Interview: Abi Moore Tells Us All About Crazy Little Sing Called Pub

Turning a pub full of strangers into an epic choir

Hi Abi! Firstly, for those who don’t know, could you tell us what Crazy Little Sing Called Pub is?
We turn a pub full of strangers into an epic choir for the night! It’s a huge, massed pub sing - I arrange a well known pop/rock song in multiple harmonies, teach them to a crowd of 150-200 strangers, my bandmate Ed Mayle accompanies everyone on guitar and then we professionally film and record the awesome result to share online. 

What inspired the event? What did you feel was missing in the Nottingham music community that you wanted to fill?
I lead a big, funky, a cappella pop/rock choir in Nottingham called Totally Vocally and people are always blown away by what we do, but feel too intimidated to join us. They want to experience the joy of that lush big-harmony sound, but in an informal, no-pressure space, with no homework or commitment, and with a few drinks on the go!

Nottingham has some great karaoke singalong events like Bamalama Sing Song and Bandeoke, where everyone sings the lead melody to songs they already know, with a band. But there's nothing for people who love big harmonies to create an epic, choir-like, sensory masterpiece in an informal pub. So we take just one song, add in luscious layers of harmonies and when it’s finished, it sounds utterly spine-tingling. I’m a lifelong fan of voices singing in harmony - there’s nothing that compares to it. Brisbane has Pub Choir, Toronto has Choir!Choir!Choir! and now Nottingham has Crazy Little Sing Called Pub!

120-200 people have come to each event so far, so clearly you have filled a gap that existed. What do you believe attracts people to the event?
The event is for everyone, regardless of their singing ability, so it doesn’t matter if you’re not actually very good at it! We make it really fun and do it all with a sense of humour, so it’s a safe space. I try to foster an environment that’s really welcoming and accessible. There’s been a real explosion of enthusiasm for it within the Nottingham community, with local meet-up groups getting involved and encouraging people who might be hesitant to come along on their own to join them. It really feels like there’s a lot of natural joy and enthusiasm surrounding it now.

It is a relatively new concept, with the first one taking place last October. You started it as an event which ran every two months but now it’s monthly. What has it been like adapting the schedule to meet the demand?
When we decided to go monthly, I wondered if the enthusiasm would dwindle, but it’s gathered so much momentum that our last few events have sold out weeks in advance! It’s really exciting, but a juggling act to maintain. There’s a huge amount of prep and planning involved, not only before the event with the arranging of the song in advance of leading 200 people, but also afterwards with the video and audio edit.

I’m also fitting it around being Musical Director twice a week for Totally Vocally, and being a touring singer/songwriter with a new album to promote! But I’m so honoured that people are picking it up so eagerly, and leading harmony singing to big groups is my calling really, so I’m more than happy to keep it up.

One of your biggest messages is that it’s open to everyone, and that the environment has no pressure within it. How important do you think this is in encouraging people to feel comfortable to come along, when they may be hesitant as it may be out of their comfort zone?
I think it’s essential that people feel safe, supported and there's a sense of humour attached to it. People won’t come if they feel pressured, judged or intimidated, so we foster an environment of fun and informality. No one cares how good you are (or aren’t!) - just come and have a sing!

There has been so much enthusiasm around the event, and it has generated a real sense of community, which is so beneficial for mental health and wellbeing. What do you think has allowed this to happen?
Because there are so many people coming along, no one feels exposed - they will be wrapped warmly in the sound of hundreds of other voices, so there’s no need to feel embarrassed if they’re not a great singer, or are a little bit out of tune or don’t like the sound of their own voice. It’s very much about being a part of something bigger, together. The joy, sensation and human connection is palpable and people are just beaming from ear to ear when they hear how amazing it sounds.

We also have a really diverse demographic. I absolutely love seeing four generations in the room and people from all walks of life who would never normally meet - all coming together to create something that won’t work if they don’t listen to each other and respect each other. It's a very rare thing to have these days - something that brings people together to create a unique work of art that they all rely on each other for.

Why do you believe singing is important for everyone, regardless of experience or confidence?
I believe it’s our birthright to sing. That we should be able to do it whether we are good at it or not. I hear so many stories of people not singing since childhood because a teacher or parent or sibling told them they weren’t good enough. For me, it’s as important as eating and breathing and I’m so sad that some people feel they aren’t ‘good enough’ to sing out loud, when it feels so good, releases tension, reduces stress, connects you to other humans, and you can lose yourself entirely in it.

Why do you think Nottingham is the perfect city for an event like this to blossom?
Because Nottingham people are daring, friendly, unpretentious, welcoming, community-driven, up for a ton of fun and have an awesome sense of humour. People here help each other out and our communities are strong and co-operative.

As a self-employed musician and choir leader, I’m a bit of a nomad and could live anywhere. I chose Nottingham because I was looking for a city that had a bit of a rebellious attitude, supported creatives and its arts and culture scenes were pro-active and vibrant. All of these things make Nottingham the perfect home for Crazy Little Sing Called Pub. I’ve never lived anywhere for more than three years, and next year I’ll have lived in Nottingham for a whole decade! I love this city.

You teach everyone who attends to sing a pop/rock pub anthem in multiple harmonies, which you have arranged for them. What is that process like for you behind the scenes?
It’s a lot of hours in solitary confinement, but I don’t mind because I’m a naturally creative hermit - although you wouldn’t know that when I’m leading 200 people onstage! I’m always furiously arranging songs anyway because my arranging work is published internationally for choirs and vocal groups all over the world.

My 'Acapella With Abi' YouTube channel is full of split-screen videos I film of all my arrangements and I’m often found recording all the harmony parts to create learning tracks and writing scores. I only ever really go out to teach and perform these days. It’s a weird life of extremes, but that’s what I signed up for!

Actually, Crazy Little Sing Called Pub is a totally new challenge for me - to create a quickly-learnable arrangement that a bunch of strangers can pull off with confidence in a two hour period, on camera and on a recording- it’s actually pretty difficult to achieve.

The April event at the Malt Cross sold out at 200 people, making it your biggest event yet. How does that feel?
Amazing! I’m genuinely moved that so many people are coming along so regularly. I don’t take it for granted, and I aim to keep ‘em coming! It’s so cool heading onstage to so many beautiful faces and wicked energy. The whole concept of CLSCP is a terrifying one - it could all go so horribly wrong, and I really feel that when I go onstage! But that’s the thrill of it.

The worst thing is that it could all fall apart and the best thing is that it never does. All these people have no idea what they’re going to achieve by the end when they first turn up, but I do. They’re not experienced singers, they don’t know my arrangement, they don’t know each other and no-one really believes it’ll work, except for me. I absolutely love it when they reach that utterly amazing sound at the end and you see their eyes light up and they can’t stop cheering, and I’m like... see?! I told you!

Is the event always at this venue? What made you select it as the venue?
We’re at the Malt Cross every two months. It’s my favourite venue in the city and I've hired it to run singing workshops for years, and I play gigs there pretty regularly. So I have a really nice relationship with the staff, and it's so beautiful and historic.

It’s an old Victorian Music Hall, so it’s really special to be giving it its original purpose back. The acoustics are amazing, the vibe is really atmospheric, and 50% of our ticket sales go towards the community work they do with the YMCA. The mezzanine level looks so cool on camera, and it means we have half the room singing upstairs and half downstairs and we can all see each other clearly. It’s a win-win situation.

On the in-between months, we expand to new venues so we can spread the Crazy Little Sing word! Next month, on Friday 17 May, we’re heading to the new Nottingham Central Library and will be using their bar and performance space, which I’m really looking forward to. It’s a fabulous building!

You professionally film and record the finished result and share it online. What inspired you to do this and where can people check them out?
I think it’s really important that people can look back on what they did as proof of their achievement. The joy, excitement, fulfilment, pride, adrenaline and ‘otherworldliness’ of that moment when it all comes together would be lost forever, and difficult to describe, if we didn’t get it on record. 

I used to find it so difficult to put into words what we do on a poster or programme. Now, people can just press play and see it for themselves. And I think the people who took part in it deserve to have something to show them that they can sing and how absolutely beautiful it is that they pulled this off with a bunch of strangers they’ve never met before.

All our videos can be watched on our website. I’m very proud that our first video has had nearly 27,000 views and the lead singer of James shared it with their fanbase and called it “wonderful” when we sang their hit Sit Down.

You will be leading a massed community sing at Hockley Hustle later this year with a special twist – are there any hints you could give us in advance?
Nope, sorry - I’m not at liberty to say! However, I can confirm it will be the biggest event we’ll have done so far, and even that much is exciting. I can’t wait to see what happens to Crazy Little Sing Called Pub as we move into the future.

I’ve had some amazing meetings with new venues I can’t wait to shout out about, and there’s lots of enthusiasm from all the local press and media. We’ve booked all our dates for the rest of 2024 and have so many requests to come out to other parts of the country, so that is definitely coming next!

By Gemma Cockrell