IF music be the food of love, then singer Craig Neil has been bringing a lot of love to a lot of people during lockdown.
With many of his public, private and corporate bookings disappearing overnight due to the pandemic, Craig started thinking of ways to diversify so that he could continue performing.
Not one to rest on his laurels, or his sofa, for too long, he started holding regular ‘Live in the Living Room’ concerts which were streamed on Facebook, Instagram and Periscope.
Each week for eight weeks, he entertained viewers performing cover songs from across the decades, as well as belting out numbers from Neil Diamond’s The Jazz Singer.
Craig told the Essex Jewish News:
Doing those concerts was great, but it was strange doing it without an audience. It reminded me in some ways of when I was younger and used to sing in front of the mirror with a hairbrush.
When a friend told him about a DJ in Eilat driving around the area DJ’ing from the back of his vehicle, Craig began thinking of different ways to bring music to others in a more personal way. A family celebration gave him the perfect opportunity to entertain and start a new business in the process.
As he explains: “My aunt was living with my parents during lockdown as she was shielding. I didn’t want her 80th birthday not to be celebrated despite the situation, so I decided to perform to cheer her up.”
Armed with a microphone and a PA system, Craig stood on his parents’ driveway and sang to his aunt, parents and their neighbours. His wife, Anca, captured the whole thing and posted it online.
Craig describes what happened next, saying:
It went crazy. People were contacting me from all over, and I was doing concerts all over the place from Kent to north west London and beyond.
And so Craig’s ‘Driveway Dedications’ was born and has now been going for over five months. He has performed requests for birthdays, baby showers, anniversaries, barmitzvahs and even a wake.
He has also teamed up with saxophonist Richard Pardy who has performed with musical greats including Amy Winehouse, Dame Shirley Bassey and Westlife, to name a few.
Being able to perform has been very rewarding, as well as a great outlet not only for the audience but for Craig as a performer. “Lockdown has been a really tough time for everyone,” he told us. “But being able to do something for people and give them some good memories is amazing. I am used to the audience response, the adulation to some extent I suppose, and to be able to sing live and bring so much joy to others has been great.”
It seems that the performing bug may run in the family, and Craig’s six-year-old son, Kayden, has also joined him on occasions during his performances. Craig said: “Kayden absolutely loves it, and people really love hearing him sing. His favourite songs to sing are Lucky Stars and Sweet Caroline. It’s very special for us to get the chance to perform together.”
Craig has also been using this time to work on his next album of original songs, which he hopes to release later this year.
As for the future of ‘Driveway Dedications’, he told us:
“As long as people keep booking, I would love to keep singing to them.”
If you would like to know more about Driveway Dedications or book Craig for your event once lockdown restrictions ease, please visit www.craigneil.net, Craig Neil’s YouTube page or the Driveway Dedications Facebook page.
