Monday 5 September 2011

You can't miss this........ Bramfest + loads and loads of stuff to come

Just over a week ago there was a rather unfortunate accident.   A chap who lives on our Street set off from his home to do a bit of Black Berrying.   At some point on his outing he went over a brick wall and fell some considerable distance down a slope and was not found for a couple hours.  He did not survive. 

I start with this sorry tale by way of explanation as to why my cheery face has been missing around certain venues during the week, as the poor chap was on the same medication as I and as a result dear Mrs Masher has put me on a very short leash for the time being, and outings require a keeper.   

So – some of the information in this Blog comes via Acoustic Rotherham spies.   Yes they’re out there.  A bit like the “Folk Police” but different.

The Annual Summer Bank Holiday Festival at The Commercial, Chapeltown got the week underway locally.   Welllllll,  it’s one of those Festivals I hate to be critical about, but!    Go on OK let’s start with the positives, I’m told that the Upstairs Singaround was well attended and ran much as in other years.   

The down stairs bit, was, I’m told, down on numbers against last year’s attendance and once again took the form of an Open Mic.   For many of us the joy of the down stairs bit was that it was until last year an open ad hoc session.   Singers and players simply joined in together joining in on other people’s songs etc.   It was just a great atmosphere with time shared with a few pints of Real Ale.   Unfortunately last year’s Open Mic format did not work too well, which may account in part as to why numbers this year were down. 

Got to be fair though.   Numbers down stairs did vary considerably from year to year.   So just to lay at the feet of the new format might just be a bit unfair.   But the organisers of the Festival might like to give it a bit of thought.   If they feel some sort of structure to the downstairs activities is required then a re-think as to what that structure is, and how best to accommodate the Session atmosphere that made the Festival so popular with people.

Other Acoustic Rotherham spies went off to the Library Theatre in Sheffield for the FOF Production of Billy Liar.  I’m told that it’s congratulations to Thabo and the FOF Players.   I’m also told that there was good turnout for the performances as well.   

The Masher has not been completely idle.   With keeper in tow, my thanks to Brother-in-law Dave, headed out to Bramfest on Sunday.  What a pity that the morning weather was so poor, enough to put anyone off, yet once that horrid drizzle passed on we were blessed with a very pleasant afternoon, yet I fear that the damage on numbers had been done.  

For the Masher it was one of those lovely Gigs where he was the acoustic meat in the Rock Sandwich.  One never knows how it’s going to go, although in the main the Masher Material has gone down well, in fact only once have we fallen flat on our face in a Rock environment.
And so it was at Bramfest.   

First though to say well done for the Rock boys.  The Band from Barnsley who were on before me “Stellavision”  performed an outstanding set in most difficult of circumstances.   It’s not easy playing to an empty field, with a few folks in the beer area not particularly paying attention.   But not only was their original music good to listen to but they played out their set with smiles on their faces and clearly enjoying themselves.   That’s what the Masher likes to see.  No Prima Donna moody as some Bands or artists I know might have demonstrated.  



The Band that followed me also put on a super show of covers and original material.   It’s always difficult to get the sound right for outside performances, but they played through these technical difficulties gallantly. 

As to The Mashers performance, it was one of them stormers……………    much to my surprise.   The by now quite busy beer area, and the sun, which brought a few more folks out and worked to my advantage.   

It’s great when you look out on an empty space when seemingly from nowhere applause breaks out at the end of songs.   Not only that, but they joined in on the act as well, although cheering when I said I had been ill during the introduction to My Health Dear may have been a statement of what they really thought.  



But new friends were made, asked for our sold out CD “Deliberate Mistake”, and chalked up another first by discovering that I was listed on the back of a T. Shirt.  WOW (see pic)



It’s a pity that these events don’t get the publicity that they deserve.  As I said last week, I had forgotten all about it until Mrs Masher spotted it in the Advertiser last week.   These events run off minimal budgets, and it’s a pity that we artists sometimes do not help out the Promoters a bit by Promoting events that we’re appearing at more by using our Social Networking Sites etc a lot more.   

And it was nice to meet up with some old friends from Staniforth, regulars at the Doncaster Folk Club, and who visited Nellie Folk a few times a couple of years ago.   I was shocked to be told that they had travelled over just to see me, well, and to have a few pints in the fresh air as well.   It was great to catch up with them and bring them up to date with Masher goings on.
You can find a slideshow of pictures from Bramley HERE

And it’s another busy week ahead.   You can find all the details on the Diary pages HERE Here’s few of the highlights as far as I’m concerned.

FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT – A REMINDER THAT THE THREE TUNS STAINTON CLUB HAVE UPED ROOTS AND CAN BE FOUND ON THE FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH AT THE RED LION, BRAITHWELL.   That’s tomorrow folks.

On Wednesday it’s the Monthly Music Hall get together at the Cross Keys, Handsworth and John Rielly is playing a venue in Barnsley, featuring many of the songs on his upcoming CD as well as old favourites. 

On Thursday Acoustic Angels are coming out of hibernation and will be performing at The Black Bull, Aughton, and Florin, fresh from their summer break are playing The Devonshire Arms, Middle Handley (near Dronfield).  

On Friday Swansong are out again, and from the number of Emails I’ve had about this Gig it’s an important one at The BROADFIELD on Abbeydale Road, SHEFFIELD.   The Poetry Group will be getting together for an Open Mic at the Bridge in Rotherham.  Further afield the Bromyard Folk Festival gets underway and Acoustic Circus start their programme of Open Mics in Heckmondwick. 

SATURDAY AND IT’S THE ROTHERHAM SHOW.   The Folk Tent will I suspect once again be a popular meeting place and this year there’s even more for Folkies for away from the Pro Tent, and hidden in the Museum Library local talent will be doing their stuff within a short Concert followed by a Singaround in which The Masher hopes to be playing his part. 

If that’s not enough in the evening Pocketful of Now’t make their Bridge debut at The Bridge in Rotherham.  This is a MUST – and even I will be battling with Mrs Masher to be allowed out to see this one.   Anyone who saw their stand out performance at Acoustic Rotherham will know that this hilarious band are simply brilliant.  And it’s free. 

And on Sunday, the Rotherham Show continues with the Tent switching to Jazz, while The Masher and his regular carers will be heading for Wirksworth which will be hosting their Street Music Festival throughout the weekend.  

Phew, there’s a lot there to get our teeth into.   All the details can be found by following the links on the Diary page which is HERE should you have forgotten after all of that.
And so to The Rotherham Open Arts Festival which runs 1st November to 30th November.  
This year we have at last been given the opportunity to feature some of the Region’s top Grass Roots talent.  In just a few days the interest in taking part in the Festival has been fantastic.   Many of you will know that I published a Special Blog Extra last week giving the draft details to what is planned and how YOU can get involved and demonstrate the talent we have in Rotherham and it’s boarders. 

Go HERE if you’ve not checked it out. 

The Concert events are very nearly sorted, but don’t let that stop you from putting yourself forward.   Use the form HERE to register your interest.

Besides the ambitious Concert Programme, we hope that there will also be a couple of standalone Music events. 
 
HOWEVER, the most ambitious event, always assuming permissions are granted by the Council, will be the Busking Day to publicise the Festival launch date (1stNovember) on Saturday 29th October.  This is something that everyone can get involved in.  We did want to make it a sort of real grass roots turn up and go type event, but for all sorts of reasons and for peoples safety we can’t do that, so please, please, please, Register your interest using the form HERE.   We want everyone…………   no matter what art form you might be from, musicians, poets, street performers (jugglers / men on stilts/ clowns), sketches – even live painters etc., Dancers  face painters etc, etc, etc.   Yes even, if there are any out there MORRIS MEN!!

For this to work and have an impact we NEED YOU, yes that’s you.   We need your performance and we need your help to get the message to the groups that we don’t know of  and get to become contact us so that they too can be involved in this day.  We don’t want anyone feeling left out.   So please use your Social Networks on the Internet, or when out and about to get the word to everyone.  We’ll be working away trying to do our best but – this is where you the arts groups in Rotherham and the Region can really help us.
And that’s it for this week.

Whatever you are doing, please have fun and KEEP IT LIVE

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