If you’re a fan of 007, ‘Q The Music’ is currently touring the UK, bringing ‘The James Bond Concert Spectacular’ to audiences across the country. It is hosted by Caroline Bliss, who played Miss Moneypenny in the Timothy Dalton era of the franchise, and Caroline is joined by the band and fellow singers Kerry Schultz and Matt Walker for an evening of Bond anthems. I recently had the opportunity to ask founder and Musical Director Warren Ringham some questions about the concert and hear more about the inspiration for the show.
What inspired you to create a show based on the music from the Bond films?
Ever since I was a toddler and my very first memories, I was surrounded by both music and James Bond. I grew up in a family steeped in a long history of professional music, with my father being one of the UK’s finest trumpeters. As that required a lot of practice, he had a “mixtape” video of chases he put on to keep me entertained, which included Bond. Eventually I followed in his footsteps musically, studying music and learning the trumpet, and that turned into me setting up a band which fused my passions of music and James Bond!
Over the years I became a bigger and bigger Bond fan, becoming more involved in and attending Bond events, gatherings, film showings and fan created content. It was always my intention to bring a Bond concert to supporters that really connected with a shared love of 007, but it was amazing how the James Bond community really took us into their hearts. We’ve become known now around the world for our Bond covers and performances and every Bond fan club considers us the best at it, and that is something we are incredibly proud and privileged to say.
What can you tell me about the format of the performance? How do you cover so many eras of the franchise and years of music in one show?
It’s a substantial concert that’s for sure! Bond films and especially the music cause so much debate over what is the best or worst of each, but the lovely thing is everyone differs slightly in their opinion, and every song has its fan out there somewhere! So we do all the songs of course, but more than that, we bring lots of other gems into the show from the canon. Ever since we started we were always known for doing songs that are used elsewhere in the film (such as the end credits), as well as chase music or some of the incredible cues written by John Barry et al. Each show we change the special items to keep it fresh, so there’s always a little nugget in there for Bond fans to enjoy, that is a little unexpected perhaps! Covering the eras and so many styles from more than 60 years is about finding the right musicians for the job. There are a lot out there who would do a very good job, but we have always recruited really special musicians for our show who understand the genre and styles better than anyone else, have an incredible eye and dedication for detail and bring an energy and passion to the stage that is infectious.
With a setlist featuring Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die and Nobody Does It Better, what songs have the greatest impact on the night?
I think show highlights this year would be Matt’s Writing On The Wall, Kerry’s Licence To Kill and songs like Live and Let Die and You Know My Name always get a massive reception. Be prepared for some songs to surprise you though. For example, people are always shocked how much they enjoy our performance of Another Way To Die!
You are currently out on your biggest tour ever, from April to December 2025. What do you hope Bond fans take away from the performance?
Well, we know they will take away the palpable love of Bond both on stage and in the room, but the main aim of the show is about connecting people – not only to like minded Bond fans, but to their memories. We all grew up with Bond in our lives, and most associate these films with various memories and moments from our past, and the emotion in the room really cherishes and embraces those, so we hope people go away on a massive high (I’ll avoid the over used and easy cliche there!).
With two performances in Kent, Hever Castle in May and Leas Cliff Hall in October, what are you most looking forward to performing in the area?
Well, both are venues we have been to before (a few times) and the crowds are always really wonderful for us. We are looking forward to returning. Hever is obviously a stunning setting and a highlight of the tour!
Watching Q The Music on tour
It was brilliant to hear more about ‘The James Bond Concert Spectacular’ from Warren. It is evident that Bond fans are at the heart of what they do and the company really wants to create a memorable experience for them. The concert will next be in Kent on 29th October, with a show at the Leas Cliff Hall. Tickets can be purchased via the ATG Tickets website. Tour dates and information about all other venues can be found on the Q The Music website.
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Love Kat xxxx
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