The Hipcats - Cheltenham Festival Official Jazz Band - BBC News 2018

The Hipcats continue to entertain the crowds at Cheltenham Festival with their brilliant jazz and swing.

Around 300,000 people attended the world-class event in 2018 with The Hipcats being covered by all the major TV stations including three appearance on BBC1 news and the BBC News Channel - more here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aJba9Xi-g4

The Hipcats - introducing a great new page of themed ideas.

The Hipcats are still the first choice for weddings and corporate events if you are looking for a touch of style and glamour.

They have now introduced a new page on their website which gives you some great ideas for themes for  your wedding, party or event.

They have a specialist Gatsby line-up, they do a great 1940s theme and, of course, they have all of the classic Rat Pack music to hand too.

Check out their new page and get in touch!

http://www.thehipcats.co.uk/themes_ideas_inspiration_music_weddings_events.htm

They event give you an idea of some of the great celebrities of the time and the dances that went along with it.

The Hipcats - purrfect for your themed wedding!

This year The Hipcats have been chosen for a number of themed weddings - everything from the 1920s to the 1950s and with a touch of Hollywood Glamour thrown in too.

They have a brilliant set list for many themes so get in touch and find out more!

www.TheHipcats.co.uk

The Gatsby Jazz Band - solo pianist, duo, trio or quartet for hire.

The Gatsby Jazz Band are well-known for their sensational jazz and swing dance band.  You can also book their brilliant pianist, duo, trio or quartet.

Check it out here or visit the website wwwTheGatsbyJazzBand.co.uk

The Gatsby Jazz Band - great new video.

It's been a crazy couple of years for The Gatsby Jazz Band - there seems to be a real love of 1920s and 30s style at the moment and The Gatsby Jazz Band are perfect for a themed event.  Check out the new video here and get in touch with them at www.TheGatsbyJazzBand.co.uk

The Hipcats star in Don't Tell the Bride - the inside story ...

The Hipcats were excited to get the call that they had been asked to star in Don't Tell the Bride - a show where the groom had two weeks to organise a wedding on a fixed budget without the bride being told anything about it.  It has recently moved from the BBC to Sky 1 and has a huge following.

The Hipcats were asked as they wanted the evening to end with some great jazz and swing with a 1920s feel but also with some contemporary grooves to get people dancing - the band was very happy to oblige.

In terms of the booking, it was all agreed just four days before the wedding date!  Wedding bands are usually booked anything from 6 to 18 months in advance but not this time.  Luckily, the band were free, helped by the fact it was a Friday rather than a Saturday.

Over those four days there were conversations with the groom and the team at Sky and a key thing that had to be done was clear the songs the band were going to play as some of them were allowed to be broadcast and some were not - interestingly King of the Swingers, Bear Necessities and Sway were struck off the list but Hit the Road Jack, Cheek to Cheek and Moondance were fine.

The final set list wasn't approved until 8.30am the morning of the wedding!

The band travelled to Brighton that day, meeting the crew and checking out the venue and were interested to see the whole process at work.  It seemed to be genuinely how it was on TV, the groom had organised the 1920s themed event, bought his wife the wedding dress and the whole day had gone really well.

The people at Sky were very unobtrusive, to the extent that they had small HD cameras and no lighting and so could have been any wedding video team rather than broadcasters.

The band performed two sets which the crowd loved, to the extent that the bride felt that she really needed to join the band onstage with backing vocals - a certain amount of alcohol may have encouraged her but she had a great time.  Unfortunately the cameras had left at that point and they also missed the food fight at the end but by then the band were safely in their cars and ready for the ride home.

Overall it was a great experience and Chris, the groom, expressed his huge thanks to the band for contributing to a brilliant day.

Transmission date yet to be confirmed.

The Cool Nachos - new promotional video! Groovy Baby!

The Cool Nachos have just released a new promotional video for their unique brand of jazz, funk, latin & groove.

They are available for weddings and events so get in touch with them at www.TheCoolNachos.co.uk

Based in Bristol, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, The Cool Nachos have played at top events including Glastonbury Festival.  They are happy to travel and have performed at venues across the UK.

They are a VERY groovy band!

Stardust Music - Acoustic Jazz, Latin & Swing for outdoor events

Stardust Music are now offering an all-acoustic line-up for weddings and events where electricity is an issue, where they need to be a little quieter or where clients would like the band to be more mobile.

The band can now offer a great line-up including vocals, jazz guitar, double bass, saxophone, trumpet, percussion and even jazz violin.

Contact the band for anything from a soloist to a duo, trio or quartet.  They are happy to play jazz and swing music, gypsy jazz, latin & bossa music, along with some more contemporary tunes too.

More information at www.Stardust-Music.co.uk

Celebrity fans of The Hipcats - wow!

The Hipcats have played some star-studded events over the last couple of years and here are just some of the celebrities that have enjoyed their music ...

John Taylor from Duran Duran

Angela Ahrendts the CEO of Burberry

The legendary John Cleese

The brilliant star from 'Miranda' - Sally Phillips

The Hipcats Swinging in Oxford

The Hipcats seem to be the band of choice for Oxford events this year.  Magdalen College School booked the band again for their end of year extravaganza and The Hipcats have also played at The Oxford Union and Oxford Town Hall for other brilliant events.

The band's new second set of jazz, funk and groove classics is going down really well and includes Uptown Funk and Get Lucky alongside the likes of Moondance and La Bamba.

Book the band soon!

www.TheHipcats.co.uk/oxford.htm

The Hipcats at Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa in Bath

The Hipcats' wonderful relationship with The Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa continues with a gorgeous afternoon barbecue with jazz.  The sounds was just right and the band enjoyed playing under a shady tree.  Top marks to the chef for the greatest burgers the band have ever tasted!  Thanks to all at The Royal Crescent and the lovely guests.  More at www.TheHipcats.co.uk/bath

Bath Wedding at Green Park Brasserie with The Hipcats

A lovely August day in Bath where The Hipcats were chosen by the bride and groom to perform a mix of cool, classic and contemporary jazz, swing, latin and groove.  Big thanks to Green Park Brasserie for helping make the day a great success.  More at www.TheHipcats.co.uk/bath

Vintage Marquee in Frome with The Hipcats Vintage Jazz and Swing Band (Wiltshire)

A lovely July day close to Frome where The Hipcats trio played for the wedding guests.  A wonderful occasion made even more exciting by a spitfire fly-past during the set!  More on the band at www.TheHipcats.co.uk/wiltshire

John Lewis 150th Anniversary - The Hipcats jazz trio perform

The Hipcats were chosen by John Lewis to perform as part of the 150th anniversary.  It was great fun playing in the flagship store in Bristol surrounded by appreciative shoppers.

Below is just one of the tracks they performed - The Girl from Ipanema

Wick Farm (Bath) Winter Wedding

Bryony and Tom asked The Hipcats to bring their classic five-piece to their wedding at the lovely Wick Farm, just outside Bath.  The afternoon started with the The Hipcats duo of vocals and piano playing a mix of classic jazz and swing tunes at the drinks reception as the married couple and their guests arrived from the church - the music mixed in well with the fantastic smell of mulled wine!

In the evening the full-five piece set up after the speeches and had everyone up dancing to a mix of jazz, latin, swing and funk - a real highlight being an energetic version of 'King of the Swingers' featuring the fantastic Gary Alesbrook on trumpet who had just got back from touring Russia with Kasabian.

A fantastic day and evening with a lovely couple and their family and friends.

http://www.thehipcats.co.uk/wiltshire_jazz_and_swing.htm

Funky jazz and swing at the Matara Centre, Gloucestershire

Lauren and Ralph decided they wanted The Hipcats six-piece to really get the party going at this fantastic wedding venue in Gloucestershire.  The first set started with some laid-back jazz just before the bride and groom had their first dance to 'What a difference a day made' (made famous by Jamie Cullum).  They then launched into a classic jazz and swing set which had everyone dancing.  This was followed in the second set by a party mix of jazz, swing, latin and funk - the dancefloor was full all night!  What a great couple and lovely family and friends they have - a brilliant wedding.

 

 

 

 

 

www.TheHipcats.co.uk/gloucestershire

Top latin-jazz at El Puerto, Bristol - what a line-up!

The packed restaurant at El Puerto in Bristol wasn't quite sure what had hit when the Nick Langston Trio (The Cool Nachos) was joined by two of the best horn players in the country - one of which was straight back from touring with Kasabian.  Gary Alesbrook (trumpet) and Sav Pacini (saxophone) have played with the likes of Noel Gallagher and Scissor Sisters but popped in to join Nick (vocals), Jon Short (bass) and George Cooper (keyboards) for a mix of jazz, swing and latin - a great evening for anyone who was lucky enough to be there.



www.NLA.me.uk
www.NickLangston.com
www.TheCoolNachos.co.uk

Wedding Jazz at Thornbury Castle

The Hipcats jazz and swing trio was invited to play at a lovely wedding in the Tudor Room of Thornbury Castle.  Susan, the bride, felt the music would be just right and made a special request for 'Fever' as the first dance.  The band very much enjoyed being guarded by a suit of armour on each side as they played a mix of classic tunes for the guests at this wonderful venue once frequented by Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn - luckily no-one lost their head.



www.TheHipcats.co.uk

Ashton Court Afternoon Jazz

The Hipcats trio had a lovely afternoon at Ashton Court to celebrate a fabulous wedding.  The line-up of double bass, piano and vocals was just right for a summer afternoon and they played a mix of classic jazz, swing and latin to suit the mood.  Perfect with champagne outside in the sun!



www.TheHipcats.co.uk/bristol

Wonderful Wedding Jazz in a Yurt in Dumbleton

The Hipcats Trio were asked to play in a wonderful wedding yurt in the pretty Gloucestershire village of Dumbleton.  It was a beautiful day and the trio started off outside and then moved into the yurt (a large wood-framed tent) for their second set when they had everyone tapping their feet and dancing.  A lovely way to spend a happy summer's evening.



http://www.thehipcats.co.uk/gloucestershire/