Azure is primarily a wedding band, but we’re also a London function band that’s hired to perform at other types of celebrations and events, such as birthdays, anniversaries and company events. Now and again though, we perform at an event that stands out as being a little different to the norm. Saturday was just such occasion…
We arrived early, as always, at The White Horse in Appold Street near Liverpool Street Station. It’s a beautiful country-style pub tucked away in the heart of London. If you’re in the area, we highly recommend popping in by the way!
After a very warm welcome from Catherine and Maisy who were busy organising the room for the evening, we loaded in and set up our equipment for the evening. A 60-second soundcheck later and we were all ready. Being set up so far ahead of time, as we usually are, there was plenty of time to enjoy a nice coffee and chat before our client arrived.
Mr Darcy I presume?
Around the time we were expecting our client to arrive, to our amazement, in walked two Georgian aristocrats! Complete with wigs, pantaloons, tailcoats and cravats. Now we all know London is a very cosmopolitan city, but even this was a little odd.
A quick sanity check later and the penny dropped. Yes, unbeknownst to us, our client had decided to throw a fancy dress party!
So, our Georgian gents were in fact our clients for the evening. They really looked fabulous, and so did the many other guests that arrived over the next couple of hours. There were crew members of the Starship Enterprise, the characters from the Wizard of Oz, The Pope, Harry Potter, Robert Smith from The Cure, Dick Dastardly, A team of Yellow Coats from Hi-de-Hi, a guy being eaten by a shark (!)… it really was a very impressive range of outfits.
Strike up the band
At 10pm it was time to play. Feeling decidedly underdressed, we gave our two-hour performance with our usual commitment, including several request from our 18th century clients. The evening was an immense success, albeit it a little surreal. After all it’s not every day you see a Bavarian oompah band bopping around a dance floor to Uptown Funk.
So, a highly memorable occasion for all, and a great evening to be a part of. Our thanks to our lovely client for choosing us to be his function band for the evening. Thanks also to all the guests who were so complementary on our performance. And thanks also to The White Horse staff who were simply wonderful in every way possible.
Oh and of course, thanks to George for sparing a moment to pose for a quick photo. We know how busy he must be…
The Azure-lettes x
NOV
2015
About the Author:
Stuart Bahn is a professional guitarist in London, England. He is the band leader of Azure, one of London's top professional function and wedding bands.