Artist Quotes

Michael and his team at the ent shed are most definitely up there with the best promoters. Professional and passionate, regularly drawing full, attentive crowds in a beautiful space with great sound... what's not to love?! Thanks for supporting live music, putting on magical events and for being so lovely!

Michael Pipe and his team at The Ent Shed are the kind of promoters musicians dream of working with. They are true music lovers and work hard at exposing artists in their amazing venue- The Ent Shed is a special listening room where people know they are coming to see something of value and talent, and provide the artists with kind of attention we seek when we are performing...it's a solid community of audience members that are devoted to music. The sound is fabulous as is the atmosphere, big enough to feel like a real concert, but small enough to still be intimate. We are lucky to have Michael and The Ent Shed supporting us touring musicians out here on the road!

Adiscar

Firstly I would like to show my appreciation for being asked to support The Roving Crows, and performing at the Ent Shed. It's a wonderful thing to be asked to play any show but in this instance even more lovely to perform in front of such a lovely and attentive audience. While I welcome shows in all forms, from bustling pub gigs to rocky music venues, it's rare that a 'popular music performer' (obviously this can be said for classical performances) finds themselves performing in a room full of people, which is quiet. It's a wonderful idea, particularly for those gig goers who would like the opportunity to really listen to the music being played, rather than straining to hear it over the hustle and bustle of a crowd. It creates an intimate and special atmosphere which isn't offered frequently. In some ways it made me even more nervous to sing and play guitar, as one mistake would echo across the entire room. Still, like any performer we persevere over what stage fright we may have, and what made it even more worth while were the lovely comments received afterwards. Including comments about lyrics, again, something rarely touched upon. In conclusion it was a lovely event which won't be forgotten. I look forward to performing at the Begfest, and hopefully at the Ent Shed again. Thank you.

What a great venue - the audience are appreciative and attentive; the space has a lovely feel. 

Michael the promoter worked very hard to ensure a great night was had by all and the show was a sell out. The sound system is top notch and the perfect size for the room, we were very happy to be welcomed by an experienced sound engineer who made sure there were no issues with front of house. Uniquely Michael offers a 100% money back guarantee if an audience member is not happy with the gig - this proves how dedicated he is to providing a unique and high quality programme of music - thank you.

A great room to play in, great sound and a great audience - that's pretty much what you want as a performer. Michael and Sarah have managed to create an event with all of those things in abundance. One thing's certain - if you go to The Ent Shed as a performer or as an audience member - you're going to have a cracking night!

What a fantastic little venue, a pure gem hidden away for the real music lovers of this world. 

Michael and his team run this place like a well oiled machine, It was a real pleasure to play here, we look forward to the next time. Meanwhile keep doing what your doing Team Ents Shed, Fabulous People, Fabulous Atmosphere and Fabulous Music thank you for a truly wonderful evening...... You Rock! x 

Lovely man Michael, The world is a better place because of people like Michael for putting on live music on there own and keeping music live. 

Nikki Lamborn, Never The Bride.

The Ent Shed is a brilliant venue for artists to play. The audience are super-attentive and true music lovers. Many thanks to both Michael, a promoter who is passionate about music and cares about artists, and his great support team.

If Michael offers you a gig then accept his offer in a nanosecond because it’s guaranteed to be a great night.

Just want to say a huge thank you to Michael and Sarah Pipe for everything they have done for the band in the last couple of years. Not only is Michael a fantastic promoter but he and Sarah are so much more. They have become true friends. We have had some brilliant opportunities performing at The Ent Shed and at local Festivals with The Ent Shed on Tour and made lots of new fans. But not only that, Michael has also taken the time to give us advise, helped us to make new contacts and supported us a great deal in many aspects. It feels like the day we met Michael was the day that people started to take us more seriously.

Thanks again for everything 

Griff, Vix, Gaf, Paul and Ali x

I'd heard about the Ent Shed before I played so I had expected good things but I really was so inspired by this place. Michael and Sarah have created a really magical night. A place where people will book up tables in advance even before they know who is playing based on the nights reputation alone is something special indeed. As an musician, being booked to play somewhere like this can be a bit nerve-wracking but from the moment I walked in I was made to feel at home. This is such a friendly place, doing great things for upcoming musicians, music fans and charity. I can't gush about it enough.

The Ent. Shed really is an amazing venue, we couldn't help but feel at ease from the moment we entered. Everything... I do mean EVERYTHING is covered leading up to and during your show, leaving you as a performer to concentrate on what you are there to do. The venue is perfect for intimate and mid sized shows, there is a wonderful green room, the sound is perfect, clear and managed sympathetically to your music style and song dynamics. The audience appreciate, embrace and are there to hear quality original live music. Michael clearly works hard to create a venue that works for both the artists and the audience. His attention to detail, care and passion for live music are evident wrapped up in total professionalism. There certainly is something completely unique in the Ent. Shed, something very special, a home from home for live music here in the UK. If you ever get the chance to perform here grab it with both hands!

Thank you Michael, Sarah... sincerest thank you! Lexie xox

Hey Michael, Thanks again for tonight, it was a really special gig.

Thank you Michael for inviting us to The Ents Shed last Saturday. It was everything you had said it would be!! Great sound and engineer (thanks Keiron), Ben & Max's performances were both exceptional and the audience was one of the best we've played to this year. It would be an absolute pleasure to have the opportunity to do it all again. Please keep up the wonderful work. Great job.

Once again, another fabulous night at the ENTSHED, Michael Pipe produces a first class venue, and his sound man (Kieran) knows his stuff on the mixing desk! Great to work with!

A quality venue, and on this occasion I was totally blown away being voted " Best male solo blues act of the past 10yrs " I’m honoured and my thanks goes out to all that voted for me, I like to congratulate Michael and his team for running a superb venue plus giving opportunities for talented new and upcoming young artists.Every time I have played here, the audience are extremely appreciative, you can feel they are tuned in to the performance. For me, this is inspiring and gets the adrenaline pumping, love it!

Thanks again

Very friendly and very accommodating to the musician, Great space, lovely sound and respectful audience. Cracking venue ... a great place to play ... hope to come back very soon.

Thanks again ... look forward to the DVD.

Peace

Very organised, great intimate venue, well promoted, respectful sell-out crowd and awesome atmosphere. 

One of the best gigs of the year for us so far.

Cheers!

What a lovely place to play, everyone was so welcoming and it was beautifully organised. A great gig in a lovely venue!

All the best

Winner of the WRC "Best Acoustic Performance of 2011" Award

Finalist in 2011 for both the British Blues Awards and The People's Music Awards

www.clarefree.co.uk

The magical energy of the Ents Shed, comes out in the most fantastic collaborations thanks to Micheal Pipe's musical matchmaking! :-))

When you walk in to the Ent Shed you can already feel the ambience of a great nights entertainment, everything was effortless for me including the sound check, video and photos. Michael is a warm and generous man who understands musician’s needs across the board from logistics to performance, his team were very friendly and knowledgeable and the equipment was cutting edge (I can’t remember the last time I heard such clarity on stage). 

Rarely on the gigging scene do you get such attention to detail and a general ‘can do’ attitude from all involved. The audience were a wonder and joined in singing and playing like they knew us. Hope to come back in the future. It reminded me of touring on the continent where customer service for musicians often includes pre and post gig care for musicians.

Working with the guys at the Ent Shed was, as a travelling musician, as easy and smooth running as I could possibly have hoped. Plenty of time was given to creating a friendly and relaxed atmosphere before the audience had even arrived. No waiting around for the sound-man or egos to contend with. 

The soundcheck was thorough and the monitors were perfect ensuring I could enjoy my performance as much as possible and in turn perform as well as I could. The venue was great too, with a sold-out audience and a very receptive environment in which both performers and audience alike were made to feel right at home in this medium sized yet intimate-feeling room. My opinion of my gig here was that a vibe was created, one which flowed naturally and which allowed me to put over the whole range of my songwriting, from quiet introspective pieces to balls out heavy acoustic blues.

“A joy to work with” , “A great listening venue” “Gigs are always a delight”

"Michael, Sarah and all at the Ent Shed were a delight to work with, it has been a pleasure to develop a continued working relationship and friendship with Michael and Sarah, people who care as much about live music as the artists ourselves."

"The Ent Shed is a venue which ticks all the boxes from an artist's point of view:great sound system and engineer, excellent room acoustics, spacious and clean stage area and a nice green room to get changed, agonise over set lists and warm up in. Top notch!"

"As a performer I've played 1500+ shows across the globe, from 10,000 people in Liverpool Echo Arena to three people in a backstreet dive in NYC...my first show at The Ent Shed was definitely in the top 3% of the shows I've played in terms of venue finesse and raw enjoyability-the crowd were superb, the atmosphere was electric and I even received a DVD of the whole show in the post a fortnight later! As an artist, you couldn't wish for a better and more complete package. Absolutely great."

A joy to work with, extremely professional but friendly artist

liaison, has everyone's best interests at heart and cares dearly about the artists and the audience. A wonderful & selfless promotion of a music event. I couldn't have asked for more & wish everyone in the industry was like this!Really nice venue, great size that meant for a wonderful atmosphere on the night, easy to reach, a 'proper' music venue!

Easily the best gig of it's type in the whole UK. An amazingly appreciative sell-out audience ,the best promoter and a wonderful soundman. Just a huge huge joy as an artist to perform at the Ent

Shed, I feel so lucky to have been asked to perform at such a wonderful gig. The biggest thanks.

Pete Riley

I have played the Ent Shed on 4 different occasions over the last couple of years with various artists and every show has been fantastic, the venue itself is ideal size for artist touring at middle level and has a really cool vibe, and I have always been well looked after by Michael, Keiron, and all the wonderful people who help run the venue....keep on keepin on!!

Hi Michael

Always found working with you guys to be an entirely enjoyable experience. It's a great venue - tailor made for intimate gigs with wonderful sound and atmosphere. We've enjoyed all our gigs and always leave looking forward to the next visit!

Max Milligan

We found on arrival at the venue we were greeted by Michael who was there to check everything ran smoothly for the set up and sound check. This helped us to relax and enjoy the experience of performing.

The Ent Shed is a really cosy venue with a great atmosphere, a roomy back stage area to chill out and store instruments, cases etc. We had great time and would love to have played longer but there is a 11:00pm curfew.

U2-2 were booked to perform at the Entshed by Michael Pipe in 2011. From the moment we entered the building, we were met with a friendly attitude and anything we required was made available.

Michael is a thoroughly nice person and very professional in his work. The Ent Shed is a perfect setting for acoustic shows and all the staff were helpful and cheerful. The event surpassed our expectations and we look forward to coming back. It's always a pleasure playing to music lovers and the audience participation made our job so much easier. We'd recommend the Ent Shed to any artist.

Working with you guys was excellent. The gig was really well organised, and I felt looked after from the moment I arrived.

I really like the room at The Ent Shed. It has great acoustics and a nice stage, and it has a lovely old yet modern feel about it.

The show was packed, everybody was up for it, and everybody had a great time, me included. A fantastic gig, and an experience I'm eager to repeat!

Always love playing the Ent Shed..it was the first gig I EVER did as a solo artist back in 2009, and that first gig went down SO well...then there's the helpful "staff" (all of you!), friendly atmosphere, and a crowd of genuine music lovers...so pleased that I've got both gigs I played there on DVD.

I had a fantastic and memorable night playing with Pete Riley at the Ent Shed, it was a full house, but still managed to stay intimate with a great atmosphere..perfect for singer-songwriters! I very much look forward to playing there again!

Working with Michael Pipe and his colleagues is a breeze, straight, honest and welcoming.

The Ent Shed venue is transformed into a professional Blues Club with a crystal clear PA set up, and the lighting system sets off a cool vibe. The Ent Shed is a really enjoyable venue to perform at, whether I’ve played with my band (Papa George Band), or as a solo artist. The feedback from the audience is as good as it gets. “Blues With A Feelin"

Great working with Michael Pipe - he's a true professional and knows what he's doing so the artist can concentrate on what they're supposed to - which is putting on a great show! Looking forward to working with Michael again in the future..."

Michael and the team have always been incredibly supportive. They are prepared to take risks and to support new and up and coming artists. He is a 'music promoters' in the truest sense of the word....a rarety these days! Anyone who is prepared to give 100% refund to any unsatisfied customer at gigs should be applauded. To have that much confidence in what they do means they have worked very hard to make it as good an experience as possible!

I love the size and atmosphere of the venue. It feels intimate but very 'alive'. The people who tend to come to the acoustic / folk / country gigs are very much 'music fans' who are respectful and responsive at the same time.

The gigs we have done so far have been great fun! The sound provided by Kieron is always first rate....some of the best sound experiences we have ever had at an acoustic music venue. This helps everything, the performance, atmosphere and the enjoyment factor!

Congratulations on your 10 year anniversary and thank you for all that you do for musicians and to promote live music!

It was one of my favourite gigs we have played.

Michael Pipe has created a terrific venue at The Ent Shed. It's all too rare to encounter such enthusiastic, creative and meticulous input from a promoter. In a perfect sized and shaped room - small enough to be a real listening gig, airy enough to kick up a racket, Michael, Sarah and the team have made this into the sort of live experience that should be a blueprint for all young promoters (and some old ones). Lovely sound from Kieron Jones too. 

I've told Michael he should really clone himself and open a chain of Ent Sheds around the country, but while he considers whether small really is more beautiful, head for Bedford.