Humph Bennett - vocals, acoustic 6 string guitar, soprano and concert ukuleles and some props etc.!!...............................................................................
John Blake - vocals, acoustic 6 string and 12 string guitar, soprano and baritone ukuleles, mandolin and props.
Influences
Everly Brothers, Lennon & McCartney, Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, Leon Redbone, Jimmy Rogers, Inkspots, Flanagan & Allen, even Laurel & Hardy ...............................................................................
Review by Jim Tigwell, Nova Scotia Folk Club, Bristol - 31st January 2005............. "A Real Performance, including songs by the Everly Brothers, cowboy songs and Laurel & Hardy songs, all done in their wonderfully individual way and in perfectly matched harmony"
Sounds Like
We want to sound like "The Willbees". We are not loud or "flash" - and try to make people relax and smile a whole lot more. Someone labelled us "Harmony & Nonsense" don't know who it was, it might have been us? -------------------------------
When we do other people's songs we make a point of not copying them but try to develop our own ideas into them, to put our own stamp on them.
We are a harmony duo, performing regularly around the Bristol, Gloucestershire and Somerset folk/roots scene, we have even been known to reach as far as the likes of Wiltshire when there is a following wind.
We are both singers and acoustic guitarists, although the debate on the latter will cause a lot of "falling about with laughter". We have recently developed an interest in playing ukuleles, would you believe in three different sizes, which has added a new and surprisingly popular feature to the act. Well, they are easier to play and fortunately for us everybody loves the sound. We firmly believe in the comment from the great LWIII that "If everybody in the world was given a Ukulele at birth ------------ There would be World Peace" ---------------------------------------------
Our repertoire does not fall into one particular category. We include folk, country, ballads, light comedy and some really silly stuff, and just about any other style, selecting our songs chiefly on the basis of strong harmony.
As well as many local gigs and some live radio work we played the main stage at Priddy Folk Fayre 2006, providing what the organisers described as the "alternative" set.
We find these days that nearly everybody needs a break from hardcore folk so we get drafted into all sorts of festivals, charity events, village days, society events etc. In fact we like nothing better than to be dragged along to play at special garden parties or birthdays where we can cause a bit of mayhem with our silly brand of old nonsense, allowing a few fun loving audience members or musicians to join in and make sure it's something we will all remember. -----------------------------------------------------------------
Our main base club is The Nova Scotia Folk Club in Bristol -- www.novascotiafolkclub.co.uk -- on a Monday. Also Beeses bar & tea garden on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month, April to September.
The Atomic Rays couldn't get arrested at The Reckless Engineer!
Well not so far, anyway...
Despite some fantastic turnouts at The Prom, The Cat and The Bunch of Grapes etc, we just don't seem to get more than a small (but beautifully formed) crowd at The Pub Opposite Temple Meads.
Well, we're there (The Reckless Engineer, that is) on Friday (25/4/08) and its free.
We Freespirit are coming on our U.K. tour in a few weeks time,and playing @ the Songsmith @ THe Wolf. We need some friends and people to come down,so we get a few squids in our pocket.This Tour has been very expensive,coming from austria,and we are trying to get a few pound back,asking people to come down to an enjoyable night of live music,hope to see you there.
Also we are looking for a few more gigs,if you have any contact E-mails for the Bristol,Bath area,hope to hear from you,and thanks
Hello, good to meet you the other night at the nova scotia, hopoefully we will be back down there before too long! Thanks for the friend request, Laura, Sarah & Jo x
Hi Guys,I've finally got Helena to start the Myspace thing although I am answering this time as she is not here at the moment. My you've got some pretty famous friends - how did you manage that?
Please check out the song on our MySpace which was written and recorded *about* us by ANGELINA JOLIE's *uncle*....the same guy who wrote the classic songs WILD THING and ANGEL OF THE MORNING, and many more....Chip Taylor (AKA James Voight)....(Chip also *discovered* JAMES TAYLOR, producing his very first album in 1967.)
