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Cryin' Out Loud was formed in the autumn of 1986, around the time that the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl in the Ukraine went into meltdown. The popular music press have regularly tried to link the two events, but apart from the fact that Hillbilly Billy Hill's private member allegedly glows in the dark there is no other tangible evidence that the original members of the band have anything particularly odd about them. Although Al Fresco is known to have a particular liking for smearing Marmite all over his body whenever there's a full moon . . .
The story goes that a young Hillbilly Billy Hill found himself alone, and sitting in a darkened room. He was having thoughts, some of which he shouldn't have been having, and some that weren't even his to start with. But he wasn't proud. Somewhere from the empty darkness came a voice that told Billy to find some purpose to his life, and if he couldn't then at least he should go forth and create a real band.
But where to start? As bands perform songs Billy reasoned that ideally his first big idea would be to find a singer. Perhaps it was the bump on the head after the fall down a flight of stairs on the night of seeing Ferric Eric perform at the Red Lion in Milford, or just the bout of his insanity now in round seven, but either way this seemed a positive thought. Ferric Eric could sing, and some. "The best voice I've ever heard," Wheelbarrow once said. "It was like Jake Thakeray on Mandies!" Ferric wasn't three bad at guitar nor blues harp either, so the deal was done.
Now who he, Wheelbarrow? A drummer of some (dis)repute Wheelbarrow had returned to the UK in early 1986, having fled Thailand for undisclosed reasons. Fresh from the jungle he still had the sounds of the 'fierce and dangle' R&B he had heard played so often by the Filipino bands in the Issan region of northeastern Thailand rattling at his ears. Hillbilly reasoned that any drummer lacking as much sanity as Wheelbarrow would complement the line up to perfection. Wheelbarrow reasoned that if anyone could understand his fierce and dangle Billy would, and that he'd truly found a home - and 'sides he needed funds for his not inconsiderable thirst.
But who for the low notes, for no band has a soul without a bass player? There was no contest, for no contest was needed. There staring Billy in the face was the superbly talented Al Fresco and all his follicles, of which there were many. There was only one vacancy for bass player and there was only one Al Fresco. The world would not have been a safe place any other way. Wheelbarrow and Fresco had been playing together since 1966 anyway and he was likely the only person to really get to grips with Wheelbarrow's fierce and dangle, although many before him had died trying.
Blimus
noone likes an update vile things they are
however quiche bono the songherb from
you tube is a ploon.... dickie and andy are
now playing with our fine chum deano in
the splendide bifter bandings ponce more
into the breach boldly step mr dick 2
dddrumskins and young thrusting troggo
basso profundo percy tit has moidered his
cuzin perkins by killing him to death so he
feels unwell whilst mr dave remains stalwart behind his untrustworthy thoroughly unreliable spanking crimson nordbert and his unergonomically unsound unhammondo alongside his dear spinning wives lesleys on the fromage free front meester jimbubble also limps onwards and sidediddledumplingwards with his huge array of innappropriate reedy glockonshpiels soundings which emerge all too frequently from a maroon kidney bean poddington peas i hope this clears up yours in fordopenshutcaseguvnor the late dave poikins rip anon etc pin atm fraud
Otis B Driftwood
Following in the footsteps of Bill Posters Will Be Band and Bob Kerr's Whooppee Band, the traditional Weyfest 'comedy jazz' slot is filled again this year by Geoff Hiscott and his band of distinguished lunatics. They provide a gleeful mix of jazz, latin, comedy sketches and songs delivered with style, fun and ridiculous costumes. For jazz enthusiasts their jazzing is top class covering traditional, mainstream, swing, latin, smooth and lively..
4Play
Colin Webb guitar and vocals, Simon Callow keyboards and vocals, Russ Brown bass guitar and vocals and Helleanor Webb saxophone, flute and vocals comprise the line-up that blends a mixture of jazz, ragtime, country rock, blues and vocal harmonies to produce a great laid back sound. Whether they are performing their own or other people's songs the band's distinctive approach and style, (they have no fear of occasionally improvising during a song if it feels right), creates an exciting show designed to make themselves and the audience feel good.
Don't be fooled though if from time to time you see more than four people on stage - they have a few itinerant wandering minstrel friends wielding such implements as fiddles, guitars and drumsticks who have been known to secretly creep on and augment the line-up for a tune or two.
Alphabet Backwards
Alphabet Backwards. Learn Binary code
in five minutes, base two counting, flying
hamsters, squirels do make noise, Just
another bedroom musician, they are just songs, Creating songs, alphabet backwards, 24 years old, small town, river bridge, poor lights, hard door, guitar and using the wonders of computers, two step, influenced, david ford, four tet, postal service, hammer horror, human shy, made with help from freinds who wanna help. Learn the alphabet backwards, take you on a holiday, listen to the grudle bay riots, take the tram, come home, contemplate, drink, sleep, spend to long doing things you never agreed with, hug, laugh and forget oh and listen to the grudle bay riots
Ric Sanders Trio
At a Ric Sanders Group concert the audience
can expect the unexpected. These three
world-class instrumentalists draw their
repertoire from the greatest contemporary composers of popular music, crossing all boundaries and defying categorization. Sharing a common thread of great melodic strength, works by jazz masters such as Duke Ellington, Stephane Grapelli, Miles Davis and Joe Zawinul are juxtaposed with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder and The Beatles. Original compositions, folk tunes and some re-worked Fairport Convention favorites are also found in the eclectic mix - in fact, the group puts absolutely no restrictions on where it may draw material. And, whether it's George Gershwin or Sting, Chick Corea or Brian Wilson, John McLaughlin or George Harrison, the compositions are used as springboards for collective improvisation, sometimes ethereal and beautiful, sometimes exciting and challenging, but always engaging and entertaining. No two performances are the same, as the musicians respond to the audience and their surroundings to make each concert a unique event.
Since 1985 Ric Sanders has been the violinist with the British institution Fairport Convention, touring the world and contributing many instrumental compositions and arrangements that have become fixtures in their repertoire. In 2001 Fairport received the BBC's "Folk on 2" Lifetime Achievement Award.
Although considering himself primarily a jazz musician, Ric is equally adept in rock, folk and world music. Early in his professional career he toured with the renowned classical/rock percussionist Stomu Yamash'ta, and then went on to play with the celebrated jazz pianists Johnny Patrick and Michael Garrick. In the late 1970's he was in both The Albion Band (appearing on the classic album Rise Up Like the Sun) and the legendary jazz-rock group Soft Machine. In addition to Fairport, he has worked with a remarkably diverse roster of artists including Rick Wakeman, Dave Cousins (The Strawbs), Jethro Tull, Robert Plant, Roy Harper, Gary Brooker (Procol Harum), Pentangle, Gordon Giltrap, Andrew Cronshaw, June Tabor, Martin Simpson, Charlie Landsborough, All About Eve, The Mission and John Etheridge (guitarist with Soft Machine and Stephane Grapelli) with whom he co-led the group 2nd Vision, whose critically acclaimed record has recently been re-released on Blueprint Records (Voiceprint Group).
Equally eclectic in their musical tastes and skills, Vo Fletcher and Michael Gregory have been both musical partners and close friends with Ric for over thirty years. In fact Vo and Ric embarked upon their first collaboration when they were barely out of their teens, playing pieces by Grapelli and Django Reinhardt around the jazz and folk clubs of their native Birmingham. Vo went on to become a prolific composer for British television. He has recorded and performed with such notable artists as Nigel Kennedy, Touch & Go, Rik Mayall, Dave Swarbrick, Andrew Cronshaw, Martin Simpson, Fairport Convention, Donovan and many others. Vo contributes many fine compositions to the Ric Sanders Group repertoire.
Michael Gregory first worked with Ric as a fellow member of The Albion Band during the Rise Up Like the Sun period. His vast experience as both a drummer and percussionist found him working with the Maddy Prior Band, the John Kirkpatrick Band, Home Service, Martin Simpson and the late John B. Spencer. More recently, he has been in demand for film and theatre work where he has played with The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Royal National Theatre, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and in West End productions.
The Band From County Hell are a six-piece Celtic rock band and have been described as one of the most exciting and original Celtic folk bands on today's circuit.
The Band was founded by frontman Steven McLelland in 1995 who has played music all his life and originates from Glasgow. His songs take you back to Scotland and Ireland and the instrumentation which includes fiddle, guitar, bass, mandolin, whistle, banjo, pipes, accordion, drums, brass section and piano, can only be described as superb.
BFCH have performed in France, Germany and Ireland, they have appeared at art centres, music venues, festivals and theatres around the UK. They have sold songs to film makers, celebrities and football teams and they have even had their own show at The London Palladium. Their music continues to inspire and touch people around the globe and they have earned an excellent reputation for being able to recreate their sound live.
BFCH have appeared with the likes of The Stranglers, Hayseed Dixie, The Fine Young Cannibals, The Levellers, The Blockheads and Alabama 3. This year they have appeared at four high profile events: The Manchester Irish Festival, The Wychwood Festival, The Acoustic Festival Of Britain and the Rhythm Festival – they have appeared on the main stages at all of these events.
Their live show includes original songs from their critically acclaimed albums, upbeat traditional songs, haunting ballads and plenty of humour. Whilst their ballads will touch your soul the pure enjoyment of what they do will make you laugh out loud!
If you haven't seen The Band From County Hell then make sure you do…you will never have seen anything quite like them before!
New York Public Library Artist Web Site
Sam Clark plays a Tobacco-burst Gibson Les Paul Standard,Ivory white Fender Stratocaster 57 Vintage Reissue, Epiphone Casino, through a Marshall all valve 60 watt combo and various pedals and things that squeak. When pushed he also plays a Takamine EF381C. Sam also has an oak coloured shed on 18inch brick stilts and 2 normal brown sheds.
Pete Morrison plays an Ashbury octave mandola, Sigma D28, Martin 0001, 1975 Gibson J160E Custom, Takemine TF360SBG, Takemine Cedar top, TAN 20 (not the 20C) and a Takamine EG523SC-12 string. He sometimes has the occasion to play his hand built Merlin's; Tadcaster (Strat shaped), Doncaster (Tele shaped) and 12 string Rickenbacker copy through a Fender Hotrod De Ville or a 1971 Pro Reverb. Pete has a magnolia shed with Oxford Blue facia's and a matching door. It has a concrete floor. Soon he will have another shed. (Update; he now has another shed.)
Topper plays a Remo Black Kit and Zildian cymbals and various percussion bells including The Black Amazon Anaconda Bell. This bell was spun by Patagonian Carmalite monks. A silent order. Topper has 3 brown sheds.
Lofty Reng plays an MSR pedal steel usually through a Peavey or a Fender Hotrod Deluxe combo and the occasional Stratocaster and Telecaster. He did in the past play his self built pedal steel. A work of art, built in his other shed.
Bob Doughty plays a Fender Precision bass and an Oldfield fretless bass. Shedless tears.
Karl Rylander plays a Fylde Lysander acoustic guitar and a Chet Atkins Epiphone simulated acoustic guitar + Harmonica. Karl has 3 sheds, an aviary and a conservatory.
Strings by Rotosound
Acoustic strings, Country Golds and Jumbo Kings for 6 & 12
Electric strings, Roto Purples and Roto Pinks
Mandolin, Troubador
Nylon String Guitar, Superia
Bass, Swing Bass 66
Lofty strings his pedal steel with a mixture of GHS and Rotosound to make up 12 strings
(Rotosound strings are made in UK) probably in a large shed
Acoustic amps used are Marshall
Topper drives a blue van, Sam drives a white van and Pete drives a green van
Brassneck
"Brassneck are a male/female vocal, violin-led indie guitar pop band from Farleigh Wallop. They strives to create music that combines immediacy with depth and substance, drawing on a diverse array of influences from the past 50 years of pop, and powered by an impassioned creative spark. (Er, that doesn't sound too poncey, does it?)
Brassneck's music is characterised by:
• Thought-provoking lyrics
• Powerful, persistent hooks
• Two and three part vocal harmonies
• Highly melodic violin lines
• Dynamic, varied and intelligent arrangements
• Stylistic variety
I'd go for some of that, wouldn't you?"
Outcast Band
The Outcast Band first got together in
1991, in the studio at Paul's parents
house in Chobham, Surrey. Dave,
Paul, Tex and Ryan all new each other
and had played in various rock, punk
and blues bands together before.
Paul was originally a drummer!
Having been out of touch with each other for a year or two, it was a great surprise to learn through friends that Paul had dropped his drumsticks in favour of learning the fiddle, and that Tex(Damien) wasn't concentrating on the Blues anymore but had started listening to the Waterboys, Steve Earl and other 'rootsy' bands. This prompted a jam session between the two of them which went on all night, and half the next day! The energy of these first sessions was immense, and our fellow comrades were quickly brought in to form the nucleus of a new band. Local adverts for a drummer yielded Mike Agate, and Miffy and Janet turned up to a session one day, and stayed!
The band started off busking in Guildford and Farnborough - and realised soon that there was a great future for the band. Tex's inspiration for songwriting was unstoppable, and a demo was recorded within the first few months.
The first ever show was at the Bird in Hand pub in Bagshot on Saturday November 9th 1991. What a show! The pub was filled to capacity with over two hundred people. There hadn't been a local band playing original folk/rock material before, and the reception to the band was overwhelming. This night set the band up for it's 5 year journey with a big smile...
Cutting a long story short (the long story is taking a lot of research to write..) the years rolled by, the miles rolled away. The Outcast Band played over 500 shows in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France, Belgium, and Germany, and sold thousands of copies of it's CD's as they travelled.
Tiny Tin Lady
Tiny Tin Lady have been together since 2004
and, in five years, have become one of the
most talked about bands on the acoustic
scene, stunning audiences everywhere with
their blend of brilliant, original songs, superb
musicianship and spine-tingling harmonies.
Bandleader, Danni Gibbins, has drawn praise from such great songwriters as Ralph McTell and Richard Thomson for her work and is being tipped to become a major songwriter. Her guitar work is brilliant, a percussive and complex style reminiscent of Davy Graham or Bert Jansch, driving and exciting in its’ intensity. Her voice is a warm, expressive presence, drawing her audience into her private world of acoustic intimacy.
Beth Reed-Gibbins is 18 and the possessor of a voice of awesome technique, power and passion. The sheer emotive power of this astonishing young girl’s voice can move audiences to spontaneous outpourings of applause mid-song. When she sang Sandy Denny’s “Who knows where the time goes” with Fairport Convention on their 40th Anniversary tour, she received ovations everywhere and Fairport described her as “Simply incredible, an amazing voice” Beth plays guitar and writes excellent songs too.
Helen Holmes plays a funky, jazzy, reggae inspired bass, providing a solid ground for the others to build on. Her technique has drawn admiring comments from such four-string maestros as Fairport’s Dave Pegg and Jah Wobble. She can shake and groove with the best.
For the 2008 September tour Tiny Tin Lady recruited the able hands of Sally Street to play Keys and Clarinet and since then Sally has become a firm member of the family. She is classically trained and fills out the bands sound in a subtle yet essential way.
Barbera McMeatshield - the most mysterious member of the Tiny Tin Lady, some say he was found giving fanfares to newly born Pandas at Knowsley Safari Park but as this was a sad and mostly silent job, the band on a routine Safari took pity on him and adopted him as their own.
Drum Roll please for the newest recruit 'Aimee!', coming all the way from Swansea. Though you wouldn't believe it from her innocent sweet as pie appearance is a hardcore Metal drummer, that's right!
The band has performed at over 30 festivals in five years including Glastonbury, Cropredy, Wickerman, Big Session, Beautiful Days, Bedford Rhythm Festival and The Acoustic Festival of Great Britain.
They toured with Fairport Convention in 2007 and have also toured with Jah Wobble, Midge Ure and The Dylan Project. Their debut album, “The Sound of Requiem” received great reviews with Mojo calling it “A triumph for talent over fake X-factor garbage” and The Daily Telegraph predicting “A bright, rosy, future”.
“Tiny Tin Lady are a unique blend of roots honesty and rock sensibilities not to be missed”. – MOJO
“Full of talent, charm and chutzpah, they’re a joy to hear and to be with.” - Fairport Convention.
"absolutely marvelous." - Robert Plant
Frazer Kennedy
Frazer’s music could be best described as
acoustic based singer songwriter with a
blend of world rhythms spiced up with
electric guitar.
Yesterday’s gone the long awaited Debut
album for many of his fans 12 months in
the making, Frazer attributes his easy
going nature to his upbringing he has
his own unique outlook on life stemming
from his childhood in the wild Scottish Highlands. His early years walking the three miles everyday to the one room school with twelve class mates and one teacher a jar of sweets and the stick being incentive enough to keep him on the right side of ignorance.
One of Frazer’s earliest memories is of his mother singing to him and the sound of Ceilidh’s permeating the local community on a regular basis. The Highlands inspired his music with misty views from the mountain peaks, and many ruined castles echoing to ancient battles which inspired the haunting song “Damn you all” one of his more epic sounding tracks.
Frazer has been writing and performing music for over 25 years he started playing Tenor Sax at secondary school with his mates in a swing / ska Band. Broadening horizons, brought him down south to London where he played sax in a Reggae Band, sang in a rock band, and also busking down the tube. – for ever entertaining with his own unique Highland spirit. One day someone thrust a six string acoustic guitar in to his hands. It was love at first strum. From then on it was Have Guitar Will Travel. His first adventure abroad – guitar in hand – strumming the sounds on the shore of the dead sea and in the city nightlife of Israel, where he composed the Ballad “Travelling Israel.” A leap across the Atlantic to Canada took Frazer to the mountains that reminded him off home with the exception that they don’t have any Big Bears in Scotland. By the time the cold Canadian winter set in, Frazer found great warmth and friendship at the gigs he played on his travels - from busking in bars to earn a drink, memorably Sorrentino’s Bar – famous watering hole for such notables as Joe Walsh (of the Eagles) and the band Lindisfarne. He performed at many larger venues including Alberta’s Capitol Raceway, and the Edmonton Folk Festival.
When he returned to London, Frazer’s folk music evolved in to his own style acoustic Singer Songwriter with a blend of world fusion rhythms, the Roots are in Scotland with Branches reaching everywhere. Frazer’s big style, coupled with scores of inspired song’s and a desire to perform them led him to the formation of his Band with appearances in noted concert halls such as: The Mean Fiddler, The Borderline, Pizza on the Park, and several open air festivals including the Americana International main stage, Guilfest. The broad appeal of Frazer’s muisc has led to invitations to perform live on a variety of Radio Stations. After fifteen years of writing and performing his own material, Frazer is enjoying musical collaboration’s with other Artists.
Yesterday’s gone is the flagship single on his debut album, of the same title. Joyously this track has reached #1 position in the UKs Independent Unsigned Music Chart!
STEViE
One Bloke One Mandolin
STEViE's music is gutsy, edgy and raw -
a hardcore, barstool troubadour - with a
voice as raw as cigarettes and single
malt in a backstreet bar late on a Saturday
night.
For the last eight years STEViE has been playing regularly at many motorcycle rallies and festivals all over the UK receiving some great reviews and picking up new fans at every gig.
For a good few years he has, amongst many other gigs, regularly played/hosted marquees for The National Association for Bikers with Disabilities (NABD) Rally at Astle Park in Cheshire and will be doing so again this May
He has supported Status Quo at the Bulldog Bash, played a couple of times at Bev & Chris Jackson's Americana festival and been a regular on the bill at the OGRI Rally and the MAG Farmyard Party. STEViE has also played at the Quay Vipers MCC's Snakebite Rally in Limavardy in Ireland, the Saints & Sinners Rally in Scotland, Westport's Folk & Bluegrass Festival in Ireland,
Raised on the south coast of England, Stevie played in a couple of rock bands trying (and sometimes succeeding) to write original songs. Moving to Reading he joined metal band IronHeart and it was around this time he discovered, through local rock show presenter Brian Pithers (R.I.P - Rock In Perpetuity mate) an' country music show host Dave Nelson, the music of Steve Earle.
After IronHeart he toured in the UK and France with hard rock band The Pack.
Taking a break from music when The Pack split, Stevie eventually joined country band Kane & Co. remaining with them for four years, touring throughout the UK, Germany and Poland, playing on major country festivals in the UK, Spain, France, Poland, Denmark, and Holland, and releasing an album along the way, recorded in Nashville, called ' Raising Kane' . On leaving Kane & Co. he formed Cactus Jack and toured with them extensively throughout Germany for two years whilst releasing two albums, including the highly acclaimed '...ain't nothin' like PRESSURE' of which he wrote a majority of the material.
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Pete & Steve
Pete from Leatherat and Stevie One Bloke One Mandolin play together... despite us having a little chat with them about it.
The Quarrel
Quarrel is a progressive-funk-hip
hoperation that grafts bustling
rhymes and searing vocals onto
juggernaut baselines and crate-
dug beats. The Quarrel way: funk
it up, sing it out, laugh it off, and
say something about the universe.
Or at least dig that unrelenting hihat.
Quarrel also comes in live form, in the shape of a 6 piece energetic live show, the one mission: get the crowd bouncing...sheesh kabab, all this and yet no added preservatives.
Deep in the ritzy, basement-level splendour of Leicester Sqaure's Cafe de Paris - a venue not a little reminiscent of the set from Strictly Come Dancing I might add - the venue's occasional 'Cafe Rocks' series was kicked into life on Friday by a pulsing co-headline set from up and coming funk rockers Quarrel, who promptly announced at the start of their set they'd get the ballroom dancing - and then did exactly that.
But this wasn't so much paso dobles and foxtrots as a good ol', booty-shaking get-down complete with funky basslines, catchy melodies and plenty of goodtime energy from the six musicians on stage. Opening with memorable stomper Staying In the Quarrel boys made no bones about what type of gig this would be: upbeat, funny and rampantly 'bouncy', as endlessly madcap, self-anointed 'master of ceremonies' Tab Deliminated reminded the crowd.
Quarrel The tempo was kept up with the Stevie Wonder-tinged Get Yourself Together and extraordinary disco-romp March Emporium - both of which showcased singer Michael Lawrence's gritty, soulful voicebox nicely - and the band even found time to wedge in a moment of Butlins-esque cabaret when pulling a fan on stage to claim a free t-shirt by answering a question in the 'Quarrel Quiz'. That they got away with it speaks volumes for the connection they'd already forged with Cafe crowd.
The hip-grinders kept coming in the shape of El Trio de Loco - including some mean solos from guitarists Damian Nolan and Barry Dologhan - and above all with the sassy Is It Cool which, to this reviewer, appeared to be a funk song devoted entirely to a broken oven (about time concerns about culinary apparatus were melded together with progressive funk rock too).
Kudos also goes to manic drummer Simon Young whose torrid pace in closer I Got My Brother drove home the point that too few bands are prepared to ask more of its audience than standing in static appreciation - if any of them didn't work up a sweat dancing to this ditty it can only have been because they were locked in the gents or dangerously dehydrated already.
And if bands like this herald the return of grooving, optimistic, participatory gigs, so much the better for live music.
You just know Quarrel, for one, wouldn't argue with that.
Vikki Clayton
Vikki Clayton is probably best known as the
'voice of Sandy Denny' when called upon by
Fairport Convention to emulate that legendary
and sorely missed songstress at Cropredy
and on many other occasions. To be favourably
compared to Sandy Denny is praise enough,
but Vikki is also lauded throughout the folk world
and beyond as a fine song-writer and performer in her own right.
Her critically acclaimed album 'Movers and Shakers' featuring such musical luminaries as Fred Thelonius Baker and Jethro Tull's brilliant guitarist Martin Barre is just one of many outstanding CDs that have gained her a worldwide audience outside of the traditional 'folk' market.
Weyfest is delighted and honoured that Vikki has returned this year.
Hotshot Sound Cafe