13/4/06

Driving up North again on the way to Nantwich. Meanwhile lots of work in the van, we are releasing the "Singin' in the Rain" single and it should be available on the HMV website by now so you chaps can pre-order it. Amazing, this is a song that we love but nearly didn't get recorded and now seems to be a favourite everywhere we play and even where we don't. If we don't play it at a gig people shout for it and apparently in Munich it's a dance hit. G.I. Jive, DJ Ian Hartley told us that at one gig he had practically packed his gear away at the end of the night when someone asked him to play Singing in the Rain. He said he wouldn't if it was any other song but as this was his favourite too he set his equipment back up and played the last song for the dancing. We'll being seeing Ian again tonight - more later...   

8/4/06

Today we were at the Skegness R n R weekend (Skeggy) and were welcomed by a friendly crowd of R n R fans and families and a very nice atmosphere. The evening started with the Sky Rockers, then the famous Jets and we finished off the night and the jiving carried on. There was a jive/rock and roll competition and so we got our soundman/road manager, Brice, and our sales girl, "Fifi" (Myriam) to enter and they won first prize! Well done! Jive Aces style jive... maybe we should start a franchise.

7/4/06

Tonight we performed for the Conservative Party Spring forum in Manchester at the very nice Midlands Hotel. We played at the party after dinner and the attendees were up and dancing pretty soon it was no longer a "conservative party" (see what I did there?! - Ian).

2/4/06

Just back from the US and straight into action. We played a lunchtime "Say No To Drugs" event in Southampton where the weather was nice and there was a good crowd, then onto Hayling Island for the "Boogaloo" jive weekend. Seems like it was a great weekend overall and by the time we played for the finale. After a good set from Wes Weston, everyone was jumping! We got a great reception from a warm crowd then got a chance to dance. Being jet lagged we stayed up dancing until nearly everyone had gone to bed, (except Lin-d-hop, Ian and Sheilagh and of course Rob, Julie and their Essex mates!). Then up early for a nice English breakfast. All the food was good, a nice weekend and Monica's a great hostess! Oh, and Mel and Alison had great T-Shirts on! 

1/4/06

"Flying Home" from the US. A very long journey made bearable by Virgin Atlantic's good service and all the 53 films available on the in-flight entertainment. Happy though, with some good gig memories and some fun and creative recording in the can.

22/3/06

Back by popular demand to the West Coast Queen of tap and swing, Rusty's Rhythm Club in Playa Del Rey (on the coast not far from LA airport and those beach huts look just like the ones out of Baywatch!). As usual a great night and, but this time we were the targets of Rusty and Maxwell DeMille's sense of humour. The Jive Aces are known for our love of Fat Burger, the tastiest, biggest, freshest cooked burgers in town - they have been "Converting vegetarians since '52" as their slogan says.

In fact we have it in our contract with Rusty that we get a Fat Burger when we play there.  
This is a thing of much amusement to the natives of LA who seem to have a thing for In and Out Burger and no more than this very evening when, half way through our set, a bunch of girls jumped on the stage and proceeded to blindfold the band. Then Maxwell took the mike and announced a test, a burger test. The girls went round the band with three different burgers, one of which was a Fat Burger and we had to guess which on was the Fat. The result: 5 out of 6 Jive Aces could tell the difference. Goodbye In and Out, hello Fat! (Although I did have trouble with one that had onions on as I don't eat onions - Ian). 

21/3/06

Tonight we played once more at the famous Derby on Loz Feliz in LA. This was one of, and is the last remaining, famous Hollywood Brown Derbys originally owned by Cecil. B. DeMille. Unfortunately someone has bought the land and they want to knock the Derby down and build some big ugly shopping centre or something on the site. 
Thanks to Rebecca and loads of swing fans and Derby regulars' support it has been voted to be a historical landmark and thus seems to be saved for the moment, although it has to go to a higher council still.

Tonight's show was in celebration of this win for the save the Derby project and was very well attended at short notice, lots of dancing and a quick briefing about the history of the Derby from Rebecca Goodman who is at the front line fighting for this landmark's fate. This is where Royal Crown Revue played regularly and influenced many a swing band and dancer, where Big Bad Voodoo Daddy were filmed with Vince Vaughn in the hit independent flick "Swingers" and many celebrities hang out (we have met Brian Setzer, Bob Hope, Whoopi Goldberg, Morrisey and Robert Plant and Jimmy Page there to name-drop a few). Check out www.savethederby.com for more info.