Editor's Note - 1 August 2015

The thing about switching to a monthly newsletter format is that there's so much more to talk about all at once. I promise to be brief and to the point, but it's gonna be hard because July was quite busy. Oh well, here goes ...

Midnight Soul Sisters

The Midnight Soul Sisters had a gig in Glasgow Scotland at the Thistle Hotel on 2 July and it took them the entire day to get to the venue to perform a 20-minute Motown set. The response from the crowd made the journey completely worth it, plus it was good bonding time with the girls being in the car together for several hours. Then on the 4th of July MSS headlined a festival in Kent. Click here to watch the promo video we put together from this show.

On 9 July I attended a Strategy Day with Shaping Portsmouth's Cultural Partnership group at Portsmouth Guildhall. It's great to be a part of the group that is setting the cultural tone of my adopted city and I look forward to helping Portsmouth grow in to an even more diverse cultural hub on the South Coast.

Groove Star

On 11 July Motown Singer, Marlene Hill performed at a private event at Esseborne Manor House in Andover, while Mayfield original soul band performed at The Jolly Sailor in Southsea to a very enthusiastic crowd.

My dynamic 70's act, Groove Star, performed at a private event in Rowlands Castle on the 18 of July and Gemma Anderson performed her Motown to Modern show in Blackpool on 25 July and my Diana Ross Tribute Act made an appearance at a Casino in Southsea on 31 July.

Me and James (Nephew)

I also found time to get home to Chicago for a family reunion and it was an absolute delight seeing my parents, family and friends during my way too short trip. I managed to eat in all my favourite food places around Chicago and struggled to get into that Diana Ross dress after a week of indulgence.

My radio show on ExpressFM, Glo's Music for the Soul, will be moving to Friday nights at 9pm starting this week. Some of my previous Sunday shows have been themed including Ladies of Soul, 90's R&B and Chicago Soul. If you'd like to here some of the past shows, click here. And please join me on Friday for a brand new show of Motown, Soul, Blues, Jazz, Funk & more!

Finally, I am looking to take on an apprentice starting in September to work with me up to 30 hours a week. This apprenticeship is ideal for someone interested in music or event planning, and who has good computer and social media skills. Please get in touch if you or someone you know might be interested. 02392 894 902.

I tried to update you as much as possible without being too wordy. How did I do?? Anyway, that's it for now. Have a great month!!

Check Out:  5-Tips for Booking Entertainment

Five Tips for Booking Entertainment!

Do you need to hire star-quality entertainment for your Wedding, Venue or Event? Here are some tips to make finding the perfect entertainment a little less daunting:

1.                 Make sure the agency has vetted all of their Acts. When working with Gloria Miller Entertainment (GME), you can rest assured that each Act on our roster is vetted for quality of talent, professionalism and service.

2.                   Only work with agencies that have updated audio and video samples of their Acts. GME offers a search facility on our website for ease of finding the type of Act you’re looking for, and we have the artists’ most recent audio and/or video demos on their pages, including sample set lists.

3.                 When requesting a quote, provide as much information about the entertainment you want as possible, including your budget. At GME, you can request a free, no-obligation entertainment quote through our website, and by simply filling in the required fields, we’ll have everything we need to give you the best quote possible. If applicable, we will also include the deposit amount due to secure the booking in the written quote.

4.                 Contact the entertainment agency well ahead of your event wherever possible. At GME we have several Acts who are available for last minute bookings, but if you are able to plan ahead we can insure that you get your first choice of Acts; offer ideas for your event; and put together an entire entertainment package, if required.

5.                 Make sure the agency issues a contract for your Wedding, Venue or Event. Once you have decided to confirm your booking, GME will verify all of the details of your event and issue a contract which can either be signed electronically on-line, or you can email or post a signed hard copy to our office.

Finding quality entertainment in your area has never been easier. If you have internet access, just get on your PC, Tablet or Phone and visit www.gloriamillerentertainment.com to preview the UK’s best Solo, Duo & Tribute Acts plus dynamic Party Bands and Variety Acts. We can also provide full DJ/Disco services and Themed Entertainment such as Vegas Nights, Double Tribute Shows, Motown Nights and more!

Contact us today for star-quality entertainment for your Wedding, Venue or Event and let us handle the details!

Week In Review - 9 January 2015!

I hope you had as lovely a Holiday Season as I did because honestly, taking those two weeks off was just what I needed to reflect on a very productive 2014 and set my intention for what I hope will be a stellar 2015! I have to confess there's a bit more of me to love, because I certainly didn't miss a meal during those two weeks, and I happily indulged in all those yummy foods that I tend to stay away from during the year. I am paying for it now having to work out like a mad woman so I can get into that lovely Diana Ross dress for my first gig of the year next weekend!

When I say I took two weeks off, that's strictly from admin work. I was performing quite a bit and ended the year with a bang by performing four mini sets of my Diana Ross Tribute Show at four different venues on New Year's Eve! It seemed like a good idea when I said yes to doing this type of booking, but I had no idea how exhausting it would be. It was interesting to see how the demeanor of the crowd changed at each venue. 

At the first venue I went on just after 8pm and the night was young, people were just starting to get their drink on so the mood was laid back and mellow. Venue two, and hour later and the crowd was a bit livelier as the liquid courage was just starting to kick in. I get to venue three and this crowd was marinated just enough to think I was the real Diana Ross and gave me the rock star treatment complete with being followed around and trapped by the pappirazzi with a line of people wanting a photo!

Then it was off to my final venue ... I arrived just before 11pm and the crowd was totally baked and well up for anything. I could have stood their barking and they would have loved it! I didn't, but I could have. I had a great time at each venue and was done at 11:30 and back home and in my onesie just in time to watch the count down and the fireworks on the telly. A special shout out to the hubs who was my driver, sound person & body guard for the night! I would not have survived without him!

Also during my Christmas hiatus, Mayfield Recording Studio was launched! I am so proud to be associated with this amazing venture and the buzz is already starting about this brand new, state-of-the-art recording facility located in Portsmouth. Visit the website to learn more about the studio and the 50% Introductory Offer!

There have already been a few recording sessions at the studio, and Mayfield the band was in on the 2nd of January recording the first track for our second album due to be released later this year. If you having any recording needs, do check out Mayfield Studios and take advantage of the discount while it lasts!

It was hard getting back to work on Monday, but moving into my very own office space at the Cathedral Innovation Centre in Old Portsmouth made it a bit exciting. I've been hotdesking at this location for the past year, and now the Gloria Miller Entertainment Ltd. office is now open for business. The space is proving to be quite the boost to productivity as this week I added quite a few bookings to the diary. Let's hope this keeps up!

On Thursday I had a meeting with Ross from the Jolly Sailor about Southsea's Got Talent, and I am happy to be returning as one of the judges for the competition that is going to be bigger and better as it goes into its third year. The first heat will be 5 February! Watch this space for more info. 

On Friday I did my first music business coaching session with a new client. Last year I started doing some vocal coaching and this year I am diversifying that service to include music business coaching as well. I will be officially launching this service later in the year in partnership with Mayfield Studios Tuition Services. More details to come ...

Finally, on Saturday I am off to Leeds for two days of intensive rehearsals with The Midnight Soul Sisters as we prepare for our promo video shoot and the growing schedule of upcoming shows!  I'll put up a good fight against the battle of the bulge this weekend as I try to turn one of my two left feet into a right foot and learn all the dance moves required for these shows. I had a look at the routines we'll be learning, and this is going to be a hard couple of days, but well worth it 'cause these moves will look amazing once it's all put together! I'll post the promo video when it's finished! 

Well, I think that's enough yapping from me this week!  Have a fabulous weekend ...

Week In Review - 5 December 2014

Most of this week has been spent planning for 2015 and there are some really exciting things developing for next year. More on that latter ...

On Monday, I joined Martin Bargent of Brown Sugar Events on ExpressFM to discuss The All Woman Christmas Shopping & Indulgence Show being held on Sunday at The Norton Park Hotel in Winchester. We had a lovely chat with Phil Russell on the morning show discussing the event and the charity it benefits, The Katie Piper Foundation. I will be one of several exhibitors, and will also be perform a few holiday favourites and more during the course of the day. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here!

Phil, Glo & Martin!

On Tuesday, I met with Helen at Creative Click to discuss my new website. I got a little peak at it and its looking very cool! I built my current website, and the new one will have a similar feel, but will be much more high tech because the professionals know how to do sooooooo much more than I do! It was very difficult letting go of the website, but after two years in business I thought this would be a good time to launch a new site. Watch this space!

One of the exciting developments for 2015 is that I will be presenting a weekly radio show on ExpressFM starting in January. I currently do a monthly internet show called Glo's Music for the Soul, which I will now turn into a weekly format focusing on an eclectic mix of music that soothes the soul! On Thursday I met with Rob at the station to discuss the show and next week I'm going in to learn the equipment and do some test recording. I have to admit, I am quite nervous about this weekly show ... but I'm equally as excited! This is like a dream come true! Doing a monthly show is challenging, and I know the weekly one will be even more so, but I am up for it and will give it my all!

I'm working on the December edition of the internet show next week and have a great show planned with soulful Holiday classics, and a bit of Funk, R&B and Jazz too!  Click here to listen to November's show!

Today I am gearing up for a three-gig weekend, with the first one tonight at The Phoenix in Crookhorn where I will be performing Simply, Tina Turner! On Saturday I am in Reading at Wokefield Park performing with The Midnight Soul Sisters. Then on Sunday, I will head to Winchester for the All Woman Show. I am looking forward to a busy weekend of performing.
Finally, I've got a couple of my top acts booked out this weekend. Tonight, Damiain Lodrick will be performing solo at The Piranha Bar and on Saturday, GME's artist of the month, Everyday Sunshine, will be performing at the same venue!  If you're looking for something to do this weekend, why not come to one of these shows! I guarantee you'll have a great time!

Damiain Lodrick

Remember, Gloria Miller Entertainment is a full-service entertainment agency and we provide premium entertainment at affordable prices for Weddings, Events, Venues, Festivals and Cruise Ships offering Solo Performers up to 8-piece Bands, Tribute and Variety Acts. Contact us at 02392 280829 today to discuss your entertainment needs for 2015.

That's it for now! Have a wonderful weekend.

Week In Review - 11 April 2014

For as long as I can remember, I have always been quite goal oriented and this year I set four goals for GME. One of those goals was to develop two new shows ... 'I'll Be Seeing You,' a wartime show and 'Totally Tina Turner,' a tribute show to the rock & roll legend.  On Easter Sunday, I'll be debuting I'll Be Seeing You at the Hayling Island Sailing Club, and on the 4th of July, I'll be performing Totally Tina Turner alongside Supremely, Diana Ross at The Exchange in Bournemouth!

Andrew Sisters

So, this week has been all about fine tuning the wartime show and I have sooooooo enjoyed researching the songs from WWI & WWII and I'm finding that I love the purity of the vocals on these songs. The Andrews Sisters' musicianship is beyond words with their intricate harmonies and pitch perfect vocals on such delights as 'Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy' and 'Chattanooga Choo Choo'! Vera Lynn seems to have captured the hearts of the entire country with her heartfelt vocals on 'Bless 'Em All' and 'We'll Meet Again' among many other WWII favourites.

The real fun was in finding WWI songs like 'Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag' and 'It's A Long Way to Tipperary'!  I've included a few of the videos I used for research in choosing the set list for 'I'll Be Seeing You' in this week's newsletter. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

On Tuesday, I had a meeting with Martin Bargent, the Director of Brown Sugar Events to discuss working together on future projects. Their next event is 'The All Woman Show' being held on the 22nd of June at the Mountbatten Leisure Centre in Portsmouth. Having met Martin at the launch of the Portsmouth Venus Awards reinforces how important networking is in business. 

Next week I am having a mini-holiday with Neal at our place in Spain, but I will have to do some work finalizing the entertainment for Foodies Festival, Clapham Common. I've still got a few slots to fill for Clapham and I'm looking for solo performers, duos and bands who perform folk, soul, pop and/or Jazz. Please contact me if you're interested in performing for any of the Foodies events.

Neal & Me

Click here to view final running order for the Brighton event being held on 3, 4, & 6th of May. The Clapham Common event is the 6, 7, & 8th of June. 

That's it for this week. Have a fantastic weekend!