Foxwood and Sparrows play Leeds Curry Festival Again

Well Debs, you can't get too much of a good thing, in this case a curry festival. So as Day Two beckons, even with a rainy possibility, we are happy to tread those boards again.













We are me, Bex, Vicky, Charlotte, Gig, Natalie, Sophie, Ashley [and great to welcome him back], Peter, Chloe, Naomi. We even got filmed to be on the big screen by the stage. Hey, That's rock n roll! No, it's not. It's just a big screen by the stage.


The rain held off till our last number. Packed the van, then had some beer and curry.

Foxwood Steel and Leeds Silver Steel Sparrows play Leeds Curry Festival

It's Saturday, and we have two sets. First we play outside the festival entrance and opposite the Leeds Museum. Then we get the great main stage.












changing decorously

setting up

 It is warm and dry - perfect. We are me, Bex, Varshika, Sophie, Gig, Sarah [and Daniel], Katie, Vicky, George, Peter, Ciara, Chloe and Claudia.

[No pics yet of on-stage on Saturday. Any offers?]



Georgia appears dangerously two bars after the count in, and is pleased to discover we are on the street. Then she discovers this is only our warm-up set. And that the stage beckons. Make-up!

Foxwood Steel play Leeds Met Again!

Well Debs,

A quick school burst in Morley, then over to Leeds Met in town to pick up the pans that we then use to play the Met at Beckett Park.

Next day [11/9]:  we are Georgia [and Maya], Charlotte, Sarah [and Daniel], Fehmina and myself. We decide against a drum kit, partly Debs, because we have no specialist drummer.

Our situation, on paving slabs with a brick wall behind makes up for lack of kit and lack of numbers. We sound ace; sadly the weird radio station immediately opposite us has no plans to stop his music [loud, amplified] while we play.

I had kinda assumed that he would share the space with us. I asked him if he could turn it down while he played and he said no. "So," I say, "there's no point us being here?" He agreed with me. He was there for the day; we had an hour.

I am not sure, Debs, sometimes, why we bother with live music. because what I may call corporate interests with the free pizzas and the opportunity to repeat trite slogans into a microphone can be quite attractive to some freshers. Well, we played our set; they actually did turn it down a bit. A bit.

Anyway, Mike from Leeds Met liked us; lots of people took our fliers; and next time I use Fehmina's phone/camera I might place my fingers somewhere more sensible.

Next: The Curry Festival in Millennium Square.

Foxwood Play Leeds Met and Twenty Songs in G and Eminor arrive

When Mike from Leeds Met said could we play Monday evening, we thought he meant evening, not the beginning of the night!








With some misgivings  me, Charlotte, Tim, Natalie, Vicky, Fehmina and Bex set up in the Union bar downtown at the Met. And I think it fair to say, that it was with some misgivings [but of a different nature] that George watched us set up.

Well, we started at 10pm and we rocked the joint. George's smile on the second number said it all, and so did handshakes all round at the end. We were playing in the dark, underneath a speaker still pumping out some pop tunes, so songs you had to read made for interesting times [but not in a good way!].






Bex the Cinderella fled at the stroke of 11pm, and, not having Smalls to get ready for school in the morning, the rest of us just went for it.

Two pints later and Tim and Charlotte knocked out a full pint of lager, which landed on most of the rest of us [actually Debs, most of them!]. We stayed on for a couple more. This seemed like a very good idea on Monday evening, and slightly less good an idea on Tuesday morning.

[In the morning my latest book appeared on my doorstop - Twenty Songs in G and Eminor. V exciting.][Will put up the picture later].

East Steel Play Corinthian House September 2013

Now then Debs,

First me, Natalie, Bex, Sophie, Vicky went to watch Pan Jumbi [31/8] with Tim standing in as drummer. And I visit my mother on her birthday and photograph excellent fungi in her garden.








We thought Tim was great, but we were biased. Anyway the best thing about the evening was meeting up in a nice way with Max and Dave. Friends lost from way back. Also made Daisy go on an anti-war demo in Dortmund Square. [here Steve and me behind the banner.]

Term starts. With babyminding and training days  [me and Nat meeting in the lovely Corn exchange] ; and someone nicking a couple of paving slabs from our back garden. Hmmm. Oh well, back to steelpans.










East Steel is playing Corinthian House on Upper Wortley, which you get to, if you are Bex, from Horsforth via Bradford. We kinda kept away from her until the magician appeared. No Debs, not the tune, a real life, sort of retired magician. Who was still magic, and even got Bex to smile [see right].

Bex was just settling in, drum stool sliding into the soft ground, to be the drummer, when Wanda casually mentioned that her son was coming, and that he played drum-kit. I asked Jamie if he would like to guest on a couple of numbers. Debs, how many people fall for that one!

Two hours later, and Jamie was going home wearing his mum's new East Steel hoody!

The magician [I'll get name later] pulled soft toys from our ears and confounded us all with disappearing and re-appearing objects. We wondered if he would like to come on tour with James and Michael.

East Steel was Joyce, Anne, Lynn, Wanda, Trish, Lizzie, me, Bex and most welcome guest drummer, Jamie.

Crab Apple Jelly and Covent Garden

Well Debs, a rare moment of domesticity as we pick the crab apples and make jelly.

After that it was down to London to a MU meeting, collect my pan from Rhiannon, watch her and her band busking in Covent garden while Skye dances to them. After that Charlotte B and I retire to the flat in the skies at Clapham Junction, then it's the East Coast train line for me back to Leeds.


Liking the lego tube map!

Morgan returns to more domesticity in Manchester with the electric floor mop, and Sophie makes me six cakes like flowers for collecting her new pan. [Mig and I got to the cakes before my camera did.]

Soon after that Georgia flees the nest for a second time, and now I am bracing myself for five gigs [with three bands] in eight days as well as starting the new school term.

Foxwood Steel pop up at Leeds Carnival 2013

Foxwood Flash Mob in Savile Park, Chapeltown Road, Leeds

So Debs

To perhaps the main event of the year, maybe of the last three years:

But first a little history:

Three years ago London was burning, Manchester 's town centre was looted, and a few youths ventured onto the Leeds streets only to be told to go home.

This was the successful and peaceful outcome of the older community members taking to the Leeds streets themselves.

At one point it was thought that Manchester Carnival would have to cancel their parade (oh no, don't stop the Carnival). The parade organisers and indeed the Police as well that it wasn't fair that a group of low life scum should spoil a wonderful community family multi-cultural event.

Having unbooked Foxwood Steel, Manchester quickly rebooked us. Leeds, our own home town, however, decided this was the time to unbook us forever, offering as a reason that live music on the parade might cause a riot. Having been a great supporter of Leeds West Indian Carnival for decades, player for 14 years, and band leader for 11 of those years, I was dismayed, not just disappointed for myself, but for all mine, Charlotte's, Nat's and Bex's players who had booked their holidays around Leeds Bank Holiday weekend.

The letter they send me ended thus: We hope that the event helps to continue the process of UNITY, LOVE and equality, which sends out a local, national and international message of hope.

I know that's how they traditionally sign off letters, but in this case, I thought it was a bit cheeky.

Confidence conducts the Sparrows at M4Y in Chamberlain Square Birmingham 2006

The press was dismayed on our behalf, and we got more media coverage for not playing Carnival than we ever got for playing it. Here are the links to BBC News

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-14599380

and YEP

Sparrows Albert Hall 2009

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/ban-on-steelbands-in-leeds-west-indian-carnival-parade-exclusive-1-3694871

and even Radio 5 Live drove across the Pennines to interview us, while Georgia played pan on Moorland Avenue as background.

Sparrows Albert Hall 2009

Debs, if this had been a private party, I would have said fair enough, but this is a publicly funded event. Half the players [Sparrows and their teachers]  have represented Leeds at The National Festival for Music For Youth 6 or 7 times, included that little stint at the Albert Hall (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR6_pbGve3Q ), and playing for the Festival of Britain at the Royal Festival Hall. [Pics right for Sparrows at Music For Youth , including Royal Albert Hall]

me and Annette

"You playing Carnival, miss?" asked one Year 7 boy (and grandson of a local musician) at a local school. This was last year. I told him I wasn't, and wondered what explanation to give to an eleven year old.  "What's the matter," he laughed, "you too good for them?"

John and Varshika

Well, Debs, it's three years later, and high time, I tried to put matters right. Then out of the blue, a Sparrows' parent invited me to play for her, her family and friends (many from St Kitts originally) in Savile Park while she waited to join the troupe, put together on her behalf, a troupe dedicated to cancer-awareness as she herself battles this disease.

This was an offer, Debs, that we couldn't really refuse. Annette provided me with the invite, the excuse and the opportunity to put our bands back in the hometown carnival where they rightfully belong. 



the sleeping squirrels

(and there was a personal connection. Annette was the nurse-on-duty the night that 8 week old grand daughter, Maya was in hospital, and her presence there caring for Georgia and Moo was something I will always be grateful for. Always.)

And so, Debs, this is how me, Bex, Vicky, Charlotte, Lizzie, Sarah, Sophie, and gawd-bless-him, John the drummer came to be a flash mob pop up band in Savile Park this Monday Bank Holiday, with a little line of children (some my pupils from last year) curled up like little sleeping squirrels in front of and then on our banner. Making Charlotte's and my eyes prickle!

We were only half of Foxwood, as this was only arranged 5 days in advance; weren't able to bring any South Steel, Sparrows or Steel Rising in case we got moved on, but we sounded great. The sun shone on us, and I shall be grateful forever to Annette for giving us this challenge and for band members in Leeds on the day for rising to it.