East Steel at Middleton Park

May 10 2015 sees East Steel at Miggy Park, South Leeds for its triumphant spring return. We have now collected quite a following but think it may have something to do with the lovely new café by the lake. Tea, buns and playing in a bandstand. Mmmm!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everything went to plan but we did have a nervous moment or two, as this was the same day as the Leeds half-marathon and half the band lived inside its route. As it turned out I was able to drive under bridges on the inner-ring road, so I probably didn't need to have worried.

 

We were Trish, Anne, Lynn, Pippa, Sophie, Yi Bai, Vicky, Wanda, Kirsty, Bex and myself. We played our usual set plus the new 2015 ones - Maria, Soca Junkie and Matilda. It's still a case of brace yourself and go for it.

 

East Steel is a music centre band funded and organised by Leeds ArtForms Music Service. Leaders: Victoria Jaquiss and Bex Ainge

East Plays Middelton Park, Leeds,September 2014

This time I forgot the cymbals so Bart [and Bex, at first] played on a cowbell instead of a hi-hat. Bart wasn't so sure; we're all too used to improvising. At Mirfield, Tim placed the snare on an upturned drum stool; once, in Morley Town Centre, John kicked the bass drum instead of pressing on the pedal.

 

Anyway, it's our first gig of the autumn term, and what a lovely still day. We play by the lake, and Tingley Brass Band is on the bandstand. it's a mixed blessing as the brass band gets the shelter and the acoustics and we get a constantly passing audience. And we are next door to the vegetarian Asian food stall. Yummy. [That's dinner sorted].

 

 

 

This is Middleton produce Show. There's a sheepdog rounding up geese, a birds of prey display, zumba, home made jam and buns. [That's dessert sorted], flowers [that's the garden sorted]. It's lovely, well-organised day. We love playing this one.

 

There's some great games for the kids. See kids - big and small.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were me, Bex, Vicky, Lynn, Anne, Trisha, Andy [who arrives in some style. see pic above], Kirsty, Sophie, Bart and Wanda.

 

Later on I lit the fire and put all music back into folders.

 

Next: Harehills and Beeston in two weeks time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

East Steel play Middleton Park

First time [3/4 years ago] we were by the side of the lake; then they built this wonderful café and lakeside patio, and now, there's a bandstand. In performance heaven.

 

The weather was lovely. It was where we first met Andy, and quite appropriate that it was Andy's first gig.

 

We were me, Bex, Anne, Lynn, Jeanette, Wendy, Trish, Andy, Vicky, Wanda, Kirsty and Bart the Drummer. There is a picture of Bart below doing wheelies in his wheelchair as he races down to the bandstand.

 

 

I think the pics here and below speak for themselves. It was a lovely day, a lovely setting and we played really well - well, mostly!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

East Steel at Miggy Park, and Judy says goodbye

It is a year since our new gazebo took off half way through Bob Marley in the same park. Then the weather was cold, windy with a hint of rain. And a hint of an audience. Today it's much grander, with zumba, birds of prey, majorettes, samosas, various other stalls and a raffle. A proper event.

This is our first gig since Judy decided to call it a day. And I would like to pause to say thanks. Most people join a nightclass or a band to do something for themselves, which is as it should be. [I have for example just signed up for Advanced Russian, in the hope I can reprieve my once near-competence in this fine language. The tutor asked why, I said, I meet Russians and other Eastern Europeans in my schools,  but actually I just want to speak it again. I want to roll those wonderful consonant clusters around and make the music that is speaking another language. And really make good all those eight years I spent studying it from O level to uni.]

Anyway, Judy didn't just join East Steel. She brought Bella, Rameice and bro; she bought the guitar pan that would provide the much needed lower chords; she invited us to play in her garden, and fed us all cakes. She gave Adele lifts. She wrote down all the rhythms and she said nice things; she led the dancing at gigs. So we will miss her. However, even more respect that, when it wasn't doing it anymore for her, Judy called it a day. Enough of the eulogy.




Back to the gig: We were Wendy, Jeanette, Adele, Tricia, Alli, Karen, Ruth, Vicky, Peter, Cheryl, plus me and Bex of course. In attendance also James and Michael. A passing man of the cloth joined, singing in with our first tune, Where Have All the Flowers Gone? With rather a fine voice. The lake, a perfect back-drop for the pictures, not so perfect with two Smalls on the loose.

And lastly, at the end, with everything packed away, here's the last of us to leave the lakeside.