Andy the Northern Banjo Boy recently encouraged me to contact Mr Brian Harris (Hon. Chair) of the Bester Appreciation Society (Eastcote) over there in the U.K.to see if there were any unreleased Bester songs.
Imagine my surprise when Mr Harris replied that there is a song from 1954 taken from a privately produced acetate which he has been reluctant to distribute as it could change the accepted history of popular music.
Please take the time to listen -it is a remarkably familiar tune which concerns a plea to Archie's tightfisted drinking mate "Johnny Fletcher".
It does contain a disparaging remark about Scotsmen but they were different times!
This is the last post about the festival - promise! and the last post till I get back from my hols see you in August. It's a brilliant bit of time lapse film that captures the whole day.
Loved these guys at the festival and had lovely chat backstage with Mim Suleiman who provided the best dancing of the day, as well as some fantastic backing vocals - gorgeous.
These guys where one of my festival favorites they must have played four or five sets at different times, some planned some not. They had an infectious sense of fun and just wanted to play music - admirable! They'll be out and about at various festivals this summer. http://www.myspace.com/theglendalefamily
It's been a long time coming but finally it's here, our first proper gig. Originally the Busk Stop started out as an idea for an acoustic pitch with a bus stop sign and a upturned beer crate for a stage, but the queue of bands that couldn't make got so long that it became a third stage which hosted a mix of amateurs and professionals. As Carl and Mark Charmers where MCing we felt we should take the honour and get on (and off) first. I was shi*ing myself but once we got going I relaxed and even started to enjoy it!
All we need to do now is practice so that the audience can as well. The only big disappointment was that Alice didn't make it to the gig.
What a fantastic day! After a week of weather which can only be described as crap, the loss of various marquees and tents that blew away, and are probably in Oz by now, the clouds parted and the faithful were treated to a great day of music, art, beer, Yorkshire puddings and Gothic Morris dancing.
The festival had a great feeling which was probably along the lines of 'kids at play', big and little, and often together. That moment for me was captured by the little girl who spent the evening against the crush barrier watching the Wedding Present flanked by mum, dad, big brother. Not only did she not get effected by the forty-something mosh going on around her, she was lifted out of the pit by a security man to go for a wee. And then dropped back in for the last song!
Here's my video record of The Wedding Present in action. it's a bit impressionist to say the least, but captures the good natured but frenetic nature of their set. An experience which has complemented by the good natured moshing and my favorite moment when we manged to crowd-surf a teenage boy into the security pit! Before the police are called he was accompanying us and entirely willing. In fact he seemed to see it as a badge of pride when he was returned to us by a slightly bewildered, but very nice, bouncer.
Loads of stuff to come including footage of The Alice Charmers debut on the Busk Stage, but for now I'm absolutely knackered and going to bed. A massive thanks to Kate and Oliver for giving me the chance to be part of something special.
There'll probably be a lull at Northern Banjo Boy for the next few weeks. I'm currently up to my eyes in the Deer Shed Festival, which is taking place in North Yorkshire on Sat 17th July. It should be a great day headlined by the Wedding Present, but featuring a great lineup including Groanbox, Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara, Danny and the Champions of the World, Young Knives, Black Diamond Bay, Serious Sam Barrett, and loads of others.
But I'll be waiting for the first performance on the Busk Stop Stage by The Alice Charmers, no need to say why...
Pray for sunshine and plenty of beer!
After that me, Mrs Banjo Boy and our two banjoleles are off on our hols.
I think I'm being seduced by the dark side! It took less than 10 minutes to fit the acoustic pickups. The Leem kit has a handy little bracket which attached to the tail piece and would fit under the strap pin on most instruments, which gives you a firm and reasonably discrete mount for the jack plug.
I immediately went next door and robbed a neighbors child of their practice amp and away we go. With a bit of twiddling I managed to get a fairly clean sound, but the best bit is that to play louder you don't have to play harder!
I've recorded a bit of audio. I haven't been thrashing it to see what it sounds like at heavy metal levels as I don't want to destroy someone else's amp, but it is tempting!
Just heard about this new elastrickety stuff, so I got me a new Leem Guitar Transducer so that I can plug in the oldbanjo and amp it up for the festival, now all I need is an amp!!!!
Not bad price on Ebay £20 inc postage.
Don't know if it works or not so I'll keep you posted.
Introducing the The Alice Charmers. Last night was probably our last practice before the Deer Shed Festival. We're busking it as Mark and Carl are running the Busk Stop Stage, so hopefully we'll get a slot!
You might find some of the forthcoming audio a bit repetitive if you weren't there, but the boys are getting quite picky now about who plays what and where, so I've got to post all the listenable (questionable) audio, so that it can be mulled over! This one starts off with a genuine conversation!
