Review Centre: 1990s Era Musicians & Bands

"As a music journalist, I am someone well used to hearing performances covering the whole spectrum of ability, from very talented, to no talent whatsoever; mainly on the working circuit, encountering much from the bottom end of the scale, the flaws of which seemingly pass by, or go over the heads of the audience, mediocre musical acts often gaining acceptance despite (or because of) their lack of any talent whatsoever. So, when on a random whim, I booked MAYHEM into The Old Crown, Hayes, I was pleasantly surprised to come across that jewel one constantly seeks: a light hidden in the bushel, an act of great quality. Don’t get me wrong, on the surface, MAYHEM are basically just another covers band, with certainly not much more to offer in terms of choice of material than others treading the same circuit. The difference though, is in the depth of thought in the vocal arrangements, and the attention to detail in the performance of the songs. Someone in the band has true musical knowledge. The way the vocals are arranged and used is no accident, and the music has a depth and surety that is pure class. Carol’s voice is unique, and at many points conveys rare emotion for those who can hear. The two voices are a happy accident of coincidence; Carol’s rather treble voice, Billy’s gruff baritone, both interesting voices taken in isolation, but together producing a sound that is perhaps greater than the sum of its parts. The quality of both singers shows itself also in the faultlessly correct intonation, the thrilling blend and invention of the harmonies, the search for expression in the vocals, the subtle use of the arrangements to produce expression. Most of these subtleties are of course lost on the general public, but the band still have enough battle-hardened experience and know-how to ride out any waves of indifference, and overcome the hardest heart with a friendly approach to their clientele, patiently trying out various styles and eras, constantly striving to reach their listeners, despite a kind of yearning in the music for serious recognition. Personally, I found it somewhat sad that a talented band like this has to resort to some popular (and bland) material, but one must bow to reality, and work is work. Still, the musicians didn’t just accept the status quo of this material; they always had a few surprises in store in the way they approached any song, however scraped from the bottom of the barrel. Carol’s voice sounded at its best on songs like “SUMMER OF ’69” and “I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT”, but she shone through on harder songs too, like “LIVING ON A PRAYER” and “DON’T BRING ME DOWN”. Billy didn’t sing quite as many lead lines, but when he did, it was with a power and confidence that knew just how best to carry the melody, and the strength of harmony singing was in a different league from the average one would expect to hear in a situation like this. On “Living La Vida Loca” the dual vocals were outstanding, perhaps the most equal blend of the day, with other such highlights for me being “Don’t Stop me Now” and “I Wanna Know what Love is”. The locals however enjoyed some of the lighter material more, such as “Rockabilly Rebel”, square dancing their way through the afternoon with great whoops and hollers, playing their part in a very pleasant day in a very pleasant pub. There was a humorous moment when the lads at the bar joined in with “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” all pointing and dancing in the manner of Tom Cruise in “Top Gun”! A vivid sight to behold, for sure! The day ended with a raucous rendition of “Rockin’ All Over The World”, the two singers showing that they could rock it with the best of them when the chips are down. Can’t wait to see this band again. (10 / 10) Andrew Staines "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Highlight of my wedding was this gentleman’s performance. He performed my favourite songs it was so beautiful, I would highly recommend him for any occasion or event!!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"What a fantastic band! They had us dancing all night. The energy was awesome"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We saw these guys on our holiday in Bognor last year. These guys are the real deal. You’d be a fool to book any other band. They are super professional and super talented."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Fantastic performance, great selection of songs. Lead singer is fantastic ? Fully recommended!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Hi Marcus, we just wanted to say a massive thank you for playing at our wedding last Saturday!! We loved the music you played and our guests thought you were fantastic too. Bella loved you and your guitar! You really were a great addition to our relaxed day! Thanks for also being super chilled about the running of the day, it was really helpful  and made for a stress free day! Thank you for all your contact before the wedding too! It really was appreciated and made the whole processes super easy! Thanks again Marcus! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Dear Marcus, It was a pleasure to have you sing and play at my Birthday Party. Your voice and tone was absolutely perfect for my event. Everybody thought that you were fabulous young and old. Lucy in her twenties was amazed getting you to play Snow Patrol with zero practice and Hildergard 90+ loved your song choice and guitar playing !! My boys in their 30s thought you were super cool and I was thrilled with my special songs and a rendition of Happy Birthday. It was lovely and we will definitely book you again. With very kind wishes for much success in your career and many more happy memories "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Megan performed for our wedding ceremony in April 2023. Right from the start I was blown away by Megan's professionalism and her attention to every little detail. Not only has she got an incredible voice which will add so much emotion to your day, she will make sure all the little details are sorted before the day. Megan sent us clips of her singing our chosen song, worked out all the timings for my bridesmaids to walk down the aisle and gave me so many helpful bridal tips which I'd never thought of. She really is such a great person to work with and all our guests commented on how beautiful her voice is."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"You played amazing last night! I’m sure we will end up seeing you soon!😀"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Highly recommend they certainly made the evening a good one and did a great playlist catering to everyones tastes!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Marcus was amazing he sang every song we asked for. His voice is amazing, looking forward to booking him again"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Superb end to the night! Cool, classy and contemporary- this will be hard to beat at next years awards!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Great music...Great Band.... Thanks for an amazing evening and music at out Wedding Festival celebration. These guys were awesome and made the evening go so smoothly...their sets were ace and the display they provided fitted in perfectly with our theme for the night... Highly recommended ...and so many comments over the next few days from friends and family about how Fab the band was.... Keep up the good work guys.."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Linhas Cruzadas played at our wedding in July 2023. They were simply brilliant. The energy they brought was fantastic and they took the time to cover 2 special songs for us, which we really appreciated. We would highly recommend them for any event, our guests loved them. Professional and reliable but more importantly FUN and just really really TALENTED. They made a special day perfect. Thank you Linhas Cruzadas, if you ever do a tour of Ireland we will be in the front row. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We absolutely loved having The Insoulents at our wedding in Tuscany, vicchio. The band were amazing! There variety of music is excellent! So professional an had great communication as we booked from England for them to join us. They were all so friendly and even let some of our guest join in with playing there instruments. Cannot recommend this band enough!! Was a pleasure to have you join us on our big day! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: