THE
GRASMERE GUZZLER 2017
This
podcast should have seen the light of day a long time ago, nearly twelve months
has gone past since its intended release. But. Life got in the way as it does
and The Grasmere Guzzler 2018 is now a mere three weeks away.
So
shoulders to the grindstone and get it sorted.
However,
this does provide the opportunity to give this years Guzzler a bit of publicity
and anybody out there that does not know about the finest and best handcrafted
music festival in Cumbria can get to hear a sample of the goodies on offer. The
line up won’t be exactly the same bit it will be just as good.
I should
really have here a review of the 2017 Guzzler, pocket sketches of the acts and
comical insights of occurrences over the weekend. Nevertheless, too much time
has elapsed and I am an old fart with fading memories. Like they used to say
about the sixties, if you can remember what happened you hadn’t really lived
it. Well, it was great. That much I can say without fear of contradiction.
One thing I
do remember is the discovery of my profile portrait in a broken cymbal. Perhaps
not as astonishing as finding a picture of Christ on a crisp, the name of Allah
written on the inside of a tomato or the face of Mother Teresa in a bun. But
it’s special to me.
But it is
the music that matters (along with the 100+ varieties of real ale, lager, cider,
and Perry) loosely based around a core of musicians local to the South Lakes
and Furness area. Each with their own projects but also joining in various
different incarnations and finding new voices, different sounds. There are also,
what might be termed “guest artists” appearing every year bringing a good range
of variety and making each year that little bit different.
Amongst the
performers there are those who you’ll find gigging at festivals, who have
managed to get together CDs to sell (buy them) and are up two or three rungs on
“The Ladder”. But also, quite often to be found playing the graveyard shift of
the Sunday afternoon when most of the beer has been drunk by the Friday and Saturday
masses. Who are really quite something, discoveries waiting to be found. Freya
Burke is one of these, she has a wonderfully clear voice, and her songs elevate
a quiet day with a lessoned crowd into a Summers afternoon of delight.
This year it's on August 31st to September 2nd at Tweedies Bar and Lodge in Grasmere. Entry is free, just buy the lovely beers and the delicious food.
So here’s a
bit of the low down on who is on the podcast.
SERENE
From Barrow
in Furness Serene are nicely loud and heavy, featuring Kieran Day on Bass
(which he also does very well in Paper Cranes too) The track here “She Walks
The Streets” is available as a single (which I didn’t find out until after I’d
put it up here) taken from the album “The Lonely Road” that I highly recommend.
It starts the podcast because I wanted something kick ass and this is it.
SAD EYED
PUFFINS
The Puffins
are one of the staples at the Guzzler. Combining humour, acid commentary on
life and exemplary musicianship they are always worth seeing. Chris Garrett
also hosts regular Open Mic sessions in the Ulverston area. “Better Day” has an
underlying tone of sarcasm. Kick ass in its own cynical way.
DON’T TELL
SUZY
Tim Farron
ex leader of the Liberal Party and MP for the South lakes loves this band;
politics aside and notwithstanding it’s easy to see why. They are bloody good,
making beautiful music to drift away on. “Music In Your Step” is the necessary
antidote to the bile and energy of the previous two tracks. I love the lines
like
“Hear
it in the slow steady dripping of a tap,
Hear
it in the words clanging on a ships mast,
Hear
it inthe pipes that creak at night,
Music
in your mouth when you eat a nice pie.”
ANNE
MARIE SANDERSON
Originally
from West Cumbria Anne Marie has migrated to Kendal (via Switzerland, the USA and Stratford
on Avon) and brings to the podcast a song that almost could have been written
in the sixties and sung by the likes of Vashti Bunyan, that is not to say dated
or derivative, for it is distinctively a song written in the present day. “Lilac
Time” has a timeless feel, lush and divinely transporting.
JACK
HARTLEY
Jack
Hartley, the man who puts the show together, who makes the bookings, puts the
running order together, liaises with and pays the bands. A singer who is
developing his slow and easy style of soulful Folkjazzfunk. Complimented by
such skilful picking on guitar. “Rainbow Shadows” exemplifies this.
SCROGANS
RUN
Wayne
Scurrah and Paddy Rogan. Both of these fine fellows play in at least 49
different bands (OK, I exaggerated). It’s easy to see why, they are both bloody
good at what they do. Wayne has a voice as a songwriter that is as distinctive
as it is diverse. Though he writes with different styles, subject matter and
pace. His voice as writer always comes through. He has also produced a series
of podcasts interviewing his fellow music makers “Live from the guestroom”. You
can find it here.
Paddy is
still for too good looking even though as he gets older he’s grizzling up a bit
thank God. A fine singer and musician and on the track here “Hark” his banjo
picking is quite magical.
PAPER
CRANES
Paper
Cranes really do deserve to be heard by a much wider audience. An argument
could be made that theirs is the most commercial sounding track on here. They
would sit nicely alongside The Shires who they are equal too. Jon Dawes and
Beckah Lloyd compliment each others voices with dark and light colours
respectively. Backed by the very tight aforementioned Kieran Day and Dan Payne “These
Hills” is a cracking contemporary song that begs repeated listening.
DANSI
In 2009, I
introduced onto the Drystone Stage a band from the North East. The now
legendary “Pikey Beatz” who proceeded on a Sunday afternoon in a wet field in
rainy West Cumbria to drive away all thoughts of bad weather. Fronted by Wilf
Stone who took the audience of 5 or 6 hundred souls in the palm of his hand and entertained them in
style. A born showman he brings to Dansi his powerhouse skills as a frontman.
This track “Folk On The Hillside” (not Folk On The Hill as I announced it on the podcast) an early track from their first EP oozes good
vibes and positive energy. Taken to a place beyond words by the transcendental trumpet
playing of Abigail Brierly.
While on tour in Italy the band had all their instruments and a crowdfunding page raised £10,000 in 28 days, but it will not do you any harm to throw a few quid their way.
While on tour in Italy the band had all their instruments and a crowdfunding page raised £10,000 in 28 days, but it will not do you any harm to throw a few quid their way.
The podcast
finishes with “One Bandersnatch To Rule Them All” by me. I wrote this years
ago, inspired by the story of the Welsh Bard Taliesin who enchants a group of
rival bards/poets to talk jumbled nonsense. After seeking a musical form to frame
it in I finally did it this year and hear it is.
Grasmere Guzzler Line up
2018
Friday
6pm Shallamarra
7pm Scrogan’s Run
8pm Serene
9pm Sad Eyed Puffins
10pm Thieving Magpies
11pm Valparaiso
Saturday
2pm Paddy Rogan
3pm Anne-Marie Sanderson
4pm Hartley’s Jam
5pm Spiratones
6pm Uncle Carbuncle
7pm Becky Langan
8pm Paper Cranes
9pm Bowie Beak and Powney
10pm Bad Transmission
11pm Dansi
Sunday
1pm Taffy Thomas
2pm Freya Burke
2.30pm Jimi Hodgson
3pm Jess Megson
4pm Matt Cowe Plays Chet
5pm Next Stop
6pm Freyan
7pm Molly Warburton
8pm Ponyland