We have a great interview for you today, with one of the most in-demand bands around, The Lift-Offs! This trio of musicians have a repertoire that covers an astounding range of genres and features songs from the 50s right up to recent chart hits. There’s nothing these guys can’t do (except maybe opera, but that’s beside the point)!
There is no doubting this talented pop and rock band‘s experience: they’ve done everything from touring the world with The Blues Brothers to performing on Jools Holland, David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel!
So without further ado, read on to find out what life is like for The Lift-Offs!
Who are The Lift-Offs?
“The Lift-Offs are an excellent 3-piece band that can deliver exactly what you require for your event. Professional, reliable and friendly, we will have all your guests up dancing, making your day/night special and unforgettable. The band consists of Wayne (Vocals/Guitar), Ben (Vocals/Bass) and Nick (Vocals/Drums).”
Give us a wow fact about your act?
“We are vastly experienced musicians, with CVs which show our vast playing career to date. Ben (Singer/Bass) has been performing as a solo artist and alongside artists such as Tommy Emmanuel, Mick Fleetwood’s Blues Band, Dave McCabe and The Zutons, Mel C and Paolo Nutini to name a few. He has also even performed ‘Yesterday’ with Sir Paul McCartney! Ben is also a prolific songwriter, working with various artists, producing a series of pop singles with consistent radio play and awarded ‘best of the week’ status on Apple Music.”
“Nick (Singer/Drums) has toured worldwide supporting bands such as The Killers, The Who, Kings of Leon, James, Motley Crue, Razorlight and Kasabian to name a few. Nick has played with a whole range of artists, including Miles Kane, Glasvegas, Richard Hawley, Violent Femmes and various others and from 2007 to 2017, was the drummer for Echo & The Bunnymen, fulfilling all worldwide touring commitments, major festival appearances such as Glastonbury, V Festival, Benicassim Reading/Leeds and Coachella to name a few!
“Wayne (Singer/Guitar) studied at Leeds College of Music and has been performing for over 20 years, performing every style of music imaginable. His music career has seen him touring in America and Africa, working in pit bands for theatre shows up and down the UK, and performing over 50-60 wedding gigs per year for the last 10 years.”
“Another wow fact is that Nick played on a UK top ten album last year and Ben is currently top 10 in the UK Dance Charts!”
What inspired you all to become musicians?
“For Ben it was family from when he was 6 years old. The very first show he did was when he was 13 years old and feeling the rush that you get on a stage is something incredibly rewarding.”
“For Nick, he became fascinated with a pair of old drumsticks that his Dad had in his cab (he was a frustrated drummer), so he began playing from an early age. Similar to Ben, Nick caught the bug for performing live after his first gig at the age of 14, and never looked back.”
“For Wayne, it was hearing Clapton’s Layla riff, the sound of that opening guitar just changed his life! All’s he dreamt about from that moment on, was having a guitar, then when he got one; excuse the lyric pun, he literally played it till his fingers bled!”
Which song is your favourite to perform?
“Definitely ‘Proud Mary’ by Ike and Tina Turner. It conjures up those happy good time vibes. It always gets the crowd going without fail so we all enjoy performing it immensely.”
Out of the songs you’ve been asked to learn, which is your favourite?
“Honestly, there are no favourites because each song has something different to offer. If we had to choose it would probably be ‘Three Little Birds’ by Bob Marley, because we get to perform 3 part harmonies that sound full and complement each other. We love keeping our set current, by adding the latest chart hits to our set, as this keeps us current, which we see as very important!”
One final song question, which is the song you can always rely on to fill the dance floor?
“Has to be either Hey Jude by The Beatles, or Don’t Look Back In Anger by Oasis, as they get everyone up, singing and creates a great atmosphere!”
Do you get on with each other all of the time?
“Yes we’re all extremely good friends. We work everyday with each other as colleagues at a Music University in Liverpool, so I suppose there’s a good level of trust between us. We always make sure we keep a friendly atmosphere and regularly socialise together. It’s really great!”
Who has the most annoying habit (and what is it)?
“All of us keep saying Alan Partridge quotes – ‘Spiceworld!'”
What’s the best thing about being musicians?
“Getting to do the thing you enjoy doing most for work is an absolute privilege. It’s extremely hard and there are definitely things that require skills, but meeting new people and making them smile and dance is a really rewarding feeling.”
… and what’s the worst?
“Sorting our tax bill out (Haha!)”
What’s the weirdest thing that’s happened to you at a wedding/event?
“Apart from the best man and groom passing out because of a bit too much to drink, we actually played a wedding a few years back where the bride and groom ended up arguing on the dance floor and split up a few days later. We have also witnessed DJ’s playing the wrong song for the first dance, and a DJ play the first dance song through his phone and didn’t enable Aeroplane mode, only for his mother to call him halfway through the first dance. Not clever at all…”
Most memorable moment?
“We have played 100’s of weddings over the years, but we played a wedding in Italy a couple of years back, on a yacht on Lake Como. It was a stunning setting and memorable performance for all the right reasons!”
If you weren’t musicians, what would you be doing?
“We would probably be involved in music in some way, as we are all obsessed with listening and collecting vinyl – maybe we would own a record shop, selling vinyl and collectables!”
A huge thank you to The Lift-Offs for these great answers!
If you haven’t had enough of The Lift-Offs you can find out more about them here!
Here at Entertainment Nation we have an unbeatable range of exciting live entertainment that come in a diverse range of styles, genres and sizes. So whether you’re looking for a wedding band to get everyone dancing or an act to make your corporate event shine, we can help match you with experienced, professional performers.
You can find out more by getting in touch with one of our helpful advisers via phone, email or live chat, 7 days a week from 10am to 10pm!
