Behind The Scenes – Jamie Reeves From The Singing Waiters (A Laaaa Garcons)

Now that the mad rush of June weddings is behind me, I’ve had a chance to catch up with Jamie Reeves, the main man behind the Singing Waiters. You may recall I raved about these guys after witnessing them first hand at Louise and Brian’s Barn at Bury Court wedding last month and I knew I needed to feature them for a ‘Behind The Scenes’ blog post.

So here it is.  A man of many talents, here’s a little bit about the face behind the business…

Tell us a bit about yourself
I’m 36 year married man from Wigan, with a 3 year old boy called Jack and a baby girl arriving at the end of September.  I’m a Shrewsbury Town supporter so I have had the essence of being a born winner engrained into my core.  I also understand the meaning of irony!! (though we did get promotion last year).

I’ve been singing for over 15 years now, though I have been involved in entertainment for over 21 years having starting off my career as a DJ. I’ve been lucky enough to play many 5 star resorts, live in Cyprus for 3 years, play in Oman, Germany, Italy, Spain, Menorca too. I’ve done regional theatre (playing Curly in Oklahoma and other touring shows), been on TV (I learned to ride a moped on Albert Square) and have had the Brentford FC faithful chant “There’s only one Gary Barlow” at me while doing a half time concert as “Gobbie Williams”.

And the business? What do you do, how did you get into this line of work and how long have you been doing it?
FSR Productions, the company behind the singing waiters, has been going for 4 years or so now. About 3 years ago, I saw the Opera Singing Waiters concept which I though was brilliant but not my cup of tea. I managed to find just 1 other pop singing waiters company but I didn’t think they had enough pzazz and fun factor, so being the big head I am, I thought I would try and see if it would work. Less than 3 years later and a team of 17 guys I guess my big head was proved right!! (and we now offer Opera and Classical to those that want it too).

The Singing Waiters (www.singingwaitersx2.com) blend in with the venue team, pretending to wait on guests before doing a reveal after the main course and singing through the dessert. If you take advantage of our early bird offer you will also get a bonus tribute show, where you can choose the Rat Pack, Best Of The Boybands or the Mini Wedding Band for your evening guests. We are also putting together a live band option for this part of the show. We are also the only singing waiters that offer a money back guarantee.

I also run luxuryweddingsinger.com. As a vocalist I specialise in Rat Pack and Motown & Soul, though I am comfortable and very proficient in Pop, Rock and Musical Theatre. I’m also a very experienced DJ so for those that would like a high class singer but without the surprise factor we have set up this. Again backed by our money back guarantee.

We also run The Singing Telegram Company, great for marriage proposals, hen nights, anniversaries and other surprise moments (www.singingtelegramuk.com).

Where are you based and what areas do you cover?
We cover anywhere and everywhere. Worldwide. We have played the length and breadth of the UK (including the Orkney Islands and the Isle of Arran this year) and have also been to Oman and Italy. We have cars and passports and will travel!!

What’s your favourite part of the job?
The look and reactions from the audience. nothing beats giving the event such a lift that people regularly come up to us and say that was the best wedding ever.

And the hardest part of the job?
There are two things, one is the travel because we regularly do 18 hour days and even though I’m a young 36 it doesn’t get any easier. Secondly, convincing couples that entertainment is one of the most important things of the day. If you are looking to make a memorable day for you and your guests you need GREAT entertainment. 80% of guests remember the entertainment the most from a wedding. Remember this, in a years time nobody will remember the main course but if you book the singing waiters everyone will remember the dessert.

What’s been the most memorable moment you can recall?
Oman was very special, having landing the gig myself, to perform to 400 Omani VIPs (including royalty) at one of the nicest resorts in Muscat was like a massive pat on the back for 2 years of hard work. We also did a gig at The Landmark in London and to see everyone waving there napkins during the final song while stood on a chair looking like the cat the had the cream was another proud moment. But, what makes it worthwhile to me is the reaction we get from all the bride and grooms. Knowing that we have created the best wedding ever and being told this never gets old.

Any particularly challenging moments you can recall?
Lots, tight spaces, traffic jams, being stopped by the police for speeding when running late,a blown fuse on an amp in Scotland. But like anything, we got through it made sure we gave an amazing performance and blew the crowd away.

I’ve obviously seen you in action but it was totally different from what I was expecting when Louise and Brian told me they’d hired you. How do people get to see exactly what you do before they book you?
The majority of our work is private booking but we do have a youtube channel with many video clips on at www.youtube.com/ukweddingmusic

How far in advance should people be looking to book you?
We already have booking for 2014 so the sooner the better.

And how can people get in touch with you? What’s the booking process?
You can contact us through the website at www.singingwaitersx2.com or call us on 0161 452 0014. Drop us an email or phone for a chat so we can get a feel for what you want and make it personal to you.

A huge thanks to Jamie for taking the time out to answer my questions, especially as I know how busy he is right now.   I’ve obviously been to a huge amount of weddings and I can honestly say that in temrs of sheer entertainment I haven’t experienced anything as good as what these guys offer, they’re definitely worth a look if you want something a bit different on your wedding day.  The Singing Waiters can also be found on Facebook (www.facebook.com/singingwaitersuk).

Here’s a few images of the man himself in action!