Oxford Fiddle Group CD2 Recording

Recording is well under way for the Oxford Fiddle Group's second CD. This afternoon we had a four hour recording session and 10 tracks have been recorded so far.

Tom organising the fiddles

The santuary of the double bass corner

The material is well rehearsed from the Tuesday evening get togethers so the recording is a fairly relaxed affair. We always have a leisurely food break with the 'Bring-a-plate-of-food' lunch.

Lunch break

It is hoped that the CD will be finished and available by February 09, in time for our tour of the Algarve, Portugal. Details of the CD and other information about The Oxford Fiddle Group can be found at www.oxfordfiddle.co.uk

Here I'm managing to get away from the double bass for a moment

to play some mandolin on the CD

Festival Time

Yesterday was the start of the festival season for Haddenham Hoofers - two festivals in a day!

We started off at the Buckingham Festival at lunchtime, performing outside the old gaol in the town centre.

The Hoofers' Band - Ed Houghton (guitar) Tim Brooks (fiddle) me (double bass) Tim Mason (5 string banjo) and Penny Heydon (fiddle)

We then went on to the Haddenham Beer Festival to perform in the afternoon. The weather stayed sunny (despite the forecast) and the Beer Festival was extremely busy.

This photo shows the Hoofers getting ready for the first dance with the beer festival crowds looking on.

The Haddenham Hoofers are performing at the Sidmouth Folk Festival 1-8 August and Towersey Village Festival 21-25 August

The Ian English Boodlum Band

The above shows the IAN ENGLISH BOODLUM BAND, currently on their GATEWAY TO OBLIVION Tour.

The band has been described as follows:
“The Ian English Boodlum Band’s show is packed with so much zany humour, offbeat music and parody that you definitely won't leave wanting more!”
“With their own brand of wacky songs and offbeat humour, these musicians are all soloists in their own right, and it’s only when they play together the trouble starts.”

The line-up is: Ian English (vocals/keyboard), Adrian Broadway (vocals/double bass/phonofiddle/mandolin/watering can), Trevor Toms (vocals/ukulele/guitar/banjo/jug) and Dave Reece (vocals/drums/washboard),

The band metamorphose into heavy-mental legends 'BAM!' for the final part of the act. BAM! finish off the evening, in every way, with tracks from their album ‘It’s So Easy To Rock And Roll’. Fans travel a long way when BAM! are gigging, although not always in the direction of the gig

The Ian English Boodlum Band are appearing at The Court Theatre, Pendley, Tring, Hertfordshire on Tuesday 24 June at 8.30pm Tickets are £8
See http://www.image-house.co.uk/CourtTheatre/Pages/shows/ianenglish08/ianenglish08.htm for more details.

Oxford Fiddle Group Concert

It's been a busy year for the Oxford Fiddle Group. There have been many bookings and listed below are some that were particularly special.

In October 2007, we played in concerts and a barn dance in Bonn, Germany. The first photo above shows us performing at an open air concert in the city centre. I'm playing my Dean 5 string acoustic/electric bass guitar.

In April 2008 we performed on the main stage at the Oxford Folk Festival. This took place in the Oxford Town Hall and the second photo shows the performance. I'm playing my double bass.

We are playing at our second concert in six months at the Jacqueline Du Pre Building, St Hilda's College, Oxford OX1 4DY on 1st June 2008 starting at 8pm.

Tickets are £10 (£8 concessions) and are available from Tickets Oxford, The Oxford Playhouse, Beaumont Street, OXFORD, OX1 2LW or
online: www.ticketsoxford.com • email: ticketsoxford@oxfordplayhouse.com • phone: 01865 305305

We are working on our second CD which should be available from early Autumn 2008.

The Oxford Fiddle Group meets every Tuesday 8-10.30pm in Headington Quarry Village Hall, Oxford to play folk tunes from the British Isles, Europe and the USA. About 20 fiddles plus accompaniament from guitar, double bass, concertina and celtic harp make up the group.

More details can be found on the Oxford Fiddle Group website: http://www.oxfordfiddle.co.uk/