6 Anything Goes
Play or Sing, read a Poem, tell a Story, listen, fetch the beer, anything13 Corkscrew
At least Roger Downton & Brian Pleece from the egregious collection of Artistes operating for the variable feasts 'Corkscrew', 'Spank the Planks', and 'Tony & Yasmin' (Roger & Sandy's stage names for their magic-and-belly-dancing-and-songs-from-the-shows Entertainments). Probably no belly-dancing tonight (although Sandy does do workshops at Sidmouth and can clog too), but choose from old-timey Appalachian, trad Brit-Ceilidh, Irish, Eastern and folkie vocal pyrotechnics.
20 Anything Goes preceded by brief AGM at 7.45pm
Come and tell us you care!Play or Sing, read a Poem, tell a Story, listen, fetch the beer, anything
27 String Whistle
Dave Rickard (left, keyboards, guitar, vocals) and Rob Mitchell (right, whistles, flutes, recorders, vocals).
The Early Days: met at Dartford Folk club in the late 1970s as floor singers and later became residents. As half of the house band 'Original Gravity' we developed a musical and intellectual rapport and became a duo originally called 'Six String Whistle' but the shorter version was adopted by the time we did our first paid gig in the Royal Albert Hall in October 1981. To be precise it was Orpington Folk Club which met in the hall over the 'Royal Albert' - those were the days !
Neither of us gave up the day job but we built up a name for ourselves around the South East and along the South Coast from Broadstairs to Wareham. We made several appearances on local radio in Essex, Kent and London and our music was used by Kerry Juby at Capital Radio for two documentaries. The first 'The Final Generation' was the story of the demise of the River Thames as a working river and featured our classic version of Lord Franklin which appears on our CD 'Lonesome Boatmen'.
Dave's own composition 'Princess Alice', also features on the CD and tells the story of the worst inland waterway disaster in English history and was the subject of the second documentary.
Later on: String Whistle worked regularly during the eighties, playing in New York, Toronto, Greenwich .... pier and a dustbin cupboard in Uxbridge, to name but a few. When Dave did give up his day job and moved to Dorset the enterprise went into cold storage. Ten years later when Rob too became a gentleman (shurely shome mishtake - ed) of leisure, the liaison was revitalised. We came back together, reprised the River Thames based material that had featured in our early performances, as a CD entitled 'Lonesome Boatmen' and went back on the road.
String Whistle's repertoire has always been an eclectic mix, there are few styles of music that we do not embrace. Our live performances are full of fun, energy and witty repartee - in a phrase 'good old fashioned entertainment'
Dangerous Curves: String Whistle were, and still are, occasionally augmented by Dave's wife Anne (now a member of 'Dangerous Curves' ) under the name of 'Arthur the Goldfish' (you will have to buy us a pint to find out why).
Our CDs: Our first CD what was once known as a 'concept album' of songs connected with the River Thames. (Dave's job when String Whistle was first formed was linked with the river: this has been the inspiration for some of his compositions). The latest CD is different - follow the link to find out about it.