Today is the 16th March 2023, where has the time gone? I've not wrote for a while as I've been busy with gigs and new clients this year. Where to start! is the thing, well I suppose like everyone a quieter start to the year which can be both good and bad, good as I get a little breather after a busy Christmas and bad because sometimes stopping the momentum can and does have an affect on my wellbeing and bank balance. It seems as soon as I relax, BAM I get a cold or flu, so to keep going is good for me. 

This year I have seen more new venues starting the afternoon with KC plus more monthly venues wanting entertainment for the afternoons. The year was slow to start but has gained momentum every month but it takes some work keeping everyone engaged and filling these venues, not just advertising but social media is a bigger part of my life and work load now.
This year is my 9th year providing afternoon entertainment and its still going strong, with more people joining in the afternoons. 
I wanted to get back to doing the clubs more in 2023 but my other work has taken more of my time. I do the occasional club and pub but at present it's not a regular thing. I'm working on something new at present and hope to be able to divulge just what that is very soon but for now, I'm still enjoying my journey and what the future holds. Believe in yourself and anything is possible.

Well It's nearly Christmas again and it's been a busy year with bookings and the rescheduled bookings due to Covid. Today is Friday 14th October 22 and today I'm off to Birmingham to the annual DJ/Producers show, which I've been going to since it started, way back when at the NEC in Birmingham but for the past few years I've been asked to support Bose Professional on their stand and it's been an absolute blast. from giving helpful advice and demoing the equipment to meeting some great people, some of of which are now good friends. As people who know me, know I like everything Bose and there's not much I couldn't tell you about their systems. I've been providing video tutorials on line for a while now, to just about anyone who needs help setting up their system. So if you are reading this and your at the show this weekend, come and say Hi. or if you need tech advice drop me a message and I'll be happy to help you,

As I said it's nearly Christmas and fingers crossed I've got everything in place for all the gigs I have this Nov and Dec, from entertaining at Farmhouse inns, Compere work, DJ to being Santa Clause, it's definitely a busy time. I'll sign off now but "I'll be back" as Arnold says, to write more on here.  

Happy New Year Folks! & welcome to 2022

I've not put anything on here for a while as 2021 was hit and miss with the pandemic, commanding what work I did but I did make the best of a bad situation.

Well here we are in 2020 and what's changed? I'll tell you, everything as changed from client demand to entertainers who can provide it all, in other words a one stop shop But to ruin all that along comes Covid-19 and BOOM, the industry grinds to a halt. March came and so did lockdown and we are now in October with no end to this nonsense. As an industry we've been left high and dry by a government who couldn't run a bath and they don't learn from previous mistakes. Hey ho! It's out of the general publics control and we are made to go along with it. The Industry will be back and bigger and better than ever, mark my words! 

I still feel proud to be around after all this time and still be in demand but to keep up as taken hard work and a lot of research. By research I mean finding out what makes a good night and how to constantly give that 100%. I don't just invest in new equipment but I also invest in me and by that I mean looking at what people want and giving it to them, after-all they are paying.

From the early days of vinyl and tapes, breaking your back carrying cases full of records up flights of stairs and laying them out on tables, the more you had people would think you were the best but in them days that's what you did. Then we went to CD's the unbreakable, un-scratchable or so they said. I remember watching Tomorrows World and them showing off this new technology, they even put butter and jam on the disc, wiped it off and it still played! the future was CD or so we thought. Well a few fingerprints later and the thing would skip like mad, although on the plus side it would get you a round of applause.

Next for me came mini disc, wow what was this technology? I used to spend hours recording my CD's on to these little discs and I could title them so I could see what was playing and even going to lengths to write what was on each disc in a book. I was looking at my Discs the other day and have around 100 or so each holding around 2 hours each, now they're redundant and made way for the next technology.

Well Today our latest technology is MP3 a truly amazing invention I for one could not live without. I have worked hard on converting my CD's to this format along with buying from iTunes all the new releases and some older ones that I wanted a better quality of. This new invention works for me as I invested in Apple. I have an iPhone, Ipod, iPad and a Mac book pro. This works for me in a lot of ways and one of the ways is this, I hear a track or song, while I'm out I then open an app called Shazam on my iPhone and I press the listen button, this then sends the information to iTunes and tells me what it is, Artist, Title, Album etc And here is the best bit I can then buy it while I'm on the move and when I get home I switch on my other Apple devices and the track I bought is on them. I know longer have to convert what I have bought during the day and further more it saves me time. Gone the days of spending all day in the local music store for a handful of tunes, you probably wouldn't play. It doesn't stop there with this technology either. remember the day of asking the DJ has he got a certain song and him saying "I've left it at home" yeah right course he has, we all know he didn't have it. Well with the new technology and iTunes I can now get that song in minutes and be playing it. I no longer have to worry about having everything, I now just buy it when I need it.

The point I'm Making here is my investment has never stopped, so before you think wow that's a bit more than I wanted to pay for a DJ, just think of the journey I just talked you through, it's priceless!

Below is where I started and the journey it took me on, to make me the entertainer I am today.

Enjoy!

Here's where the journey began!

I first became interested in music and Entertainment at an early age, so when I left school in the 80's it was no surprise that I became an Entertainer. What started as a hobby soon became my living and a way of life.

I made my first disco setup from some old turntables and an old amp I had given me. I bought some cheap lights and I was up and running. My cousin and I started working at the local Boys Club and Community Centre and the money came rolling in at £15 a gig (laugh). I knew then that entertaining was for me. Word got around that I was a DJ and soon I was doing weddings and other functions. I also had a bit of a problem with getting round from gig to gig and often used Taxi's or friends, resulting in me not making any money in the early days but I enjoyed performing and wasn't to fussed about the money back then.

I met another DJ who used to work the local pub. He was good and I knew I could learn a lot from him, so I asked him if I could help. First setting up and then warming up before he went on. I gained a lot of experience from him and owe him for what I have achieved to date.

I went on to attend two auditions for a hotel in Runcorn. One for a dinner dance DJ and the other for a children’s Sunday lunchtime Entertainer, which I found out later meant Clown and to my surprise I won both auditions and spent about 2 years there, working through David Anthony Promotions.

My career as an Entertainer went from strength to strength and working in partnership with another DJ, we toured the Midlands for various beer promotions and later the Isle Of Man, sometimes spending weeks away from home. I would work alongside bands and other acts on the same bill, usually introducing them and providing music and entertainment in the intervals, along with games, giving promotional gifts away as prizes.

I then did a series of 60’s weekender cruises to Jersey, working alongside International music stars Tony Blackburn and David Hamilton, again working in partnership with another DJ.

Shortly after this I secured another contract at a busy town centre pub in Warrington, playing Chart and Dance music to large crowds. I took work when and where I could, also extending to private functions along the way. The pub and club scene was for me and I travelled the country performing as a DJ in Warrington, Liverpool, Manchester, Blackpool, Wales, Buxton and Southport to name a few.

It was time for a change and I took up with another agency, Celebration Discos, whom I met when attending a quiz hosted by the Manager at a pub in Swinton. I worked on many types of functions, including wedding’s, 21st birthdays, presentations etc. At this point I also worked for another agency Unit One doing bigger and more upmarket venues.

Working at Queen Elizabeth Hall in Oldham was a memorable occasion, working alongside music legends Edwin Starr and Showaddywaddy, then as a children’s entertainer I performed at Peter Schmeichel’s Daughters (Cecilie) birthday party, at the Bramhall Moathouse.

I also perform as a Singer and have done so for various organizations, from dinner dances to New Years Eve parties, singing hits from the Rat Pack , 50’s, 60’s and Rock n Roll. Usually I will perform from 45 minutes to an hour.

Right now I’m at the top of my game and have been told I provide an Outstanding Service. I have enjoyed the journey so far that my career as an Entertainer has taken me on and hope to be around for many more years, gaining even more experience and knowledge in my chosen field. I always give 110% to every job I do, with meticulous attention to detail, letting the client have input right from the start on times, music, dress code etc. As for trophy’s and awards that all other DJ’s and Entertainers seem to brag about, I don’t have any and don’t want any! I just come with a wealth of knowledge and experience that I've gained along the way, which helps me provide Entertainment second to none.

“The proof is in the pudding” as they say and "thank you, we’ve had a great night", is reward enough for me.

Thanks for reading and I hope to Entertain you soon.

Keep Smiling

Kev C

The journey continues!