Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from Alex, Jon & The Dial Up family!

Thanks to everyone who came to support and enjoy our special Christmas Dial Up! What a superb evening! One of the highlights was The Masters of Whimsy, who delighted us with a cleverly re-worded version of We Three Kings, so thanks to Anthony, Paul and lyricist Glyn for the surprise- lyrics below!

Our next Dial Ups are in the New Year so come and join the party! We're at the Watford Palace Theatre at 5pm on Sunday 8th and the Seven Dials Club, Covent Garden at 7.30pm on Friday 20th! See you then and much love! Alex xx

We four Kings of Dial Up are,
Coming from Watford it's not that far,
Metropolitan or Watford Junction,
Using our Oyster Cards

CHORUS: O-oh, Dial Up wonder, Dial Up delight,
Dial Up on Friday night,
West End pleasing with music and singing,
And Alex who's on the mic!

The Masters of Whimsy are here once again,
Singing songs to entertain,
But will we ever sing something clever,
Or just a simple refrain.

CHORUS

The end is nigh for us handsome guys,
With tears of sorrow filling your eyes,
But alleluia! ALLELUIA!!!
The audience to us replies,

CHORUS

The Covent Garden Christmas Dial Up, Friday 16th 7.30pm

Where has the month flown?! After successful Dial Ups at the Palace Theatre and Watford Museum, we're finally back home for this month's Big Daddy (aka. Father Christmas) performance! And what a line up we have for you... First up the delectable Bandana Gill will wow us with some festive favourites...

Then poet and artist Martin Slidel will launch his new arts-zine 'Playerist', we're delighted he's chosen us as the venue to unleash his new forum for contemporary image and poetry!

And finally the marvellous Maria Gierszewski will delight us with some seasonal tunes. Who could ask for more? I hope you'll be there to join us! Much love, Alex xx

Join vocalist Alex Williams & pianist Jon Medcalf as we celebrate

The Dial Up

Christmas Special!

The Seven Dials Club,

42 Earlham Street

, Covent Garden

Friday 16^th December, 7.30pm for 8pm start

Tickets £5

The Dial Up Christmas Knees Up, Saturday 10th at Watford Museum!

Thanks so much to everyone who came along and made our Watford Dial Up Christmas Special such an amazing event! There was so much wonderful talent in the room, and it was easily the longest open mic list I've ever had! Our next one, the Dial Up Christmas Knees Up, is this Saturday, 1-4pm at the Watford Museum. I do hope you can join us, it should be another marvellous afternoon, and it's completely FREE! If you know some one who might enjoy our unique brand of merriment, bring them along for a taster session and a minced pie, lol! Much love, Alex xx
Thanks to Dan Cozens for filming, more videos available on The Dial Up Open Mic youtube channel so do check it out! xx

Photos from our Cool Britannia Dial Up!

Thanks to Prashant for all the following photos! What a treat to have him back with us!

Three badges on my waistcoat that night! Dial Up, a Union Jack and mini-Pudsey for Children in Need!

 What joy to have the Soul Sisters reunited once again as the marvellous Tracy Holtham sung a duet with our surprise special guest Bandana Gill!

Jack Meyer, who gave a wonderful reinterpretation of Sting with 'An American in London, and the adorable Liza Keast looking delighted to be with us!

Will we ever have a Dial Up without cake?! Happy Birthday, Jon!

Our superstar Helen Durkin gave us some Adele and Amy Winehouse

I wasn't the only one with a Dial Up badge on! Fellow Whimsyite, Glyn :-)

Lots of new faces this month, let's keep the word spreading!

Helen Green bolsters the theme with some Flanders & Swan...

Our resident poet Jim Connor went for Anthony Newley and Lesley Bricusse...

And Neil Maxfield brought Gilbert and Sullivan! I'd call that a full house!

Street magician extraordinaire Owen!

The beautiful voice and musicianship of Mark-Anthony brought original British songwriting to the mix...

...While Patrick Vincent gave an inspired re-working of Cole Porter's 'Night and Day'

Cheers, Bob! Next Dial Ups are the Christmas Specials: Sun Dec 4th at the Watford Palace Theatre/ Sat Dec 10th at Watford Museum and Friday Dec 16th at Seven Dial Club, Covent Garden. Hope to see you there! Much love, Alex xx

The Dial Up Christmas Specials!

Thanks to EVERYONE who came along to support the November Dial Up! Talk about Cool Britannia, we had everything from Gilbert & Sullivan and Flanders & Swan to Sting and Steps! Not to mention original works from contemporary London performers. A truly mesmerising evening! Hats off to the Dial Up fam ;-) 

My favourite bit had to be surprising Jon with yet another birthday cake! Any excuse for cake! And what a joy to welcome back Bandana, exactly one year on from her first performance with us, on a flying visit from her time in Australia. We wish her every happiness as she heads back in December. And talking about spreading happiness, we have THREE Dial Ups planned for next month! The first will be our Watford Dial Up at the Palace Theate, 5pm on Sunday 4th. Then there's the FREE Watford Dial Up, 1pm-4pm at the Musuem for anyone who wants a taste of our unique brand of music, poetry and open mic, with minced pies and mulled apple juice on hand, and finally our traditional Christmas Extravaganza at the Seven Dials Club, Covent Garden, 7pm on Friday 16th. Hope to see you at one, two or all events!

Much love, Alex xx www.facebook.com/thedialup

The Ithacans Sing! New video from the Watford Dial Up!

Just follow the link! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvszZZS57rc

Beautiful Music is Everywhere!

Thank you so much to everybody who came along and supported the first ever Watford Dial Up, what a triumphant evening! In the first half special guests Jim Connor and Karen Kennedy both wowed us with their poetry and song, while the open mic just proved how much talent, creativity and general gorgeousness there is in Watford. My highlight had to be the impromptu reunion of Ithacans! Just over a year on from performing The Human Comedy on the WPT stage, it was amazing to have so many of us back together in that venue singing those songs. Particular thanks to the wonderous Wendy Long for accompanying us on the piano all evening! Much love to one and all, and our next Watford Dial Up is our Christmas Special on Sunday December 4th at 5pm. Look forward to seeing you there! xx

The First Ever Watford Dial Up!

Do come and join us at the Watford Palace Theatre, 5pm this Sunday 30th October as we bring The Dial Up to Watford for the first time ever! With special guests Karen Kennedy (local actress and singer) and Jim Connor (The Dial Up's resident poet), it should be a wonderful event. And here's a special call out to all Ithicans! If you were involved with the 2010 WPT production of The Human Comedy, we'll be singing three of the songs from the score for old times sake! Bring you music along and join us for a special reunion sing-along! Much love, Alex xx

Cool Britannia- The Dial Up celebrates the Great British Songbook!

Thank you so much to everyone who came along to our First Birthday Bash this month! What a party! With four amazing performers squeezed into the first half, and a positive cavalcade of open mic performers- including, for the first time ever, a magician- it was a truly spectacular evening! Not least because about halfway through I got a sugar rush from the copious quantities of cake doing the rounds... hehe!

Please do come and join us for our next event on Friday 18th November when we'll be pulling out the Best of the Great British songbook! I look forward to seeing you then! Much love, Alex xx 

The Seven Dials Club,

42 Earlham Street, Covent Garden

Friday 18^th November, 7.30pm for 8pm start

Tickets £5

Future Covent Garden dates:

Friday 16^th December: The Dial Up Christmas Special!

Friday 20^th January: Bring in the New Year with a song!

Friday 17^th February: Love songs for the month of romance

Planning a party or event? Email contactalex@thedialup.co.uk Phone 07763 695 481

Special guests confirmed for The Dial Up First Birthday Bash!

Hi Everyone! On Friday 21st October The Dial Up celebrates its first birthday at the Seven Dials Club in Covent Garden. Alongside our usual blend of live music, poetry and general merriment, there'll also be cake (Lol!) and some extra-special special guests!

Soul singer Lola Phillips, a Dial Up favourite, will be on hand to perform some of her favourite tracks...

Long time Dial Up supporter Maria Gierszewski will once again dazzle us with her inimitable vocal stylings!

Neil Maxfield (on the right) came to the Dial Up for the first time last month and gave such a wonderful rendition of Cole Porter's 'Night and Day' as part of our Great American Songbook theme that we just had to invite him back!

And finally our resident soul singer, guitarist and songwriter, the delectable Tracy Holtham will be there to warm our cockles! What a line up! Only one question, why has everyone suddenly gone orange? Oh well, if you can't beat them...

 

Photos from our Great American Songbook Dial Up!

What an evening it was! Thanks to everyone who came along and made it such a special night, and big thanks to Colin McLeod for the following photographic evidence...

 Jon Medcalf and I prepare for take off with our usual vigour, and the Duke Ellington classic 'Take The A Train'

 The hilarious Fongphu Tran and his glove puppet with a number from Avenue Q!

 The wonderful Helen Green adds a little culture to the evening with a bit of Bach

 Our resident poet Jim Connor gave us the appropriately seasonal 'September Song'

Did someone say Maltesers? This way, please...

 Me looking surprisngly bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!

 The wonderful Jenny Branch makes her Dial Up debut...

 ...and it was our pleasure to welcome back her performance partner, the irrepressible Sam Marks!

 Liza Keast performed three American Songbook classics with Jon Medcalf on piano

Shimmering and splendid from top to toe! I want that hat!

As ever, we close with our fabulous farewell track Bye Bye Blackbird!

See you all at the next Dial Up, our first birthday bash, on Friday 21st October! xxx

Four new videos from the Disney Dial Up are now on the website!

Finally! We know you've been waiting for them ;-) And there are loads more on youtube! This one's Sacha Lisi and I singing 'No Matter What' from Beauty and the Beast, but there's also Nisha Halai, The Masters of Whimsy, Ekky Archibong, Frank Odendall... the list goes on! Take a look and let me know what you think! Much love, Alex xx

Photos from our Disney Dial Up August 2011!

 Who knew there were so many Disney fans in London!? Well, okay, so maybe we had an inkling...

 The Disney Dial Up was a HUGE success, with more sing-alongs, duets and debuts than ever before!

 Tracy Holtham, our resident soul sister, wowed us with her interpretation of a few Disney tracks including 'I Can Go The Distance' from Hercules.

 Nisha Halai, a much-loved member of the Dial Up family, made her first half debut with 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight' from the Lion King. As ever, the marvellous Jon Medcalf on piano!

 Sacha Lisi and I sang the gorgeous father-daughter duet 'No Matter What' from Beauty and the Beast.

 An amusing (or painful?) event clearly happening stage right! Helen Durkin and I later sang 'Beauty and the Beast' as a duet. She was Celine Dion, somehow I ended up as Angela Lansbury...

Jon, Tracy and I in full pose (though my hat seems to have disappeared...)

Nicholas and Rupal gave a splendid rendition of 'Part Of Your World' (dialogue most definitely included)

The Masters of Whimsy made their Dial Up debut (and world premiere, incidentally) with 'That's What Friends Are For' from The Jungle Book. More to come! Hope to see you all at our Great American Songbook special on Friday 23rd September! Much love, Alex xx