Week In Review - 20 June 2014

Chillin' in Spain w/the Hubs!

I had a much needed 4-day mini break to Spain from Monday through Thursday, topping up my tan and the scale a bit too! The getaway was the perfect combination on sunshine, sangria & paella!  

On Friday, I performed a dep gig with 'Beau' at the grand re-opening of The Westleigh in Havant. The venue and the crowd were both fantastic, and I really enjoyed working with the fantastic musicians that comprise Beau. Dep gigs keep you on your toes because usually you don't get a chance to rehearse, you just show up and hope for the best :). Thankfully, I've dep'd for them before, so we were good to go.

Beau

Gloria Miller Duo

Note to self ... never schedule three gigs for the same date which is exactly what I did on Saturday, the longest day of the year in every way! I put in a 12-hour day gigging at The Spring in Havant with my duo in the afternoon, a private party in Hedge End in the early evening, and finishing up at The Mermaid in Portsmouth performing Supremely, Diana Ross. I was one tired soul at the end of the night and the drive home was a bit of a blur. When I arrived home, my very lovely husband had lit relaxing candles all over the house to create a calming atmosphere for me to come home to! After murdering a veggie stir-fry I hit the sack only to wake up on Sunday feeling quite out of it. This was my excuse to sit on the sofa and watch movies on LoveFilm, which I did! 

One of my acts, the incredible Marlene Hill, will be performing in 'Swinging at the Cotton Club' at the King's Theatre in Southsea on the 26th of October. I've seen this show a couple times now and it is spectacular and features The Jiving Lindy Hoppers & Harry Strutters Hot Rhythm Orchestra!  Take a step back into 1920's New York City and through the doors of Harlem's hottest nightclub, 'The Cotton Club'!  Swinging at The Cotton Club is an action-packed show celebrating music, dance, and song! Buy your ticket today!

I am excited to announce that I am starting to book original duo and band gigs as my CD, Let Go, is experiencing a bit of a revival over here in the UK. I released this CD in America just before moving to the UK five years ago and it seems the album got a little bit lost somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic ... LOL! At the first of my three gigs on this past Saturday, I dried off and performed five songs from the album which received a really positive response from the audience, and I sold a few CDs too!  

I just confirmed today that The Gloria Miller Duo will be performing originals & covers as part of The Guildhall Summer Sessions on the 24th of July at the outside cafe! We're performing two 45-minute sets, starting at 5:30pm.  And, Move On Up will be backing me on a gig at The Pizza Express in Soho on Sunday the 28th of September ... doors at 12:00 and we start at 13:30. We are supporting a fantastic up and coming band, Alter Ego, and will be performing songs from my CD as well as a few covers. This is going to be a great show with two great bands performing original Jazz, Soul, Blues & Funk!  Click here for more information.

Venus Awards Nominee Networking Event

Lastly, it was just announced that I have been nominated for a 2nd Venus Award in the New Business category. I was completely surprised to get the 1st nomination in the Customer Service category, and I am terribly humbled to be recognized again for starting GME. Check out their blog and learn more about the other nominees and the businesses they represent.

I think that's enough for now ... I'll be with you again on Friday with the next edition!

Until then, have a fab week!

Week In Review - 25 April 2014

The afterglow from my holiday in Spain has officially faded now that I've reached the end of my first week back to work. It's been a good week though starting with a fantastic rehearsal and songwriting session on Tuesday with my original Soul band, Mayfield. We are in the process of building our own studio and have already begun writing songs for our second album. Our current release, Tempo of Your Soul, is doing quite well around the UK and we are now on the radar of the UK's very vibrant Soul scene and booking some fantastic events for the Summer. Next week I'll be announcing our next show which is at a very prestigious festival! Stay tuned ...

By the end of this year my intention is to have my Supremely, Diana Ross Tribute Show on the cruise ship circuit. On Wednesday, I met with the arranger who is preparing the 10-piece orchestra charts that I will use when performing on ships! The arrangements sound fantastic and I'm looking forward to performing the show with an orchestra. I am in the early planning stages of putting together a Showcase for the tribute show so watch this space for more details. 

I am just a week away from the start of Foodies Festival season and I am so thrilled to be working with Media Publishing Company again to provide entertainment for five of their events. Brighton is next weekend and the entertainment lineup is fantastic. Some favourites from last year's events will be returning, along with acts from the Brighton area and across the UK. I even managed to book Elvis and Amy Winehouse to make an appearance! Don't believe me? Guess you'll have to come to the event to see for yourself! You can get tickets in advance through the Foodies Festival website, or at the event. If you do come along, stop by the Entertainment Stage and say hello!

On Friday I performed at the Mayor of Havant's charity dinner giving the audience quite a shock when I appeared in full Diana Ross glory. Halfway through the tribute set, half of the attendees had joined me on the dance floor. When I returned to do my second set of party music, we all danced the night away! The event was held at the lovely Newtown House on Hayling Island and the staff were a delight to work with, even providing me with a hotel room to prepare for the show! What a great night!

On Saturday I'm back on Hayling performing at The Piranha Bar for a Save The Children charity event. I performed at this event last year and was delighted to be asked back! I'll be performing my Jazz & Blues set followed by a very eclectic party set tht will start with Beyonce's 'XO' and finish with 'Happy' by Pharrell Williams! I'm really looking forward to this!

Well, that's it for this week. Have a fabulous weekend ...