Phones, computers, cameras, cars, watches… Technology’s always improving and there’s always something new and shiny to tempt us from our cash. Same applies to sound gear, especially microphones. But do we really need an upgrade? When I was a kid I was a pretty serious golfer. I had hardly any money so my clubs were cheap and very basic. I noticed how most of the other members had better gear than me, sometimes it was really expensive professional level stuff. But I also noticed how it never seemed to make them any better. They just had more money to spend (or waste). When Bobby Jones was break ..read more

We artists love to create. We get inspired and we go to work. Our latest project is always the most exciting and it’s easy to assume that everyone will agree that our latest album, show, song, or whatever, is just what the world’s been waiting for. That is, until the release date arrives, we share our new masterpiece with the world and other than a few likes on Facebook, nothing much happens, the world keeps turning and everyone moves on.  There are two secrets to avoiding constant disappointment in your career: the first is to create work that makes you happy, the second is to set realis ..read more

Shane Hampsheir is no stranger to chart success. He’s had number one singles on iTunes and one of his tracks racked up over 630,000 streams on Spotify. In this Cabaret Secrets podcast he shares the secret of how to get a number one on iTunes. This isn’t about racking up 1000s of record sales and retiring off the proceeds. This is about getting the credit so we can tell people we were number one! Using real time charts to your advantage When I was growing up in the 70s and 80s, everyone would tune into the weekly Radio 1 Chart Show. Whomever had sold the most records that week got to number o ..read more

Most of my friends dislike me. They make no secret of it, often telling me over a nice coffee “You make me sick”. Travelling all over the world and posting little updates on Facebook (like “On the beach in Tahiti. Too hot.”) is a very effective way to foster envy and resentment in your friends. I can though give them one small measure of comfort. Every day I spend in port, whether scuba diving in Australia or sky diving in Africa, is marred by the constant, nagging fear that I will miss the ship. I saw it happen once. A crew member got off the ship in Barbados with a guest and her two kids. Th ..read more

Here’s the inspirational story of how Michael Bublé made it. It’s so easy to see someone or something that’s a huge success and say, “It was always bound to happen. It was fate,” but I don’t believe in fate. Fate is something people use to make sense of bad luck, or excuse their laziness. I believe in hard work, focus and determination. And, as you’ll read, I’m not the only one. Michael Bublé has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. Adored by the critics (mostly) and public alike, he is considered by many to be the world’s number one entertainer. It’s easy to join in the praise, but it ..read more

They all laughed at Christopher Columbus when he said the world was round,They all laughed when Edison recorded sound, They all laughed at Wilbur and his brother when they said that man could fly, They told Marconi wireless was a phoney, it’s the same old cry! There a some things we just can’t imagine doing without: Post It Notes, bicycle pumps, Michael Bublé… The chances are that 100s of household names we take for granted almost never made it. They exist only because of happy accidents and unhealthy obsessions. Some people are so convinced they have a great idea, they ignore years of rejec ..read more

Frank Sinatra’s impact on popular music, film and live performance is unmatched. Throughout his 60 years as an artiste he was known as Ol’ Blue Eyes, the Chairman of the Board, and sometimes the most dangerous man in show-business. He had four wives and few more lovers, dined with presidents and gangsters and sold over 150 million records. I’ve been a fan since I was a kid and now make my living singing many of the songs he made famous. He’s what I’ve learned from Frank Sinatra. Sing the Lyric not the Words We’ve all heard people say what a great singer Sinatra was. They go on about his phrasi ..read more

Necessity is the mother of invention. So said Plato and numerous leaders since, especially those trying to find creative solutions to win whatever war they might be fighting. As entertainers we have plenty of battles of our own and our creativity is often the thing that gets us through.  As a Sinatra guy, My Way has been my go-to encore, pretty much since I started singing. It ticks all the boxes: it’s emotive, dramatic and very popular. Too popular, as it happens. On a recent cruise four different acts closed their show with My Way! Can you imagine? Everyone was doing it their way and t ..read more

The Boss of New Jersey shares his mission statement and tells us what drives him to perform. Springsteen and a easy to like. Good songs, nice guy and judging by the lengths of his concerts, he’s good value for money. In 2012 his show in Helsinki lasted over four hours. Something pretty powerful is driving him to give that much. In the Renegades podcast (with Barack Obama) he shares his philosophy: I’m going to give my best to bring out the best I’m you… and I’m going to send you home with a sense of community and a set of values that may sustain you beyond the concert. Isn’t that great? That ..read more

Joey Mix plays the trombone and has been a musical director on ships since 2001. He explains the role of the MD and how an act should conduct themselves during a rehearsal with the band. He clears up the mystery of how an arrangement can work for years without complaint then suddenly cause problems during a rehearsal. We discuss having the band participate in comedy sections of the show, the dos and don’ts when working with a band for the first time, and the pros and cons of click tracks. I asked Joey whether it matters if the act can read music or not, how to conduct a rehearsal with the ..read more