Visit London Awards and More

We have just provided a great string quartet for the Visit London Awards at Westfield Shopping Centre. The piece was by Marc 01, who is a tenori-on expert. For those not aware (I, for one was not), this is a Yamaha instrument that looks and sounds very futuristic. You get some idea from the photo here. We played a straight version of Beethoven's 5th through microphones at the very start of the evening. Half way through, the beats kicked in, and the tenori-ons appeared. It was great fun, and we enjoyed working for SML Events - who were a lovely bunch of people, and created a great event!

Other unusual events were a recent Faroe Islands fashion event in Digitaria, Soho - where I played some highly unsual music by Sunleif Rasmussen. It was great, and whoever says people in fashion are superficial can eat their words. I've played this kind of music before - and usually, audiences cannot handle it for longer than a couple of minutes. I was amazed that these guys actually watched, as if it was a concert. Humanity faith-restoring stuff indeed.

Wedding string quartets are still hard at work, with December bringing weddings in Marble Hill House, Richmond - and Great Fosters Hotel, Twickenham - to name but two.

And the string section for Liquid Strings is hard at work with more concerts for Ioannis's Doxa Deo Church. We are looking forward to this, and on the same night, Julian and his jazz trio are perfroming at Radisson Edwardian Hotel, Bloomsbury Street. And we haven't even started the Xmas rush yet (sorry I mentioned the X word....)

New artists for Liquid Strings inculde a fantastic cello and dancer act, (perfect corporate entertainment for Christmas parties), a wonderful Big Band for hire and an amazing new gospel choir, who really have to be seen to be believed - but are amazing singers. They are ideal for weddings, parties and big events. Have a listen on their page.

October 'Green Shoots'

We are working like crazy to provide the right people for the events that you require. I am not convinced by the idea of 'green shoots'. I keep reading and hearing different points of view, but we have had to tackle the recession and the lack of overflowing budgets with smaller, bespoke options.
Not everyone requires such smaller bookings. In December, we are providing a string section for hire for 2 events held by Doxa Deo Church in London. One will be in Wimbledon, and one in Stratford Picture House. We love this, as playing miked up with a great band is a refreshing change from the standard classical music we often play. It is always a highly enthusiastic service, and led by the excellent singing and keyboard playing of Ioannis Dekas. We hope to get some film footage to put on the site as well this time.
Apart from this, we've provided Julian's solo guitar hire for several weddings, and over the summer in association with Courtneys at Paddington Recreation Park there were some fantastic duos including the brilliant corporate entertainment from Liquid Strings electric violin and keyboards/turntables Matt and Naomi. If a string quartet sounds a bit much, a string trio for hire can be excellent, and see the photo of Brian, Victoria and Stefano entertaining the guests at Putteridge Bury Conference Centre at Nick and Kelly Booth's wedding.

Ok, enough for now - got lots of work to do.

Michelle and 3 of the lovely ladies from the Liquid Strings Gospel Singers roused the already lively crowd at the Secret Cinema event in the Coronet Theatre on Saturday 20th. These great gospel singers for hire were an amazing addition to what looked like an amazing night, full of colourful characters and a carnival feel taking over the Elephant and Castle venue.

On the same night, the wonderful Djanan and Turkish musicians were bringing a Turkish theme to a 50th birthday party. The whole party theme was Turkish, so Liquid Strings sourced a brilliant belly dancer as well - Hannah - who brought exactly the right ambiance with her elegant, poised dancing - working well with Djanan, with whom she's worked several times before. If you're having a party and you're looking to bring some live music into your home, we specialise in bespoke live music, tailored to each particular event.

We are always adding new artists to the pool to choose from, and the latest is a talented DJ for hire in London - DJ Ernest is a true pro, who can bring the house down with his big party mixes. He is sensitive to every event he works in, always trying to fit in, rather than take over each venue! This is a great skill, and combined with his excellent equipment and brilliant tunes, he is the DJ of choice if you want to have an unforgettable party. Contact Brian on 07958 031797 for more information.

New page on the site for the fantastic Julian - solo guitarist for hire. Julian has been playing in several events for Liquid Strings recently. His combination of classical, Baroque, Spanish and jazz guitar make him a fine choice for weddings, parties and all kinds of other events.
He recently played at a wedding and ended up accompanying one of the bridesmaids in singing Somewhere over the Rainbow. It's this kind of versatility that marks him out a player of choice for events. He plays through a small amp to be heard in different settings and during the credit crunch can make a perfect choice for those with budgetary constraints (whilst not being too cheap!)

We have new Themed Events, including -
Brazilian Samba - the best authentic live music for a themed Brazilian party.
Late Lounge Party - cool musicians with a unique twist on turntables, lovely keyboards and electric violin.
Decadent Swing Party - Hannah and her jazz bands can send you back into the swing era of the 30s, or other live music themed Events.

Soon to come is a page for guitarist Julian, whose solo guitar for hire in Liquid Strings is proving very popular, with several weddings coming up.

News and Tips for Events

Please feel free to add any comments/suggestions, or fire a question if you wish!

RECENT EVENTS

• Wedding Reception and Dinner in 'Home House' private members club.
• String Quartet to play for Sultanate of Oman in a Gala Dinner at Muscat, Oman.
• 60th Birthday Surprise Party string duo in Carvasso's Restaurant, Chiswick.
  

NEW ACTS

The best of our new acts are -

• Brazilian Samba Band (see above)
• Electric violin and keyboards/turntables duo with Cafe del Mar style music (see above)
• Hannah 30s style Swing Singer
  

MUSIC FOR EVENTS TIPS/IDEAS

Small is beautiful!

During the recession, we have been offering our clients budget-busting alternatives that still look and sound fantastic.

For example, if the event is not that large and you cannot afford to book a string quartet, why not book a string duo? The combination of violin and cello looks great, and most essentially, it sounds great as well. It can sound as good as a string trio, but is of course cheaper!

A solo musician doesn't have to be an expensive harpist (and if the harpist is not expensive, beware!). It can be a more economical cellist, jazz or classical guitarist.

An amplified function band can be exorbitant, but if you're looking for a cheaper alternative for live, amplified music for events, ask us about our jazz bands. Some of the combinations (ie trio with female singer) can be very reasonable and flexible in their fees.



With Best Wishes,
Brian

Our string duo played in Carvosso's for a 60th Birthday on Sat 28th. It went superbly well, and up and coming events include providing a string section for hire in a concert in Raynes Park, as well as more weddings.
We have also recently had Eva playing in a wedding at the beautiful church in Ely Place - St Etheldreda. Solo flute for weddings is a lovely pure sound - well worth using for a small, intimate event, which this event was. Another lovely wedding choice is solo guitar hire.