage Reviews

 

Posted in Amy Winehouse, Boomin, Entertainment Showcase, Party Bands, Showcase Review

Chesney Hawkes appearing on Dancing On Ice!

Written by admin on November 16, 2011 — Leave a Comment

Chesney Hawkes, famous for singing the hugely popular anthem ‘The One and Only’, is in training for this year’s Dancing On Ice!  During 2011 Chesney has appeared on the BBC’s Let’s Dance for Comic Relief, Sing if You Can on ITV and Louis Spence Showbusiness on Sky. Chesney gigs regularly with his live band at venues, festivals and events throughout the UK and has a huge fan base!

We can’t wait to watch The One and Only Chesney Hawkes on Dancing On Ice! Go Chesney!

Posted in Chesney Hawkes

Planning your Wedding in Cheshire (and other areas!)

Written by admin on November 4, 2011 — Leave a Comment

Getting married is one of the biggest decisions you will ever make and your wedding day should be amongst the happiest of your life.

Once you’ve chosen your partner and committed to the date it’s time to start planning for the ‘Big Day’ and with so many options available it is easy to get lost in the preparations.

Your checklist will include wedding attire, rings, wedding cake, cars, colour schemes, caterers, photographer, florist, invitations, reception, entertainment, disco, live music, gifts for the attendants, gifts for each other, plus a multitude of other wedding services.

Make sure the love and romance is still intact by booking an Event Organiser to assist with your planning and remove all the pre-wedding stress, or download a Wedding Checklist Template to begin your own preparations.

Look out for regional Wedding Directories to find recommended local suppliers and businesses.

Posted in Weddings

X Factor Live Shows – The Final 16

Written by admin on October 3, 2011 — Leave a Comment
The X Factor Live Shows start next Saturday 8th October and we’re promised a new ‘TWIST’ to kick it off!
 
Love it or hate it, you can’t avoid it! We now have the final 16 contestants confirmed and speculation has already began regarding what the X Factor twist will be: a Judges’ wildcard, public wildcard, new category, return of previous contestant, return of a previous judge, no sing-off after public votes, or maybe we will be voting for the act we want to be voted off in the first week instead!
 
Gary Barlow chose Frankie Cocozza who isn’t the best singer but is destined to become a teenage heartthrob! To be fair, Robbie Williams vocal range isn’t much better than Frankie’s and he’s done okay. X Factor is all about having the X Factor after all and whatever is said about Frankie, he certainly has that.
 
Gary’s other boys are: Marcus Collins, the soul-singing hairdresser from Liverpool; James Michael, the delicious hat-wearing, curley-haired, twinkly-eyed contestant with the unique voice (who has lost his guitar); and Craig Colton who he described as his ‘Secret Weapon’!
 
Tulisa chose 2 Shoes, the bubbly Essex girls with big voices and fabulous personalities; Nu Vibe, the boyband created at Bootcamp, Rhythmix, the girlband created at Bootcamp; and her final place went to a re-hashed version of The Risk featuring 3 band members from the original Risk and Charlie from The Keys!
 
Louis Walsh predictably chose the wackiest characters for his group, always rooting for the ‘Entertainment’ Factor! Kitty Brucknell, the wacky Lady Gaga & Britney Spears impersonator, gave an intense performance and then leapt into the swimming pool fully clothed! Jonny Robinson gave an incredible performance of Amy Winehouse’s Love Is A Losing Game. The unlikely pop star is a Drag Queen in his regular life. Jonjo Kerr, the army guy, was given the third place, Louis, whose previous acts include Wagner and Jedward, gave Goldie, who cannot sing but would have provided the biggest laughs of the series, his final place! Finally realising she was ‘the joke’ of the show, Goldie resigned and the place was given to Sami Brookes, who should have been given the position at the outset! Kelly Rowland described Sami as ‘Size Sexy’ during the auditions when Sami said she had always doubted her ability to make it as a Popstar due to her size!
 
Kelly Rowland had some tough choosing to do as the girls were all of a high quality. Amelia Lily, who sang an amazing rock version of Katy Perry’s E.T., was given the first position, and the incredible Mischa Bryan was given second position. Sophie Habibas who has consistently performed brilliantly was given a place in Kelly’s group, and Janet Devlin, who many have predicted will win the X Factor, was given the final position.
 

My predictions for the X Factor Top Five as follows: James Michael, Amelia Lily, Nu Vibe, Marcus Collins and Janet Devlin.

 
Although right at this moment in time, the act that would draw in the biggest crowd at Nightclubs and Theatres is definitely Frankie Cocozza!
Posted in Katy Perry, Lada Gaga, Robbie Williams, Wagner Carrilho, X Factor

X Factor Contestants Final 32

Written by admin on September 27, 2011 — Leave a Comment

Everyone’s talking about the X Factor Auditions, Bootcamp, Judges Houses and who the next unknown to be catapulted to stardom will be! If you haven’t been watching, catch up with my rundown of the final 32!

This year has seen many changes; firstly the new Judges, Gary Barlow, Tulisa Contostavlos and Kelly Rowland, who join Louis Walsh in mentoring the hopeful contestants; secondly, Bootcamp was performed in front of a live audience; and thirdly, Louis Walsh isn’t taking his 8 acts to Ireland!
 
The Judges were delighted with their categories this year; well Gary, Tulisa and Kelly were, I can’t vouch for Louis who has been landed with the ‘Over 25s’ yet again; renowned as the weakest category!
 
Gary Barlow is mentoring the Boys and his final 8 who have been taken to Los Angeles are:
  
 
Frankie Cocozza – Heartthrob with 7 girls names tattooed on his bum! Looks fab on the stage and loads of charisma… shame he can’t sing.
Luke Lucas -  Cute 16 year old boy who fancies Tulisa!
Marcus Collins – Hairdresser from Liverpool
Max Vickers – Dressed up as a Squirrel on a Theme Park in his real life!
Craig Colton – His Mum & Dad were sat in the audience and thought he was at work in the Biscuit Factory!
James Michael – A unique high voice, he sang Adele’s ‘Make You Feel My Love’ in his audition.
Joe Cox – Quirky vocalist not unlike Aiden Grimshaw from last year. Might be limited in what he can sing.
John Wilding – Got through to last year’s Judges Houses and returned with a new image. A hot contender.
 
My pick for the Final Shows: John Wilding, Marcus Collins, James Michael and Frankie Cocozza
 
Tulisa is mentoring the Groups and her final 8 who were taken to Greece are:
 
 
2 Shoes – Curvaceous ‘Cabaret’ girl duo
Boy v Girl – errr boy / girl duo! Auditioned in Wales.
The Keys – Boy band with strong lead vocalist, very popular at bootcamp.
Estrella – Liverpudlian Girl Band with strong vocals & harmonies (but historically usually the first to be voted off!)
The Lovettes – Soul, Motown, RnB Girl Group with great harmonies but a dreadful name!
Nu Vibe – Created at Bootcamp by the Judges due to lack of good groups. Photo above.
Rhythmix – Also created at Bootcamp
The Risk – Third group created at Bootcamp
 
My pick for the Final Shows: The Keys, The Lovettes, Nu Vibe, Rhythmix
 
Kelly Rowland is mentoring the Girls category and her final 8 who have been taken to Miami are:
 
 
Amelia Lily – Pixie Lott-a-like!
Mischa Bryan – Remembered for her audition where she sang Aretha Franklin’s RESPECT – a strong contender
Holly Repton – Youngest contestant with a strong, but not fully-developed, voice.
Jade Richards – Adele-a-like!
Janet Devlin – Quirky, young Irish girl with beautiful voice, dare I say, Diana Vickers-a-like?
Sophie Habibas – Strong vocalist, consistently performed well (which means she no doubt won’t get through to the live shows).
Melanie McCabe – Strong vocalist and perfectionist but not unique.
Sarah Watson – Replaced Sian Phillips who was unable to get a visa to travel to the US.
 
My pick for the Final Shows: Amelia Lily, Mischa Bryan, Jade Richards & Janet Devlin
 
And finally, Louis Walsh with the Over 25′s who he has taken to Barcelona:
 

Kitty Brucknell aka Kimberley Dayle

Carolynne Poole – Strong vocalist but no dramatics which might not make her memorable enough for the live shows!
Goldie – It is rumoured she quit following concerns she would end up as the ‘joke’ of the show. Replacement to be announced on Saturday!
Johnnie Robinson – Drag Queen in his real life.
Jonjo Kerr – Army guy who got a bad case of the jitters before singing his own version of Rod Stewart’s Handbags & Gladrags.
Joseph Gilligan – Former wrestler who sang Boys II Men hit at his audition.
Terry Winstanley – Pub Singer who has an irritating habit of moving his hands up and down whilst singing.
Kitty Brucknell – Real name Kimberley Dayle who performs as a Lady Gaga Tribute and Britney Impersonator.
Samantha Brookes – Peter Kay lookalike with a big voice, described by Kelly Rowland as ‘Size-Sexy’!
 
My pick for the Final Shows: Kitty Brucknell, Samantha Brookes, Joseph Gilligan, Carolynne Poole (although this might change once we find out who Goldie’s replacement is on Saturday!!)
 

Can’t wait for weekend!

Posted in Lada Gaga, Reality TV, X Factor

Steps Reunite For Sky Living Show – Hire Their Tribute Today!

Written by admin on July 27, 2011 — Leave a Comment

As a 90’s child, I am very excited about the news that Steps are reforming this Autumn!

Not only will they be performing a reunion tour but they will be featuring in a three-part Sky Living documentary about their come back. It’s not been announced whether they will be releasing any new material but for any fan, their old hits are enough!

From their country themed debut “5,6,7,8” to their last number one “Stomp” they dominated the pop world with 14 top ten hits from 3 great albums.

Featuring Dancing On Ice star, Lisa Scott-Lee, The Games contestant Lee Latchford Evans, Celebrity Big Brother star Ian “H” Watkins, theatre performer Faye Tozer and lead singer Claire Richards – all the original members – it’s bound to be great!!

If aren’t lucky enough to get tickets for the reunion show, or just want to re-live the 90’s with a great tribute show, you can check out the fantastic Steps Experience!

Posted in Celebrities, Entertainment Agency, Freshers Entertainment, Nightclub PAs, Steps, Student Nights, Tribute Artists

The Legacy of Amy Winehouse

Written by admin on July 25, 2011 — Leave a Comment
Like much of the nation I was shocked by the sudden death of Amy Winehouse. I have watched in horror over the years as this beautiful, young, talented Jazz singer seemed intent on destroying her life. From meeting Blake Fielder Civil to becoming an addict, her descent into madness distracted the media from her incredible talent.
 
As a huge Amy Winehouse fan I never tire of listening to the Back to Black album and was eagerly awaiting the release of her new album later this year which will now never happen. I am certain the powers that be will release some unheard and unfinished recordings in the not so distant future due to massive demand.
 
It is inevitable that her death will increase her popularity; her songs are already classed as ‘standards’ and Back to Black was sitting at the top of the iTunes chart within hours of her death.
 
I was lucky enough to see Amy performing live in Blackpool in 2007, many people will never get that opportunity; however the legend of Amy Winehouse will live on through her music and Tributes to Amy Winehouse.
 
Posted in Amy Winehouse
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