PRESS RELEASE – Sutton Coldfield Town Hall
30th December 2019
Swing That Music 24th January 2020
Back in 2018, Down for the Count wowed audiences at Sutton Coldfieldβs Concerts in the Park, supporting the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in front of 4,000 people.Β Now they are returning to Sutton Coldfield Town Hall on Friday 24th January with their theatre show SWING THAT MUSIC.
The show evokes the atmosphere of the ballrooms and jazz clubs of the swing era β combining top class musicianship with authentic dance performances from local Lindy hop dance group, The Swing Era. Β
Described as βone hellova celebration of vintage musicβ by TimeOut London, the SWING THAT MUSIC show breathes new life into some of the best music of the 20th Century, treating audiences to joyous instrumental solos, sublime vocal performances, energetic dance routines and Down for the Countβs irresistible humour and on-stage banter.
Expect to hear songs from the likes of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Count Basie and Glenn Miller, and classics from singers such as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Nat βKingβ Cole.
SWING THAT MUSIC has had a string of sell-out shows in 2019, at venues including the world-famous Ronnie Scottβs Jazz Club in London, and the tour marks the release of Down for the Countβs new album, also called SWING THAT MUSIC. The album is available to buy from the bandβs website www.dftcswingorchestra.co.uk. Band leader Mike Paul-Smith describes the album as βa celebration of my favourite musicians and singers from the Swing Era. At that time young people were cramming themselves into ballrooms to listen and dance to incredible music from pioneering musicians β and our album and show aims to recreate that energy and sound.β
The bandβs previous album, LETS DANCE, was featured on Clare Tealβs BBC Radio 2 show in 2017.
The band was formed by Mike Paul-Smith in 2005 whilst he was still at school. βWe always loved playing jazz and soul music, but it was when we started getting asked to play for swing dance events that we really started to love the big band music we play nowadays. Itβs such a thrill to see people interpret the music you play through dance, and it wasnβt long before I began taking Lindy hop dance classes myself. Because the band started when we were so young, weβre only in our late 20s and early 30s now β and we find that audiences are often surprised to see people of our age playing vintage music. Itβs great that Swing dancing has become increasingly popular with younger people too.βΒ
Since then, Down for the Count has become a favourite amongst fans of retro nostalgia, making regular appearances at events such as Twinwood Vintage Festival, who described them as βa breath of fresh air on the swing sceneβ. The band are regulars at London jazz clubs and have even performed at the oldest jazz club in Europe, Le Caveau de la Huchette in Paris, which featured in the film La La Land. The band includes award-winning jazz musicians and West End performers, who have performed at events across the globe.
The format of the bandβs show means that no two performances are ever exactly the same. As Mike said, βwe make sure our show is entertaining, bringing our own humour and personalities to the stage, recreating the atmosphere of swing era dance nights and jazz clubs so that every moment feels spontaneous and exciting. Ultimately the music is the star of the show, and we want audiences watching and listening to feel as uplifted as we do when playing. We hope our joie de vivre is infectious and that audiences leave sharing our love for all that swings!β
Swing That Music at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall
- Friday 24th January
- 7.30pm
- Running time: two hours and 20 minutes including one 20 minute interval
- Tickets from Β£17
- Box office: https://www.suttoncoldfieldtownhall.com, 0121 296 9543
Website & Social Media
- www.dftcswingorchestra.co.uk
- www.facebook.com/downforthecountswingorchestra
- www.twitter.com/DFTCSwingOrch
- www.instagram.com/downforthecountswingorchestraΒ
Press and PR Contact details
Please direct press and PR enquiries to:
- Mike Paul-Smith (band manager)
- +44 (0) 7855 488 462
- [email protected]Β
Videos
The bandβs new single Swing That Music can be found here:
- On Vimeo https://vimeo.com/357550007Β
- On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lKsynsJOd0Β
- This link can be used to download the video: https://vimeo.com/downforthecount/download/357550007/91ef75b2f3Β