The Wholly Soul Band were formed in 1991 as the house band for the legendary Hollywood Club in Newport.
Within months of their formation The Commitments film was released and the band, being of a similar size and specialising too in 60’s Soul music, were inundated with work, constantly playing everywhere!
Hundreds of ecstatic newlyweds and countless satisfied audiences will confirm that The Wholly Soul Band is really ‘where it’s at!’
The Wholly Soul Band were formed in 1991 as the house band for the legendary Hollywood Club in Newport. Within months of their formation ‘The Commitments’ film was released and the band, being of a similar size and specializing too in 60’s Soul music, were inundated with work, constantly playing in every club, pub and eat house in South Wales. In a short time they were supporting ‘The Commitments’ at a number of venues and were soon welcoming offers of work that took them to holiday camps, five star hotels and nightclubs both in the UK and abroad.
The line up is consists of Tenor Sax, Trumpet and Trombone, Bass, Drums, Guitar, Keyboards, two dynamic Female Vocalists and the charismatic Frontman Mike ‘Big Mac’ McNamara. Mike is a Soul singer in the purest sense of the word, thus the band, though more than adept at producing the raw edged originals of Wilson Pickett, Sam and Dave, Otis Redding and James Brown, are also proficient in the more polished spheres of black music, Motown, Philly, Funk and those glorious vocal harmony drenched ballads.
Vocalists, however, are only as good as their backing band permits and Big Mac has The Wholly Soul Band… easily the best in the business!
The Band has played Cairo, Tenerife, Germany and Dublin as well as settings here in the UK as diverse as The Café Royal and The Marquee Club. Such far reaching appeal is witness to the band’s adaptability and versatility.
The band is fully self contained with lights, PA, transport, road crew and a highly efficient sound engineer capable of gauging the needs and requirements of every audience, venue and event.
Appearances on TV and radio shows, touring, playing, rehearsing and performing have all served to polish the bands act, repertoire and musicianship without ever diminishing its energy and enthusiasm. There are a great number of bands possessing a similar set and structure but none with such inspired authenticity. As awed members of The Commitments said… ‘We’ve found Wilson Pickett!’
From their very beginning the band has been immensely popular, building a rock solid reputation. They are a firm favourite at weddings, festivals, corporate events and social gatherings where a first class, energetic and wholly infectious good time act is required. Hundreds of ecstatic newlyweds and countless satisfied audiences will confirm that The Wholly Soul Band is really ‘where it’s at!’
10 Piece – Tenor Sax, Trumpet, Trombone, Bass, Drums, Guitar, Keyboards, Female Vocals (x 2)... and Big Mac!
Hold Back the Night
Twisting the Night Away
Sugar Pie Honey Bunch
Walk Away Renee
Same Old Song
Reach Out
My Girl
Get Ready
It Takes Two
Wonderful World
I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Stand By Me
Dock of the Bay
Soul Man
Hold On I’m Coming
In the Midnight Hour
Mustang Sally
Living in America
Bring it on Home to Me
Ms Grace
I Second that Emotion
Sweet Soul Music
Build Me Up Buttercup
Rescue Me
Le Freak
We Are Family
Everybody
Knock On Wood
You To Me Are Everything
Hard to Handle
Hey Girl Don’t Bother Me
Mony Mony
Baby Now That I Found You
Keep on Running
Gimme Some Loving
Everlasting Love
River Deep Mountain High
Love Train
Soulfinger
Can’t Get By Without You
I’ll Go Where Your Music Takes Me
Last Night
Let’s Stay Together
Land Of 1,000 Dances
Who’s Making Love
Long Tall Sally
Lean On Me
Higher and Higher
Sex Machine
Respect
Mr. Pitiful
Shake
Dancing in the Street
Soothe Me
Green Onions
Man’s World
The Stage
An explosive start to the evening was provided by The Wholly Soul Band. This is the way to play Soul and Motown- a full ten piece band, great brass section, girl backing singers, pulsating rhythm section and Big Mac himself on lead vocals- not only great musicianship but also a great performance. I am not surprised that it is one of the most popular outfits in South Wales, as it was absolutely superb. If you book corporate functions or summer balls and want a great dance band, you could do a lot worse. This is a truly hot band.
The Wholly Soul Band clients include: The British Variety Club, The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Eversheds, L'Oreal, The Showman's Association, The Institute of Direct Marketing, David Lloyd, The Royal Mint, The Holiday Inns, Barclays Bank, Deloitte and Touche, Biomet Merck, Rimmel, Coca Cola, Smith -Kline- Beecham, Lloyds TSB, Macob, Johnson and Johnson, Masterfoods, British Hairdressers Association, RNLI, SWALEC, Primary Care, The Equestrian Society, Freemason Lodges, Centre Parcs, Emergency Services, Arthritis Research, British Osteopath Society, Freeman's Cigars, Admiral Insurance, Whitbread, Interbrew and many, many more.
The band has played in countless pubs, clubs, nightclubs, country clubs, rowing clubs, golf clubs, health clubs, rugby and football clubs, colleges, castles, theatres, stately homes, universities, military summer balls and bashes, weddings and birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, gala dinners and charity functions, ad infinitum...
They have appeared on a number of TV and radio slots, including voice-overs for ads, and they performed a televised performance of two original songs for the ‘Children in Need’ appeal.
The Wholly Soul Band have played the Royal Dublin Society in Ballsbridge Dublin, The SemiRamis and the Marriott Hotels in Cairo, Celle in Germany, The Coconut Grove in Las Americas, Tenerife and, in this country, The Cafe Royal, Cardiff International Arena, Centre Parc, Butlins, Somerwest World, Drayton Manor, London's Brewhouse, Metropole Hotel N.E.C., Five Lakes Hotel in Maldon, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Caldicot and Fonmon Castles, The Jamhouse, The Marquee Club, The Rock Gardens, Great Tithe Barn Tetbury, Ashton Court Mansion, Tredegar House Stately Home, and even Leyhill Open Prison!
In their career so far the The Wholly Soul Band have appeared with (in no particular order): Edwin Starr, Jimmy James and The Vagabonds, Van Morrison, Jools Holland, The Commitments, Go West, Limahl, The Pasadenas, Sweet, Mud, Captain Sensible, Marmalade, Mike Reid, Jim Bowen, Stan Boardman, Little and Large, Shed 7, Catherine Zeta Jones, Charlotte Church, Ian Botham, Dodgy, The Bay City Rollers, Jaki Graham, Gwen Dickey of Rolls Royce, Squeeze, Midge Ure, The Saw Doctors, Pato Banton, Mike Flowers' Pops, Dave Dee, King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys and innumerable unforgettable celebrities... that they’ve momentarily forgotten!
Please Note: The fees indicated below are approximate and based on a central location for each county. They are intended to provide a rough guide only and exact quotes can only be given once the date and exact location of your event have been provided.
