1920s Jazz & Swing Band

52 Skidoo

52 Skidoo is a fun 1920s & 1930s, Speakeasy Band who welcomes you back in time to the Great Gatsby era of cool Jazz & Swing!

  • Step back in time to the 1920s: the era of Prohibition, the Speakeasy, and Gatsby!

    The talented members of 52 Skidoo feature songs from the 1920s and 1930s. This completely cool and authentic twenties band appears as a group of drunks and misfits who have stepped out of a New York movie set as they get straight down to performing Harlem Swing and Hot Jazz that will entertain and delight audiences young and old.

    This fun 1920s Band will keep the dance floor busy and feet tapping all night with a dazzling repertoire of Jazz & Swing classics, alongside mischief and mayhem!

    The band line-up starts as a 3 piece featuring:

    Tommy Valentine
    Tommy oozes personality as your lead vocalist and guitarist; he is the character of the band. His guise as a ‘gambler’ working off his debts is most believable as he tells tales of his life in New York trying to avoid gangsters and search for his true love!

    Henry ‘JJ’ Botham
    Pianist J.J. (also known as Double J and 2 J’s) is technically brilliant and famous for his piano skills and audience interaction! His fast-fingered boogie-woogie has to be seen to be believed!

    Howard Jacobs
    Howard is a skilled percussionist and clarinet player, often able to do both in one go!

    Depending on requirements, you can add to this line up with:

    HORNS:
    Add any brass from Trombone, Trumpet, Sax and Souzaphone for a bigger sound!

    DANCERS
    Add Flapper Girls into the mix! Performing Charleston or Lindy Hop.

    THE JOINT IS JUMPIN’
    A themed Theatre Show incorporating stories, characters and comedy as well as the finest Jazz sound around!

    HARLEM STRIDE & PIANO SHOUTS
    If you would like just Piano, or even Piano and Percussion, this is also an option. JJ and Howard will treat you to all the greats from Fats Waller, James P Johnson, Willie ‘The Lion’ Smith, Luckey Roberts and Eubie Blake.

  • “A big thank you on behalf of my guests for your fantastic set! You kept the dance floor bustling all night and feet tapping at tables too. You are not only very talented musicians, but polite, professional and courteous. Genuinely a pleasure to work with and we’d love to have you back again in the future.”
    Lorraine Jenkins – Vintage Dancehall

    “Here’s a band that really do swing like they did in the good ol’ days, with attention to detail and authenticity, 52 Skidoo put on a storming performance that gets the joint well and truly jumping. Until we manage to bring Fats Waller back in a time machine, we’ll have these guys back any time!”
    Bobbi Charleston – The Swing Eight

    “We only had to see, hear and experience 52 Skidoo once to be convinced enough to book them. The gig they did for us at SevenArts in Leeds was a sell out event and is still talked about locally as one of the most authentic ‘Speakeasy’ style events we’ve ever had. The guys completely recreated the small band with the big sound in the tradition of Fats Waller. They have that natural and unteachable ability to work the crowd.
    Harry & Svetlana – Leeds

    “52 Skidoo provided The Met with a fine evening’s entertainment. Their show is much more than simple a gig and incorporates stories, comedy and several other unusual features all brought together with superb showmanship and musicianship. They transformed the stage into a 1920’s rent party and created a genuine speakeasy atmosphere. Utterly professional and hugely enjoyable, the show was a sell-out and no hesitation in rebooking them.”
    David Agnew – Bury Met

    “52 Skidoo laid on a fantastic performance and exceeded our expectations, they were also extremely polite, friendly and easy-going which made them a pleasure to deal with on the day.”
    Zoe Hussain – Wedding, London

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    Testimonials

    • Just a quick one to say how amazing everything went at our function thanks to Big Foot Events! From the very beginning they were extremely helpful and made sure everything was looked after without giving me too much hassle either! The Photo Booth, Candy Floss Cart and Popcorn Cart were all fantastic and a great hit with all of our family and friends and the staff running them were absolutely amazing! They were all set up and ready to go well before the event started and made sure they were always helpful! So a massive thank you to you all!

      Megan Chungh – Park Hotel, Newcastle
    • I just wanted to say a big thank you for being a part of our snapdragon festival this year. Once again Rex was a massive hit and the children and adults loved him. The two members of staff that came to the event were very professional and catered to any requests we had.

      Amy Casey – Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council
    • We absolutely love having Noughty 90’s here, such lovely people and amazing sets! They had everyone up and dancing on the dance floor.

      George – Golden Sands Holiday Park
    • It was absolutely incredible, I cannot thank you guys enough for how amazing it all was. The Ranger and Rex were outstanding, every single guest loved them to pieces and we certainly had the wow factor for our wedding. Just the idea of having a dinosaur is one thing, but the way Rex, Trixxie and the Ranger worked tirelessly to entertain the entire wedding party just added to the overall effect. We've had non-stop comments from those who attended saying it was pure magic, videos of the experience have gone viral and we even had guests from the hotel desperate to catch a glimpse of Rex. I cannot overstate how incredible you all have been, from the day a weirdo messaged Lauren asking for a dinosaur at their wedding, to speaking with Jade to coordinate everything and then finally meeting Rex and the Ranger on the big day. Everything worked out a million times better than I ever thought possible, and my dad was very pleased to see Rex was appropriately dressed with his bow tie. Amazing, amazing, amazing, thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts.

      Mr & Mrs Pravitt – Private Wedding, Stoke On Trent
    • Both acts went down a storm at the weekend. Really pleased with everything! Madonna did all the hits and even included some iconic costume changes! She had the audience up Voguing at the front! ABBA Fever had the crowd on their feet from the start and would be a worthy headliner in the future.

      Andrew Edmeads – Frimley Lodge, Surrey
    • The evening on Saturday was wonderful, Planet Abba we're superb and also so welcoming to the audience. As you know this is the 3rd year in a row I have used your agency and as always you have given me a wonderful evening, thank you.

      Barry Herridge – Ely Beet Sports & Social Club

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