After a far too long career which included performing with Roy Wood, recording with Charlie Landsborough and doing Dickens with the Royal Shakespeare Company, interspersed with being the resident guitarist at Ronnie Scott’s, Steve decided to taste fear and formed Whalebone with Charlotte.
Charlotte Watson
As well as being an integral part of Whalebone (50% actually) Charlotte joined Steve in backing a variety of scary singers, some of whom are still talking to them.
Sarah Ibberson
Sarah has played in a range of musical styles from orchestral to backing all female morris dancers before seeing the light and joining Whalebone, becoming the third member of the duo....
Influences
Led Zeppelin, Richard Thompson, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Strange Sensation, Bert Jansch, Flook, Davy Spillane, Fairport Convention,
Sounds Like
2 guitarists and a fiddle player
OK, if that’s a bit vague, and you like what you can hear on the Myspace Standalone Player, you could check out the Whale Shop below. Go on, go on go on....
Whale Shop
Click on the albums below to order via Paypal using a credit or debit card. Free postage and packaging to mainland UK.
There to Here £10
Track Listing:
Carry Me Home
Can’t Stop the Tide
Arley Barley
Waiting for the Sun
Devil’s Chair
On the other side
Two Spirits
I’m not awake yet
Lost Days
Dreamstate
Music from the Green Wood £8
Track Listing
The Gathering
Annies Reel
Two Spirits
Red Haired Boy
Arley Barley
TAP
Caer Caradoc
Mucking of Geordie’s Byre
Sabrina Fair
Falling off the Edge
Til there was You
River Spirits / Come to Dance
Special Bundle Offer £15
If you’re undecided on which album to go for...why not opt for both? You can order There to Here and Music from the Green Wood for £15 including postage and packaging. Just click on the album covers below to pay through Paypal.
Whalebone is an acoustic guitar duo featuring the playing skills of Steve Downs and Charlotte Watson and a fiddle player Sarah Ibberson. We draw on influences that range from folk to blues and rock, and our performances feature Celtic flavoured originals alongside classic guitar tunes and traditional tunes (the fiddler's influence). Gigs also include music from the current C.D's ‘There to here’ and 'Music from the Green Wood'.
We host regular monthly music nights at Cinnamon Coffee and Meeting House in Bridgnorth www.cinnamoncoffee.co.uk on the forth Tuesday of each month. A few times a year we arrange something to happen at the Greenwood Centre in Coalbrookdale www.greenwoodcentre.org.uk generally on a Friday. Check the gig list for dates at this venue. Both venues are great with an impressive selection of cake and different guest artists share the night with us each month. Check the websites for more info on the venues and see the maps below for how to get there...
How to find Cinnamon Coffee & Meeting House...
How to find the Green Wood Centre...
Any local artists that are interested in performing at any of our music nights please get in touch. We aim to promote and support original live acoustic music in our area of the world, and put on a good show for the people who come and support us. For dates and more details see the gig list. We successfully applied for a small grant from Bridgnorth District Arts to help support the nights held at Cinnamon Coffee and Meeting House and have applied for another to continue the high quality of performances we have offered over the past 12 months.
If you would like to be on our mailing list and receive our monthly newsletter 'Whalemail' which will keep you informed and updated on what we are up to including gigs, workshops and Steve jokes... please email
whalebone-music@tiscali.co.uk
Workshops
Steve leads a regular music workshop at Cinnamon Coffee and Meeting House in Bridgnorth. The aim of the workshops are to provide a supportive and friendly environment to create some great music, offer some tips and have some fun. All instruments and abilities are welcome, so far we have had guitars, fiddles, keyboards, eastern drums, bass guitars, banjo, flute, vocals and handclaps up to now... Char will make you a cuppa in the interval too. Admission is £4, they take place periodically on a Thursday evening starting at 7.30pm. For the dates, please check our gig list.. or if we're really on top of things, the poster below should have the next date...
External Links
Trad Music
Check out Tradmusic via the link below. It is a great website for all things folky. We along with lots of other bands and venues are listed and the site is well worth a visit, just click on the image...
Rock 'n' Roots Festival
Whalebone have been booked to play this new eclectic festival is buried in the heart of ciderland, showcasing folk, blues and rock'n'roots for all ages. Two Big Top marquees and an outdoor stage will be hosting the music over the bank holiday weekend. Marillion and USA legendary axe man Steve Cropper, alongside reformed blues rockers Bad Company and Curved Air, The Animals, Rachel Unthank & the Winterset, Thunderclap Newman and Martyn Jospeh will be featuring amongst the hefty blues and folk roots line up. Tickets will be on sale from 8th April 2008. See www.rocknroots.co.uk/ for more details.
Festival at the Edge
A weekend of delights: tall tales, terrific tellers, magical music, together in a magical setting...Much Wenlock!
Festival at the Edge is a story telling festival. Stories to make you laugh, cry and wonder. FATE is a festival for everyone, not just for those already bitten by the story bug and includes musical performances. The festival was rained off last year with the summer floods and unfortunately lost Arts Council funding for this year. But despite all this, this year is going ahead and Whalebone have been booked...Woo Hoo. Check out the link below to read more about the festival and performers. www.festivalattheedge.org/
Hello, If you have time, come and listen my track "Ne pas s'asseoir S.V.P." (Don't Sit Down, Please), in the little red player, on the left of "my friends". Give me your opinion. Thanks, One Sug' Salut, Si vous avez un peu de temps, venez écouter "Ne pas s'asseoir S.V.P.", dans le petit lecteur rouge, à gauche des "mes amis". Donnez-moi votre avis. Merci, One Sug'
I've just dropped college. Gonna go back in September and redo the second year. I had too much time off one way or another so couldn't pull back the work. Ah well. :)
Well the Jaco and Otway influences were more aspirational than actual but if I could I would! Please drop in on our gigs if you can. It would be great to meet you too. Best Wishes Dan James
Hi Whalebone! Thank you for the lovely comments- I am back in Bridgnorth on 20th April at The Bell and Talbot, so maybe bump into you then!? I really like the music that you have up here- keeping music alive! Keep up the good work and keep in touch! Thanks again, Anna Rice.
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Sorry could not make last night Di is getting ready to go to Austria for a weeks holiday with our daughter and family on Friday.I will be hear as I still have two weeks Panto to do. Be in touch soon
Hi Great night last night at Railway sorry we could not stop right to the end . Di and myself would like to wish you all A HAPPY ,HEATHLY & MUSICAL NEW YEAR See you soon
