Garston Entertainment: Live Singers, Bands & Entertainment

June News & Updates

2011-06-21T13:21:00.000-07:00

Well hello everyone and welcome to the latest blog and update from @GarstonEnts (sorry....it has been a while)
Anyway, it has been mad busy over the last few months...but to recap

New Staff
We are proud to welcome Roger Caldwell to the booking team as Senior Agent. Many people will already know Roger through his previous role as a booker for the Studio One Group where amongst other things, Roger maintained the Pontins contract and he is well thought of and respected within the industry

We now also have an accounts department which will be organized and maintained by the lovely Helen Bergin.

New Booking System
Installed and working great, saving tons of time and hopefully making us more efficient, we love our new booking system and wonder now how we coped with the old one!

Rhydian

The Welsh star and classical singer who was runner up on X Factor is performing at two major corporate events in Swansea and London this week for Garston. Rhydian is available for pa`s and corporate events...contact us for pricing and availability

Les Gibson - BGT

Liverpool based Comedy/Impressionist Les Gibson did himself and the city proud with his amazing performances on Britain`s Got Talent and can be throughly proud of his achievment in reaching the live final. Les is currently on the BGT tour and will be flying out to the Canary Islands for Garston next week to perform 2 live shows

Michelle Lawson

One of the UKs top female singers and exclusive to Garston, Michelle is flying out to Egypt next week for us and will be supporting Soul Star Lemar

UK Singing Waiters - Franklyn & Wallace

Eddie Wallace and James Franklyn, two of our most talented and popular singers are having great fun, surprising and entertaining guests as the UK singing waiters at weddings, functions and corporate events throughout the UK. This is proving to be a really popular entertainment choice and we are proud to exclusively represent this show

The 3 Queens

Another new and exclusive show to @GarstonEnts, this show features three of Liverpools top personality entertainers - Derek Jones, Eddie Wallace & Gillian Ross. Expect Superb lead vocals, strong harmonies and plenty of laughs. The Show is already booked in for Circus casino Christmas Parties in December. The show has a few availabilities for 2011 and will previewing at showcases in the Winter

The i-Glow Video Kiosk

In association with forever moments, the video kiosk is the latest `must have` for your weding, event or function and The i-Glow Video Guestbook allows guests to participate in creating a the ultimate gift and memories that you may never have the opportunity to recreate. Guests use the simple touch screen to record a personal video momento at your wedding, function or corporate event. Prime Dates available now!

Thanks for reading, lots more exciting things in the pipeline for Garston, will try to keep the blogs running more frequently. In the meantime you can always catch up on latest news....
`like `our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Garston-Entertainments-Ltd/50326923002
or follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/garstonents

http://www.garston-entertainment.co.uk/

Garston Entertainments New Company Logo

2011-04-29T01:15:00.000-07:00

The New Garston Entertainments logo, designed by Phil @ Ballyhoo Designs. We love it!

Garston New Artiste_Laura Jenkins

2011-04-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

We are delighted to announce that Former Stars in Their Eyes Junior Winner, Laura Jenkins is the latest star to join the exclusive represented artiste roster @ Garston. We are developing several new shows with Laura including a sensational Rihanna Tribute show which will be available soon. Since rejoining Garston, Laura has been given European flybacks and is off to Turkey to perform for us next weekend!

View/Listen
http://www.garston-entertainment.co.uk/artist.asp?artist_id=569

For booking information and available dates, please contact the office

Exciting things happening at Garston!

2011-04-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks for checking in on our latest blog....another busy few weeks at the office with lots of exciting developments!

New Agency Software!
Next week, Garston will be moving onto the STI boooking system. STI is the leading agency booking programme and will undoubtedly help us become more efficient and hopefully assist in the continued development of the company

New Logo
Ballyhoo Designs have designed a new company logo for Garston. We love it and will be able to preview it very soon!

New Artiste 1
We are delighted to announce exclusive representation of The 3 Queens! Featuring three leading solo artistes, Derek Jones, Gillian Ross & Eddie Wallace, This new show is a tribute to soul, motown and features some major anthems! With three amazing singers and hilarious personalities, we expect this new show to be one of the hottest and busiest shows in 2012. The 3 Queens web profile with audio and full info will be availabile in the next few days

Boats, Planes and Automobiles
As the season has now well and truly started with Garston artistes performing throughout the UK and to destinations and holiday resorts throughout Europe. Many of our artistes travel tens of thousands of miles per year by car, boat and by air and we take the opportunity to wish all our acts racking up the motorway and air miles, the safest of journeys!

Garston Entertainment: Live Singers, Bands & Entertainment: The Wedding Singer Interview - James Franklyn

2011-04-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

Garston Entertainment: Live Singers, Bands & Entertainment: The Wedding Singer Interview - James Franklyn: "As one of the busiest and most popular wedding singers on the circuit, we decided to interview James Franklyn for his experiences and k..."

The Wedding Singer Interview - James Franklyn

2011-04-06T13:44:00.000-07:00

As one of the busiest and most popular wedding singers on the circuit, we decided to interview James Franklyn for his experiences and knowledge of performing at weddings!

Hopefully a helpful insinght to couples planning on booking live entertainment for their wedding!

1. How long have you been singing at weddings, James?

I have been singing at weddings now for over 22 years.

2. What styles of music do you cover?

My main genre is soul and motown, but I cover swing, pop, rock,classical,jazz,and I always like to

add a classic current track, eg, cee lo green ,forget you, bruno mars ,just the way you are , black

eyed peas , I gotta feelin, and my own renedition of lady ga ga,s pokerface ,which has become

infamous on the wedding circuit.

3. What makes a top wedding singer?

To be a top wedding singer you have to be passionate about singing and making someone`s day

special . It is all about what the wedding couple require from you as an artiste. Every wedding is

unique and different, you need to have the talent and experience where you can look at an

audience and know exactly what is going to work and adapt to get the party in full swing. Weeks

before the wedding, I liaise with the bride and groom. I encourage them to ask questions and try

to have all aspects covered before the big day. By planning ahead and getting everything right

there and then, you are definitely helping things run smoothly and this in turn makes the

live entertainment a complete success on the day.

I am naturally a friendly and approachable guy and I know how to treat a bride and

groom and their guests and to personalize their special day and make it perfect!

4. Do you offer various wedding packages?

Yes I offer lots of different packages, and if any of my packages do not suit the clients needs, I can

tailor them to suit ,no problem. I offer my silver package which consists of 2 x 45 minute live sets

day or night. My most popular package is my gold package, which consists of 2 x 45 minute

live sets and a disco till 1 am.

Another very popular package is my platinum package, which consists of 1 x 60 minute wedding

breakfast set , this can be chilled or upbeat, 2 x 45 minute live sets and a disco till 1am.

My top package is my diamond package which is the same as the platinum but with the additional

Personal touch where I sing live at the ceremony itself. Performing specially chosen songs live as

the couple walk down the aisle and sign the register works lovely.

5. What`s the furthest you have travelled to perform at a wedding?

I travel to perform at weddings all over the UK from Scotland to Cornwall. This year I have been

booked In July to perform at a wedding in Italy, which I am really looking forward to!

6. Will you learn that special first dance song for a couple?

Yes, definitely. The first dance is the most important dance of the night,I will sing any

song that is requested for the first dance , I take it as an honour being asked to sing the first dance.

7. What`s the most popular first dance song you get asked for?

In my experience, the three most popular are amazed by lonestar , these arms of mine by otis

redding and you are so beautiful, joe cocker ,

8. What advice would you give to any couples thinking of booking a singer or band?

Firstly, book ahead, I already have quite a few dates in my diary for 2012. Always do your research

when booking your wedding singer, read the testimonials from other bride & grooms. Book with a

reputable company. If you use an agency, make sure they are members of the agents` association

9. Interesting most infamous fact about you?

I was originally signed to the stock, aitken and waterman record label. I did a lot of backing vocals

on some very famous recordings for artistes including rick astley, kylie, brother beyond and others

10. Most embarrassing moment whilst performing at a wedding?

I have never really had a truly embarrasing moment to be honest, but I did mistake the brides new

husband as her dad once, as he was 20 something years older than her! I got away with it and it

turned out to be one of my best weddings to date!

For further information on James Franklyn please visit http://www.celebrityweddingsinger.co.uk/

Live Entertainment & Weddings Update

2011-03-05T09:52:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, just an update on what`s happening here @GarstonEnts. The past few weeks have been really busy on the weddings and corporate bookings scene with lots of booking taken.

The highlight of last week was when we secured X-factor Star `Rhydian` to perform at a prestigous event at The Savoy Hotel in London.

Our exclusively represented artistes` diaries have been filling up nicely for 2011 with quality work in the Uk & European holiday markets

We have also secured some theatre dates for Michelle Lawson performing alongside the fantastic Victor Michael & his orchestra

Wedding bookings have been flying in at a great pace, bands like Harlequin and To The Max proving very popular alongside the very busy and popular James Franklyn

We have some new exclusive shows coming soon so please keep revisiting our website to catch up on the latest news!

You can also keep up to date by following us on Twitter https://twitter.com/garstonents

or Facebook http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Garston-Entertainments-Ltd/50326923002

Busy January!

2011-02-03T11:43:00.000-08:00

Where did january go? We have been so busy it has flashed by! Our live entertainment showcase went really well, the Stage newspaper review is now online http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/30983/paul-bridson-productions-and-garston there are 3 sessions online! Plenty of quality work coming in for our artistes who performed so well at the event and our appreciation and thanks to the many bookers who attended! That was followed by a trip to London for a successful business meeting with one of our major clients and finished off last week with the Keeping It Live Showcase in Blackpool...well done to Marcus and the team for a great showcase!

Our thanks to kate and our new staff, Katy and Elaine for running the office so well whilst we were out and about during the month. This week actually feels great to get back to my desk!!

In all of this we have signed up several superb exclusive artistes including Michelle Lawson, Harlequin, Abbarella and Robin Lee to add to our exclusive roster of over 60 artistes. For more details, check out our website http://www.garston-entertainment.co.uk/

Wedding Newsletter

2011-01-07T15:08:00.000-08:00

Our new monthly wedding e-mail newsletter http://www.garston-entertainment.co.uk/newsletters/jan2011/ went live yesterday to over 600 couples. With features including live entertainment booking advice, featured artistes, special offers and coupons, testimonials, wedding entertainment ideas and more.

We hope this e-mail newsletter will offer helpful and informative ideas and advice to couples considering booking live entertainment for their special day. We will be expanding and updating each newsletter to cover as many aspects of wedding entertainment as possible over the coming months

We welcome feedback and ideas for content from existing and prospective customers who can sign up to the newsletter here http://www.garston-entertainment.co.uk/newsletter.asp

Wedding Entertainment Advice_When to book?

2010-12-13T13:34:00.000-08:00

Wedding Entertainment

One of the most common questions we are asked by couples is when should we book our live entertainment.

1. As soon as possible! Carefully select the live entertainment you really would like to perform at your wedding. Our friendly entertainment co-ordinators have vast experience and will offer helpful advice and information free of charge to help you choose the right entertainment to make your special day unforgettable

2. Once you have chosen the entertainment you would like, please make an availability enquiry with an entertainment co-ordinator. The earlier this is done, the more likelihood there is of the singer, band, tribute act etc being available on your wedding date

3. Please bear in mind that Saturdays are the busiest days for singers, bands etc with Fridays also a popular date

4. Also, please note that Wedding dates from April to September are also generally busier than October to March. December is also naturally a busier month for all artistes

5. If your entertainment is available, on request, your entertainment co-ordinator can place a temporary hold on your chosen artiste for up to 72 hours to allow you time to ensure you are happy to proceed with the booking

Having said all of the above, with thousands of artistes viewed, reviewed and recommended by the team at Garston Entertainments, we are always able to offer an excellent source of late availability and will always do our best to find the right entertainment for the client, be it a days notice or 3 years in advance!

For more entertainment help and advice either visit our website, drop us an e-mail or call us in office hours

Welcomes a new member to the Entertainment Team

2010-11-16T13:09:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to welcome Elaine Rutherford to the Garston Entertainments team. Elaine brings a host of experience having run her own business and will no doubt be a great help and addition to the team

Live Entertainment Showcase 2011

2010-10-31T07:48:00.000-07:00

After a successful 2010 showcase, we are pleased to announce that our annual joint showcase with Paul Bridson Productions will be held on 12 & 13 January 2011 @ Grosvenor Pulford Hotel, nr Chester. Entrance to the showcase is strictly on an invitation basis only. Unfortunately due to the limited capacity, there will be no admission allowed without an invitation/ticket.

Each session will preview and feature 12 new and established acts/shows including SOLO ARTISTES, DUOS, LIVE BANDS, TRIBUTE ARTISTES, COMEDY ACTS, MAGIC/ILLUSION and others for consideration for your 2011 entertainment requirements

The showcase is aimed at the UK & International corporate, hotel, cruising, holiday parks & casino markets and the artistes presented will reflect this

Invitations to clients will be sent out by post and e-mail this week. If you are a potential new client who would like to attend, please either call or e-mail the office for an invitation

The provisional casting list for artistes has been drawn up and we will be contacting the artistes we hjave selected and would like to appear on the showcase in the next few weeks.

Exclusive Live Entertainment from Garston Entertainments

2010-10-15T12:24:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Garston Entertainments exclusively represent over 40+ of the North west`s leading singers, duos, live bands & theme shows. This impressive roster of artistes perform thousands of bookings per year throughout the UK & Worldwide. There are 5 things we look for in an artiste to be exclusively represented by us - Amazing Talent, Professionalism, Reliability, Dedication and genuine, nice people!

To view our exclusively represented artistes please check out...

http://www.garston-entertainment.co.uk/category.asp?category_id=5

Its New Systems all go at Garston Entertainments!

2010-10-03T13:21:00.000-07:00

After only a few weeks with the company, new employee Katy Wilson has set about to use her previous experience to improve the company administration system. First for overhaul has been the artiste date sheets which have for many years been held in files on paper calendars - Not any more! Katy spent 5 full days adding all the information into a programme which now gives us instant availability on nearly 500 artistes. Bit of an adjustment for us to say the least but we are already beginning to see the benefits of the new system which will save time and impriove efficiency. Next up for Katy is an online booking and diary programme to link in with the date sheets!

New Exclusive Artiste - Nicholas Turner

2010-10-03T13:14:00.000-07:00

After impressing at our recent audition evening, we are delighted to confirm that Nicholas Turner has agreed to join our exclusive artistes roster. Nicholas has a great voice and image and we have already had plenty of interest and enquiries since adding his profile to our website. With a set list ranging from Michael Buble to James Morrison, Nicholas is going to be very popular on the wedding circuit!

Garston Entertainments book Cannon & Ball

2010-09-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

Garston Entertainments have confirmed a booking for Laff me a Laugh starring Cannon & Ball with support from The Harper Brothers. Show is booked for Sunday 13th February 2011 @ Floral Pavillion Theatre, New Brighton and all proceeds will go to Age Concern, Wirral new dementia wing appeal

www.garston-entertainment.co.uk

Tony Christie sings on the Wirral

2010-08-31T11:48:00.001-07:00

Garston Entertainments and Age Concern Wirral are proud to announce legendary singer `Tony Christie` with his live band appearing at The Floral Pavillion on Sat 12th February 2011. Tickets on Sale soon, all proceeds to Age Concern Wirral, New Dementia Wing Appeal.

Tony Christie old over 10 million albums in the 1970`s with hits including I did what I did for Maria, Avenues and Alleyways and of course `Amarillo`. This was re-released and brought Tony a whole new legion of fans when used by Peter Kay for Comic Relief 2005 when it reached the Number 1 spot. In 2010, Tony Christie made his West End debut in the musical 'Dreamboats and Petticoats' in London's Playhouse Theatre playing the roles of 'Older Bobby' and 'Phil'.

http://www.garston-entertainment.co.uk/