This is the week Christmas finally arrived for performers up and down the country. The sale of Vocalzones and fruit pastilles at shops close to theatres across the country has probably gone through the roof as singers and actors try their best to ward off what is ‘going around’ at the moment.
Thursday night was the Maggie’s Christmas Concert at Swansea Arena. This was the first time I’d been back to the Arena since my concert in October. At that time I was popping Vocalzones by the hand full as I was pretty sure I could feel a twinge at the back of my throat. Since that day I have been symptom free. I keep asking myself is the problem with my throat or my head!!!
There is a well known name for this condition in the world of rock ‘n’ roll…LSD or Lead Singer Disease. Having said that the lurgy took down one of the cast even before the doors opened. Mike Doyle is a trooper. When he took on the role of Tommy Farr in my musical ‘Contender’ Mike skipped, boxed, danced and sang his way through 2 hours every night.
Mike spends a lot of his time performing on cruise ships but always takes the opportunity to be at ‘homeish’ for Christmas by doing Pantomime. I say ‘homeish‘ because the pantomime schedule is brutal. A week or so to rehearse a brand new show and then 6 weeks of maybe 8 shows a week.
It was on Thursday morning I got a call from Ian Parsons, the director the Maggie’s Show. ‘I’ve just had a call from a voice I didn’t recognise claiming to be Mike Doyle ‘, he said. It soon became clear that it was Mike Doyle with a heavy dose of the lurgy. He wouldn’t be able to perform. Ian told him it would be ok and told him to wrap up warm and get back to bed…get back to bed…Mike was on his way to rehearsal for Panto with no voice and a possible chest infection because the show opens next week!! As I say Mike is a trooper!
Maggie’s Christmas Extravaganza has now become an annual fixture in the Swansea Calendar. It’s always a mixture of singers and dancers all held together brilliantly by Kev Johns. It’s also the chance to see people you haven’t seen for a while. Bronwen Lewis is doing some great work on radio and stage and it was lovely to see her for the first time in months.
Steve Balsamo is a stalwart supporting these types of events in Swansea and I think we are already talking about doing a Maggie’s event together next year in London.
Then there was that duet… Mal Pope & Carolyn Harris with Everyone Deserves a Christmas. Last week at the Swansea v Leeds game I spent some time chatting to Lord Mann, a Leeds supporter down for the day. It soon became clear that we had a mutual friend in Carolyn so I mentioned the new record we had made together. He had heard from good authority that it wasn’t half bad…which for a Yorkshireman I took as a great compliment.
The Donny and Marie of Manselton
It is strange that we put people into different boxes. Carolyn is a politician yes, but why shouldn’t she sing. If truth be known she is a rather fine ballroom dancer having taken part in competitions when she was a little girl.
Having said that I can still understand the surprise on people’s faces when they hear her on the microphone. It’s a big voice. Of course the day was slightly overshadowed by the news Ed Davey the Leader of the Liberal Democrats had also released a song to challenge for the Christmas Number One slot. Political commentators on news sites and papers broke the story that this was the first Christmas Record released by a Politician.
Following a social media intervention from Swansea West MP Torsten Bell hastily constructed corrections and links to our song were posted by the most unlikely people!! I’m just waiting to hear if we have been booked for Laura Kuenssberg next Sunday.
After the show biz trappings of Swansea Arena it was off to the bandstand at Victoria Gardens early on Friday morning to set up the gear for the Neath Launch of Everyone Deserves A Christmas. Thankfully Councillor Alan Lockyer, who I had been in school with sometime before the war, had done all the heavy lifting…literally.
Today is a mixed day with Portsmouth this afternoon before rushing back to St Peters in Newton for a 2Wish Concert. Like so many amazing charities 2Wish was set up by someone who had been through a traumatic event and wanted to make a difference. Rhian Mannings experienced a double tragedy, firstly suddenly losing her one year old son followed by the suicide of her husband 5 days later.
The charity is there when a family loses a child or young adult bringing them bereavement support. I expect most families experience or know of people that have experienced this loss. My family is no different and so it was good to be a part of the concert. I just happened to mention the concert to Carolyn and said I was going to sing our song. I’ll come too she said. I did mention that I was also heading for St Paul’s in Sketty on Sunday afternoon. I’ll be there as well. I can’t help thinking we are turning into the Donny and Marie of Manselton.
Next week it’s the Swansea DSA Christmas party followed by carol services in London, Chepstow and concerts including a special one for the Swansea Branch of the National Autistic Society.
At the moment the voice seems to be holding up and I’m not coughing at all but I am starting to feel a slight twinge so I’m off the shops to look for a packet of Fisherman’s Friend and some vitamin C.