NEWS April 2004
No, honestly! Now original CRF guitarist Rick Wilson is back in the USA until probably September, I am playing with new guitarist Nick & vocalist Rob from Motorhead tribute band Motorheadache and drummer Patrick under the name Sword of Power. Check out the gig guide for the latest dates.
In response to increasing levels of sensibleness from the rest of the band, you know, wanting to see their wives occasionally, expecting to get paid for gigs, not wanting to spend longer in vans & pubs than in bed or in front of the telly (especially at their age!), and other grown up excuses, I've started playing some solo shows. I've been doing the rounds of the Sheffield open mic nights for a while now - Classic Rock Bar on Monday, Deep End on Tuesday, Bukowski's on Thursday, (any other suggestions?) & felt it was about time to do some proper gigs, not paid of course, but at least booked rather than just turning up uninvited! The set is at the 'still working on it' stage, but is likely to be a Treebeard-like mix of original, traditional & contemporary covers. I've got three new songs which I've not dared play in front of the other guys yet, plus 'Train', 'Is That It' & 'Barrister & Bargast'. The Classic Rock Bar theme song 'Free Electric Band', various Levellers, Chilli Peppers & Bob Dylan songs & the usual selection of mad for it Irish jigs & reels. So far I've played at The Green Room, The Phoenix Folk Club & BRB's (formerly the Hallamshire). At the last show I was honored & flattered to be joined onstage by members of Ceridwen's Cauldron (sorry Derwenna!), who played some excellent sets of tunes in various combinations of twos & threes (no music license you see...), and Sue, who sang fantastic renditions of 'Lady Leroy', 'Crazy Man Michael' (with Charley on fiddle), 'Days' & 'White Rabbit' with me. As well as the songs with Sue, I played 'Barrister & Bargast', 'Universally Speaking' 'Train' 'Star of The County Down' 'Dreamer (Tommy Bolin)' 'Is That It?' 'Bouzouki Song #2(new original)' & Farewell To Ireland/Dusty Windowsills' (with Charley on fiddle & Ceri on flute). Don't know all the tunes Derwenna played, but they played in various combinations of Steve (banjo), Charley (guitar & fiddle), Ian (melodeon & guitar), Ceri (flute, low whistle & viola) & Cat (fiddle). And we all got together for a rendition of Ceri's tune 'Rice' as an encore. Excellent fun, if somewhat confusing for the few BRB's regulars, but hopefully we can do something similar soon, though I might have to get some paid gigs to persuade them to do it again!!!
Will be back at the Deep End, Hillsborough on Wednesday 26th May. Support is from the very wonderful Minnie Moosika - Sheffield's own Klezmer/Eastern European Folk Band. Admission is £3, advance tickets are available from the usual Haze 25 Fir St Sheffield S6 3TG
Are a mixed Border Morris side. No, don't worry, I've not done anything daft like become a Morris dancer, I just play bouzouki for them (slippery slope I hear you say...). Anyway it's not that girly stuff, you know, hankies & guys in white shirts, this is the real thing, girls (& some guys) with big sticks! Our first two dance outs of the year have been at Nine Ladies Stone Circle, and at the Classic Rock Bar. Somewhat unconventional, but ain't that the way it should be!
Are now called Derwenna. And two duos from within the band; Ian & Charley and Cat & Ceri have both won through to the finals of the New Roots National Folk Competition! With demo CDs recorded by me (he said with some pride;-)) The finals are on Sunday 18th April in St Albans, so good luck to one & all! (you'll need it in St Albans;-))
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