Show of Hands musician aims to shed the pounds
... and sail the seas
|
Phil Beer, the multi instrumental wizard from top English acoustic roots band Show of Hands is a man with a mission – to sail the high seas.
Exeter-based Phil, who has toured for more than 15 years with singer songwriter Steve Knightley in the award-winning, Albert Hall-playing pairing, has embarked on a challenge which could see him leaving Devon and heading for the Baltic in summer 2009, on the adventure of a lifetime.
At the start of Show of Hands’s recent spring tour, Phil announced he was going on a 5-month sponsored slim, weighing in at 18st 9lbs at the first gig at Leicester’s Y Theatre.
His slimathon, enthusiastically backed by SoH fans, followed the news last autumn that Steve’s young son Jack had leukaemia – a diagnosis that forced the frontman out of the autumn tour, which was kept on the road by Phil and regular guest musician, Miranda Sykes (pictured above on Phil’s boat).
Fans, especially those from the supporters’ group Longdogs, raised thousands of pounds for the charity CLIC Sargent (Cancer & Leukaemia in Childhood) and happily Jack is now on the road to recovery.
Says Phil: “ I wanted to do something personally with this in mind so half the money raised from the slim will go to the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital, where young Jack is being treated.”
Phil, who has already lost 1 stone 5 lbs, says the remaining money raised will be split between the Alzheimer’s Society and MS Research.
And he has revealed there is an “end game” keeping him motivated as he dodges the calories – to crew in the famous Tall Ships Race in 2009.
Says Phil: “Obviously I will need to be slimmer and fitter to be accepted but it’s a lifelong ambition of mine. Everyone has a dream – and that’s mine.
“It would mean taking eight weeks out of Show of Hands’ festival season but anyone who knows how much I enjoy performing live music will realise that only something very special would take me away from it.”
Phil’s hope, should he reach his goal, would be to help crew the Pegasus, a 74’ rigged wooden cutter built in Bristol, in an expedition taking in 12 countries and 4,500 nautical miles between June and August 09.
Designed by top naval architect Ed Burnett and built by the Bristol Classic Boat Company the vessel will leave Salcombe in Devon on June 21 and ply the waters 1,000 miles to Gydnia in Poland. The first leg of the actual race is Gydnia to St Petersburg, followed by a non-racing stretch of the voyage to Turku (Finland). From there the second leg of the race heads across the Baltic Sea to Klaipeda in Lithuania where the final crew parade, prize giving and race events take place and then home to Devon via Sweden and Denmark.
Up to 100 vessels, crewed by more than 5,000 people from some 30 countries will take part in the challenging, high profile event.
Phil, who has his own small craft which he sails around the River Exe or to Show of Hands’s riverside studio, says: “There is another connection in as much as Diggory Rose, the son of our late friend and folk singer Tom Rose, will be skipper of Pegasus.”
Owned by The Island Trust, who promote sailing opportunities for disadvantaged young people, the Pegasus will be officially launched by broadcaster and journalist Polly Toynbee on Thursday, May 22 at Redcliffe Wharf, Bristol, with music provided by Phil. |
Pegasus, under construction |
Folk and world music at
Glasgow’s Concert Halls this spring |
Glasgow’s Concert Halls will host a wealth of folk and world music over the next few months, including a series of performances by a top line-up of acts in the atmospheric Old Fruitmarket entitled Fruitmarket Folk.
The legendary traditional Irish supergroup Patrick Street will launch Fruitmarket Folk with a performance on 9th May. This all-star ensemble features the superb fiddle playing of Kevin Burke (of The Bothy Band), the haunting vocals and mandolin, harmonica and bouzouki playing of Planxty veteran Andy Irvine, the fine guitar playing of Ged Foley (The House Band) and new recruit John Carty on fiddle. They will be supported by the Henrik Jansberg Band.
Ireland’s all-star high energy quintet Lúnasa will make a welcome return to the Old Fruitmarket. The band reopened the venue following its refurbishment in 2006 with an exhilarating sell-out performance at Celtic Connections. Celebrated for their inventive arrangements and bass-driven grooves, Lúnasa are steering Irish acoustic music into surprising new territory.
Frances Black’s enchanting vocals have established her as one of Ireland’s best-loved singers. Sister of Mary Black (also a successful singer), and former member of trad band Arcady, Frances has twice been awarded the Irish Recorded Music Association’s Best Irish Female Award.
The Danny Kyle Open Stage 10th Anniversary Concert will bring the Fruitmarket Folk season to a celebratory close. We mark ten years of the Danny Kyle Open Stage competition (which takes place every year at Celtic Connections) with an all star line-up of previous winners and folk favourites including Scottish firebrands Breabach, singer/fiddler Lori Watson, Canadian fiddler and pianist Troy MacGillivray. Also on the bill are the Clan Wallace Band, the Jamie Smith Trio, Swing Guitars and Scottish American singer-songwriter David Ferrard. Hosting the evening will be Arthur Johnstone, Archie Fisher and Brian McNeill.
Elsewhere at Glasgow’s Concert Halls, top folk and world music acts appearing over the next few months include Karine Polwart (tonight), Cherish the Ladies, Christy Moore with Declan Sinnott, Martha Wainwright, Buena Vista Social Club, Pentangle and the Caledonian Fiddle Orchestra. |
| Stokes Bay Festival |
Capercaillie; The Levellers; The Saw Doctors; Bellowhead; Show of Hands; Martyn Joseph; Michael McGoldrick and Glenn Tilbrook of 'Squeeze' are among the many star names confirmed for the Stokes Bay (Wickham) Festival in Hampshire this summer.
The 4-day Festival runs from Thursday 31 July to Sunday 3 August at a picturesque seafront location with stunning views over the English Channel and Isle of Wight.
Other artists include The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain; Dick Gaughan; Chumbawamba (acoustic); Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill; The Blues Band; Huun Huur-Tu (Tuva); The New Rope String Band; Gretchen Peters; Devon Sproule; Roy Bailey & Tony Benn; Phill Jupitus & The Blockheads; The Shee; 3 Daft Monkeys; The David Munnelly Band; Karen Tweed's Circa Compania; Kent DuChaine; The Chair; The Silk String Quartet (China); Lauren MacColl, Rachel Hair & Maeve Mackinnon; and many more.
Other attractions at the Festival include the Cirque de Normandy from France, a solar-powered cinema, puppet theatre, storytelling, street entertainers, Punch & Judy, healing area, dance displays, craft fayre and exotic foods fayre.
The Festival location at Stokes Bay near Alverstoke, Gosport is one of the most scenic settings for any festival in the U.K. with stunning views across the English Channel to the Isle of Wight. There's over a mile of unspoilt coastline plus a golf course, seafront bistro, childrens paddling pool and pitch & putt course.
The Stokes Bay (Wickham) Festival is rated one of the safest and friendliest festivals in Britain with not a single theft, crime or incident of trouble in either 2006 or 2007.
Day and weekend season tickets (with or without camping) are now on sale via the Festival website http://www.stokesbayfestival.co.uk |
| Festival Bursting with Outstanding Talent |
Oxfordshire’s Towersey Festival offers five nights and four days of fantastic concerts, workshops and dances and the 2008 line-up is simply bursting at the seams with outstanding talent. This year’s guest list includes Bellowhead, Show of Hands, Kathryn Tickell Band, Lunasa, Salsa Celtica, Blowzabella, Chris Wood, Whapweasel, Park Bench Social Club, Ruth Notman and Last Orders.
Towersey 2008 also presents exciting new collaborations between some of the Folk scene’s finest musicians. BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2008 winner Martin Simpson will be joined by the fellow
Folk Awards winner Andy Cutting on accordion and the fantastic Andy Seward on bass. Meanwhile, The Poozies are making a welcome return to the Festival, complete with two stunning new recruits. Three of the original members, Sally, Patsy and Mary, will be joined by Eilidh Shaw’s faultless fiddle and Mairearad Green’s delicately dextrous accordion to create a sound that is still as fresh and delightful as ever. Continuing the collaborative theme, hot new band Faustus boasts a trio with top class credentials; Saul Rose is a member of Waterson:Carthy, whilst Benji Kirkpatrick and Paul Sartin are from super-group Bellowhead. Finally, fine young ceilidh band Mawkin will be joined by the honey-voiced Jim Causley in a unique performance simply too good to be missed.
Towersey’s line-up also presents five of the greatest male voices of the Folk world. In addition to
BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2008 winner Martin Simpson, The Festival will also be welcoming
Chris Wood, Roy Bailey, Jez Lowe and Leon Rosselson to its stages. All five are exponents of outstanding thought-provoking new material and first class performance.
As well as offering an eclectic mix of concerts, dances and workshops, Festival goers can also relax on the colourful Towersey Showground, browse the international trade market, craft and music fairs and be refreshed by a great selection of food and drink from around the world. The Festival is renowned for being one of the most relaxed and family friendly festivals of its kind; it provides great value for money and offers a truly sensational festival experience. What’s more, Early Bird ticket discounts are available until 31 May (inc.) and if you buy 9 tickets of any one type, you get one more absolutely FREE. Its enduring popularity is demonstrated by the fact that it sold out again last year, so visitors are encouraged to buy tickets early.
Towersey Village Festival also provides dedicated Youth and Children’s programmes which offer a wide range of events, workshops and activities. The Shooting Roots youth project caters for those between 12-25 years, whilst the Children’s Festival offers activities for the younger ones including storytelling, puppets, crafts, music and much more. For Full Season ticket holders, the Festival has three great camp sites which are all well equipped with toilets and hot showers. The site is within easy reach of the M40 and main line railway stations.
For a great August Bank Holiday Weekend, Towersey Village Festival offers the chance to experience the magic of this little village with big ideas.
Latest news and information, money saving offers and tickets are available online at www.towerseyfestival.com. Alternatively, the Festival Box Office number is 01629 827016. |
| FIVE CULTURE ANNOUNCES CONTEMPORARY FOLK MUSIC SERIES |
Five Culture, the partnership between Five and Arts Council England, has commissioned an exclusive series of documentaries exploring the musical influences of four of the most successful artists in contemporary folk music, it was announced last week on Wednesday 6th February.
Produced by the Proudfoot Company, My Music consists of four, hour-long programmes which, for the first time, gets under the skin of musicians; Seth Lakeman, Kate Rusby, Eliza Carthy and Athena.
The series launches on Five on April 6th and is the latest in the Five Culture initiative which sees Five and Arts Council England encourage viewers to engage in the arts.
Tom Ravenscroft, son of legendary Radio One DJ John Peel, narrates the programmes that focus on a separate artist in each episode. Meanwhile high profile contributors including Billy Bragg, Jennifer Saunders, Stewart Lee and Willy Russell comment on the artists and their contribution to popular culture.
Executive producer Michael Proudfoot has secured exclusive behind the scenes access to all artists – as well as in-depth interviews that reveal the highs, the lows, the history and aspirations of these influential musicians. Michael said: “We wanted to get under the creative skins of these artists. The songs they write and the music they make are products of the places in England that they live in, so the My Music documentaries are not just music shows, they are about the English landscape, or in Athena's case the Greek landscape.
“We wanted to show how music gets created, how songs are written and how it can be done these days without being part of a major record label, if you've got Garage Band on your Mac you can make a record."
Five Culture consultant, Kim Peat, said: “This series is superb. The quality of the music, the passion that is projected, the testimonies from so many people make it a joy to watch.
“My Music will not only give people within the scene a reason to celebrate what they love about modern folk music, but also introduce a new audience to a diverse and influential part of our culture.”
Five Culture follows on from the successful three-year project, Fivearts Cities and is designed to encourage viewers to participate in the additional features planned alongside its forthcoming music projects.
Arts Council England Head of Broadcasting, Gill Johnson, said: “We’re delighted that the relationship with Five – now in it’s fifth successful year - has evolved to encompass an area of the arts that is supported so passionately and which reflects a diverse range of regional talent. We hope this series will inspire more young musicians and singers across the country.”
The series is overseen by Five’s Head of Factual, Ralph Lee. |
| Award-winning acts for
Fairport's Cropredy Convention |
Award-winning Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis and her band will play at Fairport's Cropredy Convention on Saturday 9 August 2008. With two acclaimed solo albums to her name, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Julie was awarded 'Folk Singer of the Year' at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards on February 4 2008.
Voted 'Best Duo' at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, John Tams and Barry Coope will appear at Cropredy on Thursday 7 August 2008. John has been a guiding light of the British folk community for over thirty years and Barry is well known for his work with acapella trio Coope Boyes and Simpson.
Vocal duo Jeana Leslie and Siobhan Miller, winners of Radio 2's Young Folk Award, will perform at Cropredy on Friday 8 August 2008.
Friday night will be headlined by legendary folkrock band Levellers (celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year). Levellers was recently honoured with the award for 'Festival Feel-Good Act' at the 2007 UK Festival Awards, voted for by the public.
The full list of acts at Cropredy 2008 will be announced shortly.
Fairport's Cropredy Convention is a uniquely-friendly festival of rock, pop and acoustic music and this year's event takes place on 7, 8, 9 August.
The popular festival attracts up to 20,000 music fans – last year, all the tickets were sold weeks before the gates opened. opened. |
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