12/06/06

Well here we are again in the studio in LA, just a little jet lagged and finishing off our next album. Its going very well. And guess what? Today is the actual (finally) factual proper release of our hit single to be "Singing in the Rain"!! And we are in studio so its all up you guys now... thanks for your help and support! We did do 12 BBC Radio appearances just last week playing and promoting the single plus we played in 11 cities in just 7 days  (some lunchtime gigs etc) so I hope everybody knows about it. If not, then tell them please!

10/06/06

Back in LA. Wow, talk about whirlwind tour, we've been constantly on the move for a few weeks now! Hence the large gaps in the entries to this blog - a lot happened but it will have to be left to the imagination! We got through baggage and customs at LAX airport by about 4.30pm and arrived in Pasadena at around 5.30. Had a quick "In and Out Burger" (which, contrary to the belief of many Americans is NOT as good as Fatburger by a long shot!) and a Starbucks and on stage for the first of three sets at the Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association where Tammy and Erin Stevens have been holding their swing events for years. The place was packed with nearly 500 dancers, record attendance for them, including the famous Frankie Manning who is still going strong at 92 years of age! He danced with 90 girls at his 90th birthday dance and says he'll dance with 100 girls when he makes 100 years old! That proves it, swing dancing keeps you young. It was good to be back and a lot of good friends came out to see us - a wonderful night.

08/06/06

We drove down from Leeds and played on the BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Service) Radio then headed to London to the Cafe De Paris. An interesting array of guests and performers this night - from the frequent Rick Parfit Jnr to the sax player from Spandau Ballet and Shelley from Bucks Fizz. A mate of old (yet still looking young) Ryan Francois and Jenny came down to see us, haven't seen him for years. We have passed each other in the US especially when he was there doing the Broadway musical "Swing" and "Dancing with the Stars", the US version of "Strictly Come Dancing".

07/06/06

After a lunchtime interview at BBC Leicester with Martin Ballard and an afternoon interview at BBC Leeds where we also bumped into up and coming Universal Jazz/swing singer and jolly nice fellow, Peter Grant, we returned to the lovely Bibis in Leeds. It is a beautiful art deco bar, Italian restaurant and live music venue and it was sold out and packed full. A wild night which ended up with a group photo with all the Italians singing "O Sole Mio". Great food and capuccino!

25/05/06 - 28/05/06

We drove to Holland for the Breda Jazz festival, 4 days of wild gigs on 18 stages in the streets of Breda with loads of cheerfully loud Dutch people and a few English chaps who came over see us - some from Kent and some of the Mid Sussex Hockey team from just around the corner. We played 12 sets in the time we were there and the girl who was "Marie" (who got serenaded with "Oh Marie" - as most of you should know a poor innocent shy girl is usually picked on for the song during the show, if you don't know that you need to come to more of our gigs)...anyway, this girl was a good sport and came back everyday to be Marie and brought friends and family with her, including, I believe, her grandmother who jumped from her wheelchair to dance. Danke vell Marie, Anuk.

22/05/06

We were invited back to Budapest at short notice and appeared on two national TV shows. Pretty good for a days promotion! Airports are the new taxi ranks... or something.

15/05/06

A good and packed night at the 100 Club in Oxford street and the BBC brought the contestants from Strictly Dance Fever down to dance ot us. We all had a lot of fun and I got to dance with one of them and they filmed most of the night.

06/05/06

Wow! A swing gig in Budapest, Hungary! We played for the Oktagon Tanc Centrum to over 250 great swing and boogie dancers. It was a great night, very friendly and the dancing was so good. It felt like we were in the US in DC - when we played Sing, Sing, Sing they had a jam up showing off the best dancers. Local rock and roll vocal hero, Cactus, joined us to sing Jump, Jive and Wail. Looking forward to our return.