QT Presents The Green Room | Middle Eight Hotel
The basement of the Middle Eight Hotel in Covent Garden is home to one of London’s spectacular hidden finds: QT Presents The Green Room.
Friday night, I was fortunate enough to be among those invited to QT presents The Green Room to experience this wonderful residency performance, and to say I was blown away would be a gross understatement!
The Green Room is a sax-infused residency led by Leo Green, treating audiences thrice weekly since its launch last autumn.
The musical genius of QT presents The Green Room was undeniable; well-known party classics and ballads were spun on their head, ‘jazz-ified’ if you will, to the surprise and delight of the gathered guests. Living on a Prayer, Man in the Mirror and Sweet Child of Mine were among the classics given a jazz spin, and the Dolly Parton numbers had everyone on their feet singing along. Who would have thought Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud would also lend itself so well to jazz?
Something to note is that QT presents The Green Room’s score refreshes every month, which not only is testament to the adaptability and versatility of the musicians, but also makes the viewing experience each night all the more enchanting and unique. A person could make regular returns to watch QT presents The Green Room, and always hear something new!
Speaking of the versatility of the musicians, they must all be commended individually on their incredible performance. QT presents The Green Room’s band is made up guitarist Matt White, bassist Ed Island, drummer Luke Tomlinson and keyboardist Alex Bryson, with double-act Matt Holland (trumpeter) and Leo Green (saxophonist) up front, stealing the show on numerous occasions with their boyish charm and sensational stage presence.
The singing talent on display last Friday included Emma Hatton, Tara MacDonald and Nick Shirm. Whilst individually remarkable as singers, together they complimented each other perfectly to make the show a musical treat. Emma Hatton has the most beautiful voice, with an incredible range; Tara MacDonald, brought in as a last minute understudy was hugely popular and her amazing voice brought the house down, thirdly Nick Shirm, leading on the ballads was incessantly entertaining, he deservedly heads out to the Grammy’s for the next month.
Emma, Tara and Nick really were the most fantastic singers, and even should future line-ups differ slightly, it is abundantly clear QT presents The Green Room only bring the best to the table.
Another honourable mention should be to the QT Presents Manager, Gatis Lazdans, who made us all smile with his great dance moves and enthusiasm for the venue.
And what a venue! Covent Garden is renowned for beautiful venues, and Middle Eight Hotel is no exception. QT presents The Green Room is hosted in the new renovated underground floor of Middle Eight Hotel, a ‘speakeasy’ styled space which exudes elegance and intrigue.
The food on offer at QT presents The Green Room is certainly worthy of note too. The Monkfish Scampi and Goats Cheese & Parma Ham Skewers were particularly delicious of the small plates, and I would highly recommend them. I’m also told the meat board is one to try… perhaps I shall on my return!
QT presents The Green Room set has a duration of 1hr 20mins, which plays at both 20:00 and 22:00 every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Middle Eight Hotel. I was truly enamoured by every moment of it – from the extraordinary talent of the musicians and singers, to the distinctive beauty of the venue – and would fervently advise you to experience this wonderful evening yourself!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reviewer: Charlie O’Neill