Matt Monro Forum

We went to see the Picadilly Dance Orchestra with the family last night at the Arts Depot theatre in Finchley.
Songs from the 20s to the 40s. Great band with leader Michael Law and singer Louise Cookman
We were given song sheets for the second half to join in, and OK YES, I knew them all

Lena & Harry Smith wrote:We went to see the Picadilly Dance Orchestra with the family last night at the Arts Depot theatre in Finchley.
Songs from the 20s to the 40s. Great band with leader Michael Law and singer Louise Cookman
We were given song sheets for the second half to join in, and OK YES, I knew them all

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Oh wow Lena and Harry my dear Mum would have loved
It. She was born in 1921 and would sing all the old
Songs ...

Maxine our mum's were both born the same year, she liked a lot of the modern songs too and would sometimes go to concerts with me.

Wow that's so cool, though my Mum and Dad were born in 1933 (Mum) and 1931 (Dad), I'm sure they would have enjoyed this also. However ha ha.. I hate to say this but my Mum is more cool than my Dad. She likes some modern stuff, but my Dad calls it "Long Hair Noise" ha ha!!! Though sometimes he does have the occasional slip and will like some of it. LOL

It was the Picadilly Dance Orchestra that featured on the BBC 4 programmes...Len Goodman's Dancing Feet and Len Goodmans Dance Band Days. The band also features in the Helen Mirren and Michael Caine film Last Orders.
The British Dance Band era was around from the 20s and 30s and was a genre of jazz and melodic Dance music, and almost every ballroom, hotel and café had a resident band and in those times it was the music and musicians that were always the most important part of the band, and that is why the musicians played the songs and then a long drawn out introduction came before the singer got up and sang. It was all about the music then, not the singer so much, but the changes came with the Big Band era.
Remember that Matt sang for a time with the Harry Leader Band that had been very much a part of that British Dance Band Era.
We have the monthly "Memory Lane" magazine delivered and members who are very knowledgeable of this music arrange a meet up here in London and during the year go on walks and visit some of the hotels and cafes where the Bands used to perform.

What a great concert Lena and Harry.Re the musicians being the 'main event',some of old Sinatra CD'S plus the Tommy Dorsey and Jimmy Dorsey CD's you hardly heard the singer at all.

Have you ever been on the walks where the bands used to perform?

L & H that's interesting as I have the dvd Last Orders, must watch it again and see the band.

We haven't been on the walks yet Sandra, just one of those things we've been promising to do.
We haven't seen Last Orders Karl, should be good though with Helen Mirren and Michael Caine.

L&H that was a dvd I got free with a newspaper some years ago, I did enjoy it. Most Michael Caine films are good.