99 Long Street
Atherstone CV9 1BB
Scarecrow
Put together three talented & creative musicians – one from a classical background, one from a folk background, and one from a jazz and blues background, and you would expect to get something a bit special. (When it happens, the members of Scarecrow will be at the front of the queue to book tickets to see the first gig!)
David is the natural leader of the band and has all the characteristics needed for the job – he’s got a car that the PA fits in, and he’s bigger than the other two. He is probably one of the best whistle players in the area – if you get a chance to chat with him during the evening, he will be happy to confirm this. He also plays flute, bagpipes, bodhran and other percussion. David brings the folk influence to the band, which means “let’s go to the fourth bar” has a slightly different meaning to him.
Rey is the theorist of the band. He plays bass guitar and flute, sings, talks about flattened fifths and mixolydian minors, and reprimands the other members of the band during practices. He brings a classical influence to the band, or in other words, he doesn’t use his thumb when he plays the guitar. Rey has an uncanny ability to detect when a note is even slightly sharp or flat. His cat has an even more uncanny ability to be able to get out of the house before the end of the second bar of any tune.
Gordon is the guitarist and brings the jazz/blues side to the band, which means he does use his thumb when he’s playing the guitar, and can claim that any mistake he makes is actually an obscure jazz chord. He’s been playing the guitar since a string broke on his bass and he couldn’t work out how to replace it. Having been a bass guitarist for many years, he is very sensitive about tempos, and strongly believes that if a song speeds up or slows down, it is always somebody else’s fault.
www.scarecrowband.co.uk
Supported by …
Thrup’nny Bits
Thrup’nny Bits is a three-voice unaccompanied harmony group singing traditional and contemporary folk songs with some Early Music and humourous songs for good measure. They like to feel their performances have light and shade.
The group evolved from the four-part Ninepenny Marl after one of its members became unwell.
Gareth and Barbara Wyatt and Des Patalong come from Warwickshire and Coventry and are well known on the local folk scene having been in various line ups in the past, and Des is currently a member of “Sharp as Razors” – a shanty crew.
The group have had appearances at Bedworth Folk Festival and Folk Club, Warwick FC, Rowington FC, Harbury FC, Bromsgrove FC, Brackley FC, Chipping Norton FC, Black Diamond FC, Banbury FC, Shirley FC, Alcester FC and Warwick Folk Festival . They’ve also appeared at The Nursery Tavern in Coventry and at Kristy Gallagher’s session at The Royal Oak in Kenilworth.
As a result of an invitation by Folk 21, they appeared at the South East Regional event at Cecil Sharp House.
The group have CDs available, the first called “Here’s a Bumper”.
https://patalong.wixsite.com/thrupnnybits
Floor Singers booked to perform on the night …
Elaine Meechan
Elaine, keyboard and accordion player in many an ensemble, has that rare talent that true musicians possess; the ability to empathise with those she performs with. She is an important part of a number of folk-related bands in the area.
John Meechan
John has been on the folk scene for 40-odd years. Hailing from Yorkshire, many of his songs are rooted there.
His passion for folk songs has resulted in a wide-ranging repertoire, always particularly well-presented.
Joe Beard
From 1967 Summer of Love cult band “Purple Gang”, known for their seminal single “Granny Takes a Trip”, “Joe” was a founder member and song-writing guitarist. He went into folk music later and composed a full suite for a multi media show called “Legends of The Edge”.
And your hosts, of course, are
Finger In The Jar
Formed especially as the host group for Atherstone Folk Club in June 2013, Finger In The Jar are Anne & Steve Beeson and Phil Benson.
Finger In The Jar perform as a group, as duos and as solo artists, depending on the songs being sung.