Festive greetings and welcome back to my blog! This year has been a busy one and this YULE BLOG is an update on what I’ve been up to since my last one when I banged on about getting married. Since then I’ve had the most fun performing at some epic parties, travelling, and working on some new creative projects.
Since honeymoon it has been full throttle back into gigs and events. Playing the violin has taken me around Europe to places such as beautiful Beaune in France for a special weekend of 40th birthday celebrations, Aberdeen for a VIP event for Air France, and Copenhagen for a Back to The Future themed corporate event for Janssen (photo below).
This year has also been incredibly busy with wedding bookings, both around the UK and abroad. A few of my wedding highlights include playing in Rhodes, Mykonos and Delhi for some amazing destination weddings with André Saxman Brown as part of Entourage. I’ve also had a great time away with the ladies from House of Angels for a couple of events in Portugal.
Weddings in Rhodes, Mykonos and Delhi this year with Entourage.
One of my favourite Entourage gigs this year was an amazing wedding at the Lanesborough for event planner extraordinaire - Jemma-Jade. The flowers were out of this world, the venue looked stunning, and I had the most fun performing with a super Entourage line-up of sax, trumpet, guitar, percussion, vocals and DJ. Check out the amazing photos here!
As a soloist I’ve also had the pleasure of playing at some of the UK’s most stunning venues, such as Stowe House, Stoke Park, Hedsor House, Orchardleigh House, Somerley House and Lillibrooke Manor (our very own wedding venue!) It’s such a joy to perform in such beautiful surroundings and discover hidden gems in the country. Here are a few of the venues I managed to get a snap of before performing for the ceremony and drinks reception:
Back in September I flew to Edinburgh to perform for a super cool wedding at Ghillie Dhu, as well as performing at a special celebrity wedding back in June at a private members’ club in London. I can’t tell you much about this one… but the photos are in Vogue (CLANG).
One of my absolute highlights of the year was being asked to perform with Liam Gallagher as part of Urban Soul Orchestra for his MTV Unplugged Show in Hull. It was such an epic gig to be a part of and the whole energy of the show was electric. The crowd’s chants were deafeningly exhilarating, the string arrangements were juicy, and I was on an adrenaline high for most of the following week!
Photo credit: Jake Green
You might have also caught a glimpse of me performing live with Liam on ITV’s The Jonathan Ross Show here. You may have also seen me briefly on BBC’s The One Show performing alongside Ball and Boe, and apparently I’ve been spotted on an episode of Channel 4’s Escape to the Manor Hotel whilst performing at a dinner at Hampton Manor. Also keep an eye out for me on ITV’s Dancing on Ice Christmas Special later this month when I’ll be in the background on violin for John Barrowman.
The biggest news of the last few months has been the launch of my new act, VIO-GLO. I’ve been planning this act over the last couple of years and am so happy to finally show you what it’s about – VIO-GLO is an LED violin show with 1,352 multicolour LEDs that illuminate the violinist's dress, violin and bow. It is a combination of ground-breaking technology, haute-couture design and musical virtuosity, all rolled into one showstopper act. We recently performed at The Ivy Asia, St Paul’s and I can’t wait to perform with this in more events in 2020. For more information, check out our website or follow us on Instagram. While you’re there, why not give my entertainment agency Bubble and Squeak a follow too?! ;)
Photo credit: Tor Hills Photography. Tor also did some photography magic on me a little more casually dressed which you can check out here.
As well as The Ivy, it’s been fun performing for some restaurant and public events at venues such as Montezuma and Aruba Bournemouth. This year has also seen me become a regular performer at The Empire Casino in Leicester Square, and for one event I even got to dress up as a Roman. Yes, you heard correctly. I'm not lying:
Other recent corporate highlights include performing for a day in the Avis tent at Henley Regatta back in the summer and a private event for Bayco Jewels with Entourage, a solo summer soirée on the terrace of the National Theatre overlooking the Thames for Dehns, and a Thanksgiving dinner for Tiffany & Co. VIPs. I’ve also had a blast performing over DJ for a product launch for ACDC lighting in November, and an electric violin show for the Drive Classics Club car event in St. Albans:
It’s now the final countdown to Christmas and there are only 4 weddings to go until my annual roast potato food coma. I’ll be spending next week in the Cotswolds, Liverpool, and The Old Marylebone Town Hall where I’m now a preferred supplier (yippee!). If you’re looking for something to do on New Year’s Eve, I’ll be downstairs at Blakes Hotel, Kensington from 10.30pm-1.30am with Kit on sax. Tickets here!
2020 is looking exciting with weddings and parties in the diary across the UK, as well as in Delhi, Mykonos, Portugal, Spain and Tuscany, and some more events performing as VIO-GLO!
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and thanks for reading! x
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