Cliff

So this blog is all about how my ‘Michael Auger sings Cliff Richard’ show came about.

It all started when Collabro met Cliff by chance in October 2016 when we were performing at a corporate gig and it just so happened that Cliff Richard and Rod Stewart were in the audience!! Cliff came back to meet us after the show to say he’d enjoyed our performance and after back and fourths between our managements, Collabro were announced as the support act for Cliffs ‘Just… Fabulous Rock ‘n’ Roll tour’ which would take place Summer 2017.

We became good friends, sharing a love of music, touring and even tennis! I knew from then that one day I wanted to create a show about Cliff. I was in awe of how dedicated his fans were and so impressed with his commitment to the music and seeing how much he loved what he was doing even as he was approaching 80 years old.

Every night on tour I would stand side of stage and watch from the wings to see him do his thing and hear the audience beg for more as he strutted his stuff and shook his hips the only way he knows how! The weather on the tour seemed to be either burning hot sun or torrential rain.

During 2020, when the world was in lockdown, Cliff, much like Collabro, continued to write music and we used to share emails and phone calls discussing how our albums could be enhanced with certain harmonies or drum beats and that felt like such an outer body experience for me at a really difficult time when it felt like the music industry was at a standstill. I even managed to get Cliff to agree to re-releasing Mistletoe & Wine 33 years after its original release with Collabro, and it got top number 5 in the UK singles charts!

When Collabro decided to split in 2022, I realised it was time to look at options for solo shows and began thinking of ideas of what audiences would resonate with and what I could offer that was unique and my interactions with Cliff were just that. I could sing the songs that I’d grown up listening to, and share stories of my personal experiences with the 3rd highest selling U.K. artist of all time (after Elvis and the Beatles)!

I decided to go to Cliff with my ideas and see whether I could get his approval. Well, not only did he approve of me doing the show, he asked how he could help and even suggested I interview him to give myself promotional material to push the show. I then had the idea to use that interview footage to form part of the show, because what’s better than hearing me tell stories about Cliffs life? Cliff telling stories about his life!!

Writing questions for the interview was very daunting as I wanted to make sure I hit all the key points for those who might not know as much about Cliff but I also wanted to try to ask some questions he may not have been asked before, or try to get him to give answers that would be interesting even to his most devoted fans (known as ‘Cliff hangers’ or ‘Cliffettes’)

I got to interview him in a setting he knew very well, surrounded by pictures of his time in Summer Holiday the movie and even on some of his personal travels- no it wasn’t at his house!!! Haha.

I think the comfortable setting and being interviewed by a friend did allow him to give full answers and I was so happy with the interview overall.

After the interview was filmed I then had the mammoth task of editing the videos into smaller sections so that they could be integrated into my show seamlessly leading into or out of a song!

I found myself with lots of footage and so many songs that I wanted to include so tried to get everything into a chronological order to make the show make sense but I also had to work around his answers that didn’t always lend themselves to singing certain songs in a certain order.

I also had to choose which songs I liked to sing too or felt suited my voice best!

With over 200 songs (including 14 UK number 1’s) of Cliffs to fit into an hour and a half, I really had to be strict with what I chose!!

Once I’d written up the show, I had to decide what to wear. This was a hard thing for me because I really wanted to strike a balance so that I wasn’t a Cliff Richard tribute act but also wasn’t fully Michael Auger! Cliff actually lent me his blue jacket from his most recent sapphire tour (2023) that I wore in my final section of the show which was such an honour! I definitely felt more like him and added in a few hip shakes!!!!

I hope to take this show on cruise ships and even around theatres in the U.K. There’s always ways to refine it and I’m so grateful to you all for following my journey with it.

Also, thinking about one step further....if anyone creates a documentary on Cliff or a film of his life- I'd totally be up for portraying Cliff. It just makes sense!

I want to finish this blog with some interesting facts! The first clip I played during my show was Cliff saying ‘People used to say I was the British answer to Elvis’ and I found it really interesting to read that Elvis never performed in the U.K.! Unfortunately Cliff never made it big in America. 'Living Doll' made it to number 30 and his biggest hit in America was 'Devil Woman' which got to number 6 in 1976, which is higher than it got in the U.K. where it peaked at number 9! In 1979, 'We Don’t Talk Anymore' reached number 7 in the U.S. charts but was Cliffs second and only other top 10 U.S. chart hit.

Let’s see if I can take this show to the U.S. and spread the word of Cliff Richard!!!!

Thanks for reading,

Love Michael :D

Michael In Milan

Last year for my birthday I said I wanted to do a day trip to Milan as I had seen online everyone saying you could get return flights from London for just £39.

Because of my trip to Dubai for the Emirates advert and taking a trip with Nicole to New York, I thought Milan might be a bit excessive and I'd keep it in mind for the following year.

My birthday is March, so in about January I started to look at flight dates, times and prices to see what would work out best.

We decided to fly British Airways from Heathrow as although it was slightly more expensive than the £39 we hoped for, we managed to get flights for £89 per person, which is still cheaper than a theatre ticket to some West End shows!

We got the first flight out and the last flight home. I researched that Milan Linate was the airport closest to the centre of Milan and would take 30 minutes or less to travel to once we landed so thought this was the best option to maximise the day!

My mum actually got me a lonely planet book on Milan for Christmas as she knew it was my plan to go and I decided I wanted to come up with an itinerary based on the things that had stood out to me in that book.

The main thing I definitely wanted to do was go up the Duomo. The building looked beautiful and I thought the views from the top would be fantastic too! You have to pay to go to the Duomo so the first thing I did was book that in advance so that I could plan the rest of the day around those timings. I went for 2pm just to make sure we weren't rushing to get there and also weren't rushing to leave for the airport afterwards - smart right!!!?

Another attraction I wanted to see was the Arco della Pace but this was further from the airport than the Duomo so I thought if we headed there first we could then walk through the city and after the Duomo, be closer to the airport.

So then the exciting bit, planning the food!!! There are SOOOO many lovely places and from researching online it looked endless of restaurants saying they served the 'Best pasta in Italy' but I'd seen good reviews of a couple of places so I thought I'd look them up on the map and see how they would fit with walking from Arco della Pace to the Duomo.

The best fit was Pasta D'autore (Corso di Porta Ticinese, 16, 20123 Milano MI, Italy) although I wasn't able to book online so thought we would just turn up and hope for the best, and if we weren't able to get in, we would have plenty of options nearby.

I was slightly nervous because I'm not normally very lucky with things like this but....I'll get to that in a bit!

I didn't want to book anything else for the day as I really wanted to have the luxury of being able to wander around but I had made note of a couple of the museums, mainly Museo Del Novecento.

So the final thing we needed to sort before we headed off was parking at the airport and I don't know how I'd never heard of it but we saw the option for POD parking where you park away from the airport and then these automatic PODs (that can fit 4 people in) take you direct to the airport terminal! So after waking up at 4am and driving to the airport and parking, we hopped into a POD. It was very fun and we felt like we were in the incredibles or something, it felt very futuristic!

We didn't have any checked luggage as we were just doing a day trip so probably didn't need to get to the airport as early as we did but we didn't want to risk it and we ended up getting a Pret A Manger breakfast. I got an egg & avocado baguette, a pain au chocolat and an oat milk caramel latte - delicious!

The flight was a little turbulent but nothing too bad and we got water and a snack on board which was very well received.

We landed ahead of schedule and made our way to the exit. I decided to order an UBER at this point to take us straight to Arco della Pace just so that we didn't have to work out the Metro as I knew there would be a few line changes and didn't want to risk it. A lovely Mercedes pulled up and we were on our way. We were in the car for about 30 minutes and got dropped right by the Arco della Pace which was beautiful! It reminded me a bit of the arc de triomphe in Paris but a lot smaller. The weather was bright but cloudy, any excuse to wear sunglasses.

We were then able to take our time, strolling for the next hour or so, looking at the beautiful architecture and reaching Pasta D'autore just after midday. There was already a queue outside but we got in OK so luck was on our side! After we were seated and had ordered drinks the place was full. I initially ordered a glass of red wine but decided I needed something more refreshing so I just went for a gin and tonic in the end which was lovely.

We ordered a sharer platter to start, 2 pasta dishes and 2 pizzas to share between the 4 of us and I do have to give a shout out to the star meal of the day which was the 'crema di parmigiano' tagliatelle. Now what is quite fun at this place is that you get to choose your pasta as they've made it fresh that day and then you choose your topping. So if you prefer penne pasta, you could have that instead. It took us a while to eat and it was 1.15pm before we knew it so we were conscious of getting to the Duomo BUT we couldn't leave without trying the tiramisu which was supposedly their speciality. Now I'm not normally a fan of tiramisu but I thought 'when in Rome' (or Milan haha). It was delicious and then we were ready to pace to the Duomo which was harder with full stomachs, especially after they gave us complimentary limoncello shots too!!!! Happy Birthday to me.

We got to the Duomo at 2pm on the dot and they were absolutely fine. It had said please arrive 20 mins before your time slot so I had felt quite worried but we were ok. It was the upcoming stairs I should have been more worried about. They seemed to go on and on, but the views from the top were worth it!! The weather was still quite grey but there were little moments of blue skies and we had to be grateful that it still wasn't raining. In total we were probably at the Duomo for about an hour. Probably could have stayed longer but we knew we needed to be back at the airport by 5ish so didn't want to get too comfortable.

We then went to the free museum across the road that was part of the ticket price but I wouldn't recommend it. It was very dark and there was not much explanation of the items in there. It was a one way system and we found ourselves feeling a bit stressed as it seemed to go on for such a long time!!

We eventually got out and after almost buying a Christmas tree decoration, we headed to the Metro station and got distracted by a dessert shop where we actually went wild and ordered way more than we needed as we couldn't decide and I'm sad to say that all of it was a 7 out of 10 and we were really hoping for it to be a 10 out of 10. I think we had been spoiled with the pasta and pizza and maybe we were starting to feel a little tired.

We got on the Metro at around 5pm and it was really simple to get those tickets. It was really interesting as it seems to be the case that you pay by time. In London, you scan your ticket when you get on and off and then it works out how much you owe but in Milan it felt like our ticket was going to expire after a certain time limit.

We got to the airport with plenty of time and after attempting to get a group photo in a photobooth, waiting 10 minutes and then getting an error screen and never getting the photos, we headed to the gate.

We landed back in London at 8pm and got home before 10pm. So much fun.

Costs

In total, our costs were:

Flights - £356

POD parking- £44

PRET- £30

UBER- £28

Pasta D'autore- £120

Duomo- £68

Ice Cream- £44

Metro- £7

TOTAL for 4 people - £697

So for less than £175 per person we had such a magical day - highly recommended!!

Let me know if you do decide to go and share any hints and tips!

Michael :D

A bit of Disney magic goes a long way!

Can you believe that it’s March already?!  The start to 2024 has been so busy for me, with gigs, preparing for the upcoming Collabro reunion concerts in June (have you bought your tickets yet?) and planning some new and exciting projects which I can’t wait to share with you… so it felt like a good time to take a quick breather and head to Disneyland Paris for a family getaway!

We took the Eurostar across to France which I have to say was really great. We were in ‘standard’ seating but it was very comfortable so felt good value for money there. We were staying in an air B n B 20 minutes walk from the park which was very nice. Two bathrooms between 7 of us was a bit interesting but it worked very well that we were all together in the evenings rather than split across hotel rooms!

The next morning we woke early to get ready to head to the Disneyland Park. The park opens at 9.30 so we got there about 9 and weren’t too far from the front of the queue so when it opened, we were through the gates in about 5 minutes.

We got lucky with the weather, it was was lovely and walking up to the iconic Disney castle was magical - in fact as soon as we went through the main entrance, we looked back up to find Minnie and Mickey on the balcony waving to greet everyone which was a lovely touch.

We headed first to Discovery Land and our first ride was Buzz Lightyear Laser blast which was a great start and the queue was only 15 mins which always helps!!  What a ride, we loved it! I did some research about which targets are worth more points - aim for the Triangles!!!

Then straight to Space Mountain - which was A LOT faster than I remember but I love fast rollercoasters!!

Of course we had to do It’s A Small World which I actually enjoy as I like the boat ride element.  Don’t worry you don’t get wet haha.

Then into Alice’s curious labyrinth which is a maze although I wish they made it harder!

We had to get a photo by the castle and then the sun fully came out and blue skies appeared as we watched the Splash Of Colour show on the parade which was magical - a random mix of songs and characters but that was actually lovely. Stitch was very heavily featured in Disneyland Paris this season and I even got myself a shoulder pal!

We saw a lot of characters walking around the park and they all waved and smiled which was an unexpected treat, much like the Mickey shaped cookie which is probably the best cookie I’ve ever had!! Speaking of food, we ate so much. Everything that is Mickey shaped draws you in as you feel you’re getting a unique experience as well as a tasty treat!

We watched The Lion King show this day as well here which was great although we were near the back of the queue which meant we were on the edge of the audience seating so would have preferred a more central seat. Think you need to queue for a while to get a good spot. There’s a tip for you if you go!

We did then get a great spot for the parade right by the entrance doors and my advice would be to get there about 45 mins before to secure your spot. The parade starts at 5.30pm and it is well worth it.  The parade music is really fun and everyone is very energetic which is fab for kids and a real highlight.

We splurged out on the dinner with characters at the plaza gardens where we met Eeyore, Tigger, Mickey, Donald, goofy & Pluto! They come right to your table and you can get pictures and have hugs etc.  More money, but totally worth it. You can’t come and not meet them! That said, the dinner is £75 so it isn’t cheap, but you do get an all you can eat buffet and the food is good quality.  Plus, this is all about making memories so if you can do it, you won’t regret it.

There is just so much to do here. After dinner we stayed to watch the drone show (Disney Electrical Sky Parade) and the castle show (Disney Dreams Nighttime Eztravaganza) which includes fireworks. This is one of my favourite things about the park- if you don’t mind people pushing in front of you and holding up their phones to take pictures constantly!!! ….but honestly, it’s so well done and really was brilliant.

On the second day we went to the Walt Disney Studios park.  No lie-ins here, we arrived just before 9 and again weren’t too far from the front of the queue but it really picked up about 9.10 so seemed like the perfect time to arrive.

We went straight to the Avengers ride as there was only a 5 minute wait and I have to say this was my favourite ride of the trip. Sooo fast but smoother than space mountain!! We loved it.

We saw TOGETHER: a PIXAR musical adventure which was really great except the shows tended to be half French half English and I think that throws everyone off!  Stitch Live had specific French or English shows which I think works better. Take the time to plan what you’re going to see and do and keep this is mind. I have to say, Frozen: A Musical Invitation was a bit underwhelming.  It was completely in French so it would have been good for them to offer it in other languages.  More positively, I do love Frozen and found Let It Go in French quite beautiful. Maybe I should learn it?!

We went on practically every other ride - one to mention is Tower of Terror which was fun but a bit sickly. I love the feeling of going up in the elevator but being pulled down was intense. Ugh!

The same night, we went back to the Disneyland Park and just walked the shops which was so calming to have time to look at all the Disney products! There is so much to buy and I really had to resist the urge to buy all the sweets!!

On the third day, we split our time between the parks, doing any rides we had missed but for some reason it was sooo busy everywhere and we were queuing for at least 40 mins a ride which was not ideal!  We must’ve got lucky on the other days.

We made a day of it though and went on Avengers again, Space Mountain again and even queued for the Peter Pan Ride - a bit underwhelming for me, but others would have loved it for sure.

Crushes Coaster was another one that had a long wait time - 90 minutes it showed at one point. I went single rider and still queued for 30 mins and I actually didn’t think it was that great. I thought I’d see Nemo and friends but instead felt like I was caught in a wave getting chased by a shark!

We stayed to watch the shows again that evening and got a spot quite near the front which just felt very magical and the perfect end to our Disneyland trip.

It was so great to get away for a few days and I’d 100% recommend Disneyland Paris. I think the 3 day, 2 park ticket was just right. If you do go, let me know what your highlights are!   I think I might try the Disney Cruise next…

Michael :D