Never mind the cassocks (From Dorset Echo)
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Never mind the cassocks
10:16am Friday 4th November 2011 in Live Music and Clubs By Nick Horton
DON’T BE SHY: The Churchfitters show off their array of banjos and dulcimers
YOU can tell a lot about a band sometimes by just what other people say about them.
Take for example, The Churchfitters, the English/Irish/ French folkies who are touring Dorset next week.
Show of Hands’ head honcho Phil Beer was moved to comment: “Great band, very cool Celtic rock band.”
And Dave Pegg, the legendary Fairport Convention bass player and mover and shaker at the Cropredy Festival opined: “As soon as I saw their instruments I knew they were going to be interesting.
“I can honestly say they are the most musically inventive quartet I’ve seen in decades.”
And X Factor judge Tulisa was heard to gush: “You totally owned that song, you so totally smashed it. Totes. You were totally born for that stage tonight. Totally.”
And I so totally made that last bit up. Totally.
Even so, The Churchfitters have been taking audiences by storm on both sides of the Channel with their high energy music and flamboyant shows.
And Dave Pegg was right about their instruments. If a band uses fiddle, double bass, bouzouki, flute, saxophone, guitar, dulcimer, whistles, a banjo made from a frying pan and a piano strung with hacksaw blades, you know their sound is going to be unique.
But hey, no Stylophones? As you can see from the picture on this page, they’re very proud of their gear but rather shy and don’t like being photographed.
The four-piece, fronted by Rosie and Chris Short, will be at Piddletrenthide Memorial Hall on Thursday, November 10 (01300 345252), Wootton Fitzpaine Village Hall on Friday, November 11 (01297 560480), Evershot Village Hall on Saturday, November 12 (01935 83580) and Studland Village Hall on Sunday, November 13 (01929 450204).
You should totally try to catch them live.
And a brief reminder of the upcoming South West Music Convention on November 25 and 26.
It’s a great chance for pro or semi-pro musos to get together, have a gripe and groan, network etc. It’s in Bristol on the 25th and Exeter on the 26th with more details online at bristolmusic foundation.com Right, that’s it for this week.
I’m off to open a new branch of Millets at St Paul’s Cathedral.
