Once again I was absolutely delighted to appear at Boibox Christmas Jumper 2014. Adam 'All & Apple Derrieres are wonderful hosts, and their version of 'The Snowman' brought the house down. (Adam looked so cute in his pyjamas!)

Thanks for having me guys - I love this gig! xx

I had a fab time at The Brighton Fringe this year. This was an opportunity to perform to festival goers who had selected my gig from the many publicised in the official fringe promotional material. The audiences consisted of many who had never seen me before, which was great for me in terms of raising my profile. And I got some really great feedback from them. A deal with the venue meant that admission was free to this event, but one man went out of his way to offer me £20 at the end of my set because he thought I was more than worth it! I didn't accept of course - that wouldn't have been fair as nobody else had paid. But I suggested that he spread to word to his friends about Ronnie Rialto, and he said he would definitely come to see me again.

So all in all a very enjoyable run at the Cubar - I hope to back at the Fringe next year!

Next up is a private party in Salisbury on 27th June followed by a return to one of my favourite places the lovely, intimate  Rabbit Hole Bar in Brighton on 5th July. I'll be blogging about those soon after.

I've had an amazing last few weeks doing some wonderful gigs with some of my favorite people.

First up was Charity Cabaret  on 22nd Feb at The Basement in Kensington Street Brighton. I was delighted to be part of a brilliant line-up that included The Short & Girlies, Hannah Brackenbury, Lara A King, Jan Allain, and was headlined by Claire Summerskill.

The near-to-capacity audience were treated to a memorable night of entertainment that raised £900 for Brighton Women's Centre. Well done to Annabel Pribelski for organising the event and compering very competently on the night too!

Then on 1st March I had my regular gig at The Rabbit Hole Bar. After the poor weather we've had that has kept most people huddled up indoors, I wasn't sure who would venture out. I needn't have worried as a party of people arrived determined to celebrate a  significant birthday  with a soundtrack of Jazz Swing & Blues provided by yours truly. Thanks Metropolitan Police people - you certainly know how to have a good time!

Then, on 5th March it was "March" at BoiBox. This gig has recently moved from the Candy Bar to SHE SOHO in London's Old Compton Street. This is a great venue and with a uniform theme everyone was dressed to impress, especially our hosts Adam All and Apple Derrieres (pictured right - photo by Emma Bailey)

And the 2 weeks were capped off with an appearance at the International Women's Day celebrations in at The Dome in Brighton.

it was an absolutely lovely event well supported by the local community. I hung around with friends for several hours there, enjoying the entertainment and speeches and even finding time for a reflexology treatment! A lovely treat for my Marching feet!

I've been neglecting my blog duties of late - but that's not because there's nothing to report! In fact the opposite! Since my last post I've appeared at the wonderful Boi Box at the Candy Bar, Soho twice. Firstly at the 'Club Tropicana' night on 13th November and then at 'Christmas Jumpers' on 11th December.

 Boi Box is hosted by the debonair dandy Adam 'All and his very glamorous assistant Apple Derrieres and a more fun all-inclusive night out could not be had elsewhere! I thoroughly recommend it!

I also had a ball at Brenda's 64th birthday party. This was my first opportunity to perform at The Bedford Arms in Brighton. Matt, the guvnor had seen me before fleetingly at The Grosvenor Bar but always had to rush off to tend his own bar. He was a brilliant host and Brenda, who is a Bedford regular had a wonderful time celebrating her birthday with all her friends.

Saturday 14th December saw my debut at Cubar, a cocktail bar under new management in Preston Street in Brighton. The bar is now run by a sister and brother combo; Sophia and Nick. The theme for a chillout Saturday afternoon was a Cheese & Wine Party. Sophia really did her homework and presented a platter of different cheeses arranged in an order so as not to ruin the palate for each one & wines to complement each cheese. My friends who attended really loved the concept and execution of it and we all look forward to a repeat event in the near future.

I'll be returning to Cubar in January & February. Look out for future gigs from me on my events page.

 

Well following my sojourn in Lesvos, I returned to a very busy schedule of events, and I can only now draw breath and find time to update my blog. 

 

First up was the Kenric Brighton event at the Thistle Hotel. This was the first such event put on by the recently-formed Brighton branch. it was well supported by members from far & wide and they showed their appreciation by singing along and dancing  to my set and then carrying on until the music stopped close to midnight to a fabulous selection of memorable tunes from DJ Rosie Retro. 

 

Regional organiser, Frankie, declared the night's entertainment a resounding success and has suggested that we do something similar in the not-too-distant future. I'll definitely be up for that!

 

This event was swiftly followed the next day by Dee & Pier's 25th Wedding Anniversary Celebration. It was a really lovely family-focussed occasion. The setting was in a large private house with an enormous japanese-style garden. The raised decked area in the corner of the garden formed a perfect stage, and I must say that I was reminded of the wedding scene from The Godfather, where the lounge singer (Al Martino playing a Sinatra type character, I think) is singing in the gardens of the palatial Corleone home. Although near the end of September, the weather held for us, and the sun was actually shining for most of the afternoon.

 

The following weekend (Saturday 5th October) I was back at my regular Jazz, Swing & Blues venue, The Rabbit Hole. I really enjoy doing this gig and hope to continue into 2014.

 

 

And finally, on 14th October I returned to The Grosvenor Bar for my Sunday afternoon repertoire of popular standards.

 

 It's always lovely to perform there, the hosts Chris & Ali provide such a warm welcome, and the clientele of mostly regulars are a brilliant audience. One of them, Brenda, has booked me to perform at her 64th birthday party in November, in the pub down the road from there, The Bedford Arms. I look forward to that immensely!