The TuppennyAs of the time of writing, we have no idea how long this Cornonavirus / Covid-19 Pandemic is going to last. But, because of it and all the social distancing rules put in place, as well as losing general trade, we have lost some fantastic live events.
We will do what we can to reschedule these, but, in the meantime, this is what we have all missed out on so far…
An always welcome return for regulars Richard and Amy and Co. Richard is probably best known for playing some great shows at The Tuppenny. Oh, and for releasing 14 albums as the composer behind studio project Karda Estra. Inspired by weird soundtracks, easy listening, gothic and library music, art pop, dark folk and prog rock, his solo recordings and gigs feature new songs and instrumentals plus rearrangements of Karda Estra pieces that can fit into a live setting, accompanied by long-time collaborator the fantastic Amy Fry. Tupp regular Gary Nash usually pops up too…
Support from fellow Psychedelic Folkies Rebsie Fairholm and Marvin B Naylor…
It is a very welcome return to The Sunday Social for The Bellflowers. Claire Amor and Jessie Thompson are a Wiltshire-based folk duo. Armed with Jessie’s accordion, Claire’s percussion and a blend of heavenly harmonies, they’ll soon have your foot tapping along to their range of covers, traditional folk songs and original music.
Support once again comes from the wonderful Chantelle Smith, a Wiltshire-based folk singer. She sings a’capella and increasingly performs with guitar, harp and shruti box.
When you get recommended to check out an artist 3 times in as many weeks by 3 well respected pairs of ears you really should pay attention. We did, which is why we are excited to introduce to you the amazing music of Ellie Gowers for the December edition of the Sunday Social.
Warwickshire songwriter, Ellie Gowers, has been quietly brewing her self-penned songs for a while. A regular performer, her music embeds a fierce energy that echoes the 60’s folk revival scene and although she may be small, Ellie manages to hold pride of place on stage with her strong vocals. Her songs are built through an early love of literature and traditional folk song as well as the notable observations she makes on the zeitgeist narrative of today’s society. She has just graduated with a first in music and has garnered support slots with critically acclaimed artists up and down the UK, enticing watchers with her poetic lyrics and rhythmic guitar playing.
Support from the brilliant Canute’s Plastic Army, a mainly acoustic duo consisting of the vocals of Anish Harrison (previously of the well-known Teddy White Band) and Neil Mercer on acoustic guitar and backing vocals (previously of Rumour Shed and the Dacoits). The band started as the solo project of Neil who started playing and writing on his own due to running out of band mates. In spring 2016 Anish and Neil played around with a few covers and found a shared love of dark, twisted songs by artists as disparate as Odetta, Cate Le Bon and Pulp. They also found that Anish’s soaring, passionate vocals and Neil’s intricate, dynamic acoustic guitar was a potent mix. They quickly started writing dark and twisted songs of their own. Their first EP, Building Walls, was released in summer 2017 on Secret Chord records. They have gone on to expand their sound, constantly writing new songs and sometimes using a loop pedal to layer their guitar and vocals and add dynamics and power. In November 2018 Canute’s recorded some vocals and acoustic guitar in a cold rehearsal space and since then they have been adding overdubs and drip releasing them.
After a smash hit performance at The Shuffle, we are super pleased to be able to bring local folk collective SGO back to The Tuppenny as part of the Sunday Social series.
SGO is a magical collaboration of up to 8 musicians, playing 11 different instruments, with 7 voices creating close and choral harmonic vocals. The genre mission is “Some Kind of Everything” >>>> (SKOE) >>>> (SG’o) >>>> Folk, Blues, Country, Pirate, Parisienne, Gypsy, Experimental, Twisted Folk, and Eclectic etc etc etc. A mixture of Original, Traditional, Instrumental and Covers.
October’s Sunday Social features live music from the brilliant Mr Love & Justice, a Swindon-based acoustic folk/pop collective fronted by singer-songwriter Steve Cox. A very English, very contemporary take on the west coast folk/rock cross-over sound of the late 1960s. Acoustic guitar-led crafted song-writing, accessible and memorable melodies married to hard-hitting lyrics informed by political, historical and social commentary as well as more personal concerns.
The First Sunday Social of the season features the fantastic Fly Yeti Fly. This duo blend sensitive vocal harmonies with intricate guitar arrangements, mandolin and harmonica, weaving songs and stories from their travels together, with a sound that is reminiscent of the late-’60s folk scene. Their debut album ‘Shine a Light in the Dark’, released March 2017, has since received critical acclaim and led to them appearin on BBC Introducing stages across the south west.
We go down a more traditional folk route for the June edition of The Sunday Social as we welcome The Bellflowers.
Claire Amor and Jessie Thompson are a Wiltshire-based folk duo. Armed with Jessie’s accordion, Claire’s percussion and a blend of heavenly harmonies, they’ll soon have your foot tapping along to their range of covers, traditional folk songs and original music.
Also performing will be Wiltshire folk singer Chantelle Smith who tells stories through the medium of song. Chantelle sings a capella, with her shruti box, guitar or with percussion.
As it is a Bank Holiday Music Quiz day we thought why not make it double the fun and get our good friend Jim to play too!
So from 5.30 we have the usual music quiz nonsense (£2 min per person, max 6 per team, all proceeds to Swindon Mind) followed by some groovesome live Roots, Blues and Funk music from Swindon’s master of slide guitar, whisky soaked vocals and flip-flops with flares Mr Jim Blair of Hip Route fame!
Add to that all the usual Tuppenny magic and all is in place for a stonkingly good Bank Holiday.
Tyler Massey, an American-born guitarist and songwriter, has been living in the UK for twelve years, during which time he has collaborated with Vo Fletcher, The Pull, and The May Dolls. His trio features Alex Knight (bass) and Eric Hej (percussion) playing Tyler’s collection of evocative, often brazen acerbic indie-folk odes set against the backdrop of an increasingly unnerving 21st century.