Review Centre: Singing Guitarists

"Before seeing this show I had heard many rumours about Harmonica Lewinsky, whose background was shrouded in mystery, although I believe he learned his harmonica skills in the Deep South in the deltas of Harrow on the Hill under the tutelage of Blind Les Battersby. But, it was a very different character to the one I expected who performed at the posh Victoria pub in Highgate! Mr Lewinsky, looking like a cross between a rabbi and one-half of Chas 'n Dave (I'm not sure which half) appeared in cloth cap and braces and presented a highly original selection of songs, some of which rarely see the light of day. There were no predictable “Brown Eyed Girls” or “Mustang Sally’s” here: instead - a veritable feast of the unexpected - as we witnessed one man, his guitar and his trusty harps. When was the last time you heard a pub act kick off his set with Chas 'n Dave's “The Sideboard Song” and follow it with the Theme to “Top Cat” and then offerings of cheery, chirpy Cockney ditties including “Waiting At The Church,” “Maybe It's Because I'm A Londoner”, “Show Me The Way To Go Home” and Tommy Steele's “What A Mouth”? I’m guessing the answer to that question is ‘rarely’ (if ever) but the fun didn't stop there. Mr Harmonica Man is a really great entertainer and demonstrated, with great finesse, his harmonica technique on - wait for it - the Shadows' “Apache”! It was quite a feat playing the melody on the harp while strumming his guitar. ‘Harmy’, as he is known to his close friends (or 'Self-Harmy‘ to others) also tackled in the first half the theme to "The Flintstones"; Elvis Costello's catchy “Watching The Detectives” and the Cockney knees-up “I've Got A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts”. Harmy was back in terrific Pearly King form for the second half starting with “Any Old Iron” followed by a touch of the Formbys with “Leaning On A Lamppost” after which he did a ‘Donegan’ with a riotous version of “My Old Man's A Dustman” complete with enthusiastic audience participation. Mr Lewinsky has a great sense of humour, which he constantly shares with the Victoria regulars. "Here's another Cockney classic sung by a Welsh man", quipped Harmy before diving into “Delilah.” Other gems included the theme tune to ‘Match Of The Day’ (played on two harmonicas); a very funny and risque interpretation of Mike Jerome's “Sling Yer Hook”; a great version of the Small Faces' mod anthem “Lazy Sunday”; and a yahoo rendition of the old country favourite “Riders In The Sky”. After many encores Mr Lewinsky packed away his cap and braces and headed off to the Deep South (of London) for some pie and mash. The Victoria would do well to snap up Harmy for some more gigs before he hop-foots it down the Strand for a residency at the Old Bull and Bush!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Chad was amazing!! All of our attendees had a great time dancing and networking!! Chad definitely delivers!!! I can’t wait to book him again!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"All was perfect! Wonderful performance on a magical evening. Tank you!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Fantastic, reliable, professional act I’ve booked Paul for 10 + years for casino work in the Valley. His versatility as an artist and charismatic demeanor help keep a crowd engaged all night. His talent, professionalism and ability to read a crowd deems him a perfect fit for any gig. 10/10"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The Best Live Musician Our experience with Andrew was like no other! We heard Andrew perform at a local bar & we knew right then and there we needed him for our special day. He provided an amazing pre ceremony performance & did acoustic guitar for our actual ceremony music. Not to mention he was very professional & easy to communicate with. You’d be crazy if you didn’t book him!! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Jahangir is a pleasant man who can play as a performer as a background musician. His repertoire is tailored to the audiance. I surtenly recommand him for parties, reception ect. "

Rating: 9 / 10 Share this review:

"Jess and Rami were both super lovely and amazingly talented. They absolutely judged the mood and music choice for the event perfectly. They totally made our party an event to be remembered. Can't recommend enough. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"… carries a powerful collection of original songs...he impressed me with his honesty and insight..I would like to see his work appreciated and listened to by a wider audience....time to take it to the next level...."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Callum Gardner performed at our pub on the 27 th May 2019. We really enjoyed the music and got a lot of great feedback from our guests. Additionally, Callum is a nice person and a good communicator. If we have any questions regarding his performance at ourplace, he always replied very quickly, always was in touch, what was really appreciated. Looking forward to another performance soon!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Total MAGIC! Ayden Graham and his band mates were so sensational for our summer soirée party. This is an ultra professional, top-notch band with incredible musicality and with really nice people to boot! They brought the musical magic to our event and made it an totally unforgettable experience. From toddlers to folks in their 80s, it was truly a good time for all. The whole process from beginning to end was extremely smooth. Ayden was very communicative and made certain he understood the meaning of the event, the tone of our crowd and then he completely over delivered! We were amazed and star-stuck and thanking our good fortune to be in the hands of someone so talented. We couldn't recommend them more highly for any event that needs great music to give it the right touch."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Dennis was so easy to work with! He is very friendly and knowledgeable. We hired him and his band for a backyard party and they did such a great job, we received many compliments. They also learned a new song just for the occasion!! Highly recommend Dennis and The Way Band!"

Reply by Dennis Winge Ensemble
Thanks so much Kristen, we had a great time!

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Darren was a great surprise, really interesting, pleasant engaging musician, with a brilliant repertoire played and sung well. The level of volume was just right so as to not make conversation difficult. He arrived on time, set up quickly and left after the gig with no fuss. I will definitely hire him again. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The feedback that I got from all who attended was the band was really entertaining and put on a brilliant evening"

Reply by Rockbusta
Hi Mary Thank you, for taking the time to write this review. We both enjoyed playing at your club and meeting the members. Steve

Rating: 8 / 10 Share this review:

"Ben played at our wedding and was absolutely fantastic. He's very talented and we had so much good feedback about his performance from the guests. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend him Thank you. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Hi Bob We just wanted to say a big thank you for playing at our party on Saturday night. We had such a great day and the band just made it. We've had so many comments on how good the band were. We were so pleased with how the party went and to be able to use our garden to host. The atmosphere was great and the selection of music was just perfect. Thank you for coming all the way over to Lincolnshire too. We can highly recommend you Margaret Foreman Margaret Foreman (40th Birthday party) 10/10 "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: