Month in Review - August, 2014

Venice, Italy

Where has August gone? Huge apologies that my last update was 25 July ... did you miss me? Don't answer that ... LOL!  I have loads to tell you about, so let's dig in!

The week of July 28th I was on a much needed holiday with the hubs. We went on a cruise from Venice, Italy to Kefalonia, Greece returning home on the 31st. There was lots of sunshine, food, drinks and dancing. Just what I needed to prepare for the very busy month of August.

I performed Supremely, Diana Ross on 1st August and with my originals band Mayfield on the 3rd at the Southsea Show. On the 2nd I performed at a new venue, Tinkers Tea Room in Gosport. What a lovely venue and fantastic audience. We started out with a very gentle Jazz & Blues set and then finished with an eclectic mix of uptempo classics that had the whole place up and dancing. Even drew in a few people who were passing by. I'm re-booked to perform for their Christmas season on the 12th of December. I'm also sorting out their entertainment for September with some of GME's amazing talent. More details to come.

Midnight Soul Sisters

The week of August 4th I was up to London on the Monday to rehearse with my latest venture, Midnight Soul Sisters, preparing for my debut performance with them on Friday the 8th at Felling Social Club in Newcastle. I was so nervous for the show because there were many dance routines I had to learn and actually remember, but the show was amazing and being on stage with three other dynamic entertainers was absolutely magical. At one point I was looking around at these women thinking 'how on earth did I get here'! We've been re-booked for that venue and I have several other dates booked with MSS. Learning and performing the dance routines reminded me of my cruise ship days, and I was thankful to have had that experience to draw on, because I don't think I would have been ready otherwise. Admittedly, sometimes I forgot to sing during the show because I was concentrating so hard on the dance steps ... LOL! The group is being re-vamped and we'll have some updated pics and video soon! Watch this space.

Move On Up

On 9 August I performed with my covers band, Move On Up, at The Concorde Club in Eastleigh. We did the Diana Ross Tribute Show and then finished up with a fiery party set. It was clear that the audience were there to have a good time, because the dance floor was full on the first Diana Ross song! What a great night.

The week of August 11th I attended a Shaping Portsmouth meeting on Tuesday. I am working with two 'work streams' within this organization ... Business & Enterprise and Cultural Partnership. The meeting on Tuesday was with B&E and my first meeting with Cultural Partnership will be on 1 September. Portsmouth is my adopted city and where I run my business from, and I wanted to find a way to give something back to this community that has embraced me and my business. Shaping Portsmouth allows me to do that and I'm looking forward to getting involved. Please click here to learn more about this organization.

On the 15-17 of August I was back in London for Foodies Festival Battersea Park. We were off to a very rocky start on Day 1 of this event ... when I arrived, the entertainment stage wasn't even built yet and wasn't finished until after the event had already opened. Day 2 of the event went much smoother and Day 3 was fantastic. I have to give a special shout out to James Gillespie, an amazing solo performer who covered my nether region big time by performing extra sets throughout the 3 days to help me cover cancellations. He was the perfect choice to ask to step in because he is a high-energy performer with a fantastic voice and quite the charmer with the audience. People were coming back to the event just to see him. By the Sunday, everyone was in love with him ... including me!

James Gillespie

This week has been all about Foodies Festival Oxford, the fifth event of the year for which I've organized the entertainment. Organizing this event has been full of challenges, and I didn't have the final list finished until yesterday! But, it's done and the line-up promises to be great. Click here to see the list of performers.

Finally, the 31st of August marks my 2nd year in business. However, before I can start celebrating I've got to get through next week which will consist of finalizing this year's accounts and year-end paperwork. I'll let you know how I get on in next week's newsletter.

My Dad!

On a personal note, my dad suffered a mild stroke while I was at the Battersea Park event. I received that news on Day 2 and I'm honestly not sure how I made it through the rest of the festival. On the train home from the festival on Sunday I was on a conference call with the doctor and my siblings and the news was really good. By Monday, my dad was off life support, sitting in a chair and talking. And on Thursday he was moved from intensive care. I had booked a flight to go home on Monday, but my sister said that it would be better for me to come when he's released to a rehab facility so I can help with the transition. I am so thankful for all the prayers and support I received during this time and feel extremely blessed that my 90 year old father is still with me!

Well, that's it for now. Have a fabulous weekend!

Week In Review - 27 December 2013

GME has been closed this week for Christmas, but I did want to mention the fantastic night my band! 'Move On Up' had performing with 'Veronique Devine & The Vixens' at their 'Rock With The Foxes Christmas Show at the RMA Tavern in Eastney on 21 December. Their final show of the year was full of tassels, glitter and Christmas cheer! It was fun watching the boys in the band react to the various Vixens as they revealed their baubles and tinsel (wink, wink) and when Move On Up did take to the stage, we indeed rocked with the foxes as we performed our favourite Soul, Funk & Rock tunes!

The remainder of this very rainy Christmas week was spent with friends and family and eating way too much. Even with a bit of a head cold, I have managed to stay in the festive mood and put on a few delicious pounds. Needless to say, I'll be joining the masses at the gym desperately searching for my 'beach' body!

I've only got two more gigs for this year ... 28 December I'm performing solo at a private party on Hayling Island, and New Year's Eve I'll be performing with Move On Up at The Dolphin in Old Portsmouth. Move On Up is my most recent venture and I think it's only fitting to end the year performing with a band that has such promise!  Next year is going to be quite exciting for GME and all of the performers that I am fortunate enough to be working with! 

I wish you a very happy and prosperous New Year and hope that you have a safe transition into 2014!

Love,
Gloria

GME Week In Review - 20 December 2013

Move On Up Party Band

On Saturday, 14 December, 'Supremely, Diana Ross Tribute Show' featuring Move On Up Party Band had another successful outing at The Jolly Sailor. That was our last Tribute show of the year and what a way to finish the year.  The show only went live in September and the demand has been overwhelming. We already have several dates booked in for next year so watch this space for updates.

On Monday, 16 December, Opus 20 Jazz Orchestra had its 2nd ever show at the Newtown Conservative Club in Poole and we had a delightful evening performing some fantastic Jazz songs and Holiday favourites. Both or 9 December and 16 December shows were video taped and I will post a few clips once the editing is complete. A special thanks to Gordon Wray of Advantage Video for coming along to tape these shows.

I love performing at private parties, and my gig on 19 December for Bosmere School Havant at The Piranha Bar reinforced why these types of events are such fun! From the first song to the last, the dance floor was packed and everyone was singing along to their favourite songs ... sometimes louder than me!  I agonized over the set list hoping to choose the right songs to ensure everyone's enjoyment, and I feel that the list I did put together was absolutely perfect for the occasion!  Once I was at the last song of my first set, the dance floor was full and I didn't want to disrupt the flow with taking a break, so I did both sets back to back with no break! I was exhausted by the time I finished off with 'Proud Mary' but the decision to play right through was definitely the right one!  We all had an absolute blast!

Burlesque Show

On Saturday, 21 December, Move On Up will be joining Veronique Devine & The Vixens for their Ultimate Burlesque Christmas Party at the RMA Tavern in Eastney! Needless to say, when I mentioned this opportunity to the boys in the band, they were quite enthusiastic about saying yes to this gig!

Next week is Christmas and I am looking forward to have a few days off to enjoy friends and family!  I hope you have a fantastic Holiday Season and that it's filled with love and joy!!

See you next week!!

Gloria

Karaoke Singer vs. Backing Track Performer

Okay, I admit it … I have signed my name on many a list and flipped through very large books listing every imaginable song, and then took to the microphone to belt out one (or more) of my favourite songs.  Karaoke nights are fun and many venues offer these nights in lieu of bringing in live performers.  However, there is one huge difference between Karaoke singers and backing track performers … entertainment value!  Karaoke nights can be entertaining, but usually for all the wrong reasons.

Blues Bros. by Disco Divas!

At GME I work with some amazing solo, duo & tribute acts who perform with backing tracks and they create a ‘show’ atmosphere with their performances because they are stellar performers!  More and more venues, hotels and event planners are seeing the value in booking a backing track performer because it is a smart choice if you have limited space or a small budget.  A solo or duo act with backing tracks is a great option to create a big band sound for your guests at a solo or duo fee.  Another option is to pair a solo performer or tribute act with a DJ for a party night or event adding the ‘live’ music element to the occasion.

Our aim at GME is to keep music live which is why I encourage solo and duo performers to consider adding backing tracks to enhance their shows which gives entertainment bookers affordable options that allow them to continue to bring fantastic live entertainment to their venues or events.

Elainor Knight-Solo Performer

If you are a performer and you currently use backing tracks or might be considering using them, I recommend visiting www.karaoke-version.co.uk.  They offer thousands of backing tracks in .mp3 format for download at a reasonable price, and each track gives you four key options. 

Secret Smile Duo

This is ideal for the solo performer. They also offer custom backing tracks which are multi-track .mp3’s allowing you to alter or omit any of the individual parts that make up the track. This is ideal for solo performers and duos who want to remove the piano part or the guitar part, etc. leaving room for you to add live instrumentation. There is a .com version of this website too. 

GME is currently running a Holiday Entertainment special for the month of December:

Book a GME Solo Act for £180 for 2 45-minute sets of festive music. 

Book a GME Duo Act for £250 for 2 45-minute sets of festive music.

Contact us today to enquire about one of GME's acts, or provide information about your next event on this booking form and let us handle the details ... 02392 280829.

SPECIAL OFFER: Need Holiday Entertainment?

Are you still looking for Holiday music for a special Christmas event at your venue, for a private Christmas party in your home or a hired space, or for your work Christmas do? Then contact GME today and take advantage of our Christmas Season special offer.

Offer:

Book a GME Solo Act for £180 for 2 45-minute sets of festive music. 










Book a GME Duo Act for £250 for 2 45-minute sets of festive music.




Our solo and duo acts perform all genres of music including Christmas music and other favourites from the 50's through today!

Call me today at 07504 611 173 to discuss your event and to book a fantastic solo or duo act to help you and your guests celebrate this Holiday Season!

www.gloriamillerentertainment.com

This offer expires 30 December 2013 and cannot be used for a New Year's Eve booking.