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Hailing from Bristol, Cat Green Bike's minimal micro-epic ukulele sub-balladry brims with the wry witticisms of a closet English Eccentric. Gingerly plucked melodic lines that nod as far east as Canterbury with prog-rock spines are interwoven with a satiric, dryly humoured vocal counterpoint in hushed home-counties tones. Cat Green Bike will laugh at the slugs she pours salt on. Cat Green Bike is the musical guise of ukulele and saw playing Xenia Randle. Xenia picked up the Ukulele at the tail end of 2007 and had her first gigs in February 2008, the second of which being Ukelear Meltdown I. So far, Cat Green Bike has predominantly been a solo affair with occasional guest assistance from various friendly musicians. Since January however, Cat Green Bike has acquired a second member in the form of Mr Joe Urwin on guitar. The sound has subsequently expanded into an enchanting wee jaunt where the harp like plucking of the ukulele is wrapped up in the warm quilt of the low C-major tuned bass notes of the guitar. It’s a sort of prog-folk, for want of a better description. Cat Green Bike is currently writing and recording a full-length album, which will be released on 12" vinyl later in the year. While you wait, an EP taster selection type thing will be available from the 28th of February at Ukelear Meltdown 2009. It'll be the usual Radiohead style ‘pay what you like’ affair. Mr Glover from Epic45 will be producing it, so it should sound lovely. |
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Dirty Diamonds are three Newcastle-based musicians; Nicky Rushton, Sarah van Jellie and Richard Bliss. They have also performed variously as members of Mush, the Camp Vamps and All Because the Lady Loves. The trio will perform a set of original material based on the idea that less is more. Multi-uked and multi-vocalled they blend tenor, alto and soprano ukuleles for your delight. Their influences range from Bananarama to Kraftwerk (with a sprinkling of French and Saunders), and they were overwhelming people’s choice from UM II in 2008. |
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With a dash of country, a pinch of ska and a whole fist full of rock 'n' roll the Dulwich Ukulele Club have plundered the world to create a twisted skiffle band for the 21st century. From opening for the Beastie Boys at Bestival to sharing the bill with The Manic Street Preachers at Heavenly Records 18th Birthday bash they continue to go from strength to strength. With a string of festival dates planned already this year it looks like being another hot summer for the extraordinary South London 10 piece. "Unmissable" - The Guardian www.myspace.com/thedulwichukuleleclub |
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It all began many years ago in RAF Hospital Wegberg, a place that no longer exists in a country that no longer exists and took in many salubrious forces bases until arriving in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1988. Since then Staggerin' Jon Lee has struck fear into audiences/been barred from venues with Hogweed, The Tribbles, Bonsai Populous, Manslaughter, The Coyote Men, The Country Irregulars, Los Morellos, Jumbo, The Ferriday Fireballs, Ukulele All-Stars and lots of other bands whose names I have forgotten. Seven years ago he picked up a ukulele, started to sing and the world trembled … |
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Ira is a renaissance oddity; an ok poet and ukulele player, he plays ukulele at his poetry readings and poems in his ukulele sets. He exults in the playability of the ukulele. He mainly revisits old songs from a band he was in ten years ago, ideosyncratically. He loves the strange things words do to music, music to words, and the ukulele to Schubert. He also makes public art, and concept art on the radio, blindfolding himself last year to write Miltonic verse on Radio 3's The Verb. He is touring the UK in 2009 with his book DUETCETERA, from Shearsman Books. |
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In 2007 Eilidh Macaskill performed a ukulele act every single day. Sometimes in the street, sometimes at parties, sometimes in theatres, and sometimes just at home with her cat. The project ended on December 31 2007, but has been followed by a series of performances that have kept audiences in stitches, and awed by her songs of small ads and junk mail. Back by popular demand, Eilidh will perform a set based on Eilidh's Daily Ukulele Ceilidh, which combines original songs, information about the ukulele and documentation of the project. |
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Molly & Me Since their first gig in July 2007 as part of the regular in-house residency for YOU AND ME night, ( an eerie monthly event at the Flying Duck, Glasgow) Molly & Me have made new material that brings out strange strong harmonies, willful percussion and ukulele playing. The audience responses have been a combination of tears, laughter and the breaking out of fights. Described as: ... witty with a lovely blend of voices ... sassy with bad ass … charismatic and a little gem of delight ... a combination of the Slits, Abba and Curtis Mayfield with kazoos ... Molly and Me have been been swapping hair, bearing disguises and generally dressing up for gigs all over Glasgow, in Berlin and in Newcastle. |
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Mark is what you could call a ukelear reactor. It was last year's Ukelear Meltdown that inspired him to pick up the uke, and he's been hammering out quirky pop songs ever since. Veering between childish joy and childish anger, Mark appreciates the uke as a thing of extremes: happy and sad, quiet and loud, rock n' roll. As well as being a sometime musician, Mark is an artist, writer and performer. |
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