Review Centre: Pop / Rock Singers

"As a music journalist, I am someone well used to hearing performances covering the whole spectrum of ability, from very talented, to no talent whatsoever; mainly on the working circuit, encountering much from the bottom end of the scale, the flaws of which seemingly pass by, or go over the heads of the audience, mediocre musical acts often gaining acceptance despite (or because of) their lack of any talent whatsoever. So, when on a random whim, I booked MAYHEM into The Old Crown, Hayes, I was pleasantly surprised to come across that jewel one constantly seeks: a light hidden in the bushel, an act of great quality. Don’t get me wrong, on the surface, MAYHEM are basically just another covers band, with certainly not much more to offer in terms of choice of material than others treading the same circuit. The difference though, is in the depth of thought in the vocal arrangements, and the attention to detail in the performance of the songs. Someone in the band has true musical knowledge. The way the vocals are arranged and used is no accident, and the music has a depth and surety that is pure class. Carol’s voice is unique, and at many points conveys rare emotion for those who can hear. The two voices are a happy accident of coincidence; Carol’s rather treble voice, Billy’s gruff baritone, both interesting voices taken in isolation, but together producing a sound that is perhaps greater than the sum of its parts. The quality of both singers shows itself also in the faultlessly correct intonation, the thrilling blend and invention of the harmonies, the search for expression in the vocals, the subtle use of the arrangements to produce expression. Most of these subtleties are of course lost on the general public, but the band still have enough battle-hardened experience and know-how to ride out any waves of indifference, and overcome the hardest heart with a friendly approach to their clientele, patiently trying out various styles and eras, constantly striving to reach their listeners, despite a kind of yearning in the music for serious recognition. Personally, I found it somewhat sad that a talented band like this has to resort to some popular (and bland) material, but one must bow to reality, and work is work. Still, the musicians didn’t just accept the status quo of this material; they always had a few surprises in store in the way they approached any song, however scraped from the bottom of the barrel. Carol’s voice sounded at its best on songs like “SUMMER OF ’69” and “I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT”, but she shone through on harder songs too, like “LIVING ON A PRAYER” and “DON’T BRING ME DOWN”. Billy didn’t sing quite as many lead lines, but when he did, it was with a power and confidence that knew just how best to carry the melody, and the strength of harmony singing was in a different league from the average one would expect to hear in a situation like this. On “Living La Vida Loca” the dual vocals were outstanding, perhaps the most equal blend of the day, with other such highlights for me being “Don’t Stop me Now” and “I Wanna Know what Love is”. The locals however enjoyed some of the lighter material more, such as “Rockabilly Rebel”, square dancing their way through the afternoon with great whoops and hollers, playing their part in a very pleasant day in a very pleasant pub. There was a humorous moment when the lads at the bar joined in with “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” all pointing and dancing in the manner of Tom Cruise in “Top Gun”! A vivid sight to behold, for sure! The day ended with a raucous rendition of “Rockin’ All Over The World”, the two singers showing that they could rock it with the best of them when the chips are down. Can’t wait to see this band again. (10 / 10) Andrew Staines "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Did an awesome job communication is on point & vocals are amazing! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Dennis and his band were amazing for our wedding band! They put so much time and effort into learning our songs and putting together a playlist our guests loved. People were dancing all night! Also Dennis, the band leader is great to work with and knowledgeable about music. Picking them for our wedding band was such a great decision. The music sounded so great all night long!"

Reply by Dennis Winge Ensemble
Maggie, thanks so much, we had a blast. Here's a video of the event: https://youtu.be/pO4dOSL0l4E

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Una voce meravigliosa, dal vivo è ancora più meravigliosa. Riesce ad interpretare il testo della canzone e trasmetterti un emozione ."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Ron did an amazing job! The music was great, people were singing along and everyone attending the party had nothing but good things to say. We'll have him again and definitely recommend! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you very much for Carolina she was amazing and even brought someone with a guitar! My boss was really pleased."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Recommendation Letter This letter serves as a recommendation letter for Ms. Anna Yeliseieva based on our previous work with her. Anna showed high skills in her profession. She is talented, professional and extremely dedicated to her job. We recommended Anna to work in Belcanto Restaurant located in Dubai Opera and the event was successful and the feedback we got was positive. We feel that Anna would be a great addition to any venue and she will impress the audience anywhere she performs."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Jess is very easy to work. A phenomenal player with a great tone - highly recommended!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Just wanted to say thank you so so much for yesterday! Absolutely loved it, really made our big day extra special! :) "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Matt has a great taste in song choice and knows how to bring back the vibe and excitement of the classics. He is very professional and kind and I'd recommend him for a private party, wedding or company event! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"These guys are fantastic! Such musicianship and an excellent range of songs, and cracking guitar solos. Brian is also incredibly professional and easy-going. One of my top band choices for the central belt every time."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Celebrate Liveband made our anniversary celebration unforgettable with their fantastic music! Their talented musicians and high-energy performance had everyone singing along and dancing. Thank you for making our special day even more memorable!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Great evening! everyone up and dancing to Elvis Through the years! Will repeat! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"One word...AMAZING! Carley & Matt played at our wedding on Saturday 13th July at Curradine Barns and we felt we just had to leave a review. Anyone looking for a professional acoustic duo with amazing voices then look no further! Taylormade will bring the WOW factor to anyone’s big day! From the very first email, Carley was professional and totally put our minds at ease in preparation for the big day. They played during our ceremony and one of our guests thought it was the actual recording, not realising they were playing live in the balcony area! During our drinks reception and wedding breakfast, our guests commented on how amazing they were and how it was lovely to relax and enjoy such great voices. One of the songs we wanted wasn’t on their setlist but they were even happy to learn a new song for us which we thought was a lovely touch. A huge thank you to both of you for making our day so special ...the performances from start to finish were perfect!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Leon is an ace performer great sound & great fun "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: