Down for the Count

A Down for the Count Road Trip!

2012-01-21T10:27:00.000-08:00

In September 2011, we had three gigs, in three days, in opposite corners of the country – the perfect excuse to hire a van for a long roadtrip!

The long weekend started, as ever, at Tesco (if you're ever at a loose end on a Saturday afternoon, come along to Colney Hatch Tesco, as there's a good chance you'll find us there...!) We loaded up the van with food - some healthy, some less so - before hitting the road.

The first gig was a wedding in Somerset. We had been looking forward to this gig for ages, because we were being joined by Simon Selmon from Swing Dance UK, who took the guests for a swing/jive lesson (we couldn't resist joining in!) before we started our first set.

At the end of the night we were swung out, so it was off to Leigh Delemere Travelodge for a snooze, followed by brunch....

...before driving to the next wedding in Buckinghamshire. As we were early we took the opportunity to have a pub lunch before heading to the venue to set up.

The wedding was for a couple who had seen the band at Down for the Count Live - and they insisted we had a glass of champagne whilst they were finishing dinner - we were only to happy to oblige!

After we had performed it was back to London for a sleepover at Mike's before driving to the final gig in Suffolk.

By this time the travelling was taking its toll - with some people needing a 'disco nap' in the van:

The event was a 40th wedding anniversary party in a beautiful house on the seafront - before we set-up we had 30 minutes to enjoy the views - and for Steve to do a spot of birdwatching.

It was then time for the final two sets of a fantastic weekend. There was still one more surprise in store as we were joined by a relative, who gave an absolutely fantastic rendition of three Frank Sinatra numbers.

Our three-day, 508-mile road trip was a fantastic experience - one we hope to repeat several times in 2012!

The Down for the Count Sound

2012-01-14T09:02:00.000-08:00

This week, we share some of our secrets about what makes our 9-piece band sound as good as it does!

We often get complimented on the sound of our 9-piece function band, with comments such as “the sound was simply fantastic.” It’s always great to hear that clients and guests appreciate the sound, because we work very hard to get our band sounding as good as it does.

The 18-piece Big Band may be the “gold standard” for most of the music that we perform, but sadly most people can’t afford, or don’t have space, for a full Big Band at their events. It is also hard to get a big band sounding just right underneath vocals, as most weddings and corporate events are in venues that are just too small or intimate to handle the Big Band sound.

However, cutting down on the number of musicians often only serves to ‘water down’ the Rat Pack, big band and soul music that we love to perform, taking away the edge that makes the music so fantastic.

This is why we have carefully selected the instruments in our 9-piece band line-up to be as flexible as possible, and we arrange each song specifically for our band. To the best of our knowledge, our line-up featuring two keyboards, four horns (including two saxes and two trumpets) alongside drums, bass and vocals is completely unique in the function band circuit – so really does give us a unique sound.

One of the things that is different about our band, compared to all other function bands that we know of, is that we have two keyboard players. In the Rat Pack and Swing sets, one keyboard covers the traditional ‘piano’ parts, whilst the other keyboard covers a huge variety of sounds that enhance our songs (and increase the amount of repertoire we are able to perform). However talented the rest of our musicians are, songs like “New York New York” and “The Way You Look Tonight” will never sound the same without the rich orchestral string parts. In the Soul and Motown sets, the two keyboards share a large variety of piano, electric piano, organ, clav, synth, strings and guitar voices to give us a huge amount of flexibility, meaning we can make each song sound as good as possible.

Our horn parts are spread across two trumpets and two wind players (who spend most of the time playing saxophone, but also cover important clarinet and flute parts in the big band and Rat Pack repertoire). With this line-up, the four players can blend together in a horn soli to make a fantastic ‘brassy’ sound, or the saxophone and trumpet sections can split to play in a classic big band ‘call and answer’ style.

A second trumpet is also far more flexible than a trombone, because the added harmony close to the high trumpet gives our four-piece horn section a much ‘fuller’ sound than you would normally expect. The second keyboard in our band also often joins in with the horn section, filling out the harmonies and giving our 9-piece band a much richer sound.

In the next article, we will have a look at how we arrange our songs for our line-up.

Down for the Count at Pablo & Clare's Wedding, Dartmouth House

2012-01-06T10:59:00.000-08:00

On Saturday 15th October 2011 we performed for Pablo and Clare's wedding at Dartmouth House, London. It was Mike's birthday so we hoped that it would be a fun gig - and it certainly was! Here is a lovely email we received from them after the wedding - thanks so much for having us, and thanks to Andre Penteado for the fantastic photos.

Hi Mike,

Just to thank you very very much again for the amazing time Clare and I had at our wedding at Dartmouth House on 15^th October 2011.

Your repertoire was spot on, the performance was superb, the sets were great and each and every song was chosen and played according to the moment. It was a ten out of ten performance with Distinction, thank you. A lot of guests remarked how great the music was, and we had the best time ever dancing to the old standards (thank you for the many Glenn Miller songs, by the way!).

I also appreciate your timely expert advice, making us see that some songs that we didn't want at our wedding (like New York, New York) simply must be played, because people LOVE them. It's no wonder that at the end of the evening everyone was shouting "one more, one more, one more": it must happen to you all the time.

And sorry again for disappearing without even a card!

Please pass it on to the rest of the group the satisfaction, indeed the delight that it was to have you playing at our wedding.

Have a great and prosperous 2012!

Pablo & Clare

Down for the Count at the Enigma Ball

2011-12-20T08:55:00.000-08:00

On the 26th November we were delighted to be asked once again to play for the Enigma Ball, at the very prestigious and rather beautiful Bletchley Park, home of the Enigma code-breakers! A slight deviation from our usual diet of weddings and functions, this was a perfect blend of sophisticated, stylish 1940's dancehall and good old-fashioned partying with Milton Keynes' LBGT (Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay and Transgender) community - and what a night it was!

We all arrived punctually as usual, although Nicky's sat-nav caused some grief - luckily, Mike was to the rescue!

No harm done though, as we were set up, sound-checked and swinging in no time!

In between sets quite a bit of jewellery was going missing, so Mike had a lovely time chatting with the guests and making special announcements, and taking the odd request:

By the end of our second set we were really getting into the atmosphere, and enjoyed a much-needed break from energetic playing and boogying while our gorgeous host Kathy drew the raffle:

Some of the outfits were truly spectacular:

Finally we launched heart and 'soul' into our final soul and Motown set - the crowd response was unreal and I'm sure that even Chaka Khan herself didn't get such a response the first time she played 'I'm Every Woman'! A mainstay in our set from now on, to be sure. A truly memorable night and one of the best, most responsive and enthusiastic audiences ever! Here were some of my favourite moments (playing with my posh new camera, from the back of the trumpet section!):

Thanks to the Enigma Ball for a great gig - see you next time!

Article and photos by Simon Joyner

Down for the Count and Vintage Style

2011-12-17T05:06:00.000-08:00

down for the count and vintage style

There has never been a better time to add vintage style to a wedding or party, and a classic jazz band is one way to guarantee your event is special.

With artists like Michael Buble bringing swing music back into the charts, and TV shows such as Mad Men and PanAm celebrating the music and fashions of the 1950s and 60s, the vintage trend grows and grows.

Although fashions come and go, the interest in mid-century design and music doesn’t seem to be fading. 1950s and 60s style was classic, smart and sophisticated, so introducing some of this subtle glamour to your party through live music is a simple way of making an event memorable.

Pan Am - We'll Always Have Paris - Season 1 Episode 2

Down for the Count have always tried to combine classic vintage style with a young, enthusiastic performance that keeps things up to date. The name ‘Down for the Count’ is the title of a Count Basie chart from 1953, and the logo design was inspired by the unmistakeable graphics of Saul Bass (graphic designer for many Hitchcock film posters of the 1950s and 60s), and most notably the opening credits to North by Northwest (1959).

Watch North By Northwest credits here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fNabF8bq_o

When developing the repertoire list for the band, Down for the Count carefully chose songs that would be a hit with all ages – swing numbers that get people ballroom dancing even if they didn’t know they could, a jump-jive set perfect for retro lindy hop moves, not to mention lounge jazz which is always effortlessly cool as the backdrop to a drinks reception.

The retro music currently being used in hit TV shows Mad Men and PanAm, features classics songs of the period which speak of nights out in the city, jetting off to exotic destinations, and above all, love and romance. Down for the Count showcases the talents of its band by combining jazz, swing and soul music in each performance – keeping things modern by playing contemporary favourites such as Valerie (Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson) and Aint Nobody (Rufus feat. Chaka Khan) alongside early Motown hits from the likes of Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder.

Mad Men - "5g" - Season 1 Episode 5

We have been lucky enough to play at several events that were the ultimate in retro cool this year; a wedding featuring a dance lesson from Swing Dance UK tutors who demonstrated how swing music and dancing can bring an event to life; and another wedding where the bride, a dance teacher, had choreographed the first dance to our own arrangement of ‘Fly Me to the Moon’, and performed it wearing a vintage bridal gown purchased at The London Vintage Wedding Fair.

The music of the 1940s-60s definitely conjures up feelings of glamour and sophistication, especially when performed in slick dinner jackets, and chic cocktail dresses. Down for the Count will always champion the impact that a live band has at an event, and are sure that this music will never be out of style.

Essential listening

“Blue Skies” - Ella Fitzgerald

“Caravan” - Gordon Jenkins

“Too Close For Comfort” – Sammy Davis Junior

“Mack The Knife” – Bobby Darin

“There’s a Small Hotel” – Ella Fitzgerald

“Botch-A-Me” – Rosemary Clooney

“Volare” – The McGuire Sisters

“Fly Me To The Moon” – Julie London

“Blue in Green” – Miles Davis

“On The Street Where You Live” – Vic Damone

“Manhattan” – Ella Fitzgerald

“There Will Never Be Another You” – Bud Powell

“Break It To Me Gently” – Brenda Lee

A Very Down for the Count Christmas - 10 days to go!

2011-11-30T06:04:00.000-08:00

There are just 10 days to go until A Very Down for the Count Christmas! It's going to be a fantastic evening of live music, drinks and dancing to the sounds of your favourite 9-piece swing and soul band. Head over to our website, www.downforthecount.co.uk to get your tickets today!

32 days left until Christmas....

2011-11-23T14:08:00.000-08:00

So with only 32 days left until Christmas, people across the country are gradually falling into two camps. Are you in the mindset of "it’s Christmas! I must start my shopping and listening to Christmassy music!" - or are you more of the opinion that people should calm down, forget about Christmas shopping and wait at least another four weeks until they get excited about the festive season?

Well in the world of Down For The Count, we have been thinking about Christmas since about September, and probably even earlier for Mike! The very exciting reason for that is we are getting ready for ‘A Very Down For The Count Christmas’ which is an evening of live music, dancing and general festive merriment! Everyone in the band is getting ready for this gig, and all of our friends and family are looking forward to coming to see us play, as it’s one of our rare public gigs!

Mike has just finished doing all the Christmas arrangements, so he’s been well and truly thrown into the Christmas spirit. But how can you avoid the spirit when you’re immersed in wonderful songs such as All I Want for Christmas Is You, Santa Baby and…well, if you want to hear more you’ll have to buy a ticket and come along and watch!

- Claire

A Very Down for the Count Christmas
Winslow Public Hall, Winslow, Buckinghamshire
Saturday 10th December 2011
Doors 7.30pm, Live Music 8.15pm - 11.15pm
Drinks available from the bar
Tickets £8 (adults) and £6 (concessions) - available online at www.downforthecount.co.uk/christmas.html,
or by phoning Mike on 07855 488462

Down for the Count hits the road

2011-11-21T02:58:00.000-08:00

Richard takes a look back at a busy summer for Down for the Count

This summer has been a busy time for the band and we’ve been very lucky to have had a calendar packed full of so many functions and events to play for. August and September has been an especially busy period, with almost every weekend taken up with some form of booking. This has meant that as well as being able to meet and perform to many different groups of people, we’ve also had the opportunity to travel around and visit lots of different locations over the months.

We had the chance to visit both the East and West coasts, playing for functions in both Somerset and Suffolk (in the same weekend!), and enjoyed a rare opportunity to relax watching the sea.

We also explored areas closer to home, playing in the South East and South West of London, and closer still was a “South of The River” performance for the Herne Hill Festival. This was a week-long festival at various venues with classical and lighter music in the daytime and jazz music later at night. We were delighted to be asked to close the festival on the Saturday night at The Half Moon Pub. We played a fairly mixed set featuring some up-tempo swing and jump jive numbers, a few small group jazz standards for any prospective “jazz heads” in the audience, and finishing up with some Motown soul. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and we hope to see it grow even bigger in coming years…stay tuned to http://at.orpheusweb.co.uk/Festival/?page=nextyear to see what’s in store!

Now that summer has come to a close and “wedding season” has finished, we are looking forward to some more events closer to home, in particular, our next big public performance! On December 10^th we will be putting on a Christmas themed event - A Very Down for the Count Christmas - playing big band arrangements of some classic Christmas favourites. We look forward to kick-starting the holidays with some early Yule-tide fun!

Behind the scenes at Down for the Count present On The Town – Part Two

2011-11-13T06:08:00.000-08:00

Continuing our build up to A Very Down for the Christmas, Mike shares a look behind the scenes at our last Winslow Public Hall gig – On the Town, in May 2011.

The tickets had been sold, the drinks bought, songs rehearsed (if not quite yet perfected!) but the serious work was only just beginning.

The big day actually started on Friday lunchtime, in the same way as every single Down for the Count gig – loading the van at our storage unit. With extra lighting, decorations and drinks to fit in the van was even more packed than usual!

Next was a quick stop off at Granger Hertzog, an amazing prop house in West London where Amelia worked until October 2011. We were borrowing some fantastic lights to add a touch of ‘glam’ to our New York-inspired evening, and couldn’t stop from helping ourselves to a few other bits and pieces too…!

Then we had a short hop up the A41 to Winslow, to start setting up for the next day. This involved setting up the tables and chairs, rigging the lights and hanging our chandelier decorations from the stage – work so physical that we had to reward ourselves with fish and chips.

There was just enough time for a quick sleep before heading back to the hall on Saturday morning, to finish decorating the hall and setting up the sound system and stage.

After a quick lunch, it was time for our rehearsal. Playing on a hollow stage in a large, boomy room creates a few technical difficulties so we spent a long time on the soundcheck, getting things sounding just right. Anna, our ever-present sound engineer, once again worked her magic, and soon the band was sounding fantastic!

In the afternoon we ran all the new material we had prepared for the concert, and brushed up a few other other songs that we hadn’t performed for a while. There was also time to practice the feature songs we had prepared for the evening, and to rehearse the opening and closing numbers of each set so that the show on the night is seemless!

Then it was time for a quick dinner – probably fish and chips again, knowing us – before coming back to the hall to tidy up, add the final touches to the decorations, check that everything is good to go and finally get changed, ready to welcome our guests for the evening before launching into our three sets!

Our next Winslow Public Hall performance will be on Saturday 10^th December 2011. A Very Down for the Count Christmas will be a fantastic evening of live jazz, swing, soul and Motown music, with a few of your Christmas favourites thrown in for good measure! Buy your tickets here.

Behind the scenes at Down for the Count present On The Town – Part One

2011-11-09T08:56:00.000-08:00

With A Very Down for the Count Christmas just a few weeks away, this week Mike takes a look “behind the scenes” at one of our Winslow Public Hall events

Once or twice a year, we host a themed event at Winslow Public Hall to give us an opportunity to perform for friends, family and future clients. It’s also a great chance for us to learn some new songs to add to our ever-expanding repertoire!

In May 2011, inspired by a holiday to New York City, we chose the theme On The Town, with decorations and music inspired by the Big Apple.

Planning these events always starts months beforehand – and the most difficult thing is often finding a date that we are all free!

Having juggled our nine diaries to secure a date, we started planning the decorations. This has always been the domain of Amelia, who always works wonders at transforming the hall on a very limited budget. This time the decorations included making ten hanging chandeliers – giving Mike the perfect excuse to mess around with scissors and spray paint – and wall displays featuring some New York jazz greats.

The next task was selecting and then arranging the new songs. We had chosen songs inspired by New York City, including There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York, Manhattan, Lullaby of Birdland and On The Street Where You Live. Our arrangements are usually done by Mike, and involve hours sat behind a computer and keyboard, writing individual parts for each band member. On the surface Mike complains about having to do this, but secretly he is scarcely happier than when arranging music for the band!

A few weeks before the big day, we met up to practice the new music. Our favourite rehearsal studio is Audio Underground in Stoke Newington, and it was here that we headed once again - spending a whole weekend consuming snacks, drinking our own body weight in tea and coffee, engaging in a not insignificant amount of ‘bandter’, and also doing some playing as well.

This was the time to work on another big aspect of the evening – the feature songs, where each member of the band gets to choose their own piece of music to perform on the night, getting their three minutes of fame.

After a busy and productive weekend, it was time for a quick publicity performance at Winslow Farmer’s Market, and then the final push to sell tickets. On The Town was an extraordinary success, with over 120 tickets sold – smashing our previous record!

Check back soon to find out more about the big day itself…

Our next public performance at Winslow Public Hall is A Very Down for the Count Christmas on Saturday 10th December. Click here to buy your tickets before they sell out!

Down for the Count - Christmas Party Band

2011-09-29T06:37:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, it's a beautiful sunny afternoon at the end of September (how many times have you been able to say that in this country?!) and Christmas is probably the last thing on our minds, but it's creeping up on us and now is the perfect time to think about your Christmas party.

We've played for many Christmas parties in the past, but this year we've gone for it in a big way - arranging and learning some fantastic Christmas hits that will really give you a party with "class"!

If you're anything like me, you probably can't stand 95% of the Christmas songs that get played on the radio - which is why we've selected our Christmas repertoire very carefully.

For one thing, no-one wants a function band that plays JUST Christmas music - I couldn't think of anything worse - so we will be working our new Christmas repertoire around our great mix of Swing, Rat Pack, Soul and Motown classics.

We've also selected songs that sound 'right' next to the songs we perform - they have to be songs that suit a swing and soul band. You probably won't be surprised to hear that we've started with two classic Frank Sinatra arrangements - "Let It Snow" and "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town". I'm not sure who the original arrangements were written by, but they're both fantastic - especially Let It Snow, complete with muted trumpets, swung saxophones and cheeky transposition into the vocal chorus where you would normally expect the horn soli.

We've also arranged "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year", by Andy Williams. It's a fast jazz waltz, and probably the ultimate opening to any set of Christmas music!

Also on the set lists will be everyone's favourite Christmas Song - Maria Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You". We've made a habit out of re-creating scenes from Love Actually this year and can't wait to play this for you - Amelia is particularly excited about the tubular bells part!

Of course we're also planning lots of other Christmas songs - but we don't want to spoil all the surprises just yet...

Head over to our website today to enquire about having the band perform for your Christmas party - and don't forget that we are hosting our very own Christmas party at Winslow Public Hall on Saturday 10th December - more information about this great concert will be released soon!

Mike

Anthony and Becky's wedding with Down for the Count

2011-09-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

Anthony and Becky Kolodynski booked Down for the Count to perform at their wedding at Heatherden Hall at Pinewood Studios on Saturday 6th August 2011. Here is their account of their special day.

Many thanks to Richard and Sarah at CaptureIt for the fantastic photos.

“As most people would attest to, finding a band to play at your wedding that you feel you can trust is difficult. We certainly struck gold in finding Down for the Count.

Firstly, in the run-up to the wedding, Mike, the band leader, was incredibly professional, courteous and enthusiastic, which instantly put our minds at ease, and we felt that we could put our faith in this band. He was also proactive in his suggestions of these things that might work during the wedding, and was helpful in assisting with the timings.

We had the piano-sax duo playing during the wedding breakfast, which was much better than simply having a CD or iPod playing, and it was played perfectly in harmony with the mood during the meal.

Our first dance was to a song not in the band’s repertoire, but they showed great flexibility to learn it in time for the wedding day – and it was played and sung beautifully. Shame about my dancing…!

In the evening, we had the 9-piece band play and the sound was simply fantastic! The best sign that you have a good band in front of you is that everyone is on the dance floor having a great time. People are still talking about the music at our wedding now…

All in all, we highly recommend Down for the Count – a great band.”

Photos courtesy of CaptureIt

Down for the Count 6 years on

2011-09-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

This week Claire looks back at the last 6 years with Down for the Count!

For my blog entry, I found myself thinking about how far the band has come since we formed way back in 2005, and how many different and exciting things all the band members have been up to in the past 6 years!

Some quick facts showing how far we’ve come since 2005:

Our first album was recorded in Mike’s living room. Our most recent album Say No More was recorded in the Limehouse Recording Studios in London.
Our first gig was for a 50^th birthday party in a marquee - now we’re headlining the Herne Hill music festival and playing at prestigious venues such as Pinewood Studios.
We started off playing for events in small villages in Buckinghamshire, now we’ve played in Somerset, Nottingham, Gloucester and everywhere in between.

Steve and Rich at our very first gig - as a 6-piece band, performing for Hugh Martin's 50th Birthday Party on April 2nd 2005. We've done hundreds of gigs since - but this one still takes some beating!

Down For The Count first started when Mike asked Steve, Claire, Stan, Rich and some other musicians to play for a village production of Aladdin, and of course we all jumped at the chance to be part of such a cheesy, entertaining production…

Well, it was a pantomime...

Although panto music clearly had its appeal, Mike was keen to create a jazz band, and “Poinciana” (our first working name) was born. Little did we know that 6 years later, we would have evolved into the band you see and hear today! (And if you haven’t seen or heard us, come and see us at the Herne Hill Music Festival!)

Our first recording session - for one day only, Mike's living room and garage were converted into a temporary recording studio.

Poinciana quickly grew in size, firstly with additions to the horn section. Kate and Simon added alto sax and trumpet, and then Milly joined the band on keyboard so we could have lots of different extra sounds without all the extra players. During this time we were all in various stages of secondary school, doing GCSE’s and A levels. Mike, Milly, Katie and Steve were getting ready to go to university to study a variety of topics - medicine, media arts, more medicine and psychology. Even though many of us didn’t study music at university, it was our shared passion in music that kept the band together and going strong. It’s also interesting just how spread out the band members were once we all left school. We had DFTC members in Bangor, London, Oxford, Leeds, Bristol and Manchester!

Our most recent recording session, in the absolutely amazing Limehouse Studio, East London.

Over the years the band has gone from strength to strength and also through a few changes. Our lead trumpeter Stan went to study in Singapore in October 2010, and Max joined the band as his dep. In June this year Katie joined the touring production of Dreamboats and Petticoats, so we have Nicky filling in for her.

The band at a wedding in 2006

So what are we all up to now whilst we continue to play with the band? Well, just like when we all started playing together - we’re all doing very varied things! Steve, Milly and myself are living and working in London. Steve’s working as a waiter while he ponders his next move, and Milly and I are attempting to turn our hobbies into full time jobs. I’m working as a freelance musician and Milly has set up her own vintage homewares business. A third of the band are still being educated at UCL - Mike’s in his final year of medicine, Max is starting his Masters and Nicky is going into her second year of studying history and French. Kate is starting a career in recruitment and also plays with the ska punk band The Amendments. Rich is working as a drum teacher and is also playing with the pop punk band FlipSideUp. Finally, Simon is starting his Masters in composition back up at Manchester.

The band at one of our first performances as a 9-piece - Magdalen College Auditorium, Oxford

So that’s Down For The Count in 2011 - who knows what we’ll be up to in another 6 years??

Down for the Count in August 2011

Down for the Count at Nick and Erin's Wedding

2011-08-30T08:43:00.000-07:00

On Friday 19th August, we performed at Nick and Erin's wedding reception at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. Nick is a friend of Mike's from university - whose trademark greeting was to pick Mike up and turn him upside down (see the photo below for the general idea) - whilst three of us in the band know Erin's sister Rachel from UCL.

It's always lovely playing for people we know - for one thing, it means we are almost guaranteed a friendly audience, which was certainly the case this time round. We were also extremely well looked after and well fed - which always seems to make us play better!

Nick and Erin are fantastic ballroom dancers, and performed a brilliant routine to Natalie Cole's "This Will Be An Everlasting Love" for their first dance. There is a video of them and the band in action here - thanks to Declan at Etch for the glowing review and absolutely wonderful photos and videos.

Bank Holiday Photoshoot

2011-08-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

Nicky Dega, our newest band member, tells us about yesterday's day of photos, videos and bandter!

On the 29th of August, Down for the Count headed to The Joint Rehearsal Studios in Kings Cross. For nearly all of us, it was the first time we had been to these amazing studios and we got to use the largest room, the Sound Stage for the whole day. This time we were not recording any songs but using it as a background to take some lovely new pictures and two new videos. As a new member in the band, this was especially exciting for me as it will be nice to be on the website with the other band members.

In the morning (after getting a little bit excited at the possibility that Eliza Doolittle was in the same studio as us!), Steve's girlfriend Linda very kindly took lots of pictures of the band performing, some head shots and everyone's favourite 'hanging out' shots!

In the afternoon the real work started when we recorded videos for Lady is a Tramp and Superstition. Mike and Amelia took charge of the camera, shooting people individually from lots of angles, which meant that we could sit and enjoy watching different members play.

Although it was a really fun day, it was long! DFTC got there at 10am and stayed till 8pm, meaning that some of us did try and catch some sneaky naps in between takes!

The new photos will be appearing on the website in the next week or so, and the videos some time after that.

Paul & Diego's civil partnership with Down for the Count

2011-08-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

On Friday 29th July 2011, Down for the Count provided the music for Paul & Diego's civil partnership in Surrey. Here is their account of their day.

We decided to have both our civil ceremony and reception at the same venue as we had guests from England as well as Ireland and Italy – a multicultural affair! We asked friends and colleagues and looked hard online for a pianist to play during reception drinks and ceremony and a jazz band to play during the meal. Eventually we came across Down for the Count who were flexible enough to provide both and, based on their reviews, we thought they were the best option for us.

Mike also kindly agreed to play some background piano music as we arrived for reception drinks. As we had two relatives singing some Irish folk songs during the ceremony, Mike provided piano accompaniment, which made for a very touching, haunting experience. The songs included The Hermit Song and The Hiding Place by Liam Lawton and, especially for the Italians, Nella Fantasia by Ennio Morricone. Mike was already proving to be a consummate, talented musician at this point. The vocalists also commented on his professional and personable manner, which made it easier for them as they only had about 20 minutes to rehearse before the ceremony!

The 6-piece band played two 45-minute background jazz sets during the meal and two 45-minute dancing sets. As we were very busy coming up to the wedding, we hadn’t really had time to sit down and decide what songs/music we wanted, so we made a few requests and asked Mike if they could provide a mix of their best pieces.

Their performance was outstanding, exceeding all our expectations. One of the guests commented that she couldn’t believe a jazz band could be so talented and so young at the same time, as you would normally expect such flair from an older band. They played some classic pieces and, of course, our requests, which included Have I Told You Lately That I Love You for our first dance. Another request was Valerie, Amy Winehouse style. The singer belted out such an amazing rendition that, as it was our first dance and we were quite nervous, at one point we thought it was the Winehouse CD playing!

The band then played and sang some electrifying dance pieces, which got everyone dancing. They continued to play until 10 pm, when the DJ began. We must admit that by that point the atmosphere was so exhilarating that we wished we’d booked them until the end!

Between the piano music during reception drinks and ceremony and the jazz band later, Down for the Count were with us throughout the day. We were absolutely blown away by them. They scored top marks in every area, from professionalism and flexibility to talent and stylishness. Mike was incredibly efficient and organised throughout the process and he was a pleasure to deal with. We would recommend this band for anyone who wants to give their function, wedding or party a special edge.

Thanks again!

A Trip to New York City

2011-08-18T14:15:00.000-07:00

Amelia tells us how a trip to New York inspired our most recent public concert

Three months before Down For The Count’s annual live concert at Winslow Public Hall, Mike and myself embarked on a rather elaborate research trip to New York City, sadly not paid for on band expenses.

We had chosen to theme the event around NYC and put on a show of classic swing and Rat Pack tunes; we hoped to evoke the atmosphere of a night ‘on the town’ and so felt we should probably have one, or several, and experience both the glamour and grit of the Big Apple.

Day one, feeling less than fresh from the plane ride, but with excitement and adrenaline to see us through, we planned to dive straight in and visit one of the most famous and notorious jazz clubs, Birdland. We approached the venue with slight apprehension not knowing quite what to expect – should we have booked a table? Have we missed the start of the show? Will the drinks be really expensive? Will they know instantly that we are tourists and turn us away?

We arrived at the unassuming single doorway (a net curtain hiding any view of what was inside) for the ‘earlybird’ show. We were instantly welcomed and shown to small table. The show was clearly popular with anyone looking to dine early and be entertained by the fantastic house band, and not quite knowing the set-up, we asked the very British question ‘is it ok to just have drinks for now??’ We were pleased to hear the enthusiastic answer of ‘sure’ followed by several fantastic cocktails (pomegranite mojitos – lush) and an endless supply of tap water we didn’t have to ask for. I could completely get used to that all-American level of service.

The club was very simple with a darkwood polished bar, deep red velvet curtains, small tables lit by a single candle and black and white photographs of jazz greats adorning the walls. The atmosphere was welcoming and relaxed and the band continued that feeling as they simply stepped on stage, expecting no applause or announcement, and just started to play.

The band were The Louis Armstrong Centennial Sextet, and as the name suggests, played a great set of Dixieland and early jazz. With no bass, instead a tuba to provide the bass line, they really evoked the era with an almost marching-band feel, and finished their set with ‘Dinah’ which had nearly all band members sing along, clearly knowing the music inside out, and truly loving it.

Inspired by what we’d seen stateside, we set to adding as much NYC flair to Winslow Public Hall as we could. We printed classic black and white images of jazz greats and framed them in ‘expensive’ ornate frames (from Poundland) and made hanging paper chandeliers from gorgeous gold glitter card for the stage. The tables were simple – dark red tablecloths (Birdland had velvet, we had linen-effect paper!), with deep red candles. Whilst the bar drinks menu was decidedly less fancy, with wine instead of cocktails, drinks were poured from beautiful bobbled glass jugs and topped up with ice from the fab chrome ‘Big Apple’ shaped ice bucket.

We hope we gave our guests as close to a New York night on the town as we could in Buckinghamshire, and whilst Down for the Count may not have the kudos (or budget!) of Birdland, we hope we gave people a night to remember all the same.

Three (rather special) days in the life of Down for the Count

2011-08-17T07:20:00.000-07:00

There is little doubt that one of the best 'perks' of being in a function band is having the opportunity to perform at some extraordinary venues. This summer, we've played at some amazing locations - and so far three have stood out in particular.

On July 15th, we performed at the home of English cricket - Lord's. Not wanting to get too excited, we arrived expecting to be playing in a tiny function room miles from the pitch - so you can imagine our surprise when we were shown to the performance space, the debentures lounge in the Mound Stand.

We had spectacular view of the pitch and the famous Pavilion (just a shame there wasn't any cricket on!) and we were also fed some absolutely delicious Indian food.

The event was a corporate event for InfoSys, in aid of the Make a Wish Foundation – we performed some lounge jazz music as the guests were arriving and having drinks, before launching into a short dancing set to finish off the evening.

A few weeks later, we were booked for Anthony and Becky's wedding at Pinewood Studios, just outside London. This venue was simply amazing - on a quick pre-performance stroll, we got a glimpse of the outdoor stage where they were filming the new Johnny Depp film (rumour has it that Mr. Depp was there himself late in the evening) and the world famous 007 Stage.

We were performing in the ballroom at Heatherden Hall - a Victorian country house in the grounds of the studio, which has been used in hundreds of films including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and From Russia With Love.

We started off performing as a saxophone and piano duo, providing background music during the wedding meal, before three 45-minute sets with our 9-piece function band.

The wedding itself was absolutely superb, and the guests were a pleasure to play for - it was one of those weddings where we felt like part of the party!

Then a week later it was a quick hop up the M40 for a wedding at the world-famous Bodlean Library in Oxford. Mike had spent three years studying at Oxford but had never actually been inside the library!

This wedding also had a special twist - we were asked to recreate the "All You Need Is Love" wedding scene from Love Actually for the bride and groom, complete with some secret musicians hidden amongst the wedding guests ready to jump up and surprise everyone! Simon, Claire, Nicky, and our lovely violinist Rebecca all dressed as wedding guests to blend in and took their seats 15 minutes before the service - armed with cover stories in case any other guests tried to start a conversation! Then as the bride and groom were about to leave, Nicky started singing - with everyone else standing up and joining in for the chorus.

After that we were playing outside in the stunning quadrangle, whilst the guests enjoyed drinks and tours of the library before sitting down to dinner. To celebrate such an early finish to a gig, we headed to a lovely pub for a beer and dinner, to celebrate three successful gigs!

A busy summer with Down for the Count!

2011-08-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

Summer is usually the busiest time for a function band, and we've been extremely busy with weddings and other events over the past few months! July saw a performance for the Make A Wish Foundation at the quite spectacular Lord's Cricket Ground, along with two trips the length of the M4 and several other weddings! It doesn't ease off from here, because on Saturday we're off to the world famous Pinewood Studios and then have a huge wedding on Sunday (where we are providing music for the wedding ceremony, a jazz band in the afternoon and our 9-piece function band in the evening!)

Lord's Cricket Ground - as backdrops to performance spaces go, this takes some beating!

We've also been back to the Limehouse Studio to record some fantastic lounge jazz music with our new singer Nicky Dega - you can hear the new tracks here!

Nicky in the vocal booth, and Steve playing his imaginary guitar....

Our New Year's Resolution for August is that we're going to start making more use of all this modern 'social media'! So make sure you follow this blog along with our Facebook and Twitter pages, as we hope to be updating you more frequently with the antics of your favourite Jazz, Rat Pack, Swing, Motown and Soul Function band!

Another looooong drive down the M4 and across the Severn Bridge into Wales

Rosalind and Oliver's wedding day with Down for the Count

2011-07-04T08:27:00.000-07:00

On Friday 15th April 2011, Down for the Count provided the music for the wedding of Rosalind and Oliver Lambert in Marlow-on-Thames. Here is their account of their special day.

We hunted high and low for a band with a broad repertoire, high quality vocals and instrumentals. None quite matched up to Down for the Count. We found it very scary hiring a live band - if it went well, it would be amazing and so much better than a DJ, but if they were late, too loud, not up to scratch the whole day could be ruined.

From our first enquiry through many follow-up requests Mike was helpful and efficient every step of the way. He also managed to liase with me, the bride, and my Mum, keeping secrets where appropriate!

Our wedding wasn't until 4pm, so our guests had plenty of time to get there and get ready. We also had plenty of time to get ready, which was great for the bride and bridesmaid, but allowed the groom to get a little nervous about his speech and our first dance.

Our guests assembled from around 3.30pm with Mike playing a selection of romantic songs from our favourite musicals on the keyboard. Before we knew it 4pm had arrived and the bride entered to "The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" which everyone felt was very appropriate! The ceremony flew by, we hardly heard our vows, as we were concentrating so hard on what we were saying. Mike played "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring" and "Ave Maria" while we signed the register, which was wonderfully calming. Once the ceremony was complete we made our way outside to Handel's "La Réjouissance". I'd like to say we remember that bit but we were a bit overwhelmed by that point. However after a quick sprint Mike joined his bandmates in the next room, to play a favourite of the mother of the bride, Louis Armstrong's jazz version of "Here Comes the Bride" from the film "High Society". This was secret Mike had kept from the bride, and a very lovely surprise it was too.

The jazz band continued to play as we drank champagne and had photographs taken in the sunshine. After dinner the rest of the group had assembled to form the full 9-piece function band and we were ready for our first dance, "The Way You Make Me Feel', specially arranged and learnt at our request. This was the most nerve-racking part of the day, as we had practised with the recorded version but obvioulsy hadn't heard the band. Their performance was spot on and kept to just three minutes, as requested. The original is over five minutes and therefore far too long to keep dancing for!

The dancing continued all evening, with a bit of something for everyone, including a few current songs on our iPod while the band took their breaks. The dancefloor was heaving all night and everyone enjoyed the music immensely. They wrapped our evening up for us with a final dance of "Rock With You", after which we left everyone else to dance a little longer, and we headed down the road in a personalised london taxi!

A huge thanks to everyone in Down for the Count, especially Mike. We hope you choose to invite them to perform at your wedding - whichever part of the day you want them for, we know they can cover whatever you might want, just as they did for us!

Rosalind Lambert
July 2011

Photographs courtesy of Brown Box Photography

A Busy Weekend For Down for the Count

2011-06-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

Max Fagandini shares his thoughts on another weekend in the life of a busy function band!

Ah, to be paid for doing something you enjoy. Well, we enjoyed it at least – Mike was probably tearing his hair out with the stress of organisation. This most recent string of gigs featured the delightful playing of several dep players, some of whom were playing with the band for the first time – but of course, they all pulled it off with aplomb and the band sounded great. So a massive thank you and well done to Rhiannon Drake, Jonna van den Berg, Jamie Hone, Meridyth Dickson and Rob Cossins for their sterling work.

Thursday 23rd March saw the band heading up to Oxfordshire for an Oxford University Press conference at Eynsham Hall. Upon arrival at the hall (and yes, having a Streetvan parked out the front of this historic manor did look a tad incongruous) it was confirmed that we would be playing outside, and so with several fretful looks at the gathered clouds we begin to set up for the evening. Thankfully, however, the rain held back and we didn’t have to witness the soul-crushing scene of all of our electrical equipment fizzling its way off this mortal coil. The gig went marvellously, with the band sounding as tight as an inappropriate simile and the lovely Rhiannon singing up a storm. The third set started unusually, with a request from a guest for the Andrews Sisters’ Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy – as sung by her own, former-Las-Vegas-showgirl self. A first-rate performance, I might add.

The following day was Down for the Count’s triumphant return to Don’t Tell Fred, the Sheen-based restaurant and bar. Slightly shorter hair and a notable absence of door-related monologues signalled that tonight’s tenor sax dep would be Meridyth Dickson rather than the esteemed Jamie Hone, another Down for the Count first-timer who proved to be just as talented as her Walthamstow-bred compatriot. The gig had an even better turnout than its previous iteration – the crowd included several more members of the Ballard family, including one who had come over from Brazil just for this gig [citation needed], and a Fagandini or three as well. Celeb-spotters were disappointed when Clare Balding failed to make another appearance, but were soon put in better spirits by the swingtastic and soultacular (both words trademark Down for the Count) music. Many thanks to everyone who came along to support!

The third day of this musical odyssey brought the band to Micklefield Hall in Hertfordshire or, more accurately, an elaborate marquee just outside the hall. A quick and easy set up was followed by a leisurely dinner on the dainty sandwiches provided by the caterers and a sudden realisation on Mike’s part that the groom had wanted some horn parts for a rendition of All You Need Is Love. A frantic attempt at working out the key proved successful and the horn section was happy to step up on stage to accompany the groom and best man for their short Beatles tribute. The rest of the evening went off without a hitch and provided a fittingly positive ending to an exhausting three days.

The band’s got a number of these strings of gigs coming up over the next few months – it’ll be a lot of work, but if they end up half as good as this weekend was we’ll have nothing to worry about.

Down for the Count - weekend of ban(d)ter!

2011-05-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

Our next blog entry is straight from the quill of Max Fagandini - our deputy lead trumpeter, who is filling in for Tristan whilst he is off doing clever physics-related things in Singapore.

Down for the Count recently ventured over to Sheen to play their first live gig in London at the delightful restaurant-cum-bar, Don’t Tell Fred. It’s really a lovely place – though most of the band elected to shop a little further down-market for our dinner that evening (which is to say, fish and chips), we do have it on good authority that the food is great and, well, we can certainly vouch for the entertainment. Kicking off with a few Real Book numbers including a cracking rendition of It Don’t Mean A Thing and that old favourite, Misty (reggae-style, naturally), the band launched into their first jazz set as people began to filter down from the restaurant upstairs. Notable guests included most of the Ballard clan and Michael Buble himself [citation needed]. More people came down to join us throughout the evening and by the soul set at the end of the night the audience was so lively that some had even been moved to have a little dance. The staff were charmingly welcoming and word on the grape vine (which I understand is a reliable mode of communication) is that they enjoyed us so much they’re asking us back next month. So clear June 24^th in your calendars and come on down to Don’t Tell Fred for another sensational set!

The fun wasn’t quite over though – in preparation for Down for the Count presents On The Town, we spent most of the weekend at Audio Underground in Stoke Newington getting some rehearsal done and taking a look at some new charts for the gig. Interspersed with laughs, ban(d)ter and enough food and drink to feed a small Baltic state, it was great fun and left us all without a doubt that On The Town would be a fantastic evening for all concerned. As we all parted ways on Sunday afternoon, we bid a sad farewell to Claire who regrettably won’t be able to join us on the 21^st due to having her own show to run (other musical commitments? Sacrilege!). Naturally we all wish her the best of luck and we’ll try not to have too great a time so she doesn’t feel left out.

Check out Max's very own blog here!

A Day in the Life of Down for the Count

2011-04-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

On Friday 15th April we performed at the wedding of Rosalind Purvis and Oliver Lambert. We were particularly looking forward to this gig; weddings are probably our favourite type of event to perform at, and we were particularly excited about this one as we were providing music for the wedding ceremony, a jazz band during the afternoon drinks reception AND a function band for dancing in the evening. This meant a lot of preparation before the day, and over 65 emails and phone calls between us and the wedding family!

Luckily this wedding was only 40 miles away, so at lunchtime we met at our lock-up to load the van. This is usually quite a quick process – however today both lifts had decided to break, so we were resigned to carrying all the equipment down a staircase!

To console ourselves, we stopped off to pick up a quick lunch at a supermarket (as we couldn’t quite justify a service station stop on such a short journey). This invariably involves us buying lots of unhealthy food – although Steve shocked even us by buying three bars of chocolate (which he then proceeded to eat straight away, without even so much as offering anyone else a chocolate button).

After we arrived at the venue, we set up the piano for the wedding ceremony. Mike then had a quick run through of the music for the ceremony – the couple had asked for a medley of songs from musicals before the service, and classical music for the procession, recession, and signing of the register.

After the ceremony, we immediately went in to the two jazz quartet sets. As a surprise, the mother of the bride had arranged for us to play Louis Armstrong’s version of “Here Comes The Bride”, from High Society, as the couple walked through to the garden. It was one of the bride’s favourite films for her childhood – so we hope our version did it justice!

After we’d finished the jazz quartet sets, it was time for dinner. The family had arranged for us to have a delicious hot meal – widely accepted as quickest and easiest way to win a musician’s heart.

It was then time to put the set list together and then get changed – and, of course, for the girls to do their make-up!

We knew we didn’t have long after the main wedding meal had finished to set-up for the evening function band, so we started to get the gear ready outside.

Then it was time to move everything inside, and set-up in the performance space.

45 minutes later, we were ready to start playing – starting with the first dance, for which the couple had requested Michael Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel”. It’s always great seeing what couples have planned for the first dance, and today’s routine was fantastic!

After that, it was on with the rest of the set. The parents had requested we do as much Glenn Miller as possible, so we’d learnt two new songs for this gig – Pennsylvania 6-5000 and American Patrol.

After two fantastic Swing and Rat Pack sets, it was time for a quick break – during which we were invited to help ourselves to the fabulous cheese buffet!

It was then on with the Soul and Motown set – the highlight of every gig. We finished with Can’t Take My Eyes Off You – which received so much applause…

… that we played two encores, including New York, New York – invariably featuring a kick line!

After that it was time for a quick coffee (by this time, we were feeling very well looked after!)…

… before packing up and loading the van, a process which always seems a lot quicker than setting up!

We were done! Even though some of us had been at the venue for 11 hours, performing over four and a half hour’s worth of music, we’d had an amazing time and were made to feel extremely welcome at the wedding. It was time for a quick group hug before driving home, unloading and getting ready for the next gig!

Down for the Count Recording Session - October 2010

2011-01-12T13:13:00.000-08:00

This December we went to The Limehouse Studios in East London to record our new album and demo CD. Recording a demo is probably the most important investment for a function band, but it’s also definitely the most exciting one – there’s a certain thrill in sitting down and listening to what you ACTUALLY sound like!

The work actually started months before the session, as we had to choose and then rehearse the best songs to record, bearing in mind that we wouldn’t have much time on the day for each song. We were aiming to record ten songs in a single day – a hugely ambitious task, and one that we only managed because of the hours of preparation beforehand!

We chose The Limehouse for several reasons, but the main one was the incredible instruments they offered – a beautiful grand piano, a ‘best that money can buy’ drum kit, and a vintage Rhodes electric piano – which explains the smile on Amelia’s face! (Plus they had free tea and coffee, which always helps). We had a wonderful time there, and would recommend highly recommend it.

The first part of the day was spent setting up the rhythm section – piano, bass, drums and keyboards. (Usually this is also the part of the day where Steve teases Rich for taking so long to tune his drums, today being no exception).

After we had recorded the rhythm section, it was time for the horn section to have their turn. Stan, our usual trumpeter, had been taken ill in the week leading up to the recording session and he sensibly decided that belting out high notes all afternoon would not do him any good! Luckily, we have an army of deputy players ready to step to the fore and were very grateful to Max for filling in for us at extremely short notice.

Recording the horn section was particularly hard work (for them) because Mike, having recorded his piano tracks, was now in the control room listening intently – and shouting abuse down the headphones with every wrong note! However, there must have been a few nice things said as well because everyone is smiling here…

After the horns had their go, it was time for the final bit of recording – adding the vocals. Katie had been singing ‘guide vocals’ in the control room all day to help us know where we were in each song – and finally it was her time to get in the studio and record them for real.

Finally, 11 hours after we had arrived at the studio, we had 10 tracks recorded! All that was left was the tedious part – mixing, mastering, and burning the CD. However, to do this bit you have to be awake and alert and after so long everything you listen to starts to sound the same and everyone. So instead we headed home, to celebrate a successful day’s work in the traditional musician's way – beer and a curry.

The next weekend, it was back to the studio to ‘finish off’ the recording. Even though we did hardly any sneaky ‘edits’ or ‘fixes’, there was still a lot of technical work to do to turn our recordings into tracks for the CD.

But finally, we were there. After many hours of hard work, fuelled by hundreds of cups of coffee, we were there! We had 10 fantastic new tracks and a brand new album - "Say No More", which you can buy here!

Welcome to the Down for the Count's brand new blog!

2011-01-12T07:17:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Down for the Count’s brand new blog!

We’ll be using this blog for two main purposes:
1. To keep you updated with our current projects – such as live performances and recording sessions;
2. To offer our advice to people who are considering booking a live band for an event.

We hope you find this blog interesting and useful!