There were no spare seats at all at my gig at The Red Hedgehog last night! In fact there were people standing at the back. And the show was a blast! Couldn’t have hoped for a more responsive and fabulous audience. There was a real buzz in the room – and I don’t mean from my trusty sound system, which was in top form. 🙂
Happily my voice and fingers were firing too. It helps to play a beautiful Bechstein, such as the one there at The Red Hedgehog. The stories flowed pretty well (if I say so myself) – tho I won’t spill the beans on who I talked about, as that’d ruin it for those of you who might fancy coming to see the show some time soon.
Yes indeed – I’m hoping there will be more outings for ‘Once Upon a Piano Bar’! I’ll sing out when there’s any news of that…
This was a brilliant evening, enjoyable and artistically satisfying. Thank you. Your singing and playing were balm to the ears, and the variety and scope of the songs was breathtaking. I loved the stories in between, and felt I learned a lot too! we went home and watched videos of Blossom Deary and would love to be reminded of the first name of the female singer whose surname is McGovern.
Your talents are many and wonderful. This is one of them, please keep sharing it with your audience!
Alison x
Thank you Alison – I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I certainly had a wonderful time, sharing this music and some stories. The name you’re after – of the singer whose albums Bob Monkhouse talked to me about and then so kindly sent me – is Maureen McGovern. Beautiful voice.
A fantastic gig, Rachel. A wonderful combination of humour, feeling, information (I learned a lot!), great musicality of course, and downright entertainment. Please do more!
Many thanks, Andrew!
What a fantastic evening it was at The Red Hedgehog on the 18th October! Such a privilege and absolute pleasure to listen to the extremely talented Rachel, delivering such a variety of songs interspersed with some really interesting, and often very amusing anecdotes about her journey in life so far! Thoroughly enjoyed it and could have listened for another few hours!! If you missed the opportunity to grab a ticket this time, make sure to secure one next time! Looking forward to your next gig Rachel – I’ll be signing up for sure!
Wow Sallie – how lovely to hear all that. And you wanted even MORE after such a long gig?? I really need to get the next one in the diary, don’t I!
This was such a special evening full of charmed tales and beautiful music. Rachel’s repertoire is absolutely captivating and she is a raconteur extraordinaire. She is such a talented singer and piano player; listening to her melodic voice transports you in time and place to the heart of the stories she tells so eloquently. There is also some high class stand-up (sat down) comedy, in both the tales and a few of the songs, ‘Piano gal’ making me belly laugh. Though what struck me the most were the themes of being a woman in the male-dominated music and evening entertainment industries of 1990s London, and the strength, dignity and exuberance in which Rachel navigated that world. There was laughter and there were tears; I left feeling thoroughly uplifted. Highly recommend this show and hope to see it again soon in a bigger venue.
Gosh Chloe – thank you. Yes, there were quite a few challenges in those early days, for sure. But the tough things make us stronger, right? Anyway, I’m very glad you enjoyed the evening.
What a fab gig Rachel!! We left on a high having thoroughly enjoyed your singing, playing and stories. I knew you were a very accomplished musician – your choir leadership is testament to that, not to mention your fun and encouraging personality. Your performance was something else though – and the confidence with which you carried the whole evening off made it so engaging and memorable
Helen thank you. It’s so good to know that’s how you felt about the show!
You were simply magnifique.
It was such a joyful and moving evening. We loved all the song choices. I especially loved your very own song about partying aged 13….it would also be lovely to hear a few more of your own songs too! When’s the book coming out? You have an important and beautiful story to tell….it’s your gift to the world, and what a gift.
A really lovely evening & a great venue!
Thank you for your comments, Jo. Noted about my songs, too. I’m thinking of including in the NEXT programme I put together.. As for a book – well, that’s a different proposition! For now, it’s a privilege to share the songs and stories with appreciative audiences. And they don’t come any better than the one there on 18 Oct.
Hi Rachel. Thank you so much for putting on such a wonderful show. It was so interesting to hear more about your experiences and how hard you worked in such a tough industry. Such a varied career! Your piano playing and singing are fantastic and I loved the range of songs you chose to perform. I hope your next show goes well too!
Moira
Really glad you enjoyed the show, Moira! Yes, when reflecting on my piano bar repertoire, I was struck by the range of material, which covers so many decades and different genres. So I’m very happy to know that that came across, and that you enjoyed that aspect.