Leeds Silver Steel Sparrows play Breeze Millennium Square

On Wednesday 22 July Kirsten, Caitlin, Lucy and Alice played their first Sparrows' steelband gig. Old Sparrows were Georgia, Chloe, Naomi, Millie S. Support were Yi Bai [actually drumming] Vicky, Julie; parent support: Trish, Sarah; leaders - we were me and Bex.

 

 

Still new to our repertoire, California Girls was soundly massacred, and not for the first time. Give us a year and we will wonder what the fuss was! Sadly this is today!

 

 

 

This was Breeze in Millennium Square, a departure from Briggate on account that someone has already spent a day building this stage for Alfie Boe and co. Not an opportunity to miss. But it did rain.





We had smoke machines and lighting and some lovely architecture; not so many shoppers passing, but you can't have it all!

Andrew and Trish took some nice pics. I'm off to learn California Girls some more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leeds Silver Steel Sparrows play Breeze on Briggate July 2014

 

 

 

Well Debs, it's always risky doing a gig in the school holidays, even if it's the first day of the hols, so the Sparrows are down in numbers. Good news: the Sparrows supported Foxwood recently to the tune of being more Sparrows than Foxes. And between our three bands [Foxwood, East Steel, Sparrows] we have a common repertoire of over 25 tunes, so sight-reading will be minimal. Or, as Spirit of Trinidad turned out, on the brink of disastrous!

 

 

 

 

But Debs, I am ruthless; we push new tunes into the repertoire until all players cave in and accept. Thus Bridge Over Troubled Water and Redemption Song are just about staples.

 

But I digress. The heatwave is occasioning rain; and it rains in the morning, then slightly less in the afternoon. We have Singing in the Rain in reserve; we don't need to use it, and we bring out the sun.

We are Sparrows: Claudia, Millie S, Peter, Ash, Naomi, Foxwood: Bex, Varshika, Vicky, Gig, Fehmina, Sophie, teachers: Me, Bex, Gig and Bart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leeds Silver Steel Sparrows play Breeze on Briggate,

Breeze on Briggate. What it says on the tin.



Rick and I delivered the pans to the backstage nearly-marquee at 9.30 [before half the band were awake, I'll wager!]. Stacked them neatly, and left the gazebo/marquee to be built around them.



Sunny. Crowded. Dancing gran. Found Theo and Jo busking pan and kit just down from the stage. So pans very much alive and well in Leeds.

Met the Sparrows backstage from 2.15 on. In the end we were Naomi, Georgia E, Danielle L, Danii, Peter, Claudia, George, Ciara, Danielle H. Because we were missing some holiday-makers we were joined by Varshika, Amy and Katie. [Katie tried to [point out that she had only come to watch!]. Leaders were myself, Natalie, Bex and Tim. Joining us mostly on percussion: Theo, Jo and Cameron [who, like Katie weren't quite expecting it!]. And not forgetting the Queen of all forms, all cameras, all stuff like that: Vicky.

Backstage crew knew their stuff, stage manager offered us a medal for our efficient settingupness. Well, it's not just about the 30 minutes of rubber on steel!







The "dancing gran" earlier mentioned features on an eponymous youtube clip of herself dancing to us playing Is Heat on Briggate three years ago. See also the Facebook Leeds Silver Steel Sparrows page for video clips and more pics.