Review Centre: 1960s Era Musicians & Bands

"Tony Vani is almost as well known for generously encouraging and showcasing fellow musicians as he is for his versatility as a musician in his own right. His focus is on blues and classic rock with his band, “Stir” (Mark Bishop, bass; Shirley Dianne Baker, vocals; and, Christ Whiteman, drums). He also plays gospel blues with “Tony Vani and the Holy Blues Band” (Vitas Slapkauskas, bass; Matt Smith, guitar and, Chris Lingard, drums) and performing Delta blues in his duo with slide guitarist Kenny Pauze or by working solo. As every musician knows, you are not a true musician unless you have had that nightmare gig. Tony recalls one night at a club in Napanee when he had to do the walk of shame after being fired on the spot because his guitar string broke. Thus, he learned the great guitar player lesson: “though shalt not leave home without a spare guitar and have it tuned up, ready to go”. His most memorable gig was when he performed for his Mom on her 80th birthday – it was the first time she had ever heard him. Over the years, he has generously and tirelessly organized many open mics at The Belleville Club featuring a mix of amateur and professional musicians who perform solo or join in with others. He creates such a relaxing atmosphere that it feels like the concert is taking place in your living room. “I enjoy bringing out new people and watching their confidence grow. Music is therapy. People have the opportunity to try out new things, have a safe place to practice performing in public, and besides, it’s fun”, he laughs. Known predominantly for his harp playing, his favourite harmonica influences include Little Walter, Paul Butterfield, Charlie Mussellwhite and Corky Siegal. “I am so impressed with their tone, virtuosity, rawness and overall feel”, he says. Other musical influences include Eric Clapton, The Allman Brothers, John Mayall, Muddy Waters and Robert Johnston. Self-described as self-taught, he says: “I always had awareness of what my personal style would be and I sought out teachers or I learned from playing along with records. I followed my passion.” He has just released a new CD of original material entitled “Her Blues” based on his own personal life experience of living with a loved one’s suffering. It’s a 7 year labour of love that is deeply reflected in the songs he has included on this album. Tony divides his time between his music, working with physically and mentally-challenged adults and living with his partner Debbie Hoskins, owner of the seven dogs who run their household. Find him at www.tonyvani.com or on Facebook @TonyVani and go out to support live music because #livemusicmatters."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"So talented. Wonderful musician . Could listen to him all night. What a marvelous treat for Clarinda IA "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Kev's music was amazing! Beautiful and romantic, just what we hoped for. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you so much for such an amazing performance, you managed to create the perfect set list from the few suggestions I gave you and everyone had so much fun dancing. I'll definitely be recommending you guys!!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Very mellow and bluesy Mike. Set my soul free chillen out music."

Reply by THE M & M Band
Thx!

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Have send this duo at a number of different local pubs, has always been a great night of dancing and singing along to every song. Their unique videos that they have remind me of night clubs in the 80’s playing music videos. Definitely highly recommended them for your next event. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We would like to thank you so much for the fantastic atmosphere you created at our wedding! Your music made the whole day feel like a relaxed festival experience, just as we had envisioned it. The live jazz brought so much warmth and class to the afternoon and provided the perfect background for all the beautiful moments. And as night fell, the vinyl DJ really brought that relaxed, vintage vibe that everyone enjoyed. Your choice of music was spot-on and it all felt so natural and relaxed. Thanks to you, the music at our wedding was truly one of the highlights. We heard from many of our guests how much they loved the atmosphere, and you certainly contributed a lot to that. Thank you again for your talent and dedication – we are so happy you were part of our special day!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Excellent band who do a great range of music I highly recommend them for any occasion All the lads are really friendly and helpful and not to over expensive"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Musicisti veri La bellissima voce di Floriana accompagnata da musicisti di altissimo livello equivalgono a performance impeccabili. Non avevamo dubbi sulla loro bravura, ma l’avete confermata ancora di più? Grazie Retrofive"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Very relaxing and wonderful to listen to during dinner"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Awesome! You did great! Enjoyed listening to you! Will try to catch you next time you are playing! Great variety of songs! Thanks for playing Imagine by John Lennon! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We have had Beans and Biscuits at the folk club on various occasions and they are a fabulous fun band with their unique twist on Country, Honkytonk ,Hillbilly ,Americana these guys have the motto of "you can never have too much fun " Its foot tapping and dancing all the way to Honkytonk heaven ,and we shall definately be having them back in 2023"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"AWESOME! Riley was an absolute pleasure to work with! He was friendly, energetic and had a great voice as well. He definitely made our event even better and we are thankful he was able to come out and work with us for the day."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Non c’è stato un invitato che non abbia fatto i complimenti alla band, sia per il repertorio che per l’esecuzione. Sicuramente la scelta perfetta per il nostro giorno, hanno fatto ballare, divertire e godere appieno del mood del matrimonio. Li sceglierei altre 1000 volte anche per la loro flessibilità sull’accontentare le nostre richieste, anche quelle più complicate. Grazie ancora, senza di voi non sarebbe stato tutto così fantastico"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"RockEnergy certainly provided the energy at our party. They were brilliant and got everyone up dancing. They listened to all that we asked and included it in their set. Lots of our guests commented on how good they were. I know I will definitely have them play for us again and I'm sure some of my guests would too. Highly recommended!! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: