She's no "Pretender," Elouise is a veritable "Little Belter!"

In this day of super synthesised, auto tuned, power production, it’s refreshing to strip back the trimmings and reveal a truly extravagant raw vocal talent, reminiscent of times gone by.  A true diamond, Elouise carries herself exquisitely on stage and ignites a passion in her performance that transcends effortlessly to her audience who she mesmerises with her voracious vocals. 

Elouise is a diva personified.  Being a diva is not about demands, strops and an entourage the size of a small country.  Being a diva is being confident in your skin, having faith in your talent, stepping up to the spotlight and shining like a star.  But being a diva is also about being humble and appreciative so you can savour the success.  Elouise is all of the above and more!

“Little Belter,” a new show written by Terry Ronald and with specially crafted production from musical director, Steve Anderson, showcases Elouise’s stupendous talent to the maximum.  “Little Belter” tells the story of Elouise’s life through epic interpretations of ballads from the likes of famed Diva’s who have influenced her life; Dusty Springfield, Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand.  Cleverly and humourously scripted, we learn how Elouise would sing into her Mum’s curling tongs and this is how she earned the name of “Little Belter.” 

The audience instantly warms to this petite, tiny framed young woman who stands before them, who with endearing personality, takes them on a journey through her life and through song.  Bright lights, big hair and extravagantly sparkly dresses are all part of the night but what stands out by a mile is Elouise’s belter of a voice. 

Every song is a vocal masterpiece requiring the stamina of an athlete.  If ballad singing was an Olympic sport then Elouise would bring home gold!

The intimacy of Madame Jo Jos offers Elouise the opportunity to connect with her audience and mingle with them throughout some of the numbers.  From divas, to disco, to original interpretations, there’s something to tantalise everyone’s taste buds.  “Could it be magic” will have you dancing in your seat, “Enough is enough” will have you singing along, “Diamonds are forever” will leave you in awe and “The Winner Takes It All” will send shivers through your spine and leave you with goose pimples galore.   Mixed into a show packed with juicy classics is some original material.  “Pretender,” co-written by Terry Ronald fits right in there with the plethora of epic ballads.  This fabulous song has everything a timeless ballad is made of and with the Elouise stamp on it this song steals the show for me.  It’s sultry and gutsy and sends Elouise’s vocal to soaring heights. 

Another breathtaking show stopper is “Another Day,” written by Terry Ronald and Steve Anderson, a song which interestingly was turned down by Dame Shirley Bassey.  Too bad for Shirley as Elouise takes this song to another level.  “Fireman of My Dreams,” sees Elouise bring her own life into the mix.  He may not have been the fireman of her dreams but the hunky young man she brings on stage is certainly eye candy for the audience and brings a light hearted atmosphere to the venue.  A brave change in the set sees Elouise steer away from the classic ballad and give her take on a more modern track.  Lady Gaga’s, “Born This Way” is given the Elouise sparkle.  With just her raw vocal and a keyboard Elouise delivers perfection.  This leads me to suggest a cover for a future show, I’d love to hear her put her own vocal vision on Bruno Mars’s “Talking To The Moon.”

Accompanying Elouise on her journey are her two stunning backing vocalists, Bonita Delaney and Alex Robertson .  Together, along with talented keyboard player, they  add class and sophistication to the show’s splendiferous production.  

If this show has wet your appetite then don’t despair, Elouise will be doing two more dates at Madame Jo Jos, 8-10 Brewer Street,  London  on 17^th April and 18^th May.  Tickets can be booked via Ticketweb http://bit.ly/hxeFjM  and earlybird tickets are available for a limited period so hurry along and book now.

She’s no pretender, Elouise is a veritable little belter!

For more information about Elouise get linked here:
Official website http://www.elouise.co/
Youtube www.youtube.com/user/elouiseofficialweb
Twitter www.twitter.com/elouiseofficial
Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/ELOUISE/125421786605 

"A Better Life" is one with RJ Thompson in it!

Sometimes I go out and search for new music and sometimes I stumble across it.  It was actually a Facebook suggestion that led me to discover the talents of singer songwriter RJ Thompson.  RJ Thompson is from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England and formerly released music as Richard John Thompson.  He began his career in music at the young age of 15 performing at gigs and open mic sessions around North East England.  It was after seeing U2 back in 2001 that he picked up his guitar and wrote his song, “Angel In The Undergrowth.”  He released his debut album “Hidden Daylight” in 2003 and his follow up album, “Illogical Life” was released in 2005.  In 2007 he released the “Acoustic Sessions EP” which took his career to the next level.

Over the years RJ Thompson has supported many artists including Midge Ure, Duke Special, Gabriella Cilmi, Ultravox, John Mayall and John Martyn amongst others.  He shines on stage and draws the audience in with his raw, true and heartfelt live performances.  His unique, fresh style enables him to cross over with ease from pop to rock to a twist of folk. He is most comfortable strumming an acoustic guitar wherever that may be.  Here are two tracks stripping RJ Thompson down to the bare bones and exposing his naked talent.

The Newcastle Sessions – Excuses to fall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGAmQYGUdNA&feature=relmfu

The Newcastle Sessions – You Have Me Surrounded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgTSeF0vcCY&feature=relmfu

His new single “A Better Life,” recorded at Abbey Road Studios is now available for download on iTunes http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/a-better-life-single/id414879758?ign-mpt=uo%3D4
or you can watch the video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1ARNtw2VnI

If you like what you hear then by clicking “Like” on RJ’s Facebook page you will be rewarded with a free downloadable track:  Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/rjthompsonmusic

You can also visit his official website for all the latest news http://www.rjthompson.co.uk/

For new videos and live clips add him to your Youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/rjthompsonmusic

He’s talented, creative, passionate and I hope to hear a lot more from him in 2011 and beyond!

Welcome to my musical mayhem...

So I’ve been thinking of writing a blog for a while and I’ve finally got around to it.  I’m not promising, daily, weekly or even monthly entries but I will post whenever I get a spare moment and have something to share with you.  There are many things I could write a blog about but I’ve chosen something that plays a large part in my life, inspires me, feeds my soul, heals my heart and keeps me sane – Music.

I have a diverse taste in music but I do have a soft spot for singer/songwriters.  I’ll use this blog to celebrate and feature some of the artists/bands who I admire and believe in, both signed and unsigned.  Watch this space and be inspired, live life in songs and join me in my musical mayhem!