Review Centre: Ukulele Players

"Denis Cook is the perfect pub and bar-room entertainer: genial, charming and chatty with a charismatic personality, so it's not surprising that the sumptuous Haven Wine Bar & Restaurant in Whetstone booked Denis for several gigs, since he's the ideal 'mine host' for this exclusive venue, encouraging the guests to join in and have a fun time. With many strings to his bow, in addition to singing Denis plays guitar, mandolin, ukulele, harmonica and kazoo, but his greatest claim to fame is that he taught his nephew Norman Cook, alias Fatboy Slim, to DJ! (Denis has been 'spinning discs' since 1969 and the young Norman was soon hooked on music too!) Though perhaps not the greatest instrumentalist to perform on stage, Denis more than makes up for this with his highly tuneful singing voice, careful selection of material and infectious personality. Skill and experience gained through years of DJing shines through in Denis's easy command of banter between numbers, putting many other pub acts to shame, and his sheer dedication to entertaining others certainly evidenced in this three-hour gig undertaken with hardly a break. Starting with the Eagles' country ditty "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and a stripped-down version of the Foundations' "Baby Now That I've Found You" guests knew they were in for something special, loving the laid-back, peaceful easy listening style and the fact that the music was at a very reasonable volume: no blasting speakers here! Then, after just three songs, self-accompanied by guitar, Denis popped out his mandolin for a very enjoyable rendition of the Kinks' "Tired Of Waiting For You" and Steve Earle's Irish classic "Galway Girl" before switching to the ukulele for a charming interpretation of McFly's wistful "Love Is Easy" but, in addition, you'll find plenty of variety in Denis's act, ranging from party numbers like the Mavericks' "Dance The Night Away" and Roxy Music's "Let's Stick Together" to country classics such as Glen Campbell's "Rhinestone Cowboy" and John Denver's "Take Me Home Country Roads" to up-to-date material like George Ezra's catchy "Budapest" as well as some good old rock 'n roll. And - how many performers would be brave enough to attempt Rupert Holmes' excellent "Escape" (The Pina Colada Song); the late Ronnie Lane's rocking "Ooh La La" or Billy Ray Cyrus' witty comedy number "Where Am I Gonna Live?!" Mr Cook will be returning to the Haven soon and my advice is that you might want to reserve a table, since the place is likely to be well be packed in anticipation of this great entertainer. Colin Fenn Lemonrock reviewer,"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I used master musicians for our micro wedding. We wanted elegant music that contributed to , rather than overpowered our ceremony. Using a violin and cello it was perfect. Their communication was excellent with multiple choices of instruments and and a huge music selection. Choosing which pieces of music was the only difficult part of the whole experience. They helped me make decisions and on the day the atmosphere they provided was perfect! They played on the sand in florida 85+ degree heat and were note perfect, then moved inside for the cocktail hour. They were amazing and I loved having them be an integral part of our special day."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Hawaiian inspired, Ian superseded our expectations, a real Caribbean musical man. He is welcome in our home anytime, some of our guests plan on booking him for their next parties. Fun evening!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We hired the Ukes of Hazard Band for a non-profit Jubilee event and they were fabulous. The pre-communication and the band itself was terrific. We went with a 4-piece band with a 'Mumford style' and couldn't have asked for a better experience. Thank you."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Stephen was patient with me as I was planning a memorial service for my father. I changed my mind a couple of times and Stephen just rolled with the changes. He met my wife for a rehearsal session and then nailed the performance during the ceremony. Stephen also provided some lovely and background and mood music prior to the service and jumped-in with musical accompaniment during the congregational hymns."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Bruddah Vince is a talented musician that brought the Hawaiian islands to our event with his delightful presentation. His punctuality and friendliness brought a sense of ease to our event that meshed well with our relaxed ALOHA atmosphere. Our guests (many of them from Hawai’i) throughly enjoyed his sounds, his voice and his music selections. It was a truly a memorable and entertaining experience."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Soph & Matt played for our wedding in September and were absolutely fantastic! Not only did they include songs we had requested for the playlist but knew how to play perfectly for the crowd. All guests loved them, from our 5 year old cousins and friends in their twenties to parents and my 80 year old nan-in-law. The dance floor was never empty - I can testify that all dancers never stopped moving. I want to thank Soph & Matt for making our wedding reception, it was truly amazing and guests are still talking about them nearly 5 months on. An awesome wedding band!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Had a rocking great night with Denis doing his live show and Denis on the decks for my partners 60th birthday party in the garden. Denis was punctual and professional as usual and everybody have come back to me saying what a great night was had by all. No small thanks to Denis playing 6 hours. We had him for her 50th now 60th and always great entertainment. Sheldon Moss, Wednesday 24 September 2025"

Reply by Denis Cook
Thanks for your review … great crowd and thoroughly enjoyed the evening! Denis

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I'm so glad we booked Denis for my mums 80th party, it absolutely made our day. Not only did everyone love the music, Denis had taken the time to think about what age my mum would have been on each song and walked us through her years hitting milestones such as her 18th and 21st etc. It was such a great touch. Gemma, Monday 25 November 2024"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Great for an engagement surprise! He was very accommodating and communicative in setting up and executing a surprise performance for my engagement. Was very happy to have him there."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Wow!!!!! What an incredible band. We were so delighted that we chose Surefire Trio on our Wedding day. On the lead up to the wedding Roy was very professional and ensured he'd have our requested first dance song ready for the day. Many of our guests had such diverse ranges of music tastes and we were worried that we couldn't possibly cater for everyone in the music front. There was no need to worry. The band had such a wide range of songs and EVERYBODY was up dancing! The dance-floor was full for the night. We are so so grateful to Surefire Trio. They ensured that all of our guests had a ball! We highly recommend them and hope that we'll hear them at some friends weddings in the future (Many of our engaged guests were asking about them.) I would recommend going for the DJ option for later in the evening also. :)"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I am so glad I found Island Jams Productions for my Hawaiian themed party. Everyone was raving about the live music by Eddie and his ukulele. He played the perfect mix of both Hawaiian and popular party songs. I highly recommend booking for your next party!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I highly recommend Master Musicians! Vicky was so helpful from start to finish! The saxophone player and guitarist were fabulous! A great time was had by all!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"A big mahalo to Bruddah Vince for performing at our restaurant on a busy Saturday. Not only does he have a large repertoire of songs and a soothing voice that everyone appreciates and enjoys, he has the true aloha spirit. No matter how many people recognize him, he doesn’t act like a big shot and remains approachable to all which is key for us. Can’t wait to have him perform for us again! Mahalo plenty!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Very professional and a great singer Working with Bruddah Vince was easy and he was well prepared with all the correct equipment. He plays all the best Hawaiian tunes and more."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: