This Land: The Story of Woody Guthrie

For years people have been a packing up and leaving the drought country and dust bowl parts, a comin to California.

Myself and David Broad (see previous post) have been closely involved with a play about Woody Guthrie devised and directed by Steve Byrne of Interplay theatre fame ever since we first responded to an ad back in 2005. Crazily we were accepted and travelled around the country performing in a spectacular multi sensory play for children with special educational needs. The experience was eye opening to say the least but later we performed the same play for mainstream audiences in small venues. People seemed to be intrigued. Many Ray’s and Walk The Line’s later the play resurfaced for performances sans Michael Rossiter at the West Yorkshire Playhouse but con un David Broad.

Jettison even further forward in time to the current time at which I am rapidly typing and you will be able to bear witness to the folk onslaught of myself, David Broad and many more in This Land at Zoo Southside at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (yes capital letters) from today until the 18th August 2012 bingo. For more info and to give my index fingers a rest see here:

http://www.interplayleeds.co.uk/thisland/

David Broad – Never Can Tell

I met David Broad way back in the heady years of 2003. Ever since then we’ve partaken in many folk adventures along with a play about a guy called Woody to singing country songs to bemused Halifaxians. I don’t know if I’d have ever met this guy with wild hair unless he had introduced himself because otherwise how would I know who he was?? I mean, really. Well he’s had a few laps of the old block and finally he has recorded a bunch of songs that he has given me the honour of stamping Folk Theatre on each copy with the help of artist sibling type Peter Broad.

Here we have some of the hottest folk tracks to leap off of your speaker parts be they small or loaded, and into your ear holes. Mostly written by himself and mostly written about harrowing life stories of roadworks and females. I think Serious Sam Barrett makes an appearance both lyrically and physically as do I and as does Peter Carlill. The whole family is on this one!

In all seriousness, I am so pleased to hear such an understated talent but at the same time disappointed if all this effort goes unnoticed. This album is a joy to listen to. Filled with stories and loud strings. Singing and ranting. Stamping and fleeting. Get yourself down and listen. YOLO!

bandcamp

Love Henry

Here’s a short clip filmed by my sister Elin whilst I was in the midst of horrible chest infection which has been plaguing me for months now. This is why I haven’t been up to much particularly. I wasn’t as horrified as I thought I was going to be by this clip of me playing Love Henry in the Nag’s Head, Monmouth, Xmas 20111111 so thought I would post it here for y’all. That’s Folkin El’ singing all as well. If you want to hear more of my sister then click on her other videos. They’re much better than mine!

A Grand Day Out – Cancelled!

I hate doing these posts but yes A Grand Day Out scheduled for Saturday 3rd September has be cancelled due to a lack of interest. Very sad indeed. ↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓ http://www.britishwildlife.info/

A Grand Day Out

I am due to be performing at this great event – in my adopted post-Wales home town of Otley. If you’re American then it’s Otley, Leeds, West York Shy Er, U.K.

I’m very excited by this not least because it is in my adopted home town of Otley, Leeds West York Shy Er but because of all the great bands I never usually get to see now I have a home and somewhere to live plus (!) a beautiful wife, outside of LS6 (Hyde Park Ingley). I hope you will join me. Adam British-Wildlife (real name) has yet to tell me where I’m playing or how many times I am playing and at what time. I just hope I still get to see lots of these bands in my adopted home town. It should be an actual Grand Day Out. No lies. No wrong trousers. No sheep. Well some sheep – it’s Otley. But great music. Get behind it!

http://agranddayoutotley.blogspot.com/

Pindrop #6 w/ Rosie Doonan and Capote

From Facebook event page:

“Pindrop presents a very special evening presenting the wonderful Rosie Doonan hailing from Wakefield in West Yorkshire with full band and two amazing support from Michael Rossiter (Leeds) and Capote (Sunderand)

THE ROSIE DOONAN BAND

The Rosie Doonan band got together in the summer of 2008 and after several successful ‘debut’ gigs, including a slot on the Main Stage at this year’s Clarence Park Free Festival, are gathering pace as one of Wakefield’s “Ones to Watch Out For”.

Completed by regular collaborator Matt Bradley on Bass guitar, Connor Atack on the Drums and Harry Rhodes taking hold of Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals and occasional spatterings of Synthesiser, the band also boast the talents of a fantastic brass section courtesy of local soul legends The Solicitors, with Craig Garnett and Tony Swain on Trumpets and Mick Doonan on Saxophone.

Aside from the full live (and dare we say ‘rock’…) band, Rosie is also regularly gigging up and down the country with her acoustic trio the Snap Dragons, featuring the talents of Katriona Gilmore and Sarah Smout on Violin and Cello respectively.

The bands look set to continue onwards and upwards, as more bookings are taken for the following year, including festival appearances next summer, appearances in London, and of course working on the follow up to Rosie’s infectious debut album ‘Moving On’

http://www.rosiedoonan.com​/

MICHAEL ROSSITER

Michael Rossiter was born in Swansea in 1982 but didn’t take up acoustic guitar until 2004 when his father taught him how to play a few pieces by Bert Jansch and Rev. Gary Davis to keep himself company when he moved up north to live in Leeds and start a band. Instead, he joined a touring theatre company where he performed as Woody Guthrie alongside fellow musician David Broad.

http://michaelrossiter.wor​dpress.com/

CAPOTE

A Voice, A guitar and a double bass, this duo deliver country blues tinged melodies that will ease you into a relaxed Sunday evening.

http://www.reverbnation.co​m/capotemusic

Doors as always are 6pm. Tickets: £5adv / £6otd
Advanced tickets available from the venue very soon.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=210574505661616

Cold and Rainy Night (2008)

A track recorded on my four track back in 2008 for My Dearest Dear which got left out. I found it the other day and quite enjoyed it. I found it from a Sabine Baring-Gould website. I’m a big fan of his. He is most well known for his hymn ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’ (he was a Rev.) but also wrote books about werewolves amongst other things. Scary. Hope you like the track. It features me on guitar, singing, ukeleles and remote control.