Music. It’s the music that sets Christmas apart.
Other holidays may also be about love, and family, and food and gifts, and peaceful wishes, but no other holiday is as inextricably linked to its music as Christmas is.
Which is why it’s my favourite.
The songs, oh the songs.
Songs that make you feel all warm and fuzzy, songs that make you feel like a kid again, songs of hope and positivity that celebrate the magic that exists in the little things, if only you look for it.
Mikey Reed, self-titled Mr. Christmas, agrees with me. His enthusiasm for Christmas is palpable: for the traditions, the food and – of course – the music.
Luckily for us, as performers and hardcore Christmas fans, festive gigs flow freely in December. And it’s not just for us: anywhere that Christmas is celebrated, gigging musicians are called on to provide a live festive soundtrack to those events.
Which is why Mikey is returning to chat with me about what makes holiday gigs different, which are his favourite Christmas songs to play, what he considers to be the “official” Christmas season, and what he does – despite the madness of the season - to preserve the magic of Christmas for himself and his family.
00:00:00 – Welcome
00:01:42 – Interview
00:06:07 – Coca Cola Christmas ad:
00:28:03 – Frosty the Snowman movie:
00:29:44 – All Hearts Come Home for Christmas (Nelle Thomas):
00:39:39 – BIG Mouth Christmas:
00:39:39 – BIG Mouth Fairytale of New York:
00:41:05 – Lightning Round - Holiday edition
00:45:44 – Live music: Run Rudolph (Chuck Berry)
00:50:44 – Credits
I’m Lady J (onstage) and in the two decades that I’ve been a full-time gigging musician I’ve played nearly 3000 shows with my husband-slash-guitarist-slash-business partner. We live in Dubai with our two kids, and we continue to perform hundreds of shows per year.
I firmly believe that there is nothing like being in the room with the person making the music that moves you.
Live music matters.
Whether you’re hoping to get your first gig, looking to get more gigs, or looking to make your gigging more fulfilling and financially rewarding, this is a place to get insights and practical advice from people who believe live music matters.
I’m happy you’re here.