Acoustic Halloween!

Had an amazing Halloween night playing at Illusions Magic Bar! My Halloween-themed set list included Soft Cell - Tainted Love, Jamie T - Zombie, Michael Jackson - Thriller, The Ghostbusters theme, Monster by the Automatic, Creep by Radiohead, Superstition by Stevie Wonder and Highway To Hell by AC/DC. Oh, and The Joker by the Steve Miller Band (see pic below!)

A photo posted by Pat McIntyre Wedding Guitarist (@thepatmcintyre) on Nov 11, 2014 at 3:32pm PDT

patmcintyre.co.uk launched

I've recently launched www.PatMcIntyre.co.uk as a personal website separate to my wedding music business. On this page, I'll be promoting my own music - once it's recorded! I've been writing and recording both for myself and for others for many years now, and it feels like the time is right to record my best songs and release them as an EP. At the moment I have the songs mostly ready as sketches, but I'm just so busy that I haven't had time to record yet! Hopefully I'll be getting some original material out there around about Spring 2015.

Single Release in China/Taiwan

A song I co-wrote has been recently released in China and Taiwan by Asian superstar Amber Ann (kinda like the Taiwanese Cheryl Cole!). A million hits on this video in the first week - nice! You can check out the video here...

Celebrity Spotting!

A quick snap of me and Radio 1's Matt Edmondson - he was a guest at a recent wedding. I'm pleased to report that he danced and sang along to every song I played and gave me some excellent feedback afterwards! He didn't, however, agree to play any of my songs on Radio 1!

The Bristol Balloon Fiesta

Always the best weekend of the year in Bristol (when it doesn't rain!) - it's the Bristol Balloon Fiesta. Tomorrow I have the honour of entertaining the Bristol Balloons crew, behind the scenes of the fiesta in a private gig at the Balloonists village - I'm sure that will be a calm, peaceful affair! As part of the deal, my friends at Bristol Balloons kindly arranged a flight for me - and last night we took off in beautiful weather for our journey across Bristol. It was an absolutely brilliant experience and I'd highly recommend hot air balloon travel to everyone! If you've ever fancied giving it a try, head over to Bristol Balloons...  

Here's a couple of snaps from the flight:  

Songwriting

Some positive updates from my other musical venture - as well as performing at weddings I write and produce songs for others and collaborate with all sorts of people. A couple of recent successes include: - Contract signed with Universal Music to release my co-written song "Ghost", a single for Taiwanese artist Amber Ann - A fun reggae tune called "Bassa Bassa" co-written at Elton John's Rocket Studios in London with emerging UK/Barbados artist Callum Wright. You can check out Callum's EP on iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/lazy-days-ep/id893201815

Wedding Music Ideas - Acoustic Guitarist and Singer

A quick thought or two on having live music at a wedding...

Being an acoustic guitarist and singer, I know how much a live musician can add to the wedding day. My most common bookings are for the wedding ceremony and the following drinks reception - two parts of the day where live acoustic guitar and vocals just works so beautifully.

Acoustic guitar adds a really personal touch at wedding ceremonies

There are many options for your wedding day if you're looking for live musicians. Maybe you want a string quartet to provide a beautiful rendition of your song at the ceremony. Strings are a lovely accompaniment to a more traditional ceremony.

I've found that my modern style of acoustic guitar has been really popular in recent times. I think a lot of people instantly associate wedding guitarists with classical guitarists - a guy sat in a corner plucking a classical guitar, playing the old standards. My style is totally different... think more Ed Sheeran, Jason Mraz - I sing and play acoustic guitar and I think it really helps set the tone for the wedding day. You can check out some videos here:

When I'm playing at the wedding ceremony, I usually have some specific songs requested by the bride and groom. I can learn most songs on the acoustic guitar (I've not been beaten yet, and I've had some obscure requests!) - and this provides a unique, memorable way of including some live music at the wedding ceremony.

Many people now follow their ceremony with a drinks reception - maybe serving champagne or afternoon tea while guests mingle, and the wedding couple have photographs taken. I think this is when an acoustic guitar set really comes into it's own. It gives guests a focal point, and some entertainment in the afternoon. There's often about an hour - an hour and a half gap between the ceremony and the wedding breakfast, and I love providing some music for people to listen to. It's particularly great in the Summer, outdoors on a warm sunny day.

An upbeat acoustic set is a great way to kick off the evening party

Of course, the other time at a wedding when live music comes into it's own is at the evening party. I'm sure everyone would love to book a band, but it's not always that easy. There's so many bands out there - of varying quality! And with varying price ranges. You get what you pay for, as a rule, unless you can get a mate's band to do a cheap favour for you. But generally, you're going to need to set aside an absolute minimum of £1000 for a good band to perform on the wedding night.

This is where I come in! Booking me offers a very budget-friendly option, and I guarantee that guests will be entertained, up on the dance floor and singing along. I play out in Bristol most Friday and Saturday nights when I'm not booked for weddings, so I know exactly what songs to play to get the crowd up on their feet. From old classics like the Beatles and Van Morrisson through to modern artists like Bastille, Ed Sheeran and Jessie J, my repertoire is large and varied.

Click to browse my online repertoire

Sometimes I'll be booked as a warm-up, before a DJ or band - and sometimes I'll be the main event! Either way, I love playing at the evening party and helping make it a night to remember (or forget... depending on how well the champers is flowing!!)

I hope this blog gave you some ideas - if you're planning your wedding day and thinking about entertainment, maybe this will inspire you to book me and my guitar on your big day! You can get in touch with me here: Pat McIntyre - Guitarist For Weddings