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We are an all inclusive drumming group that is based in North Yorkshire. We all have the ability to drum, we all have heart beats which are the rhythm of our souls....

Sunday 1 March 2009

More on Bat-phones and other Junk..

(continued from Comments under ex-Cowbellingo's pan-pipey bits).. I've found a super example of lovely deep resonant bat-phone playing. Go to Urban Strawberry Lunch's site, click on Myspace music link. I'm looking for a local tour date for a junk orchestra - Stomp seem to be pulling em in in London, will try to get USL update..they played in Redcar how many years ago, Aki??

15 comments:

  1. STOMP and URBAN STRAWBERRY LUNCH are just the best... Fantastic!!!.....I have seen them several times, they are very inspirational, I have a couple of DVD's of them, perhaps we should have an drumming inspirational film night with popcorn and wine? I am well into getting the batphone out again Colin....I think its great peice of kit and is under-used...both STOMP and Urban Strawberry Lunch use a floppy fexible kinda plastic bats, I can have a go at making some new ones for it...would be great if we can have that set up every session....but what about storage and how long does it take to set up?....bring it on!!!! Do you remember Urban Strawberry Lunch at our Pier Pressure Festival on the Pier...was great!!!....that us in the near future....LOL

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  2. The junk instruments are good in large spaces or outdoors, but as we know they will drown out anything else. the Batphone was made during Echo City workshops.. They had a Cd of the Skinningrove Bonfire music with these things about 1988. They also were responsible for kicking off Earthbeat locally which still goes on.
    The Echo City website seems not to be responding.
    I've never seen Urban Strawberry Lunch nor Stomp, not live in the flesh anyway. I prefer a djembe/ dundun band, it's more mobile, and on average better to dance to.

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  3. Here's a "copy & paste" link for Urban Strawberry Lunch and batphone:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLOuHGD8urk

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  4. and an even better one:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq_pahB_dgw

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  5. Nice clips Acky...youve got me thinking whether it was Echo City now at Saltburn...at the time they were all at it and cant remember who played where?

    I agree with the drowning out... but just as there is a space in the music for percussion and flute/trumpet/etc...there can be a similar space for the bat phone and other instrumants that group memebers are getting excited about?

    Putting it up at sessions is an opportunity for those who would like to explore and opportunity to practice for outside gigs...and as the nights get lighter we could possibly put it up outside?

    Perhaps if there is going to be more interest in alternative instruments and the "the drummers" want to keep a specific "drumming circle", maybe a suggestion of changing to weekly sessions with a weekly swop? One week drumming only and the other being a mixture of instrument?

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  6. Acky.....wot time were you avin your porridge this morning?

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  7. Speaking of junk bands , Ive got a CD by a Slovenian group called "STROJ" they are another great junk band with fire (which both Helen and myself have a passion for)....I'm sure they played at the Riverside Festival a couple of years ago....They have a truck all kitted out with there stuff and just stop and play....How bout we convert Colingos Berlingo to take the drummers, the batphone, Helens fire sculptures and my fire circus performers?

    Heres some cut and paste youtube links

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaR1Wh4_WQo&feature=related

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaL-IAQb_hs&feature=related

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns47FxIPBYo&feature=related

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  8. Yes, Stroj were on at Stockton weren't they, I got their CD, and I seem to recall you did. Unfortunately Stroj are primarily visual, CD not that listenable, so thanks for the links.
    I agree, making space is the way it should work, they don't work well on top of each other.
    I think the core of Ee by Drum should be the West African traditional rhythms - there's so much to learn, and all else built around, made space for or added to that.

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  9. Oh, and while we're loading up the Berlingo like an articulated truck, I'd like to do some tap dancing. This needs a wooden stage, and a floor to rehearse on that doesn't mind the hell being kicked out of it. Need some new tap shoes too. In case anyonedoesn't know what tap-dancing is, check this out!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBb9hTyLjfM
    ever seen anything better?

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  10. Go for it Acky.....
    Maybe while your up on top of the Belingo on your wooden stage, you could try that clackity clack poi ball swinging....beating out rythms in time with your new tap shoes?
    I'm not sure what its called but I saw an act once at the Riverside Festival....this tap dancing guy had hard snooker sized balls on like poi/club swinging ribbons that reached down to the wooden floor, basically he swang them round his head and body and they hit the floor in amazing ryhthms to compliment his tap dancing.....

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  11. Shuffle,tap , change. I used to go to tap classes!!!!!! Long time ago mind, we must get together on this dancing thing Acky !!!! I've just been in the kitchen playing the spoons and an old metal bread bin !!!!!

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  12. wow! grate ideas flyin around,let's talk about(e.g.) the weekly idea, one 'straight'/one experimental.. or keep to fortnightly - drum till teatime, then bring on the wild bits for the 2nd half?

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  13. Personally, I want to make progress in building up a rhythm vocabulary - spent so many years marking time, very frustrating. Now Samba Sam(bless you) is here I want to make hay. Additional stuff should be worked out in extended times. (We can still incorporate spaces into main practice of course.)
    There's only so much time, & constant jamming becomes rather unsatisfying after a while. That's not the same as the cheerful spontaneity, which is the Ee By Drum hallmark.
    For dancing we need to master some 3-beat pulsing tempos.

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  14. Colingo - didn't I see one of those Echo City Instruments , the Vibrophone, piled in Joe's allotment? That's the problem with these instruments, they need a big storage space. When Village Arts is chucked out of Stable House we'll be looking for storage.

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  15. Tap dancing blog continued as "Tap Dancing & Kindred Diversions"

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