A couple of days ago I was doing spot of late night surfing checking out the world of Twitter and a particular post from the London event venue The Brewery – near Liverpool St – caught my attention. It was all about a new craze, which was hitting the UK, called a Gender Reveal Party. It’s essentially a big party; where the expectant couple  opens a sealed envelope, which is placed inside a cake – This reveal whether they are having a boy or girl. My instant reaction was a little chuckle thinking “that’ll never take off”… however, when they also mentioned it was hot on the heels of the baby shower, which seems to be an almost accepted part of pregnancy now, I soon changed my mind!

A quick search on the Internet revealed several websites, which specialize in exactly these parties. However, when you think that husbands and partners are also invited, this can take the entertainment to the whole new level. Obviously the cake is the focal point but what do all good parties need? Live music! So why don’t you don’t you book Metropolis?  Together you can help us to be the first ever party or function band to perform at a UK Gender Reveal Party and we can create a truly unique evening which your guest will talk about for years to come!

Here is the link to The Brewery’s article and the website www.genderrealvealparty.net

Also, that doesn’t even begin to touch some the songs that could be performed… I’ll start the ball rolling: how about Baby Love by Diana Ross and the Supremes.

So if you have a gender reveal party idea or ideas – get in touch! Why not also visit our party band playlists or drop us a line on the Metropolis Contact Form.

James

Landmark Birthday Party in 8 Words

18^th, 21^st, 30^th, 40^th, 50^th, 60^th and Beyond

What music goes with which landmark birthday?

Landmark Birthday Parties

When you reach a certain age you hanker after certain ‘rites of passage.’ Getting to 18 like reaching first base. You’ve made it to adulthood and you might even want to celebrate (well Mum and Dad might pay) with a party and some top current Maroon 5 or Katy Perry).

21^st to 30^th Birthday Parties

The 21^st birthday  is a sign of maturity is it not? It doesn’t mean as much as it once did but it is still a landmark event and celebrated by many, some times in a post-ironic manner with a mix of ‘cocktail chic’ Rat Pack smooth tunes mixed with some Britpop anthems and a dash of Jazz, to be coooool!

40^th to 50^th Birthday Parties

A lot of energy is expended on these birthdays. Believe me. Those celebrating these events go in several directions. There’s let’s just fun, I want to entertain and the serious musico. So you get either a mash up of dance floor anthems, a ironic and fun swing and soul fusion or a handpicked favourite set.

60^th Birthday Parties and Beyond

Getting to the 60^th is common now and a sixty year old would have hit their teens in the mid sixties and hit the seventies as they hit their twenties and so we have sets of soul and disco and the audience will lap up classics from our play list like ‘Aint No Stopping Us Now, ‘ Mcfadden and Whitehead or Carwash (Rose Royce).

Whatever The Birthday Age

The music counts because it is of a time, it provokes memories; memories are shared, feet are tapped and joyous joining in occurs. It’s great being in a band and giving every birthday bash an atmosphere and creating further memories.

If you need some advice on picking the right music for a landmark birthday drop us a line using the contact form or give me a call.

All the best,

James

Metropolis has always tried to keep one step ahead of the game technologically. Being one of the first UK party bands to fully embrace digital mixing when the Yamaha LS9-32 was released a few years ago, this is now something that is fairly commonplace across the whole of the corporate and private events market. Metropolis is now proud to have taken the next step in to the world of Aviom personal monitoring - Converting the whole band’s monitoring from old fashioned floor wedges to in ear monitors across the board.

Aviom systems are regularly found in the pop world, with artists such a Neil Diamond often using them at festivals such as Glastonbury and also in the world of theatre with shows like Dirty Dancing, The Lion King and Wicked having utilized them in orchestra pits for years.  Very rarely are they seen in party band scenario but we believe these fantastic mixers will revolutionize the way we approach on stage sound.

Here are some of the main benefits:

• Every musician will now be on in ear monitoring which greatly reduce the stage volume, making the over sound quality better out front.

• Each band member can control his or her monitor mix as the show goes on which greatly reduces sound checking time.

• With the aid of talk back mics we can now effectively communicate to the rest of the band and crew.

• With every musician comfortable with his own monitor mix collectively the band will play considerably better.

• With enhanced sound quality and volume control this means function bands can now work in venues with poor acoustics and achieve a far superior result.

• All of this equipment packs up into small road trunk meaning considerably less flight cases to unload from the van.

We’re certainly excited to be taking audio production to the next level – why not check out Aviom’s website?

James

Like any business party band Metropolis has a marketing strategy in place to try and reach out to future clients.  Jewish Simchas are one area we concentrate a lot of attention on.  Part of that is an advert on Totally Jewish – the biggest directory of it’s sort in the UK. One fantastic feature is clients are able to review the listings on the site. This is all part of the ‘social revolution’, which is central to having a strong and genuine presence online. With so many function bands out there, sometimes having clarity on what’s good and bad is difficult – so independent reviews are one of the best ways to do this.

Over the past few weeks I’ve  asked a few of out past wedding clients if the would mind kindly writing a short piece on their experience with us. The uptake has been fantastic and some of the kind and generous words they written are truly wonderful. So I thought I’d take this opportunity to share them with you. I really want to thank them personally; it’s amazing in the busy world we live in, they can still find time, a year or so on to put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) and be so fantastically positive!

“We were blown away with the performance and audience participation -The wedding planner said that she had never seen so many people dancing!!” Luke & Kirsty McHale

“Metropolis surpassed all wedding bands we had ever seen and were the talk of our wedding for months to come. 
We would easily recommend them as a must to complete your special day!” Katy & Jack Bremner

“Their performance was truly outstanding and definitely the highlight of the day. Our guests were blown away with them – We couldn’t recommend Metropolis highly enough!!” Claire & Stuart Cox

“We were slighly worried that a few years on then wouldn’t be as good as we remember, however we didn’t need to worry, they were even better than we remembered and they absolutely made the evening party” Stuart & Jen Manson

“They were extremely professional, talented and a pleasure to deal with. We would definitely recommend Metropolis for weddings, bar mitvahs and other events” Ally & Matt Tansley

Thank you so much…. Why not have a look at our wedding music playlists or drop us a line on our contact form? James

Every party band has slightly different rider requirements when performing at wedding, simcha or birthday party. However. If your booking a function band for the first time the term rider may be a expression you have never come across before. Here is a short definition from about.com:

Rider refers to the little extras a band receives from the promoter at a gig, usually in their dressing room. Typical riders include things like food and beverages, or a pre-arranged amount of money that the promoter will provide to a band to buy themselves a meal and some drinks. The rider should also include information about special dietary requirements or preferences of the band. The rider will usually contain specific information, such “the promoter will provide four hot vegetarian meals and assorted beverages.

 Many of you will have heard the comical stories of pop stars such a Noel Gallagher asking for a bowl of M&Ms with red ones removed; or a good one I heard recently was an ironing board but with no iron! Thankfully when you book a party band none of them ever have ridiculous requirements like that. The Metropolis rider simply asks for a hot meal/drinks for the band and crew and a secure dressing room / changing room for the band to relax in. To most of our clients this is never an issue however some occasionally question the need for this ‘particularly as the last band didn’t need that’ – this post will hopefully explain why these two things are essential.

To give you an example: The Metropolis 8 piece band is off up to Hull tomorrow to perform for a corporate event for BP Exploration.  To make sound check at 5pm the musicians and crew will be leaving London at midday. The event will finish at midnight and most them will not get to bed much before 4am – a long day by anyone’s standards, not mention about 400 miles!  With only motorway service station food available, the need for a good feed is a simple necessity – firstly to perform a great gig and secondly to get home safely. Metropolis aren’t a fussy bunch however the word ‘hot’ is extremely important. All too often, when a venue is asked to supply food for a band a plate of sandwiches are presented which have been in the fridge a couple of days.  Whist being completely unappetizing, any dietitian will tell you a plate full or carbohydrate is completely the wrong food if you need a band to stay awake. It’s possible they will start nodding off exactly when you want them to play! So, after committing a considerable amount of money booking a band, it’s worth spending that little extra to ensure you really do get the best out of your musicians – after all they’re only human!

Here’s a link to some bizarre riders which may make you chuckle

More next time…..

Any questions, as always please drop us a line to say hello on our contact form.

James

Party Animal in 6 Words

Anticipation, Atmosphere, Energy, Unrelenting, Wind Down

Party Animal Expectation

You’ll want a herd of party animals for your big event won’t you? OK so the first image that pops into your mind is, perhaps, some snarling beast, falling over and being obnoxious. That’s not a party animal. A ‘Party Animal’ is a guest that has been coaxed out of convention and is relaxing so they have a GOOD time!

First Install Your Atmosphere

You’ll find mentions of the importance of creating the right atmosphere elsewhere in this blog. Atmosphere is not just the venue, the lighting and the catering. Party atmosphere is the mix of guests (meaning roughly 50/50 male female and a smattering of the undeclared). What’s the biggest part of having a good time.  I don’t need to finish this word mus…

Unrelenting Energy

If you are a party host or organizer for an even you know you need all the energy you can muster and the more you put into the party the more your guests will enjoy. The right music mix is important; getting an ebb and flow of tunes, bringing up the audience to a surge of excitement and then letting them rest a little before starting again, that’s the way to make a ‘Party Animal.’

Wind Down: The Leaving Smile

To see guests leaving relaxed and happy, blissful and at peace, tired yet chilled. That’s the trademark of a great party host. Work on the music you need, make your starting point the atmosphere installation and you’ll get that ‘up’ energy that makes a party so much more than a party.

If you need some ‘Party Animals’ throw Metropolis Live into the mix.

James

Party Band Themes in 6 Words

007, Rat Pack, Soul Train, Britpop

Musical Party Themes

Do you like themed parties? They are fun and a change from a party but what goes down well with most people? Well, strong themes that you don’t have to buy clobber for, themes that a person has most if not all of the clothes or props to feel a part of…

007: Licensed to Bulge

All a guy needs is a DJ, a cool white shirt, some understated shoes and an automatic firearm. Yes I was kidding about the firearm…it makes an unsightly bulge. Ladies don’t like that sort of thing. For a lady, well she can attend looking like a Countess from a small Italian principality.

Musically you’ll need: A John Barry movie theme…

Rat Pack: Cocktail Chic

The Rat Pack (so named by Lauren Bacall), a goddess, was headed by Frank Sinatra and contained Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Junior. All you’ll need is a sharp lounge suit if you’re a fella and a ‘strappy’ cocktail dress if you are a lady or undecided.

Musically you’ll need: A Rat Pack Set

Soul Train: Platform

Shades. That’s not all that would be ridiculous if you all turned up in sunglasses and nothing else. Might work.  No. You’re going to need shades, footwear with platforms last seen in the North Sea and a strutting attitude. This works both for ‘Dudes’ and for the ‘Chicks.’

Musically you’ll need: Aretha.

Britpop

Britpop is more than a Gallagher sneer or a weedy (but brilliant) Cocker. It’s Union Jacks, sports jackets or parkers, a white shirt, some suede, a pinch of sports wear and a sense of fun.

Musically you’ll need: BOPS (Blur, Oasis, Pulp, Supergrass)

Get a party theme, get a party band quote.

James

So, those of you who regularly read our blog may be interested to hear just about a gig! After all… that is what we do. We’ve got the perfect one to tell you about:

Last Saturday was the fifth annual Sweet Charity Ball at the Park Plaza Hotel in London and was it a night to remember! With more entertainment than you can possibly manage the confectionary industry was in for a stunning evening, with well over £200,000 raised.

Metropolis started the evening off performing it’s highly acclaimed Rat Pack set to well over 600 guests.  Featuring all the Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis jnr and Dean Martin classics this was just aperitif for the rest of the night.  With the super hero theme all you need now is a stunt team to give you your very own Batman and the Joker sequence. Did I mention the stilt walkers too?

It’s always a treat working along side fellow music industry professionals and tonight was no different! The wonderful Lumina lazer violin show started the proceedings off. Stunning musically but also breath taking on the visuals too – check out the picture of them sound checking above. Following them was the fabulous LoveTrain. For those of you don’t know them, these chaps are one of the finest dedicated 70s tributes around… white suits and all. With years under their belts you can’t fail to dance.

With the 70s well and truly taken care off that just left the 80s, 90s, 00s and today to us. Taking the stage a midnight with a packed dance floor that’s exactly how it stayed to 2am I believe.

Always a thrill to work on such great events like the Candy Ball, It’s only down to us to thank Jules and her amazing team at Corporate Events for such a great night!

James

Battle of the Function Bands in 6 Words

Party Band London Battle or Anywhere

Band Battle Dream

I have this dream of a massive battle of all the function bands in the country. It would be a knockout competition where we play the same tune against each other. OK so I’ve been watching too many editions of The Voice on the BBC. But wouldn’t that be neat? You’d have a ringside seat as a diverse amount of talent goes head to head.

The Function Band Draw

So if you were looking for a band you’d turn up and watch bands going head to head. There can be only one winner!

Semi Finals

Tuxedo Class v Metropolis Live

Stax v Hula Groove

And in the final:-

The Rock Pins v Metropolis Live playing ‘Parklife’ by Blur.

Battle of the Function Band Winners!

Of course we’d win! Well there’s no point in being modest is there? OK so I’m joking. Metropolis Live is all about performing, giving a great time to your guests and we’re proud of that. I suppose the dream came about, as we want to play and show every audience, every gig that we are a band with a great vibe.

Have a browse of our live music play list.

Have Band Will Travel

One of the joys of being part of a band is visiting far and way, you know, going on tour with a group of like-minded professionals is an event we all enjoy.  IT can be London, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow or even abroad (we recently did a gig in Egypt and another in Dubai.

See the band live and make up your own mind. Fill in a quote form and we’ll invite you to a gig (or send you a DVD) and you can judge!

James

Function Band Rock in 4 Words

Switch, Rock’ in, Gig-Givers

Rock Band Switch

I love a lot of bands. I love to listen to particular genres of music. My heroes are various and each one has a particular style. O’ there are some that play in various styles and across the different music types. Metropolis Live is a band that can play and vocalize every type of music so when you hire a band like us you can flick a switch from Rock to Motown and back again.

Blend a Band

Imagine your favourite styles of music and think what you would like to hear blended together. Have a look at the playlist here and work with us to create your own blend of music.

• Soul and Funk
• Funk and Motown
• Motown and Britpop
• 80’s and 70’s
• 60’s and Latin
• Jazz and Disco

Party Band Luxury

That’s the luxury you hire when you have a function band at your party.  See what you want and think what would give your guests the best possible party-time.

Creative Party Mix

Working as a band is a joy, we’re lucky and we know it. We get to play some all time great music and we get the house to rock, disco, funk or any combination there of and we get paid. Have a go at creating your dream party mix and we’ll work with you to make it happen.

James