Review: Sands Swing Night feat. Matthew Ford and Sarah Ellen Hughes - 3rd February 2012

As we arrived at the Sands Venue, the ever-vigilant doormen reminded us to wrap up warmly at the end of the evening, as the weather forecast was for -11 degrees.

Lucy tried the cheese board as dessert this time for a change and voted it excellent – four different, good-sized pieces of cheese, red and white grapes, sticks of celery, assorted biscuits, butter and a very good, home-made dried fruit and nut chutney.

Though the food is absolutely superb at The Sands Venue, we were there for the Swing Show – usually on Saturdays but this time on Friday, 3^rd February - and what a show!  As always, Neil Shatliff and his sensational Sands Band were brilliant partners for the singers, showing them off to perfection.

Paul Ellis, looking dashing in his dinner jacket, started the ball rolling with ‘The Lady is a Tramp’ and ‘Come Fly with me’. Paul has been referred to by Richard Shelton as “the man who sounds more like Sinatra than Sinatra does” and we think that’s true.

Paul introduced Sarah-Ellen Hughes, who made the journey from her home in London to appear at the Sands.  We had heard silver-voiced Sara-Ellen before, singing with pianist Mike Taylor and were really looking forward to seeing her in the beautiful night-club/cabaret setting that is the Sands in Blackpool and hearing her sing with a 7-piece band.  We weren’t disappointed.  With a gold S on either side of the stage, echoing Sara-Ellen’s name, she came on wearing a long, black evening dress with diamante top – very classy and elegant –  and set the bar very high indeed, beginning her first set with “Someone to watch over me”.  Then came a Nina Simone classic – ‘My baby just cares for me’.

Sara-Ellen’s next song was “Teach me Tonight”, accompanied by Mike Hope on Tenor Sax.  The Sands Band then played “I could write a book” before introducing Matthew Ford.   Though we had heard a great deal about Matthew, we hadn’t actually seen him or heard him sing before.  Matthew looked extremely handsome in dark suit and tie. His first song was ‘Moon Dance” and, well we think Matthew is better looking than Michael Buble (and Matthew  is English too - though we felt we could be forgiven for thinking he had Italian origins – he was that good) and his voice has a soft, Gene Kelly tinge to it.  Then came ‘Ain’t that a kick in the head’ with Dan on piano.

Then two Matt Monroe numbers – “A portrait of my love” and ‘Walk away’ with the band.  A delightful duet with Sarah-Ellen ‘Something Stupid’ was followed by Matt singing “I’ve got you under my skin’, which we just had to dance to, before the final song of the first set – ‘The Birth of the Blues’.

The Sands Sound Engineer, Mark works tirelessly throughout the evening to make sure the sound is perfect and always picks great music for the interval which gives those who have never visited The Sands before a chance to look at the Champagne Bar with its amazing view of the Promenade and sea.

Paul Ellis started the second part of the show with the topical ‘Let’s Face the Music and Dance’. `Paul always makes gentle jokes and he pretended he was going to alter the title of his next song to “Friday night is the loneliest night of the week’ – a nod to the fact that it’s usually “Swing Saturdays” at the Sands.

Sarah-Ellen Hughes returned to sing ‘The way you look tonight’, ‘That old Devil called Love’ and the Judy Garland classic “Get Happy” before the Band’s next instrumental – ‘If I were a bell’ - and, again we had to get up dance.

Matthew Ford came back with some songs which were originally Italian and these sounded so authentic we thought he was Italian – “Sta Sera’, then a very energetic ‘Sway’, then Matthew came onto the dance floor (of which in total at the Sands Venue in Blackpool we counted 5) in front of the stage and encouraged us all to sing the words ‘That’s Amore’ as he sang and directed us, which was great fun.

Matt has a very easy, relaxed style that makes you feel as though he is enjoying your company as much as you are enjoying him singing your favourite songs.

Next came ‘Mack the Knife’, with some personalised vocals in the final verse, when Matthew introduced some of the band members.  Then came an Anthony Newley song ‘Feeling Good’ and we did indeed feel good after a wonderful show.

The audience cheered, clapped and shouted “More” so Paul, Sarah-Ellen and Matthew joined the band on stage to sing, while the Sands staff encouraged everyone to get up and move to a rousing rendition of ‘New York, New York’.

It was another truly fantastic, feel-good evening of live music at The Sands Venue and we have to say a big thank you to Matthew Ford, Sarah-Ellen Hughes and Paul Ellis, to Neil Shatliff and the Sands Band, to Mark the Sound Engineer and to all the lovely, dedicated, hard-working staff who make the Sands experience so memorable.  For those of us who like Swing Music it is a real treat.

The Sands Venue have a large programme of events planned for 2012 so please check out their website – http://www.the-sands-blackpool.co.uk/

Award-winning vocalist Sarah-Ellen Hughes is a singer/songwriter – to find out more see http://www.sarahellenhughes.co.uk/

Award-winning Swing Band singer Matthew Ford will be back at the Sands Venue in Blackpool on 31^st March and 14^th April 2102.  To find out more see http://www.matthewford.info/