TESTIMONIALS

“I have worked with Kieran since 2012 on a variety of shows and his commitment and drive for each project is second to none. His talent as a drummer and pianist is incredible and his ability to improvise and suggest ideas to the musical element of a show are always spot on and done with incredible generosity. He is probably one of the best comic actors I have worked with - brilliant timing and a fantastic turn of phrase. He is also great company on delayed flights and/or long road trips. An absolute joy to work with.”

Geinor Styles, Artistic Director, Theatr na nÓg

“Kieran isn't just a drummer, he's a musician too. By which I mean that he understands how his role behind the kit is integral to the way any ensemble in which he's working functions. He's a drummer who understands the song and what he has to do to serve it. He's hard-working, disciplined, has a great sense of time and the technique to match any playing situation.”

Greg Palmer, Musical Director (Sweet Charity, Tom The Musical 2016 UK Tour)

“Kieran Bailey is one of the best drummers in the business. His combination of flawless technique and innate musicality means he is always a “go to” phone call whenever I am putting a band together, whether it be for theatre or corporate bands.  He is able to respond to direction in terms of feel as well as being an excellent reader, and, as importantly,  he is always prepared, and approaches all his work with an effortless professionalism. On top of his drumming skills he is also a highly accomplished piano player and has a thorough understanding of orchestration and has his ear on the whole arrangement.  Anyone who is looking for a drummer would be a fool not to ring him. Utter class.”

Ben Goddard, Musical Supervisor/Orchestrator (Tom the Musical, Jackie the Musical, Sleeping Beauty)

“As owner and operator of a number of live music venues I value dedicated, professional and talented musicians above anything else. Last summer (2018) I retained Kieran to play at my venue in Ayia Napa, Cyprus. Kieran was not only a brilliant keyboard player and singer but also able to step in and play drums for the house band having never worked with them before. The passion and dedication he showed to his art was not only a comfort to me but it was clearly an inspiration to the other musicians who worked with him and around him. I would place Kieran within a small handful of musicians I would go to first before engaging anyone else.”

Peter Lewis, The Square Bar, Ayia Napa, Cyprus

“Working with Kieran was easy. Always wanting to keep the space flowing and his brilliant musicianship and want to get the best out of everyone made for a positive and nurturing environment. A fabulous pianist, always wanting to make discoveries, he was a great collaborator and hugely professional throughout.”

Angharad Lee, Director of Miss Littlewood & NINE the Musical, Wales Academy of Voice & Dramatic Arts

“Kieran's input in both creating and interpreting the rhythm parts for "Eye Of The Storm" were a huge part of the show's success. A very talented musician and a great company member!”

Barnaby Southgate, Musical Director and Arranger, Eye Of The Storm (Wales Theatre Awards Winning Musical)

“Not only is he one of the finest musicians in Wales on piano, keys and drums, Kieran Bailey is a fine, fine actor as well. Cutting through the thrash time and time again and delivering truthful roles with the utmost sincerity and class. An asset to any cast as a company member and performer. A true pro.”

Dan Lloyd, Director of The White Feather and Arandora Star

“We have had the pleasure of working with Kieran as part of our team providing live entertainment for weddings for over 5 years. Kieran is a versatile, multi-talented and highly skilled musician and performer. A reliable professional who regularly performs with our collective on percussion, keyboards and vocals to equally high measure. He is also a knowledgeable engineer and stage hand and is able to assist in this department, making it easier for those working with and around him. We have nothing but positive feedback from our members, clients and colleagues regarding his work with us. We would highly recommend his services.”

Alun Aubrey, Director of Jukebox Weddings & Events Ltd.

“As Musical Director of RCT Pantomimes, I have worked with Kieran on a number of occasions in a professional theatre setting. On every occasion, Kieran arrived prepared, with a good knowledge of the material for the shows. Rehearsals, amendments and general preparation were dealt with with a minimum of fuss and Kieran’s drumming in live performance was exemplary. Kieran is also easy to get along with and handled prolonged periods of time spent as a band member with humour and positivity. I have no hesitation in recommending Kieran for work in a theatre setting and look forward to a time in the future when I can work with him again.”

Stephen J Preston, Musical Director of RCT Pantomimes

“I was blown away by Kieran’s commitment and dedication to his role in The White Feather/Y Bluen Wen. He was required to perform bilingually and therefore had to learn Welsh from scratch. This would be too great a challenge for most performers, but he not only took it in his stride but flourished with the characterisation too. The audiences thought he was a fluent 1st language Welsh speaker. I can’t wait to work on something again with him. What other skills will he have up his sleeve?”

Tonya Smith, Director of Y Bluen Wen, Nov 2018

“I have recently worked with Kieran on my production of It’s a Wonderful Life for a Welsh tour produced by Lighthouse Theatre. 

There are rare times for a director when all the elements of a production dovetail perfectly. This was one of those occasions. And Kieran was key to that success. He was Musical Director (MD), pianist, live Foley sound effects artist and played a myriad of roles. In all capacities I could not have asked for more. 

Kieran’s attention to detail as MD was precise. The production called for several vocal harmony arrangements at which he excelled; creating delightful sounds which maximised the potential of the vocal abilities of the cast and served the show with wit. It also demanded a seamless fusion of live and recorded music (composed by Robert Singer). Not only did Kieran work wonderfully with Rob – offering his wealth of practical experience to a young composer – but the delicacy of playing also meant that it was hard to tell where the live stopped and the recorded began. 

This was a ‘live radio play’ version in which all the sound effects are created in front of the audience by the Foley Artist. Kieran spent weeks researching how to create the necessary sounds and then acquired or built the kit to make them. In performance he delivered the effects perfectly, often playing the piano and several roles at the same time! 

And he’s a marvellous actor. He played the range of characters with compassion and conviction. Each one was vocally distinct and rounded so that while watching Kieran play the piano and create multiple sound effects, the audience were never in doubt about which of many characters they were hearing. 

On the practical side, he is punctual, utterly reliable and always well-prepared for rehearsal as well as being a delight to have in the rehearsal room. His ideas and his personality contribute ideally to the creative atmosphere whether it is on a relaxed rehearsal day or a late night get out. 

I will certainly be looking to work with him again as an MD and as an actor (to say nothing of his Foley Artist skills!). I recommend him highly without reservation and I know he will always make a splendid contribution to any company he is part of.”

Joe Harmston, Director of It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, Lighthouse Theatre Company, Dec 2019

“Kieran is obviously an extremely highly skilled musician and multi-instrumentalist - but he brings far more than that into the room; he’s a fantastic actor and a properly wonderful company member. He’s funny, detailed, incredibly hard-working and provides genuine care over the project and role. I’d work with him again and again, at any opportunity I could.”

Francesca Goodridge, Director of Badfinger (A New Musical), May 2022

PIANO BAR ENTERTAINER CRUISE PASSENGER COMMENTS

We loved Kieran, he was our favourite entertainer on the ship and we listened to him as often as we could. We loved how he was so personable, hilarious, accommodating and talented, tackling the broad range of requests thrown at him from the audience every night. Definitely a highlight!

Sarah Reed

Exceptional artist, great playing, singing and humour. We went every night. Amazing talent, really enjoyed him. Played and sang our requests. From Laurie "the old man making love to his tonic and gin".

Laurie and Elizabeth

Kieran was awesome. Put on a great show, had great audience participation and was super talented! We really enjoyed visiting the Promenade Bar to listen and watch him perform.

Laura and Josh

Very talented. Open to requests. A pleasure to listen to.

Dean Worth

We were introduced to Kieran in the first week of the cruise and listening to him became a nightly ritual for our group. His willingness to take requests and increase his repertoire is to his credit and we wish him well.

Rex and Jayne Moreton

Kieran Bailey. Best pianist ever.

Peter and Dawn Powell

Great musician! Kieran interacted well with the room/crowd and was very entertaining. Well received by the crowd on the numerous nights when we attended his gigs. Keep up the great work!

Mr. and Mrs. Hunt

Every night we were entertained by this talented musician and vocalist. His skills of piano playing (especially requested numbers) were amazing. It was appropriate music for the audience and not invasive. Enjoyable! Thank you Kieran for the enjoyment!

Margaret Sheehaw

Our favourite place for a relaxed drink and listening to Kieran entertaining us all. A great singer/pianist and funny too.

Alastair MacDonald

Kieran is a wonderful entertainer who went out of his way to learn new songs we requested so he could play them on a future night. He is also very personable and happy to answer questions. Kieran was the highlight of our trip!

Joe West

Very engaging and talented performer. We watched Kieran every night and saw the crowds grow. His knack for taking requests and learning new songs was exceptional.

Petula Wright

Thank you for making our night, each night, with your brilliant singing and piano playing. Your humble attitude, friendly disposition and willingness to play our requests ensured entertainment of the highest form. Thank you!

Jaeger and Jessie Stripp

After us requesting a very special song (to us) that Kieran didn't know, he spent the next day researching and learning the song so he could play it for us. This turned a good cruise into a perfect cruise. Thank you so much Kieran!

Danny and Michelle Marsh

Very entertaining and talented. Was able to play almost any song that was requested and if he didn't know it he would work on it and play it the next night.

Colin and Claire Nieass

Great playing and entertainment. Thanks for the dedication to learning our requests.

Tracy O'Brien

Great musician - friendly - always accepting requests.

Michelle Sarjana

Great piano player, great banter across all performances. Took requests and if he didn't know them he learnt them for the next day. This really personalised the performances. He remembered people and played for them. Great atmosphere at the Promenade Bar. Well done Kieran.

Jasmine McCauld

Great piano skills. Interacted well with passengers. Played a good range of music. Happy to have a chat during breaks.

Robert Price

Good musician, self-deprecating sense of humour, took our well intended, drunken jibes well.

Hayes Jupe

Great piano player with a great attitude and eager to please everyone. Would go out of his way to learn a tune if he didn't know the particular request and perform it the next night.

Ali and Paula Roach

Great entertainer - humble, yet very talented - willing to learn requests. A very enjoyable act to listen to.

Phillip Francis Day

Such a fun personality! Fabulous piano playing and singing but the thing we loved about Kieran was the way he included the audience and his wicked sense of humour! He made the effort to learn any songs he didn't know and sang all our requests - even "Puff the Magic Dragon"! Kieran was one of the very special highlights of our cruise.

Cliff and Heather Hall

Great entertainer, massive range/library of songs. Very accommodating with requests and if he didn't know it he would learn it overnight. Great audience rapport. He contributed greatly to our cruise enjoyment.

Geoff and Sue Nicholson

Great rapport with people. Can play anything. Will try any song. Fantastic!

Marie Pritchard

Thank you for wonderful memories! Oh my gosh - love, love, love this guy! We SO enjoyed his piano playing, singing and downright FANTASTIC personality!! We always tried to make at least one of his time slots every evening.

Sandy and Tony Hartigan

Absolutely loved his music. Took requests. We came to the bar every night before dinner. Just loved his entertainment.

Gail Lewis

Good variety of music. Willing to accommodate requests, friendly and a good sense of humour. Set a great atmosphere for both relaxing and singing along.

Mr. and Mrs. Dawes

Talented musician who had a go at any tune requested. Very entertaining and connected well with the audience. He was also happy to chat at any time and share experiences.

Fiona and Andrew Ross