Unit One Entertainments Showcase 2008

Published Monday 6 October 2008 at 12:30 by Mark Ritchie

As was the case with previous Unit One showcase events, the meet and greet entertainment and the general bonhomie was lavish and well organised.

In the foyer area at The Willows, Lorna Edgar and her team of stilt-walkers, fairies and will-o’-the-wisp characters made a favourable impression, given the brief nature of their costumes on this cold early October evening.

Hunky muscleman Troy Stevens was on hand to dispense the chocolates to the assembling Mancunian ladies as they headed upstairs into the anteroom area.

On arrival, the assembling throng was musically greeted by pianist Dave Antrobus, who set the scene admirably.

Once finally inside the cabaret room, those with a sweet tooth will have been delighted to taste the wares of candyfloss seller Mike Brown and Steve Taylor’s impressive chocolate fountain.

Additionally, balloon modeller Alan Russell displayed his skills with splendid abandon.

Town Crier Dennis Robinson finally got the show under way with his collective welcoming address and his subsequent introduction of Unit One director Steve Sale, who acted as MC for the evening.

Lithe young singer Krystal Cooper has the look of a performer who has been part of a showgirl/dance troupe and is now trying her hand as a solo singer. Admittedly she needs both proper backing tracks, without fade-out endings, and she also needs to learn the ropes of crowd approach. Once she learns her job thoroughly, I believe that this beautiful, open-faced and gifted vocalist could really be quite something, and could conceivably make her name as a recording artist.

Tuxedo clad Rat Pack style duo Partners in Croon entered with What a Swell Party. These guys don’t take themselves awfully seriously - this was swing music with the accent on fun. Pleasant but unremarkable vocally, with too many unisons sung instead of harmonies, it was enjoyable nonetheless.

As ever, television dictates trends in live entertainment, and the recent BBC show Last Choir Standing has propelled many choristers into the spotlight. Singer Audrey Mattis told her audience that she could supply virtually any type of choir. On this occasion we heard the tuneful Mattis and three other Gospel singers displaying beautifully tight harmonies, whilst accompanied by a rather glum-looking, yet highly competent keyboard player.

Beer For Breakfast is the collective name for three guitar and banjo-wielding guys and a female flautist. The Irish Rover and Dirty Old Town were belted out in such a fashion that you could practically taste the Guinness.

I was impressed with the Divas Show Live. Ostensibly a female duo, they performed in turn vocal and visual impressions - or tributes - of Madonna, Anastasia and other Divas. Highly convincing lookalike and soundalike quality here, despite the odd dodgy backing track.

We were informed that smooth and soulful soul-man Wayne Allen had been engaged as the wedding singer for the recent Wayne Rooney nuptials. I am willing to wager that the spud-faced nipper and his lovely Colleen will have been well pleased with Allen’s velvety tones. Again one or two dodgy backing tracks could be heard, which was a shame, as Wayne Allen is the proud owner of one of the best soul voices I have ever heard.

Unit One like to show that they can drop some notable stardust into the celebrity bucket at any function or product launch. At their own flagship event, actor Ryan Thomas of Coronation Street fame popped up on stage for a chat. This likeable lad regaled us with life on the street and of the recent trials and tribulations of his character Jason Grimshaw.

After a short interval we met Buzz D Angelo, who performed his quite superb tribute to James Brown. I bet even the Godfather of Soul himself would have been chuffed to see D Angelo strut his stuff.

The fantastic suit, the stars and stripes waistcoat, the top-quality backing tracks, the wig, the make-up and, most importantly, the voice all added up to one of the more superior tribute artists you may find.

Five-piece function band Seven Days played versions of the Kenny Loggins’ song Footloose and the Steelers Wheel classic Stuck in the Middle With You, although to be honest they could probably have played just about anything. These quality musicians took their time and delivered a blisteringly paced set, despite being rather hastily thrown onto the stage.

Commenting on our Great British summer, comedian Brian Sharpe, who has spent this summer working in Spain, quipped “wouldn’t England be great if it had a roof?” Sharpe’s celebrity comedy targets included Heather Mills/McCartney, Michael Jackson and the current topical favourite Gary Glitter. Nothing original here, just a strong, confident and likeable funnyman who knows his business.

In short, Achtung Baby are one of the best tribute bands I have ever seen. A superb lookalike and soundalike out front as Bono, whilst the remainder of the semi-live band lend their own compelling edge.

Bringing a highly successful showcase to a close was smart seven-piece band Elbowroom. The best song from the Killers’ album Hot Fuss Mr Brightside was enthusiastically played, but I’m sure that like most good function bands, this boy and girl fronted outfit probably have a huge repertoire to call upon.

When using this amount of back-line equipment, there are sure to be peaks and troughs in the proceedings, as was the case here.

Play-ons and play-offs during the cabaret and more bodies to deal with the stage management chores may have helped smooth things along.

Additionally, by employing a specialist compere, who could cover fills in proceedings, the affable Steve Sale and his business partner - the disc jockey Jon Hindley - may have been relieved of back-stage responsibilities and more able to mix and mingle with their clients.

However Unit One don’t do things by halves and this event was undoubtedly a valuable marketing exercise for this growing company , while for others it was simply a great night out.