It’s Christmas!
Hello everyone and welcome to my December blog! December for me automatically screams one thing… CHRISTMAS!
The last few years I’ve been in pantomime and this year is no exception! Although this year is slightly different as I will be in Vietnam. You can follow my journey via my vlogs on YouTube!!
We will be home before Christmas though which is unusual for pantomime as normally they can go right through into the new year. With so many shows around Christmas time, the Christmas build up feels different as you get to enjoy seeing so many happy faces in the audience but you are normally based away from home so you don’t get that time surrounded by family to go Christmas shopping and have that real build up before the big day in that way.
I spoke to some of my incredible Patreons to find out about their traditions and favourite foods at Christmas so I wanted to share them with you all now. Roslyn opens the smallest present at midnight and always makes sure they start Christmas morning with a visit to church followed by croissants! She remembers fighting over trifle with her sister
Elizabeth makes sure there are green olives available to snack on when she’s watching the football all day on Christmas Day! Nicola saves an Easter egg so that she can eat it on Christmas Eve with her brother Christopher and there are always pigs in blankets around on Christmas Day to snack on Jackie’s go to Christmas snack is marzipan balls.
She remembers when the Christmas cake was made the excess marzipan would be made into balls and that tradition has stuck. Jackie has a lot of self control as she waits until after lunch to open presents!!
Susan likes to eat mini pizzas on Christmas Day and always makes sure she gets her turkey dinner with her mum! Darleens Christmas treat is a dark Christmas cake and remembers the kids stuffed animals, the polar bear and puppy with stockings in their mouth. She also makes a fruit salad on Christmas Eve which is enjoyed by the whole family. Mary makes sure she opens the biggest present first and always has a tangerine, mixed nuts and kids games (like tiddly winks) in her stocking. She enjoys sugared almonds as her treat on Christmas Day.
Gwen remembers the kids opening their stockings but had a rule that no one was allowed to open presents until daylight. Father Christmas would even leave footsteps so the kids knew he’d been! Gwen also has been making christmas pudding as long as she can remember, using her grandmas recipe which is over 100 years old!
Thank you all for sharing your traditions and treats - I love the tradition that my mum has of making personalised crackers which is so lovely as then everyone gets a present specifically for them inside! For me, any chocolate snack is good. I do always associate Christmas with a lindor ball! I remember they have the ones you can put on the tree but they were always eaten before Christmas!!
Wherever you are and whoever you’re with, I hope you all have an amazing Christmas!
Album / Single Release
So this month’s blog is all about recording my album, starting with recording my first single ‘EVERMORE’ from the live action move of Disneys Beauty and the Beast.
Collabro fans and especially my cherry blossoms on Patreon have been asking me to release solo music for a very long time and as I do so many solo shows I also thought it would be nice to have solo music that people could enjoy on streaming platforms alongside the live shows. I started by writing out all the songs I’ve sung at solo gigs and ones that I’ve always loved to try but I ended up with SO many songs it almost felt like an impossible task to get them down to just 10 (the average amount for a standard album).
So I reached out to my Patreons and they all suggested some amazing songs and it became quite clear that the theme of musical theatre could work really well but I wanted to make sure all the songs meant something to me or even made sense in an album setting! Then everything kind of changed when I signed my contract to play Gaston in Beauty & the Beast pantomime in Vietnam for Christmas 2024! Their team heard I was looking to create an album and they asked if I would tailor the album towards the Vietnamese/Asian audience, which has much more of a pop sound, so they could hear some of my solo music before they saw me in pantomime. This kind of changed everything as I was then looking at releasing singles rather than a full album in one go and the Vietnamese team seemed very keen for me to release some pop covers as well as musical theatre. The first single then seemed obvious as ‘EVERMORE’ as this was a song I’d covered before, it was asked for by the fans AND I am going to be in Beauty & the Beast this Christmas! It also crosses the border nicely of pop and musical theatre so win win win!
I hired producers Auburn Jam who work closely with musical theatre and pop artists. They are known for creating new sounds with artists so it seemed like the perfect fit. Plus they had been recommended by my good friend Kerry Ellis so I was really looking forward to working with them. When I went into the studio, I worked closely with the team to create a sound that was current and had a pop edge to it so that it would be a unique version of the song for me and also appeal to a mass audience. I started by singing the song with the pianist before we built up the instruments for the backing track and then I actually sang the song again over the new backing as I felt the feel of the song had slightly changed. Plus we’d even changed the melody in some places which made it more unique.
You can normally record 2 or even 3 songs in one day but because this was my first single and the feel of the song changed quite a few times it actually took 2 full days to get this one right.
My second single (out on 13th November) will be ‘TEENAGE DREAM’ (originally by Katy Perry). This is a pop cover that I have really enjoyed performing at my solo shows and allows me to show my fun uptempo music that you can almost dance along to! I cannot wait for you all to hear it.
There are so many more songs to come and so much more I could say on this topic so if you have any questions, please email manager@michaelaugerofficial.com and maybe I can do another blog in the future on my other singles / the full album which I hope will be out March / April 2025
You can listen to my first solo single NOW from this link: https://slinky.to/EvermoreMA :)
Hope you enjoyed this blog - don’t forget to come back on December 1st for my next blog :)
The inside scoop on my solo shows…
So this month I’m going to be answering some of the questions I get asked about my solo shows from how I prepare the songs to how I decide what to wear, and more!! Let’s get into it…
Over the years I’ve built up relationships with different venues who all work in different ways, with different tech systems and facilities, payment schedules and performance times so you have to be adaptable and work around them while also making sure the show you’re putting on isn’t jeopardised! I actually reach out to many venues, sometimes with no response which is frustrating but you always want to feel wanted so when a venue does get back to you and seems keen to work together that’s always really lovely!
I try to have 1 LIVE in person gig per month to give those who want to come to everything a chance to be able to do that and also allow space between shows to keep them fresh.
Alongside LIVE in person gigs, I have my monthly zoom concert so again that works quite well as it’s a lot of different songs to learn and I always want to do the best job for each show as every show is completely different.
My solo shows work really well as an intimate venue where there are around 60-80 people as this means I can see everyone in the audience and get to really interact with everyone and hopefully they really feel my emotion when I’m singing songs.
When it comes to picking a theme for a show, I like to keep things quite broad. Unless I’m specifically doing a theme of ‘swing’ or ‘Disney’ then I’ll always try to include a mix. Even when there’s a specific theme I’ll usually find a way to broaden the theme to include other songs. Mainly suggestions from fans but also just songs I enjoy singing! I do really like trying new songs but I have sung so much now that lots of songs do come back around in gigs and I do find that when I repeat a song, it sparks memories for myself and the audience of when I sang that song before and it makes quite a moment. I also find songs that are very well known go down well with audiences as they have their own attachments to those songs and enjoy hearing them LIVE.
I tend to start the set list by writing out all the suggested songs for that gig, plus songs I’ve been singing, plus songs that I feel could be relevant and normally end up with about 30. I then put these in a playlist and listen to them over and over in my car whenever I drive anywhere and sing along to them. This helps me learn the words and also can be a good exercise to work out if some don’t feel right and therefore I can eliminate them from the setlist.
I then find backing tracks for the remaining songs to rehearse to. Sometimes I change the keys here to maximise the potential of the song to allow the high notes to sit in the best place for my range. At this point again, some songs stick out or don’t seem to work as well as others and I can make another cut from the set list. I then practise along with the backing tracks and rearrange the set list if I feel I’ve sung too many ballads back to back and I need to decide on a good opener and closer for each half. Plus I need to think about an encore song (if people ask for more!) So by the time it comes to the show, I’ve probably sung each song more than 20 times!! Even then I still sometimes feel like I could do with just one more practise before the show but that’s the perfectionist in me!!
What to wear?? This is a difficult one as I always want to look and feel good on stage. Collabro always wore suits and that is a really good starting point as I want to look smart, but I also feel sometimes in these intimate venues I like to maybe wear a tshirt under my jacket just to give it that more comfortable element in order to make the audience feel more comfortable too as it’s not a red carpet dinner- maybe it could be!! Haha. I’d love to hear what you all think I should wear or is there a particular look you like me in- let me know!!
I got asked the question of what I would do if I got to soundcheck and a song wasn’t working. That’s actually never happened I think based off the process mentioned above but if it did, I definitely have songs in my wheelhouse that I can pull up to replace anything that wasn’t working.
Now I want to know what your favourite song I’ve ever sung is so please let me know! I genuinely love performing and hope I can continue for many years. I love meeting you all at the VIP meet & greets and also knowing every live show is different keeps it exciting.
Thank you all for your support,
Michael
Introducing my 2025 calendar!
Hello!! So this blog is going to talk all about my annual Michael Auger Calendars! It’s the perfect time because they are on sale NOW!
I decided in the Christmas of 2015 that I wanted to do a personal calendar but this meant that when I was shooting my first calendar in the summer of 2016, I was shooting for my 2017 calendar which felt very strange because it had really been so long in the making!
My photographer has always been and always will be Leo Holden (snooty fox images) who I met when we were on Britains Got Talent. Leo was in charge of getting the behind the scenes interviews from Collabro. BUT it wasn’t until Collabro went back as ‘last years winners’ to do a special performance that I saw Leo again and we got talking about calendars as he’d just shot some calendars for the strictly professionals and I thought I’d like to give that a go!
For make up, I had actually asked Bryony Blake who again we had met on Britains Got Talent and who had since done Collabro’s make up for many different events and photoshoots. She also knew Leo very well so everything was set in place. BUT, like everything in life, something came up for Bryony and she said she could send her assistant instead, Enya! I had met Enya before on a previous photoshoot where Bryony had Enya with her but I didn’t know her as well as Bryony which was a bit scary but also thought everything happens for a reason so we went for it.
Behind the scenes with Enya on my first calendar shoot.
Since then, Enya has remained my hair and make up artist for every photoshoot (except one in 2018 for my 2019 calendar when she was doing make up for the strictly line up that year so we will let her off).
When I first started creating calendars I would literally look up a photo that I liked and we would try to recreate it, everything from lighting, background and outfit to the exact same hair strands to try and mimic the photo. This was I could have pre-planned all the months photos, got all the outfits together ready and have a clear plan to work to. The only issue with this is that we could never get it exact because we didn’t have exactly the same conditions as the photo we were copying and I didn’t look the same as the model either. So I quickly learnt that although it’s good to take inspiration and get a general idea of what you hope a photo will look like, be prepared it might look different and actually might not even be how you imagined it at all.
A photo from my first ever shoot
We always try to get about 14-16 concepts shot so that we have scope that if a couple of concepts don’t work, it’s not a problem. And then of course there’s the fact we have to pick a photo for each month, and people expect the photo to reflect the feel of that month. For example I think people would prefer in December to see me in a jumper rather than swim shorts… I think
So, nowadays, there’s a bit less of a plan and I just bring a suitcase of clothes that I like and I sort of know how to create a variety of looks. We still have a mood board so we’re not going in completely blind but I think this way allows a lot more freedom when it comes to the photos and if suddenly the sun is at a certain level we can make sure we try to get that shot - this seems to create a few happy accidents shall we say!
I normally shoot all the photos needed in just one day. Arrival around 10am and normally finished up by about 5pm. However I have done a shoot across two days before when we stayed in a beach hut as the night we arrived Leo said ‘quick we need to go and make use of this sky’ - so we did! That was actually the year that I filmed my calendar shoot for my ‘Giving it a go before the big 3-0’ YouTube series which you can watch here.
When it comes to the setting, I seem to have found a pattern that I alternate years between having a ‘studio shoot’ and a ‘location shoot’, which I actually love because it keeps the calendars different enough year on year, but you still know it’s all created by the same team as there is that level of consistency throughout. It is really amazing to have a professional photographer and hair/make up artist working with me because it means that the product you receive when you purchase a copy of the calendar has that level of professionalism in it. I also love the added consistency from year to year as I also get the calendars manufactured at the same factory so they all look the same size and style.
This year, for my 2025 calendar (my 9th calendar) I did a studio shoot and as always had the best time!! I’m really happy with the final result and I hope you are too- get your copy here!!
AND if you buy in September, you can personalise your calendar for just £5 more!
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this, join me next month for another Blog, right here on my website michaelaugerofficial.com
The Wedding: Part 2
Where were we….
The morning of the wedding came and the sun was shining (thanks to the sausage) - we both text each other in the morning round 6.30am unable to sleep as we were ready and raring.
While Nicole was in glam with her bridesmaids, I set up the table decorations, photo table, cake, flowers and made last minute adjustments to the decor and got myself ready.
I felt very emotional at times but kept suppressing any urges to cry.
The morning seemed to fly by and before I knew it I was at the end of the aisle waiting for Nicole’s entrance. The moment I saw her all the emotion came out as she just looked absolutely gorgeous. I had imagined what she would look like but she surpassed all my expectations. It felt like time stood still, everything went silent and all I could see was her. It really was a moment I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
The ceremony was incredible, so intimate and emotional. We each wrote our own vows and really interestingly, they were very similar. I suppose that’s because we have the same core values!
When we came out of the ceremony room, we got handed a glass of champagne and we had a minute just the two of us while our guests made their way outside for the confetti throw, so we decided to put our feet up - literally!
Walking the confetti aisle we really felt like celebrities it was quite funny and Nicole even got a mouthful of confetti so we had to stop halfway down to sort that out ahha.
It was then time for photos while our guests had drinks and canapés and we got some great shots walking across the field outside with our bridesmaids and ushers.
We had more photos taken (which we may share at a later date) before gathering everyone together for speeches. We had ‘bride’ and ‘groom’ glasses made for us which were very sweet, tied with a ribbon
I was nervous for my speech because people expect me to be good at talking to a large room of people so the pressure was really on, especially after I’d been a blubbering mess during the vows. But, I managed to hold it together and even had the room laughing along with me as I shared funny anecdotes of our relationship and our friendships with the guests.
It was then time for food which was so delicious. We couldn’t have asked for more. The sun was shining so guests sat outside to enjoy their food and everyone was in great spirits, catching up with other family members and friends!
We cut the cake and went straight into the first dance which was ‘You’re Still The One’ - Shania Twain. We had a few moves planned but decided not to put too much pressure on ourselves with a full dance routine!!
One of Nicole’s requests for the evening was that Collabro performed O What a Night so the boys very kindly obliged and it was a real moment. Of course we did the iconic jersey boys pose at the end.
The entertainment didn’t stop there. My good friend and superstar drag queen Divina De Campo had everyone rolling on the river on the dance floor which was brilliant…
…and then everyone headed outside for sparklers and a champagne spray which was the perfect end to the night.
We stayed up late into the night chatting about how grateful we were for just the perfect day, surrounded by love and joy.
Most days since the wedding we say to eachother ‘can we do it again!!’
Hope you enjoyed reading this and seeing new photos!!!
Love Michael :)
Collabro’s 10th Anniversary
This is such an exciting blog for me to write as we had a celebration on 7th June 2024, exactly 10 years to the day after winning Britains Got Talent!! (7th June 2014)
So after our Farewell Tour at the end of 2022, it was always in the back of our minds that we’d really like to celebrate the 10 year since winning BGT on the 7th June 2024 but we had no idea it would definitely happen as we wanted to fully embrace individually exploring new pastures although I always had the dream that it would happen.
When we decided as a group to make it happen, Jamie said he could produce it with Lambert Jackson and he’s been absolutely smashing it so we were so excited to be working with them on this!
We really weren’t sure how it would be received by the collaborators but when we saw the response we were so overwhelmed with the support that we knew we just HAD to add a matinee show!!
Once we’d solidified the date it was time to decide the set list. The way we did this was by writing out the top 30 songs voted previously by collaborators and then removed any songs that any member said they didn’t want to do so that all the songs we were going to sing would be songs we were all excited about. Some of the bigger songs that didn’t make the cut but were very close to being in were ‘Come What May’, ‘With You’, ‘Til I Hear You Sing’, ‘Over The Rainbow’ & ‘Empty Chairs At Empty Tables’ - which one would you have chosen to add?? We all agreed that adding The Prayer & One Voice would be so lovely as we’ve not done them as a 4 piece on tour before and wanted you to have songs that aren’t on a CD of ours. Tom asked if he could be the one to rearrange The Prayer as we’ve always sung it as a 5 piece or with a special guest so if you spotted any new vocals then that was Toms allocation!
We then had to create an order of the songs to give a good arc to the show which Matt sorted! We all decided which songs we wanted to introduce so we could plan our speeches and that worked so easily - we are all on eachothers team and know how we work and want the best for eachother so it’s actually very easy.
Next came outfit choice!! We knew we wanted to do the jersey boys medley with the red jackets so we would need to be in black for the second half but because we’ve done 6 tours already, we were trying to think of a new colour to use to open the show with. Because it’s a celebration of the 10years, we talked about previous tours and we said how the Road To The Royal Albert Hall Tour had such iconic blue suits that we wanted to nod to that for the first half of the 10th anniversary show - did anyone think of this link??
As you can already see, we were desperate to add more and more songs so it just made sense that we didn’t have a special guest or choir as that could take away time from our set and we thought you’d want maximum Collabro time, am I right?? In fact, we really wanted the show to be all about us and you… no screens, band or other gimmicks and for us that just felt perfect!
For me, it felt like forever counting down the days to the 7th June. We had rehearsals a few weeks before-hand and I was so shocked at just how normal it was to see the boys in a rehearsal capacity after such a long time and just how after a few minutes of singing, our voices were completely gelled together again!
In fact, at my wedding, we sang O What A Night off the cuff and it was like we’d never stopped singing together which just makes you realise how right we are as a group!!
So the show day eventually came and we all arrived on time BUT Matt had forgotten his black suit trousers so we needed to send someone out to get more! There’s always something isn’t there hahaha. Luckily that was fixable! In fact, having that happen took a bit of pressure off trying to make everything too perfect. We then got to do the meet & greets which were absolutely amazing as it’s so incredible to see all the collaborators from across the globe who have made this whole journey possible!!
Before we knew it, we were walking out on stage for the matinee performance. I don’t remember being nervous, just excited, and the sound from the audience was INSANE! I really remember trying to take everything in, seeing so many recognisable faces looking back at me and just feeling a huge sense of achievement and happiness. The show definitely had its faults but each of them happened so naturally and we worked as a team to recover them.
The thing I always say about a live Collabro show is that no two shows are the same, and that’s because of the little things that go wrong in each one.
Before I knew it the show was over and we were looking out at a full audience giving a standing ovation which was so overwhelming as we hadn’t been in front of an audience of that size for so long.
There was no time to rest though as we had to try and eat some food and get changed before the next meet and greet where we would meet 200 collaborators. I was anxious of time as we want to spend so long with each of you but everyone was very respectful and we had a system in place with Danny With A Camera taking all the photos so not to waste time with personal cameras and phones.
I remember trying to chat with the boys about things we might change for the second show based on the ‘errors’ in the first show but the consensus was that nothing major had gone wrong so just to go out there, be ourselves and enjoy it so that’s exactly what I did! We definitely all had a lot of fun up on that stage.
I remember debating whether to spin Matt around on his stool as I didn’t want to distract from Toms speech but it was just too tempting and as he began to spin and I heard the audience laughing, I knew I’d made the right call!
The show ended with another full standing ovation and rounded off the most perfect day!! All day we were sharing stories of our 10 years together (some that can’t be repeated), and just reminded ourselves of how far we’ve come and how really when it comes down to it, we wouldn’t change a thing!!
Love Michael
The Wedding
Where do I start!?? After proposing on 22/2/22 we began looking into planning the wedding. We spoke to close family about ideas and we actually decided we might look at doing something smaller abroad as we really liked the idea of having sunshine and a very chilled vibe! After a phone call with Cliff, he generously offered that we use his vineyard in Portugal as a wedding venue. We had the plan that we could send out invites and see how many people could come and then go from there with regards to organising a BBQ and enough bubbles haha. Just as we were about to book flights for ourselves, Cliff messaged to say that he had sold his vineyard and it was therefore no longer an option as our wedding venue so we were back to square one!
We had a long think about where would be a nice place to get married and after deciding that it might be easier to stay in the UK, we looked at the Aviator which was where we had our first date of afternoon tea and when we looked around the hotel, we saw huge potential so we decided to run with it!
Because I’m Mr. Organised, I created a budget straight away. I wasn’t 100% sure of how much to allocate to each section but I had a spreadsheet with my sections and tried to do research into getting an idea of what was reasonable to spend on each section. I won’t bore you with all those details but long story short we actually managed to stay pretty much to budget so I put that down to good initial organisation haha. Although it’s tough when you see so many incredible ideas and concepts on Instagram and TikTok etc. with influencers!! I think every week we would see something else we would want to incorporate but actually once we had decided an ideal layout of the day, we pretty much stuck to that!
We obviously had a few issues with the guest list (as I’m sure everyone does as you always want to invite more people than you have spaces) but there weren’t actually any major dramas leading up to the day other than what we were going to wear!! Let’s start with my suit. I had a suit tailor made in Thailand on a family trip in 2023 but it didn’t quite fit with just a month to go so I had to get it re-fitted and then I realised that the material wasn’t stretchy at all so I was worried it would rip with my dance moves so I ended up buying another suit online from ASOS and had that tailored the week before the wedding!!! All very stressful!
And for Nicole’s dress, it all fitted until she put her shoes on and they were higher than she thought so she went to see a tailor who added material to the bottom of the dress but it actually looks like a Vivienne Westwood design so maybe she was ahead of the times!
In the end, there was 2 years, 2 months and 2 weeks from engagement day to the wedding day - all the 2’s
We booked to go to Portugal the week before the wedding so we could have some time to chill, tan and prep! Everyone said we were crazy but this ended us being so useful as we both could really get on top of everything wedding wise and make sure we were as prepped as we could be. Although that did mean when we go home there were a lot of physical things to finish off, from table decorations, putting sweets in jars for the sweet stand, collecting the flowers and even creating the photo table. Now let me explain what I mean by the photo table. Basically I saw an idea where you find pictures of your married guests on their wedding day and put them all on a table and herald all the successful weddings that have come before. It was a really nice way for me to have a picture of my dad up at the wedding without needing to do a big 'in memorial' frame.
Like everything, this took A LOT longer than planned but once it was done I was sooo happy with it and all of the late nights added to the excitement.
We ended up setting everything up the day before in the venue with regards to the aisle, backdrop and sound system which was so lucky as it meant we could chill a bit more on the morning of the wedding. Despite us wanting to stay together the night before we decided to keep it traditional and stay separately. Nicole had a Chinese takeaway with her parents and bridesmaids and then buried a sausage (If you know, you know) before heading over to stay at the aviator. Lots of her close friends had also decided to stay the night before too. She said she had the best time and just felt very lucky to have her nearest and dearest close to her that evening.
I stayed with my mum and sister at our flat and what I thought would be a chilled night turned into a very late evening as I decided to make Nicole a photo book to give to her the morning of the wedding. I had always planned on making a photo book but I didn't want her to find it so I thought I'd have time the night before the wedding but I really didn't - I was still sticking in photos the morning of the wedding! BUT she said she LOVED it so it was all worth it!
The morning of the wedding came and the sun was shining (thanks to the sausage) - we both text each other in the morning round 6.30am unable to sleep as we were ready and raring.
While Nicole was in glam with her bridesmaids, I set up the table decorations, photo table, cake, flowers and made last minute adjustments to the decor and got myself ready. I felt very emotional at times but kept suppressing any urges to cry.
The morning seemed to fly by and before I knew it I was at the end of the aisle waiting for Nicole’s entrance. The moment I saw her all the emotion came out as she just looked absolutely gorgeous. I had imagined what she would look like but she surpassed all my expectations. It felt like time stood still, everything went silent and all I could see was her. It really was a moment I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Tears flowed as well as bubbles and the rest of the day was magical.
We still haven’t received the rest of our professional photos so I’ll catch back in with you another time with unseen exclusive photos and our favourite moments from the day. :D
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
