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"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:

"Adam, you don't know how much it meant for you to be apart of our day... or maybe you do because I literally called you everyday. We appreciate you so much. You went over and beyond to make sure you made us happy and gave us exactly what we wanted on our special day. You're an amazing and talented person. I can't even begin to express how far you're going to go. Super blessed to have met you and we're locked in from here on out. Stay true to your passion and continue to shine!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We absolutely loved having Scotia Strings at our wedding! We were provided with a comprehensive list of songs to choose from and the group performed beautifully and professionally on the day. The group were commented on by many guests. A welcome addition to our day and would recommend!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Aron was great from start to finish, he knew how to set the mood and had my guests dancing non-stop !"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Highly recommended. Beautiful voice and guests at Hedsor House loved it. Thank you. 10/10"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Just a note from myself though, we knew the band was great and would go down amazingly with our guests - but we were not prepared for how well they were received!! So many compliments about you guys! Review for you to use: We had pure blarney play at our wedding and what an experience!! They were absolutely outstanding. The dance floor was full the entire time - you literally couldn’t stop for a break because every song they played was phenomenal. They were so interactive with the guests and created the most amazing atmosphere. They genuinely have such a talent for what then do - their instruments, their singing and their ability to sustain such high energy. Absolutely faultless!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Matilde is an excellent professional! Her performance was flawless and exceeded our expectations. Very dedicated and attentive to every detail. We’ll definitely hire her again."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Paul, you were amazing ! You have our respect. Well done in creating a great ambience. A most memorable performance and everyone loved it. Thankyou. Isel (Tasmania). "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Guys were fab, communication pre event was great and performance during the event was excellent, really added a nice touch to a Luxury brunch event!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Everyone kept asking who they were. Truly talented musicians!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I've never seen anyone be so full of energy yet nail the song musically – Mark was phenomenal!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Madeleine! Thank you thank you thank you so much for your absolutely beautiful part in our wedding day! I’ve watched the videos people have sent me of the hour before we arrived and honestly my biggest regret of the night was not being able to listen to you play more haha! So so perfect you helped make it such a romantic evening for us and we couldn’t be more grateful for your amazing skills and beautiful performance."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Impeccabile Con il suo servizio ha reso unico il nostro matrimonio. Dalla celebrazione della cerimonia all’intrattenimento durante la cena ha coinvolto noi e tutti gli invitati in maniera eccellente."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"An elegant and emotional performance. Leon created the perfect mood for our private event. Simply beautiful."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We had Goldsworth Gerry play at our 40th birthday party in our garden. They were excellent entertainment with a great range of song choices. These guys are super professional and courteous - they set up early which was super easy/slick, played on-time and even did an encore! They really made our party special and memorable, it was such fun to have them play. I would highly recommend them and if we have any other events in the future we will definitely use them. I think they are very good value for money as well, they are very accommodating. Thanks GG!"

Reply by Goldsworth Gerry
Hi Amy - many thanks for your review, kind words and recommendation. It was an absolute pleasure playing for you all and we're super pleased to hear you all had a good time :-) We hope to see you again soon! Best wishes Martin and Stuart (Goldsworth Gerry)

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: