These three troopers have travelled all the way from jolly
old High Wickham in Blighty to support our troops and give them rousing
renditions of all their favourite tracks, from “Boogie Woogie Bugle boy” to “The
Chatanooga Choo Choo”.
The
chaps are going wild! With only a picture of their loved ones and a cup of
brown battery acid every morning, these brave guys need a boost and this is
going to be one hell of a show! And the girls are really cooking with gas now
as they start their encore!
So
if you’re ‘in the mood’, we’ll have a chat to these gals as they come off
stage.
Hello,
ladies, that was fabulous!
So,
how did you all meet, are you school chums or a fit up deal?
Ella: Michelle and I actually started the group
with someone else back in 2008, thinking it might be nice to get together for a
bit of a sing-song and maybe the odd gig… I’d met Caroline separately in a
local production of ‘We Will Rock You’ (‘coz that’s how she really rolls!) and
then as we grew, Caroline came and joined our clan, taking over the Top Sop
line… and here we are!
Caroline:
No impresarios / music moguls were
involved. I knew Ella through a mutual friend and auditioned for the
group about 18 months ago now.
I
see, but why swing music? Where you all into it, or was it a niche you thought
needed tapping?
C: I was never into
it hugely until I joined the group and now I'm a fan! It's just so
nostalgic but fun too.
E: My granddad was a big band leader back in
the day, so in all honesty it was a genre I felt drawn towards and he has
definitely influenced our style – we
could also see vintage was making a lindy-hop, skip and a jump forward and
wanted to join the party!
It certainly is! Everybody loves a bit of
Michelle:
Not secret punk, but I was in an steps
esque pop group called Noyz! When I was in my late teens.
C: I'm a bit of a guitar-girl. I used to play in an all-girl rock band when I was
16. Luckily I've checked youtube for any scary evidence of this!
E: … Well I feel really boring now, I wasn’t in
a band – I was in dancing lessons when you two gals were popping and rocking it
in our teens! I did work as an entertainer in Mallorca and Crete for a while… I
was a firespitter too, does that count?!
I think that
counts with knobs on Ella!
Have
you noticed, vintage is every bloody where at the moment, has this boosted your
profile?
Michelle: We launched at
the same time as the re-emergence of vintage so this definitely made it easier
for us – The key has been making ourselves a bit ‘different’ which is why we’ve
made our act all-singing and dancing. Seeing the Polka Dots is not just a
performance, it is a show!
E: Definitely! We feel very lucky to have
jumped aboard the Chattanooga Choo Choo in-time to be able to make our mark in
the, errr, market!
C: Perhaps, vintage
is very 'cool' at the moment and quite rightly so.
I
know that you incorporate modern music into your act, so do you like any modern
music at all, or are you hardened swing fans? Go on do tell…
E:
Haha,
modern music can be a bone of contention in the journeys to and from gigs!! I
have to say I’m with Caro, and the John Mayers of this world whereas Michelle
is happy as a clam listening to a hectic drum & bass line… I’m usually
driving, so get to win the in-flight entertainment war though! En route home in
the early hours we can be heard belting out a bit of Oleta Adams on Magic FM!
C: I got into music
through playing guitar so as you can imagine my influences include John Mayer,
Incubus, but have so much love for the greats...Stevie Wonder, MJ...
M:
I will listen to all genres of music except
for thrash metal - it just hurts my throat listening to it!
Oh
I know dear, I don’t understand it, just gives me a headache and I have to sit
down with a cold flannel… Now I would say that you’re like the later day Andrew
sisters and I’m not the first. I’m
guessing you admire them, but who else are your favourites and influences?
M: The Andrews
Sisters are legendary and I only hope that we do their songs justice, bringing
recognition to a generation that wouldn't automatically know who they were.
E:
Ahh
the Andrews Sisters set the bar didn’t they?! Since then there’ve been loads of
other fabulous trios to take influence from. I hope we’ve used the best bits to
create something different… In our sets now, we have some classic as well as modern
influences including The Puppini Sisters, Jamiroquai, the Zutons, George
Michael, Rhianna and Beyonce (just for Caroline!)
C: Beyonce is
beyond awesome, I wish I was her every morning!
Hold on, I’ve
just been handed some news… Telecommunication suggests that something quite
major is happeneing… No definite news yet, but it’s going to be big… The
Japanese are on the USS Missouri and pens are being drawn… Any hoo, back to you
guys…
Now
apart from here, I know that you do the festival circuit, which is a little
like here but without the threat of being blown up… So, where is the best place
you’ve played?
C: We are so lucky
to have played at some awesome venues at private functions/ charity events.
I'm looking forward to our Goodwood gig this year...
M:
Performing at the Glenn Miller festival
on the main stage will always be one of my all time favourite performances. It
was a very special experience and I was lucky enough to share it with the
girls.
E:
Oh
there’ve been so many! Sometimes it’s the place, and sometimes it’s the people
that make a gig great! Have to say though, the Glenn Miller Festival was a
definite highlight, sandwiched in between the Glenn Miller orchestra and the
Jive Aces (ooh lucky us!) in front of thousands of people. We have gigged quite
a few times at Goodwood together with those beautiful vintage cars and even had
out own butler for one event, which we could definitely get used to.. he gave
us a glass of champers as we came off stage!
Has
anything disastrous or particularly amusing happened while on stage? I noticed
some of the chaps out there asking you to show them a bit of leg, do you get
heckled often?
M:
We have had our fair share of wardrobe
malfunctions (tops falling down, hold-ups sliding down you leg ending up like
Nora Batty)
E:
Pretty
much every gig there is something we
get the giggles about – and often mic
stand or wardrobe malfunction-related… I once got completely stuck in a toilet
trying on a dress at a vintage festival we were performing at – I I’d have been
scared if I wasn’t laughing so much… the girls were no help but bent over
double in stiches!
Heckles? Well we’ve got an army gig
this weekend so we’ll see how rowdy a crowd we can create and come back to you
on that one ok?! ;)
C: Not yet...!
Oh
bless Caroline, I’m sure you will soon!
Now,
you all look so divine each time we see you, who creates your couture
M:
We discuss what kind of look we are going
for and then research what's out there - obviously sticking to the theme.
E: A fabulous local designer called Clem Short
designed and made all our signature Dotty dresses… Now we can’t currently say
too much, but keep ‘em peeled for some new cozzies that may soon be coming our
way!
C: A local designer
Clem Couture made our dresses....
Oooh,
I’ll get their number off you later.
I
have to say dears that your harmonies sound just smashing, my friend Mabel and
I tried a while ago, but we sounded more like we should have been sitting on a
garden wall watching out for dogs than singing in The Albert Hall! I do admire
you so! How long do you have to practice to get them so perfect?
M: It takes me
quite a while as I am not a natural musician and I also sing alto which can be
a difficult melody to pitch - we never get the tune! I have to repeatedly
listen to the track in order to secure it in my mind and sing with confidence.
C: Close harmony
work with dance moves takes a bit of practice, it's a case of just getting it
all into your muscles memory and making sure you blend.
E: Ah piece of cake innit?! Haha – It’s tricky one but I think it gets easier with
practice. It’s just a matter of zoning out what you think you know or how you
think a song should be, and re-learn your line as if it was the tune. The great
thing is, working together for a while now, we tune into each other and so
often can feel when something’s right or not. Caroline’s the expert on that one
though!
So,
one last question, If you could sing with anyone, past or present, who would it
be?
E:
Ooh
good question! Michelle and I actually sang with Stevie Wonder once (ok, we
were in the audience of thousands singing backing to Signed, Sealed, Delivered,
but it was a spesh moment ok?!) For me there’s loads of people and all for
different reasons… Glenn Miller and his band of course! Nat King Cole’s voice
is smooth like chocolate for me, we could do ‘Unforgettable’ but also I’d love
to have performed on-stage with Michael Jackson – schamow! What a show we’d
have put on!
M:
I would love to sing with Freddie Mercury
- an absolute legend!
C: I'd love to work
with John Mayer, his music is really soulful.
So,
I know what I’m going to do now, I’m off to find myself a bottle of liquor and
a soldier, so what are you going to do ladies? What’s next for The Polka Dots?
C: Onwards and
upwards!
M: World domination
E:
Well
said Mich! Look out world, here we are!! xxx
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