Foxwood at Wykbeck, GUO workshop, and Four Go to the Brudenell

Holy Smoke Debs!



I've gone out of sequence.

How will you ever keep up? Before Sparrows and East Steel got to Holy Rosary, Foxwood got up at the crack of dawn [well, not anybody's else's crack of dawn, but mine and Tim's, and actually quite possibly Amy's] to play at Amy's school, Wykebeck Primary, Gipton, Leeds.

The local vicar was leaving for pastures new and we were a surprise steelband trio. And we were asked if we knew his favourite tune, Three Little Birds. Which, as you know, Debs, we know. We played it and then scrambled, Tim and I just in time for our next school, where we turned into teachers.

After that we played the Holy Rosary gig [see previous post], then some more Sparrows joined us for a Grand Union workshop at City of Leeds School  on rhythms. Sparrows were Claudia, Naomi, Georgia E, Rameice, Bella, Millie; Sparrows staff were ,e. Bex, Natalie and Tim; Grand Union staff were Tony, Youseff and  Daniel; and then we went for a beer, first at Akbar's in Woodhouse, while Tony and  co had a late dinner, and then me, Nat, Bex and Tim went to the Brudenell.

Which was pushing it really as all four of us are playing Otley tomorrow [Saturday] . . .

East Steel and Leeds Silver Steel Sparrows play Holy Rosary St Anne's

Before we got to Holy Rosary, the sun was shining.; we set up under the tree, and the heavens opened.

Obviously we played  Singin' in the Rain. I had brought several large umbrellas and a cheap plastic parasol. You will see them all in the pictures. The audience conga-ed round the school grounds under their. We were all, mostly, relentlessly cheerful.

East Steel were Karen, Alli, Trish, Anne, Lynn, Wanda, Kirsty, Sparrows were Claudia, Georgia, Millie S, Bella, Tim played kit and Natalie and I played whatever.

Unfortunately,

Claudia the Music Stand

I left the snare drum behind, so Tim put the hanging tom on the snare cradle, and then we totally failed to find anything that would rattle on top of it.

Claudia made a great music stand.

Five Go Down to Woodhouse Moor: Foxwood

Well, Charlotte would call this another fine mess!

I met Helen from Rock Solid on Friday at City of Leeds School, found out they were having a little festival on Woodhouse Moor this Saturday . Indignantly I asked why no steelband.



Next I find myself arguing to Bex, Vicky, Tim and Gig that we could do that. And then we spot Amy who had agreed to come to play low chords with East Steel  at Beeston. Before she knows it we are all heading towards Hyde Park, with the pans strategically packed in the Little Blue Van.

Meanwhile, Stewart is innocently coming walking past my house on his way back from a five hour session at the Uni. Hoping for a cup of tea, instead he finds he is sharing the Panda pan and James-and-Michael with Vicky.

Then one of my primary school pupils turns up, films us and puts it on youtube [he is eleven, and he has computer skills well past mine. Why am I surprised?] Just type in Foxwood Steel.

Debs, that was probably one gig too many on a sunny afternoon, but at the time, seemed like a good idea.

Saturday evening? No idea. Can't remember.

East Steel play Beeston Festival

Debs, I gotta tell you that this was the best organised festival that we have had the pleasure to play at in a very long while.

And I have written that in bold. That's how good it was!



We were me, Bex, Vicky, Tim, Ruth, Alli, Karen, Anne, Lynn, Wanda, Kirsty, Katie, Cheryl., with guests:Tim and Amy.  The weather was great, the stage was proper; the overheads mikes did their job; the band played really well - lots of new tunes, and no arguing.

Hilary Benn, local MP [and also my MP] opened the show and yet again found himself sharing a stage with one of my bands. Told Kirsty off for letting him play some notes on her double seconds.



We introduced a few new tunes, favourite being El Condor Pasa. Then I drove the van round to Cross Flatts whatever, and with the help of bemused local resident, Simon, loaded it over the fence from the park.

Then Debs,  as you do, the Foxwood Players drove over to Woodhouse Moor . .  As you will see from next blog.

Leeds Silver Steel Sparrows play We Love Leeds at Leeds Museum

The sun came out and shone on Leeds. The Sparrows came out and we played our tunes on the Leeds Museum café terrace.

We staff nearly, but not quite outnumbered the Sparrows themselves. They were Danii [all the way from Harrogate!], Peter [all the way from near Ilkley], Millie and Georgia E from Leeds itself. Teachers were me [Victoria], Bex, Tim and Natalie, with Vicky on Smalls duty, and now I count this up . . . .

Darlington's mum turned up. That was a nice moment. Last time we were together was the Albert Hall for M4Youth Schools Prom.

Ronnie the Rhino danced with us, and the audience grew just in time for our last tune.

But, no matter - in weather like that, and on town centre stone, our music would have carried all down and around Cookridge Street and Rossington. Nice way to end half-term. Thanks to Louise and Sarah for having us.

Three Johns at the Brudenell

Tim didn't remember that I had talked him into seeing a band who was part of my history in Leeds, and who was part of the indie/punk scene in Leeds back in the 80s. A quick text put him right, and thus there we were, me, Tim and Daise, saying hi and mwah, mwah [air-kissing, don't you know] to John, John and Brenny, and Patrick, and Wendy, and JFK [that's John Keenan, not the late president].


I can't imagine why so many photos were out of focus!

A historical afterthought. In 1980 something, me, Rick and Steve and our trusty drum machine were the support act for the Three Johns at the Tartan Bar, Leeds Uni.

The three of us spent hours thinking up our name, The Belgrade Astros, only to discover that the name was taken. I went onto the stage on that occasion with Rick's thoughts ringing in my ears: that if stage fright got the better of him and Steve, I would be on my own.

Foxwood Steel play The Moor, Sheffield

Now then Debs,



If it's a Bank Holiday weekend, we must have some more pan-playing to do.

Before that it's over to Manchester to see that Leeds isn't the only town to let great buildings rot, and to make rhubarb fool.

Then it's down to the Moor in Sheffield town centre for me, Katie, Tim, Danielle, Varshika, Sophie, Georgia and Amy.


Rick takes me and Katie in the van; and the others take the 11.02 train, at first worried that Varshika hasn't showed up only to find her curled up in the same train carriage as them.

This is another nice town centre event; excellent gazebos and good safety rails.

The Lord Mayor has a few words on air with Radio Sheffield, and then, I believe the good folks of Sheffield get Foxwood Steel over their airwaves.












We rattle through as many tunes as possible, only repeating Boardwalk and Dead or Alive.


I go home and pass out. Varshika, Sophie, Amy and Tim go to the Brudenell [as in Social Club] where I eventually join them. These pictures are out of focus, which I think is just as well.