At Greg Poppleton – we get to play for all the best people. Every wedding we play at is warm and wonderful. Kate and Andrew’s 1930s themed wedding at Lillianfels was no exception. What a joy! Kate wrote…
“You were fantastic!!!! Before we entered the room we could hear you from outside. I said to my new husband “listen to them, our wedding is awesome!!!!” You made the party! Thank you so much for coming”
Thank you, Kate and Andrew. Below are some happy snaps of the band taken at Kate and Andrew’s wedding. Please visit our website. We look forward to adding glamorous vintage sparkle to your wedding, too!
Greg Poppleton, Sydney's only authentic 1920s - 30s singer in dinner suit. Kate & Andrew's wedding theme was 1920sGreg Poppleton at Kate and Andrew's WeddingGreg Poppleton singing with his Jazz Deco Band at Kate and Andrew's Wedding, LillianfelsMonique Lysiak on piano. You may know her from the all women Sirens Big BandAl Davey, trumpet. Mark Harris on double bass. Where have you seen Mark before? Lah-Lahs, Monsieur Camembert and Greg PoppletonLaurie Bennett - one of Sydney's top drummers. He's played in all the big theatre and TV bands, backed too many jazz greats to list here and has even played in the big bands of Cliff Richards, Harry Secombe and Liza Minelli
Visit Greg Poppleton’s website to book the 1920s-30s trio-sextet for your wedding, corporate event and party
Did you ever use one of those old photo booths tucked away in a railway station or shopping centre where you’d pull aside a curtain, crowd into the tiny booth with a pile of friends, perch on a tiny stool, and for a dollar get a rectangle of four black and white snaps? If my description doesn’t ring a bell for you quite yet, this is what one of these photo booths look like…
Model17 Photo Booth
Well, Greg Poppleton Jazz Deco Band were playing a 1920s themed party recently, and the party organisers hired one of these booths for their guests to take photos of themselves. What a hit!
First, just to paint the scene of this 1920s party, here is a photo of part of Greg Poppleton and his Deco Jazz band snapped on stage at the Intercontinental Hotel, Sydney.
Greg Poppleton, authentic 1920s – 1930s singer with Greg Poppleton and his Jazz Deco band, Intercontinental Hotel, Sydney.
And Greg Poppleton’s latest YouTube 1920s-30s album mix has now clocked over a quarter of a million views…
Tony can help you have the band for your occasion, too: T: 02 9567 7171 | M: 0407 941 263 | E: OzManagement
PS: Tony can help you have the band for your occasion, too: T: 02 9567 7171 | M: 0407 941 263 | E: OzManagement
Greg Poppleton – Original Photo Booth Mug Shots Taken At A 1920s Themed Event
This Tuesday’s and Saturday’s Phantom Dancer features Spotlight Bands’ ‘Band of the Week’ for 31 January 1942. It’s Sammy Kaye, over the Blue Network
His best-selling record that got him the ‘Band of the Week’ gig? A ditty entitled ‘Remember Pearl Harbour’
Turns out NBC interrupted a Sammy Kaye program to break the news of Pearl Harbour being bombed, 7 December 1941. Hence the message song. And like all message songs, well – you be the judge
See the full play list for this week’s Phantom Dancer after these exciting pics
That’s right, photos. Instead of a Video of the Week, I’m posting some exciting archeological photos I took for you just a few hours ago.
There was a fire near me recently. A dry cleaners burnt to the ground. The building has been demolished. And behind a demolished wall a well-preserved painted advertisement has been revealed
I guessed by the artwork and fonts that the ad was from 1911. A quick look at the Sands Directory tells me I’m about right. The Sands Directory was an annual listing of everyone who lived in Sydney with their addresses and occupations. The last Sands was published in 1932
In 1910, according to Sands, the site of the demolished dry cleaners was the Newtown Carriage Works — Arthur Dunn, proprietor. In 1911, it became H. Phippen’s motor garage. He was a motor engineer. By 1912, Phippen had left and Arthur Dunn’s Coachbuilding business had returned. Or, perhaps, between 1911 – 1914, the site was shared between the coach building and garage businesses – new technology piggybacking on the old. By 1915 the site was occupied by an upholsterer
Because of a locked wire gate I couldn’t get a full shot of this huge, vibrant ad from the street. So below is a series of shots covering the entire wall I took from the footpath. In this first photo, note ‘Cars for Hire’ and ‘Waratah Motor Spirit’. What would have been the demand for Car hire in 1911? Was H. Phippen ahead of his time? Did low demand beat his business? It’s not listed in the Sands Directory for 1912
1911 Garage Wall Ad - King St, Newtown
Waratah Motor Spirit appears to have still been around in 1925 when you could buy it from twelve outlets around Sydney, according to an ad in the Sydney Morning Herald dated 28 Jan 1925. As you can see in the bottom of the wall ad, Waratah, was a product of the Neptune Oil Company. Neptune Oil began in Australia in 1905. A motoring website says Neptune’s Waratah brand was introduced in 1917. This ad proves the motoring historian wrong. The site became an upholsterers in 1915. An upholsterer wouldn’t be putting up an all-weather sign visible to passing motorists for Motor Spirit
Perdriau Tyres Sign - is this the earliest extant?
Perdriau Tyres? Henry Perdriau entered the rubber importing business in Sydney in 1888. His Perdriau Rubber Co. Ltd. started manufacturing rubber parts in 1904 and finally merged with Dunlop in 1929 to form Dunlop Perdriau Rubber Co. Ltd. Could this be the earliest Perdriau wall sign extant? A Perdriau glass lantern slide ad from 1924 – 29 exists in the ANU Digital Collection in Canberra
Detail of the Waratah Motor Spirit sign
It’s hard to see in the photo below, but on site I could just make out the phone number L1905. L stood for 5 and was the area prefix for Newtown and surrounding Inner West Sydney suburbs. Sydney phone numbers used one and two letter prefixes until the mid-1960s. The code was: A = 1, B = 2, F = 3, J = 4, L = 5, M = 6, U = 7, W = 8, X = 9, Y = 0
Garage and Phone Number L1905
Some more pics. The sign-writing is of an extremely high standard. The Waratah is a beautiful piece of commercial art. The amount of effort involved in sign writing such a huge space by hand is quite extraordinary, especially if they used, as my grandfather did about the same time as a house painter, individually mixed paints. My grandfather would crush blocks of pigment with a mortar & pestle and mix the powder with linseed oil and I guess some kind of fixer. I particularly like the blue used in the top band of the sign. It’s a colour you don’t see now. The uneven durability of hand-made paint is revealed in the preservation of the different colours. The green lettering for the phone number and the red fill for the Waratah are the most deteriorated
Having been protected by the sun and weather for almost a hundred years by a brick wall, this is a most amazingly intact piece of commercial pre-WWI art
A new building will be erected on the site. Will the sign survive another 100 years? After the photos you’ll see the play list for this week’s Phantom Dancer on 2SER
1911 Garage Wall Ad – King St, Newtown
Perdriau Tyres Sign – is this the earliest extant?
Detail of the Waratah Motor Spirit sign
Garage and Phone Number L1905
Here’s this week’s Phantom Dancer play list. Enjoy the show on your radio!
Play List – The Phantom Dancer
107.3 2SER-FM Sydney
Sunday night is Carnival Night in the Victoria Room – music, acrobats, magicians and burlesque – all from 7 – 10pm
“What is this magical place?” I hear you ask. Well, I’ll quote from their website for you: “The Victoria Room restaurant and bar in Sydney’s Darlinghurst is an ultra smooth dining establishment. Richly decorated in British-Raj style, this exotic dining room and award-winning cocktail bar exude bon-vivant chic.”
Now see for yourself. Check out the band pics at te Victoria Room by Rick Monk…
Greg Poppleton and Bakelite Jazz played two sets for Carnival diners. First, as a duo, with Greg crooning the songs of the 1920s and 1930s backed by Grahame Conlon on guitar…
Then, later in the evening, Stan Valacos, joined in on double bass,
And just like the band’s July appearance in the Victoria Room – it was full house. That doesn’t mean crowded and uncomfortable, either. In the Victoria Room, a full house is buzzy and alive. It’s that kind of space. You feel good
You can feel good and have Greg Poppleton and Bakelite Jazz at your place, too. Or have us at your wedding, corporate function, Great Gatsby and Underbelly Razor party. You can have the band as small as a duo and as big as a sextet – and everything in between. We can even play without electricity! Simply call or email me (Greg) at the band’s official website to discuss your requirements
We look forward to enhancing the magic of your evening soon
This Melbourne Cup found Greg Poppleton’s Bakelite Trio entertaining diners on the harbour in the spectacular Manly Pavilion. The Manly Pavilion is one of Sydney’s exciting, new, top-line restaurants. You’ll find it in a beautiful 1933 deco building right on the water at Manly Cove Beach.
The Pavilion was full of happy guests dressed up for race day, enjoying the spectacular food, wines and harbour views that Manly Pavilion has to offer
Greg Poppleton’s Bakelite Trio serenaded guests after the cup was run with songs from the 1930s, since we were in a 1930s heritage building, and with requests from the era by guests. In the trio was myself as Sydney’s only authentic 1920s and 1930s singer with Peter Locke on piano and Darcy Wright, named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the world’s top ten jazz double bassists, on, well, you guessed it
Here’s a short clip of the trio playing Gus Arnheim’s 1931 hit, ‘Sweet & Lovely’ with myself crooning. I was unaware of the catwalk parade of Melbourne Cup fashions in the background while I was singing (on the TV put up to show the races on Cup Day) until I saw the film back. Voila! An instant video clip! Enjoy…
If you don’t know about Manly Pavilion yet, here’s a good, clear description I found online:
“Awarded 1 Chef’s Hat -The Age Good Food Guide 2012 – ‘Best New Restaurant’
Originally built in 1933 as a dressing room for the comfort of bathers, the heritage-listed Manly Pavilion has been restored to its original grandeur and beauty boasting soaring ceilings, an Italian marble terrazzo balcony and unrivalled views of Sydney Harbour. The modern Australian menu, created by Tony Gibson, former head chef at Astral, has a focus on local produce.” BestResturants.com.au
I can personally tell you that the food is fantastic!
I’ve also taken the liberty of posting for you a view of Manly Pavilion from the harbour, taken from the above website
Manly Pavilion
Eventhough I was pushing a trolley of PA equipment across Sydney, I found it really easy and enjoyable to get to Manly Pavilion. After taking the train to Circular Quay, I hopped on the Manly Ferry for a laid-back half-hour boat ride across the harbour. This is what tourists pay thousands to do. And I was doing it to play at Manly Pavilion! So on the way back I took a happy snap of the blue Pacific in early evening as the ferry was passing South Head. What a beautiful day!
To enquire about Greg Poppleton and Bakelite Jazz for your event, wedding, corporate function and party, please visit the band’s official website at www.bakelitejazz.com. We look forward to playing for you
Heading home on the ferry after singing on Melbourne Cup Day at the Manly Pavilion
It was the opening night for Art and About 2011. Greg Poppleton’s Bakelite Jazz played 1920s and 1930s jazz and swing for the first night crowd at the Art Gallery of NSW. Here’s a short clip from the night. Had the camera been pointed the other way, instead of towards the Enquiry Desk, you’d see hundreds of people gathered to see the band (you can hear them at the end of this short taster…)
One of the Gallery’s current exhibitions is Mad Square, Modernity in German Art 1910 – 1937. The Gallery has put out a CD of 1920s and 1930s music as part of the exhibition. So I chose songs from that CD to include in the Bakelite Jazz set, including ‘Falling In Love Again’, which I sang for the very first time, performing the song made iconic by Marlene Dietrich in both German and English.
Greg Poppleton singing 'Falling In Love Again'. Bob Barnard plays trumpet
Greg Poppleton and Bakelite Jazz attracted a huge crowd who loved the show. In fact, I’ve been stopped in the street a few times by people who said how much they enjoyed the show. We look forward to playing for you soon. Visit the band website to see where you can see the band next or to enquire about the band for your occasion
Greg Poppleton singing into a 1920s megaphone with Bakelite Jazz at Art and About 2011, Art Gallery of NSW
Greg Poppleton, Sydney’s only authentic 1920s and 1930s hot jazz and swing singer, with a 3.5 octave vocal range, recently sang at a 1920s party held in the Carrington Hotel, Katoomba, with his 1920s & 1930s band, Bakelite Jazz
Greg Poppleton & Bakelite Jazz play for weddings, corporate events, clubs and parties. Here’s a clip taken with a teeny-weeny camera of Greg & Bakelite Jazz singing Makin’ Whoopee for charlestoning dancers…
We pride ourselves on posting fly-on-the -wall, pocket camera films of the band playing live so you know exactly how Greg Poppleton & Bakelite Jazz will look and sound when you book the band for your occasion or for when you come to see us
In fact, we’ll be performing next at the Art Gallery of NSW for Art & About 2011, Friday 23 September, 7 – 7:30pm with lots of burlesque and other acts
The Carrington Hotel is a magnificent 1880s Hotel in the heart of Katoomba and the Blue Mountains, with Ballroom, Grand Dining Room, Cocktail Lounge and the Billiards Room, in which we played, with it’s art noveau stained glass windows, lounges and a 100 year old billiards table. Here are some pictures snapped by a party-goer towards the end of the night…
Greg Poppleton sings at 1920s Party, Carrington Hotel, KatoombaGreg Poppleton singing in front of the 1927 vintage drums played by Joel Davis with Ray Alldridge, piano and Darcy Wright, double bass
Greg Poppleton, Sydney’s only authentic 1920s & 1930s swing singer, recently performed two sets of delightful songs from the 1920s and 1930s in the stylish Victoria Room, up the stairs at 235 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst
Greg’s 1920s & 1930s small group, Bakelite Jazz, varies in size from duo to sextet and plays at clubs, weddings, corporate functions, parties and soirees of all kinds for background and dancing. Greg Poppleton and Bakelite Jazz are in particular demand for 1920s, 1930s and vintage themed events
In the first set at the Victoria Room, as part of the Vic Room’s regular Sunday night Performance Nights featuring the most amazing acrobats, dancers and magicians, Greg duetted with Grahame Conlon, guitar…
Greg Poppleton Sydney's Only 1920s and 1930s Singer accompanied by Grahame Conlon (g) at the Victoria Room, Darlinghurst
Then, later in the evening, after some spellbinding acrobatic acts, both adagio and pole, Greg returned with more songs of the 1920s & 1930s, this time adding Darcy Wright on double bass for a trio…
Greg Poppleton singing "St Louis Blues" with Grahame Conlon (g) Darcy Wright (db)
The Victoria Room was full and humming the Sunday night we played. And though the place was packed, with a few Bakelite Jazz fans to boot, the vibe was spacious and relaxed.
Indeed, the atmosphere in the Victoria Room is special, reminding me a little nostalgically of the old Baron’s in Kings Cross, but with more subdued lighting, scatterings of plush lounges creating intimate niches throughout, and all tied in by a colour scheme of rich scarlet, gold and brown which gives one the feeling of carefree comfort and understated opulence. The food is great. The cocktails spectacular. And for this little black duck who doesn’t drink, the best surprise was that the lemonade is made at the bar with real lemon juice, syrup and soda and the ginger beer is made fresh at the bar too, like a cocktail, with fresh ginger!
Here are some more Bakelite Duo and Trio pics from the night. I especially like the megaphone picture casting the long black shadow on the wall behind – very 1930s! Enjoy! Thank you to Rick Monk who took the photos
Greg Poppleton singing "Tip Toe Through The Tulips" in the Victoria Room, DarlinghurstGreg Poppleton singing "Button Up Your Overcoat" with Grahame Conlon (g)
Below is a clip hot off the movie editor’s desk from Avantgarde Events who hired Greg Poppleton & his Bakelite Broadcasters to play at a corporate 1920s Great Gatsby party
Greg Poppleton & his Bakelite Broadcasters are Sydney’s trio to 6-piece 1920s – 1930s swing jazz experience, featuring Sydney’s only authentic 1920s -30s singer with world-touring swing jazz musicians
You’ll find more information about Greg Poppleton & his Bakelite Broadcasters, including video clips, photos, testimonials and a contact form for your enquiries and bookings at The Bakelite’s official website www.bakelitejazz.com
Now, EXCITING NEWS, Greg Poppleton, has launched Sydney’s hottest, most authentic 11-piece 1920s Dance Orchestra – The Lounge Bar Lotharios…
The Lounge Bar Lotharios feature Sydney’s only authentic 1920s-30s singer and Sydney’s Top Ten jazz musicians under the musical direction of ARIA nominated maestro, Geoff Power
Early in te clip you’ll spot Tony Esterman playing solo piano as guests enter in the foyer. In the chill lounge, under the chandeliers, you’ll see Greg Poppleton & his Bakelite Broadcasters adding enormously to the 1920s theme, with myself conducting (when I wasn’t singing the songs of the 1920s & 1930s), Al Davey on trumpet (he also played trombone that night), Peter Locke piano, Darcy Wright double bass and Joel Davis on the big 1927 vintage drums and 1924 vintage temple blocks
These magnificent drums are unfortunately obscured in the film clip. So here’s a pic of how they looked, which I snapped on the night before the band started playing, just to show you…
To find out more and book Greg Poppleton & his Bakelite Broadcasters for your 1920s – 1930s theme function, visit the Broadcasters’ website at official website
PS – And that’s where you can also enquire and book Sydney’s most exciting 11-piece authentic 1920s Dance Orchestra, The Lounge Bar Lotharios. Imagine a full sized 1920s Dance Orchestra, playing authentic Roaring 20s arrangements adding wow to your 1920s Gatsby event. Book now
The audience singing Irving Berlin’s 1925 hit ‘Always’ with me at a big concert in the Sutherland Entertainment Centre
That’s the Bakelite Broadcasters playing in the background. We were supporting the World’s greatest yodeller, Mary Schneider. There were lots of other acts, too, including magicians and contortionists in two big concerts. The concert hall was packed!
Actor - Singer - Voiceover 