No.6 Don’t ‘overplan’ your evening’s timings!. June 19, 2009
So here we are again: another top tip for you future ‘brides without regret!’
As you may remember from my blog about photography, every wedding we’ve ever attended runs late – without exception. Some only a little, but late nonetheless! I receive emails asking for timing advice all of the time and my answer is always the same: it won’t happen at the time you think it will!
Two things will remain on time even if you don’t: the buffet and last orders!
When you have lots to fit in, the temptation is to schedule a choc-a-bloc evening with no room for error. Every bride that has ever said that the room-turnaround would be 6-7 has trotted out of that room after 7pm for sure!
Here’s a step-by-step guide to a smoother evening:
*Before we continue, get a pen and paper and make some notes so that you, your partner and your entertainer/s know what’s happening!
If your evening invitations say 7pm, expect all of your guests at 7.45pm!
Nobody wants to be the first to arrive in the evening so allow at least 45 minutes in your head for those extra guests to arrive. This also allows you a buffer zone for your wedding breakfast running late too (after your wedding speeches take longer than you ever thought they could!) If you’re expecting your meal to finish at 6pm it will probably be 7pm before you leave the room, therefore 8pm until you can get back in. Provided that there is somewhere for people to relax and get a drink, this is no problem. Your evening guests can then filter in and chat to you before you all move back into the room at 8ish. If you happen to be the first wedding to ever finish on time, then great – your disco music will be playing when they arrive from 7pm for your day guests too! You’ve nothing to lose! The important thing is to not plan anything to happen before 8pm: it probably won’t and, if it does, not everyone will be there to see it!
Keep everyone together!
Our golden rule to creating a successful and enjoyable evening reception is that everyone needs a reason to be somewhere! So, if for example you have Fireworks, how do you get your guests back inside if it’s a lovely day? Your entertainer/s can only do so much: so short of using a cattle prod (and we’ve considered this!!) they will require your help and foresight into how to alleviate this issue.
I’m not talking about you becoming a dictator here (ultimately everyone should share a magical day together) I am simply trying to make you aware of the problems that you are likely to face and give some suggestions on how to alleviate them!
When is your entertainment setting up?
Whoever you chose as your entertainment provider, they will need time to set up and you must allow sufficient time for this. Depending on what entertainment you have, set up times can vary drastically. Factors like the distance from the vehicle to the performance area, possible power issues (this is quite common in temporary marquees!) and lifts/stairs are all things that come into play here. That said, Adam’s show can be fully set up in 1 hour despite these issues! Remember: if your turnaround time begins later than planned, the set up will still require the same amount of time! If it takes an hour, then it takes an hour!
If it’s sunny and hot, be prepared to ‘lose’ your guests for a bit!
The one and only down fall to having a gloriously sunny and warm wedding day is that you will inevitably ‘lose’ some of your guests to the terrace as they soak up the sun or enjoy the warm Summer evening!
Another thing to consider here is that the days are longer during the summer months: are you ok with having your first dance in broad daylight at 9pm? Once again, just think about these things over!
Let’s get the party started… well not just yet!
At this point (8.15pm) it is ideal to have your choice of entertainment perform their 1st set: this set should contain songs that will ‘warm’ your guests, getting them swaying and singing. It is important to remember that your wedding day is a very long day for most of your guests (and very tiring), so your entertainment should try not to peek too soon!
For those of you that are lucky enough to have booked Adam, he performs all the Michael Bublé style Swing in his 1st set as this caters for all tastes and especially involves your older guests from the very beginning! ‘Everything’, ‘Save The Last Dance’, ‘New York, New York’: Adam’s aim is to create a crescendo at the end of each set, and the night overall. For this reason, having everyone in the same room (including your late arrivals) is very important for the overall atmosphere.
Your First Dance as Husband and Wife!
After 15 minutes of disco music, Adam will then announce the Bride & Groom’s very first dance! Fed, watered, warmed-up and happy, he will then gather your guests around the edge of the dance floor (with cameras in hand) as you are announced into the room and onto the dance floor as Mr & Mrs…..! Your first dance will be performed live (or played as discussed) and you can choose to have the wedding party join you half way through the song or for the 2nd song (which can be slow or fast – both work here!) You could even choose to do something completely different like Kim and Andy Newberry! Take a look here. We put this together for them and, should you wish to do the same, simply contact us and we’ll be glad to help!
Now, let’s get the party started? For sure!
As everyone is already on their feet for your first dance/s and ready to groove, Adam will launch into his second set of new and old soul and pop, keeping everyone on the dance floor and having a great time! After Adam’s encore (around 10pm), everyone will stay up on their feet as you leap straight into the disco – no gaps! This leaves the last few hours as your disco… yet more grooving!
But when shall we have the buffet?
10pm is the ideal time for buffet if you are having one. Your venue will probably suggest earlier (it’s easier for them, not you!) but, from experience, it goes down much better at 10pm!
So, in summary…
This is by far the best order – we’ve had requests for every variation and seen the pitfalls of each. In theory you could have your Adam’s 90 minutes of vocals and 3.5 hours of disco in any order but, as you’ve paid to have a professional performer, you should make the most of him and make sure that all of your guests get to see him and peek ‘together.’
Before you know it, midnight will arrive and the evening will be over… enjoy every second of it while you can because it really does finish all too quickly!
Finally: if things go slightly off schedule, don’t worry! Only you will know!
Top 10 Wedding Regrets… no.5: Live Entertainment! May 20, 2009
It goes without saying that live entertainment is something that I believe is really important (not only am I married to a singer, but I’ve been a dancer since I was 2 years old!) The reason I have chosen this as my 5th top wedding regret is that I have SOOOOO many brides come to me (sometimes in tears) when they realise that Adam’s not available for their date… simply because they didn’t realise that such an option existed until it was too late.
“Why a singer above a band?”
I think there is probably a stigma attached to the whole idea of a ‘wedding singer’ – and rightly so! If our only options were Adam Sandler-style performers or cheesy crooners (let’s face it, we’ve all seen them around!) then I honestly would prefer to just have a disco! I think the reason that Adam’s diary sells out so quickly is that people really do feel restricted to either a) a cheesy 80’s function band that sing “Celebration” all evening or b) an equally cheesy “swing” crooner who walks around the room like he’s ‘working’ the crowd at a Working Men’s Club! Once brides see that there is another option they throw themselves at me! I have had so many brides tell me that if they can’t have Adam then they’ll just have a disco because the idea of a “wedding singer” turns their stomach… yet Adam performing his show at their wedding is an entirely different concept!
As I couldn’t make Adam sing all evening at my wedding (with him being the groom!) I obviously had to look at other options. It is so hard to find a band with a decent lead singer! And even then when you call them they reveal that they can’t guarantee who the singer will be on the evening (as they have several). Do these people not understand that a bride needs to know who will be there? Do they really think that it’s unimportant if they change the singer, the set, the number of people in the band etc on the biggest day of her life?! Needless to say I really struggled to find a respectable band that fit my criteria and, although they were great on the night, they simply couldn’t do what Adam can do with his show: bridge the gap with the audience and really have them in his hands. Band singers don’t learn their trade the way that solo singers do, they hide away and feel comfortable in the knowledge that, if the show doesn’t go down too well, there’s several people to blame. Solo performers are usually far more responsible for their act and know what has to be done to really make a connection with the people. I have never seen an empty dance floor at any of Adam’s performances, yet at our own wedding it was like pulling teeth trying to get people up to dance!
“But entertainment is the least of my worries at the moment”
Please, please, please don’t put this off! Whichever way you decide to go with entertainment, if you are a music lover and care about the 5 hours that you will need to be entertained by whoever you choose, you MUST book early. We have confirmed bookings for late 2011 and are turning people away all of the time for late 2010! Don’t assume that because the wedding planning lists all have entertainment down at the bottom that it is a low priority: it is at the bottom because it happens late on in your day. Your entertainment is the longest individual part of your day and will always be remembered by everyone that is there: either because it is an amazing surprise or because it’s a dreadful disappointment. Research your act, choose wisely and book early!
Respect due to Mr Cullum for these… April 16, 2009
Jamie Cullum – Gran Torino Video
I’ve missed Jamie lately.
He was everywhere with shed loads of covers and original albums, now nowhere to be seen!
A wonderful feeling from this great song for what looks like a great film. I’m looking forward to seeing it.
All respect to the man Cullum!
ALSO, check out his performance of “Make It Easy On Yourself” with Burt Bacharach.
All respect to the man Cullum!
NEW TRACKS!!!! About time too!! March 31, 2009
I have just added three new tracks to all of by social net. profiles and my website for those of you that would like a listen!
I decided a while back that I needed to try to show a little more versatility in what I can do musically. I created a short-list of many old and new songs that I felt I could do justice to and ended up with soooo many that I drifted a little wayward, as singers do from time to time, into ‘songs I’d love to do’ and ‘songs I can actually do.’ You see, us singers and muso’s all have songs that we believe we can perform really well… until we try them properly that is! I think that it’s something to do with the fact that we love the song that much and know it that well that we’ve convinced ourselves that we can do it.
I have come to realise (over a long period of time!) that your voice can do many things, even experimenting with many different styles, but ultimately it’s your own voice that suits you best. Michael Bolton released a Jazz covers album a while back and, although good, his voice, in my humble opinion, deserves to be blasted out with ‘How Can We Be Lovers’ not subdued and with held in a Big Band. For example, Norah Jones shouldn’t ever try anything in the Christina Aguilera-ilk: how wrong would that be!!
I, like a lot of maturing singers out there, used to have this stupid notion of singing high. Everyone in college (and even some professional singers now!) used to bang on about the need and ability to sing high notes like Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake or Ne-Yo, not realising that the real appeal is to make a song ‘lift’ with your voice in a high enough key to be able to ‘give it some’ but not too high that you shout it and give it nothing.
adamTHOMAS covers…
The songs I went with in the end are all songs from this year (trying to stay modern you see!) and are all very good songs, that achieved commercial success. I wanted to show that I am not just a Swing singer and balladeer and that ‘modern’ can be done too!
adamTHOMAS covers… Kings of Leon’s ‘Use Somebody’
A really great and very popular song that I have had numerous requests for. I seriously doubted whether I could do this one! Caleb Followill’s vocals are so unique (and brilliant I might add!) that I was worried that a ‘clearer’, non-hoarse vocal, would make the track sound so different that I wouldn’t sound right at all. I attempted to go more along the original vocal lines then my own for this reason and I’m glad I did. I’m quite happy with the results of this one. I hope you like it too. 
adamTHOMAS covers… Ne-Yo’s ‘Closer’
Orginally I wanted to cover Ne-Yo’s ‘Because Of You’ but, for some reason, just couldn’t get on with it at all. So we both decided to part ways, never to see each other again!
I wanted to stay along the Ne-Yo lines so ‘Closer’ seemed like a natural successor. I had to lower the key of the track quite a few times to get it to the right level for my voice and even then it was a push at points! The neighbours love me you know!!!!
adamTHOMAS covers… The Killers ‘Human’
Had to cover some Killers… it’s the law!!
I really like The Killers. With ‘Human’ I think they shyed away from doing what every other band seems to be doing right now and aimed for an 80′s, electronic sound.
I like this track a lot and enjoyed recording it too.
Mr. Brightside and Somebody Told Me will be the next additions to my Killers covers! When? Who knows!!
Listen online…
You can hear and buy these tracks on my site. Have a listen and let me know your thoughts.
Take care and see you soon 
Adam xxx
Motown stars told: reach out – no royalties are there! March 18, 2009
I was disturbed when reading a recent article in The Guardian, that some of the greatest musicians and artists of all time will not receive any royalties after 50 years under current UK Copyright Laws.
The complete analysis of the situation can be found the article below.
For some of the world’s most established stars, this law will not hit home as much as it will to the lesser known, older acts of the past era’s (my main concerns are the Northern Soul artists) but will hit home nonetheless. I think this is completely out of order and will, I hope, with the help of John Denham, be sorted out sooner rather than later!
Most of the Northern Soul musicians and performers were rarely rewarded financially for the work but to have their income, in some cases their only livelihood in their later years, taken away from them would be a disgrace and simply unacceptable.
I’ll be keeping my ear to the ground with this one, hoping that Mr Denham can sort this whole mess out.
The The Guardian article:
They are the all-time greats of Motown and their songs have been staples for nearly 50 years: Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, the Four Tops and Gladys Knight and the Pips. But the stream of royalties they generate from Britain is about to run dry.
Under Britain’s copyright laws, after 50 years their record companies can no longer demand an artist’s fee.
But that could be about to change…
John Denham, the innovation, universities and skills secretary, is to launch a European Union-wide lobbying operation to win more royalty fees for pop and classical stars who lose out when they no longer get payments from the sale of their CDs.
The potential earnings could run to millions because Britain has the fourth highest CD sales in the world.
The opportunity has arisen because the EU wants to extend the copyright period from 50 to 95 years. The change is being pushed by EU internal market commissioner Charlie McCreevy.
But Denham wants any new directive to devolve the detail of the changes to each of the member states – in effect, giving each country the right to decide how the cash is divided up. He is sending David Lammy, his junior minster, to launch a charm offensive. A spokeswoman for Denham said yesterday: “The aim is to give the lesser-known artists and the sessional musicians a much bigger share of any increase of new royalties after 50 years. Many Motown singers, for example, who are now out of copyright protection, got pretty raw deals during the 1960s and they could be the first people to gain from any change in the law.”
Britain has laid down three reform proposals. Denham believes 95 years is too long and prefers 70.
But it is in the division of the spoils where there would be the big change. Denham wants the money from royalties to be split 70/30 in favour of the artist after the first 50 years. This would mean, in most cases, that much more money would go to the artist rather than the record company. In the case of some megastars who already command as much 90%, however, it would mean a cut in income.
He also wants a break for artists at 50 years. This will allow them, if their record company will not re-release their tracks, to be able to launch their own CD label or get another company to do it for them – and keep all the royalties.
It could also be good for classical music as orchestral recordings that are between 50 and 70 years old would also benefit.
But there is a hitch for the recession-hit consumer. Normally, CDs tend to fall in price once the songs or lyrics are no longer protected, but an extension beyond 50 years would lead to a price rise.
I devote my life to the man Buble!!!! February 18, 2009
I devote my life to the man Buble!!!!
You see, my biggest requests of last year were ‘Everything’ and ‘Lost’ (along with a load of other great Buble covers) and without them, the music I love would simply not be ‘cool’ or in so much demand. And I wouldn’t be able to make a living performing some of greatest songs ever recorded.
I owe a lot of my recent success to this reinvention of swing by Buble, Harry Connick, Jr., Rod Stewart and, let’s not forget, Robbie Williams. They have all, at some stages in their careers, brought back the magic of the Great American songbook and Jazz back to the forefront.
When Harry Met Sally
After the void left by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and the many wonderful artists of that era, it was Harry Connick, Jr. who started the whole ball rolling again with the fantastic soundtrack to ‘When Harry Met Sally.’ The film and soundtrack were massive hits and propelled the ‘geeky looking’ Connick to super stardom, making the Swing Sound popular again.
Harry Connick single-handedly dragged Swing and Jazz by the scruff of the neck and made it ‘bounce’ again to a more modern beat. A beat that had me hooked big time. Harry started off my whole love of the genre and, if it wasn’t for him, I would never have ever found about Mel Torme, Nat Cole or any of the others: I would have simply thought that Swing and Jazz were reserved for ‘older folks!’ But he made it cool and fun again. Like Buble has.
Swing When You’re Winning
A massive part of the recent success of Swing has to be accoladed to Robbie Williams and his ‘Swing When You’re Winning’ album too. It needed a massive mainstream, pop artist to bring back the Big Band sound to the album charts and, although sceptical at first, I approved of his take on the music and the project as a whole. ‘Mr Bojangles’ is all that needs to be said there I think!
The Future of Swinging!
It is because of Buble, Jamie Cullum and the new breed of swing artists (I’ve heard that this Adam Thomas guy is quite good!) that the music we love even has a future. I have no personal qualms with covers of the classics because, if it makes someone who would never have appreciated Tony Bennett or Matt Monro actively go and seek more music from the original artist, then I couldn’t be more for it.
Let’s not get precious about who did the original, let’s simply focus on getting the music ‘out there’ for everyone to hear. After all, Frank, Dino and Matt are no longer around to spread the love with their wonderful tones and masterful timing, they are nothing except legend now.
Buble’s New Album
Michael Buble’s new album will be available later this year and I’ll be sure to be keeping my eyes (and ears) out for it! (I hear he has been working with the Dap Kings, who are truly phenomenal, so that should be amazing!)
By reinventing the classics for the modern era, he has brought the attention of the younger public to the amazing music that is Swing! (Jazz Hands) and in doing so made ‘new’ fans of ‘old’ music! Like Connick did in the 90′s! And Robbie did at The Albert Hall!
So, well done Micky Bubble and Harry Connick for all things past and good luck for all things future…
P.S. additionally, I’m also glad Buble is popular because you should SEE the amount of bookings I get through singing the Buble stuff!! I mean, I’m completely chocka!!!! LOL
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here is a press release from thedailybuble
Since December, Michael Bublé has been traveling between Vancouver and Los Angeles, writing and recording songs for his highly anticipated new album. He has spent time working with producers David Foster, who played a key role in Michael’s first three highly successful albums and Bob Rock who produced Michael’s smash-hit song “Everything” on his last release “Call Me Irresponsible”.
A spokesperson for Michael said “he’s working hard on the new disc as he wants it to be in his words “Fabulous” – the process of recording the kind of music that Michael loves takes a great deal of time – and they typically start with a huge ‘list’ of songs and trim it down to ones they are certain will work on an album and also when he performs them live. He always jokes that they’ve got to be songs he loves cause he’ll sing them every night for the next two years.”
The yet-to-be-named album will be available later this year. Michael has sold more than twenty million records worldwide, since making his international début in 2003.
Adam Thomas
Sarah Ludden-Roughley
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