Band

Brief Biogs.

Andy.

Born and raised in North Yorkshire, learning traditional music in the bars of the North East. Been a full-time musician, on and off, for the last twenty years, touring widely throughout Europe and Scandinavia with various bands, recording several acclaimed albums and playing some of London’s top venues including the Barbican, Mean Fiddler and Weavers. Studied painting and print-making at Hull Art college, worked as a freelance artist and spending a lot of the 80s in Ireland enjoying the air and playing music. Still painting and exhibiting. Made all the masks used in the band photos. First introduction to traditional music - 'heard the Chieftains when I was nine - it just blew me away'. Loves Chinese food and travel...

Andy is a promoter of musical events and has run the Bridge Folk and Roots festival in Kent. Plays Bodhrán, Kalimba, Mandolin, Mandola, odd bits of percussion and Bob the Bass Pedals. Member of the world music D.J. collective 'Another Planet'.

Favourite musicians/bands: Tom Waits, Vasen, Gomez, Solas, Ivor Cutler, Vivian Stanshall, Mike McGoldrick, Flook, Nic Jones, Donal Lunny (is god), REM, Manu Chao, Tom Waits, Nick Drake, Bonny 'Prince' Billy, Martin Carthy, Bjork, Blowzabella, Jethro Tull, Dylan, King Crimson, Tom Waits, Radiohead,They Might be Giants, Amanes...

Favourite breakfast: Kippers every time.

Favourite term of abuse: I'm so nice I don't have one, ur bugger.

Writers: Flann O'Brien, Seamus Heaney, Vivian Stanshall, Ivor Cutler, The Brothers Grimm, Barefoot Doctor.

Films: City of Lost Children, Wings of Desire, The Rebel (Tony Hancock), Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? Chocolat, Dead Man, Johnny English, One Giant Leap.

TV: Don't have a TV.... the eyeball of Beelzebub.

Chris.

Biog: I was born, bred & buttered in Luton ( often referred to as an honouree Irish county). I'd already learned a few songs when I started going to local Folk Clubs in the late sixties. I saw people like Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger, Alex Campbell ( he once introduced me to Arlo Guthrie at Cambridge Festival) & Martin Carthy. I soon got involved with Dunstable Folk & Blues Club & the first song I sang was Irish (Handsome Polly-o). After a few years I found myself doing almost exclusive Irish material. Played on the Irish scene, mostly in London, for many years in bands & duos (Slip Jigolos, Floating Crowbar, Miriam Kavana) and toured with Niamh Parsons & Noel Hill. Been in great demand as a guitarist on the London scene and have played The Hackney Empire, the Mean Fiddler, The Weavers and many top venues & festivals. I was involved with The Brent Irish Centre through the 90's & booked the bands & MC'd for the regular concerts there. I met many of the top Irish bands & Musicians from Ireland & the States and some asked me to put together tours for them. This lead on to working with Green Linnet records, promoting their acts.
I've toured in Europe, especially Ireland have been on radio & TV, played guitar & mandolin for a video release of Irish singer Rose-Marie and played concertina in the village band in the feature film "Ladies in Lavender" with Judy Dench & Maggie Smith. I also hold three All Ireland titles from the Fleadh Nua in Ennis.

Favourite musicians/bands: In no specific order- James O'Grady, Michael O Raghallaigh, John Carty, Andy Martyn, Adrian Bourke, Tommy McManamon(RIP) Paul Brock, Miriam Kavana, Noel Hill, Niamh Parsons, Moving Hearts, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Arty McGlynn, Tim Edey, Tim O'Brien, Martin Hayes, Four Men & a Dog, Souad Massi, Gerry Douglas, Lunasa, Cara Dillon & Sam Lakeman the list goes on

Writers: Dermot Bolger, Joe O'Connor, Flann O'Brien, Joanne Harris, John B Keane, Alexandra McCall Smith, Giles Milton, Ian Banks, Peter Sheridan

Films: Oh Brother Where Art Thou?, Betty Blue, American Beauty, Hear My Song, Bueana Vista Social Club

Abuse: Bollocks, Away & Fuck!

Breakfast: Porridge, eggs & rashers

Blues got me into Folk music. The rhythm & blues boom of the sixties made me look at country blues and then to American folk music & my friend's dad's Clancy Brothers records got me to see the link with folk music of these islands.

Martyn.

Martyn, fiddler extraordinary, is as much at home with rags and jazz as he is with thetraditional music of the Celtic nations. Although it is with traditional folk fiddle where Martyn's roots lay. A seasoned performer, Martyn has played and toured across Europe and brings to the band a great range of tunes and tales. Martyn plays fiddle, mandolin,percussion has been known to sing on the odd occasion.

Bob.

The bass pedals. Much maligned and walked all over. Bob is the hardworking glue that holds us all together. We don't like to ask Bob about his background as there's clearly a lot of stuff he's moved on from. Just don't get on his bad side!

The Kalimba - Andy.

A lot of folks have come up to me recently at gigs wanting to know a bit about the kalimba I play (and why!!), so here’s a little about it. It’s African, and is often referred to as a thumb piano. It goes under different names depending on where in Africa it comes from: Kalimba, Mbira, Sansa, Likembe, Karimbe, Board Piano, (marimbula in Cuba) or a lamellophone to musicologist. But we'll call it a Kalimba for now.Mine was made in South Africa* and came to me via my good friend Hugh Wisdom - a man of many strange and wonderful instruments. I tune mine to D major (with a hammer andGuitar tuner!!). I play it with guitar picks and have a mic stuck to the bottom as it has no sound box. It is a 'Celeste' 17 key flatbed Kalimba. Often in Africa they place the kalimbainside a gourd - called a Deze - which acts as a resonator.

Having suffered from tendon trouble for many years, I was looking for a melody instrument that didn't aggravate my hands, and as the kalimba doesn't use the fingers, it’s OK. mmmmmm
* It was in the 1920s that an Englishman by the name of Hugh Tracey arrived in South Africa and was fascinated with the Mbira. 'Kalimba' is actually the brand name of his version of the Mbira. The Kalimba continues to be made in a family-run workshop in Grahamstown, South Africa, still carrying the 'Hugh Tracey' name.