Menu

Gig News

Return to Romiley

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Mama (Genesis tribute band) set to return to The Forum Theatre in Romiley, 2019!

Good news; after the success of our recent show in Romiley, we’ve sorted out a 2019 return date. We thought now would be a great time to let you know, so you can plan your diaries accordingly. We’re planning ours right now.

So, the date for the next show in Romiley will be Saturday 16th February 2019! Tickets for this show will be on sale from Monday 12th March on the theatre website. In the meantime, we thought you might like to check out another two videos we took from the recent Romiley show. We have for you…. Los Endos, with our unique Suppers Ready end section and Abacab!

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, don’t forget we are appearing at The Floral Pavilion in New Brighton. That’s a resort, I’ve been told, so you could make a day of it! Tickets are available from the box office and right now, there’s a mere 26 left. So be quick!

Mama at The Floral Pavilion New Brighton

Here’s Abacab! We hope you enjoy the videos.  🙂

The Lamb / Musical Box (Romiley 2018)

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Video from our show at The Forum Theatre, Romiley 2018.

Thanks to everyone who came to see us on Saturday just gone at The Forum Theatre in Romiley and a special thanks to the staff at the venue for welcoming us and helping to put the show on. I’m sure you’ll all agree, we had a great Genesis party amongst friends? For us, it’s the audience that makes the show. After all, without you it’s just a rehearsal.

Above, you’ll see our version of The Lamb / Musical Box performed live on the night. Below, we have another video that’s just for a bit of fun. Tim (our drummer) secretly set up a time lapse camera and captured our whole day. So if you ever wondered what we get up to in the run up to a show, you can now see for yourself, in high speed. The time lapse video also shows most of the show itself, also at great speed. Try and sing along if you can!

Mama at The Floral Pavilion New Brighton

The Ancient Guild of Genesis Tribute Bands

In other news, we’ve teamed up with two other excellent UK Genesis tribute bands (Los Endos & Afterglow) to create The Ancient Guild of Genesis Tribute Bands. The aim of the Guild is to pool our resources so that we can do some expensive but worthwhile nationwide advertising and build interest in Genesis tribute bands and Genesis in general. After all, you’re unlikely to see Gabriel, Collins, Rutherford, Banks and Hackett together on stage ever again (like you, we wish that wasn’t true, but it probably is).

If you’re a Prog Magazine subscriber, you may have already seen our first ad in there. To accompany the ad, we’ve also created a brand new website for TAGoGTB. Or as we like to call it, www.ggtb.co.uk (that’s way easier to remember isn’t it? Just think Genesis, Genesis, Tony, Banks dot co dot UK and you’ll never forget where to find it.  🙂

The new GGTB website will feature a discussion forum where you’re likely to find Genesis tribute band musicians and Genesis fans alike, having a rip-roaring discussion about all things Genesis. So why not join us? We’ll let you know when the forum is up and running, so you can head over there to register yourselves and join the Genesis party!

Showtime Setup

Here’s the timelapse video we created of our get in, setup and both halves of the show.

 

Mama at The Floral Pavilion, New Brighton

Next Show: The Forum Theatre, Romiley

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Mama to perform their 2018 tour show at The Forum Theatre, Saturday 24th February 2018!

Four days to go to our next show and tickets are selling fast! If you want one (or indeed several), be sure to grab them now. You can buy tickets to our Forum Theatre show by visiting the theatres online box office.

We also have some other upcoming shows we’d like to highlight:

Saturday 10th March 2018 – The Floral Pavilion, New Brighton (tickets on sale now)

Saturday 12th May 2018 – Playhouse 2, Shaw (tickets go on sale six weeks prior to the show)

In other news, we were contacted by Jason Ritchie who told us about a great idea he’d had… Fifty Gigs in a Day took place on the 8th February this year and featured, like the title suggests, fifty different shows around the country raising awareness for Nordoff Robbins, the largest independent music therapy charity in the UK. Nordoff Robbins is dedicated to changing the lives of vulnerable and isolated people. It helps children with autism to communicate, reduces anxiety for those with dementia and provides comfort for those facing life threatening illnesses. If you’d like to find out more about the charity, please visit their website: www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk

Here at Mama HQ, we thought this was a great idea. However, we made a big mistake because we didn’t manage to post this news in time for the actual shows (really sorry Jason). The magical properties of music are all too often forgotten, so it’s great to see people getting actively involved in live music and entertainment and raising awareness and money to their chosen charity. If you’d like to help Jason, have a look at his Just Giving page here: www.justgiving.com

That’s all for now. We hope to see some of you at The Forum Theatre in Romiley this weekend, for what will surely be a great Genesis party. Do come and say hello if you’re there. The band will no doubt be wandering around chatting to friends and generally propping up the bar.  🙂

An Evening of Genesis Music at The Cavern, Liverpool

Interview with JW (Feb 2018)

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

We interview Mama singer John Wilkinson, just because it’s the easiest way to get all the latest news about what’s happening with the band!

Before we start though, there’s just a quick mention for our next show which is at The Cavern in Liverpool this Thursday. That’s Thursday 8th February 2018! If you want tickets, head over to The Cavern website for them.

Here’s the link: www.cavernclub.org

And here’s the interview, in full:

MW: We are pleased to be able to speak again with John W about the past year and the trials and tribulations that beset the band in 2017, plus their plans for 2018.

MW: Hi John! How’s things?

JW: Okay thanks for asking. After last year it is good to leave 2017 behind to be honest.

MW: Not the best year for the band then?

JW: To be fair, it started out great. But no. We had both James and Darren leave for the same reasons; they wanted to spend more time with their families which means we have to get new musicians in, which takes time for them to bed in and feel comfortable. Then we had John C‘s son Dan who was seriously injured in Australia and of course the band was put on hold for a couple of months. We were lucky with Tim but replacing Darren has proven to be trickier. Mark Comish was going to step in and help until a permanent replacement could be found but sadly that didn’t happen. No ones fault at all but we had to cancel the Dutch shows again.

MW: Yes what happened there?

JW: The promoter was superb and we will be trying to get back there in 2019 but the fact is I asked everyone I could think of to step in. In reality, it was very short notice. We couldn’t find anyone.

MW: Do you have a replacement guitarist now?

JW: Yes. Jonathan Vatilkotis from Vesbim Floyd and Pink Floydian has joined full time. He is a huge Genesis fan as well as a Floyd fan and he approached us as soon as he heard we were on the lookout for a guitarist. Great player and just as important, a great bloke too. He loves all era Genesis but his favourite album is A Trick Of The Tail.

An Evening of Genesis at The Cavern

MW: So we can look forward to more songs from that album then?

JW: (Laughs) Yes well, we need to re-vamp the setlist anyways as some of these songs we’ve been playing since we started. Some songs need a rest and we will probably be dropping Duke’s Travels and Dukes End for now as well as In The Cage Medley.

MW: Whoa! In The Cage? Isn’t that one of the highlights of the show?

JW: I know but we have not changed it since we started. We are planning to go even further back in time for replacements however, so the fans will be happy I am sure.

MW: So when can we expect to hear these new songs then?

JW: Well we’re hoping to do two new songs at The Cavern on the 8th Feb, but it all depends on rehearsals really. I can honestly say that the songs we have in mind will surprise most of the people who have followed us since the beginning.

MW: Anything else to report? We’re hungry for news!

JW: Well we do have a project on the go which is not really Mama, but will utilise all the Mama musicians. Can’t say too much about this now but it does involve recording and playing an album live.

MW: Is that The Swan Chorus?

JW: No that is a separate thing that just Dave and I are involved in and that album has been recorded and we’re just looking for a record company to release it now. This is a totally different project that we have been asked to do. Honestly I cannot say too much but hopefully it will all be clear very soon. Dave is also in a band called Plenty with Tim Bowness who readers may have heard of and their album is out in February I understand.

Link to the album: www.burningshed.com

MW: Have you heard it?

JW: No, but knowing the quality of Tim’s writing and Dave’s playing it will be great. I have blagged a copy off Dave when it’s released (laughs).

MW: Maybe you could persuade Tim Bowness to give us a signed copy, so we can run a competition on the Mama website and give it away?

An Evening of Genesis at The Cavern

MW: What about a JW solo album?

JW: (Laughs) Never really thought about that. I can make a nice noise on keys and also play a bit of guitar. I do have the equipment to record. I just don’t have the songs… Or the time (laughs). Dave is recording an album and I have agreed to sing on a few songs on that.

MW: So no “Face Value” in the works?

JW: More like “Farce Value” at the moment… No plans to do so yet. Too busy with home and being in three musical projects already.

MW: Still see James and Darren?

JW: Oh yes we’re still in contact with the guys and indeed if we ever need a stand in, they have said they will do it. In fact, I think James is coming to see us at The Cavern on Thursday and Darren is covering some of the guitar duties at that show too, before we can get Jon up to speed. Two guitarists on stage? Could work… (laughs) Hopefully we will finally get a double drums show with Tim and James going later this year.

MW: Well thanks John and I wish Mama the best for 2018. Let’s hope it’s a better year than 2017.

JW: Cheers and a big thanks to the Mama fans who have stuck by us during these difficult few months. Thanks everyone!

An Evening of Genesis at The Cavern

mama-graphic-hero

GIG UPDATE: Holland Shows Cancelled

, , , , , , , ,

First of all, Happy New Year to all Genesis fans around the globe!

Unfortunately, we are starting 2018 with some bad news. We will be cancelling our shows in Holland on the 5th & 6th January. Unfortunately, one of the guys in the band has a health situation which prevents them from getting to the show and performing on stage. We have tried very hard to sign up a replacement over the last four days when it became clear we couldn’t make the shows happen but we’ve been unsuccessful.

We do realise of course that this is the second time we have had to call off our Holland shows and believe us when we say, nobody is more disappointed than the band. We were all really looking forward to what would have been an amazing trip overseas together, to perform the music we love. We fully appreciate how disappointed many people who have bought tickets for these shows will be but we want you to know it wasn’t for lack of trying.

So to all concerned, please accept our profound apologies for the situation. We’ll do our best to rectify things as and when we can.

Please contact the local box office / place you bought your tickets for a refund. We will of course keep you appraised if the shows end up yet again rescheduled.

Next Show: The Old Courts, Wigan

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mama at The Old Courts WiganMama to perform their 2017 show at The Old Courts in Wigan

It’s time to start promoting the next show and to do just that, we have some videos from our previous show at The Picturedrome in Holmfirth. We had a great time at that one!

So, here’s the date for your diary; Saturday 21st October 2017

If you want tickets for the show, you can buy them from Eventbrite here: www.eventbrite.co.uk

Charity walk with Jules

As you will no doubt be aware (if you attended our Holmfirth show), Jules signed up to do a charity walk in Chester over the weekend just gone. She did a bit of a collection at Holmfirth and the audience very generously donated £110.00 to The Brain Tumour Charity. Jules had this to say:

“Yesterday I took part in the Twilight Walk in Chester in aid of The Brain Tumour Charity in memory of Dale Bellis, who was a very close friend of all involved in Mama and friend of many who came to not only Mama gigs but other Genesis tributes as well. The audience at our Holmfirth gig on Friday very kindly donated £110, which I am very grateful for. As a group, Dales family and friends have raised around £2500.00. Thanks to everyone who supported us.”

So there you have it. Good news for our next gig, our charity efforts and now…. more good news with three videos from our recent show. First up is Ripples (above), which we closed the first half of the show with. There’s a bit of patter about the charity at the beginning too. After that, we have Follow You Follow Me, which seems appropriate, given the charity walk. Finally, we have Home By The Sea (Part 1). We realised this particular song hasn’t been featured much on our website, so we thought we’d post it.

Hope you enjoy the videos! Don’t forget to book your tickets for The Old Courts, Wigan!  🙂

 

Mama at The Old Courts Wigan

An Evening of Genesis Music

Mama HQ Interview

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Mama at Holmfirth PicturedromeHolmfirth show approaches!

It’s four days to our show at The Picturedrome in Holmfirth (Friday 29th September 2017). If you’ve not already got your tickets, grab them now. It’s going to be a rip-roaring return to the stage for Mama!

Click here for tickets: www.picturedrome.net

If you were wondering what was going on at Mama HQ, we understand. We were too! We decided to collar John W and ask him for the lowdown. It turned into a bit of an interview, so we thought we’d publish the whole thing here. Enjoy!

MW: Hi John! How’s things?

JW: Good thanks! Glad to be back in rehearsals after our break.

MW: Yes that was because John Comish‘s son was injured in Australia?

JW: Yes he suffered a life threatening injury a week before our planned shows in Holland. John was told to get himself and his family over there as soon as possible and of course that always comes before anything else. John was out there for three months and thankfully his son survived, which of course was a huge relief to us all. The venues were superb and as they were the first shows we had cancelled with them they fully understood the reasons why.

More
An Evening of Genesis Music

Holmfirth here we come!

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mama at Holmfirth PicturedromeHi all!

It’s time for another website update to promote our next show at Holmfirth Picturedrome. This is a big show for us, because it’s our first one back after the Summer and it’s a rather spectacular venue!

So, want tickets for Mama on the 29th Sept 2017, at Holmfirth? Then head over to the box office and grab them while they’re still hot.

We’re pulling out all the stops to make this our greatest Genesis party yet! We’ll be performing our “all era” set list and if there was any doubt about it being an authentic all era set, be sure to read on and discover how true that really is.

Charity fund raising

As many of you knew our friend and Mama follower Dale Bellis, we thought you might like to know that Julie (our resident lighting programmer, brewer-upper, toast-maker and financial fairy) has signed up to do Chester Twighlight Walk in aid of The Brain Tumour Charity. We asked Julie what exactly was involved and she told us thus: “Well, I think we just walk around Chester a bit and do some shopping?” We’re not sure if she was asking us or telling us, so we did a bit more digging and it turns out that the walk is actually from the racecourse to Chester city centre and all around the walls of the city. Apparently, it’s a 10k walk, which as Mo Farrah would agree, is no small feat.

So, if you’d like to support Julie, head over to her JustGiving page here: www.justgiving.com

We’re sure that she would welcome any donations for this worthy charity, however large or small.

More