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[Andy Mulhern]

www.myspace.com/southerntenantfolkunion

Like Aberfeldy crashing head-first into Bluegrass. Spiritual supervision from "God", Bruce Springsteen and Steve Earle!

STFU are a brand new London-based gospel influenced six-piece playing around with their own mix of old-time, bluegrass and Celtic folk music. With impressive harmony singing, banjo picking, mandolin chopping and fiddle sawing, this exquisite bluegrass sensation combine acoustic savagery with sacred-harp vocals into a high-octane review of up-tempo ass-kickers and mountain ballad laments.

" ... STFU have some future ahead of them - with singing and picking of this quality, with a good line in original songs and enough beautiful old songs in their head to fill 10 sets, these guys should be competing on both sides of the Atlantic… penetrating... impressive harmonising and showmanship that came over as sincere and affecting."
Americana UK

With their début album recently completed, the band appropriate their themes, ideas and metaphors from traditional folk songs and 20th century Americana music to document and reflect modern life through styles popularised by musicians such as The Carter Family, The Stanley Brothers and even Dillard & Clark.

Pat McGarvey, band member and songwriter for (ex Long Ryder) Sid Griffin’s bluegrass project The Coal Porters since 1993, has served his musical apprenticeship touring the world and recording a number of albums, as well as countless collaborations with other key Americana acts including Tandy, Amy Rigby, Ian Dunlop (of Gram Parsons’ International Submarine Band), Rosie Flores, Jason McNiff, Bob Neuwirth & The Arlenes.

Keen to find a more personal outlet for his writing, in early 2006, McGarvey gathered a collective of like minded musicians that share his love of traditional music, but each with their own individual take on such tradition; Oliver Talkes (guitar), who’s unique, soulful voice is at the heart of the STFU sound. Pete Gow (guitar), from the Alt Country band Case Hardin who has performed with the likes of Chris Mills, Stacey Earle and Caitlin Cary. Frances Vaux (Fiddle) with her background in jazz and Irish Folk and anchored by stalwarts of the London folk scene Eamon Flynn (mandolin) and Matt Lloyd (upright bass).

Having spent the remainder of 2006, shaping the songs and honing their stage craft through extensive live performances in and around London, Southern Tenant Folk Union have produced and recorded a much anticipated album of original material which will see a release in January 2007.


Blue Flint - www.myspace.com/blueflint
Blueflint are Deborah Arnott and Clare-Louise Neilson. They started playing banjo music together in the summer of 2003 combining the picking style of banjo playing with the clawhammer technique. Their songs, which are heavily influenced by American Old Time and Bluegrass music, range from melancholy love songs to ballads of revenge and regret accompanied by their intertwining banjo styles and infused with smooth vocals and harmonies.

"Drawing mostly from their own material, Deborah Arnott and Clare-Louise Neilson played what could very loosely be described as bluegrass-derived songs, but they weren't afraid to play around with the genre, exceptional harmonising."
The Scotsman

Banjo-picking-tastic
Vocoustics

[Andy Mulhern]

Bumppity dump!

Also listen out on Iain Anderson BBC Radio Scot (22:30 - 00:30) this week as he is playing a number of STFU songs (or so I have been told?!)

BBC - Radio Scotland - Iain Anderson

[Andy Mulhern]

Tonight Folks!

Wow!
3rd of out 10 "Great things to do this Weekend"
EE "Whats on" today!

[Dave]

Absolutely splendid gig. Just what I needed. The performance in front of the stage was a great Lemon Tree moment.

[Graeme]

Originally Posted by Dave

The performance in front of the stage was a great Lemon Tree moment.

Yip. Almost on my knee!

[Shaki]

All the acts were impressive. Middle aged banjo ladies aren't really my thing but they plied their trade very pleasantly. Thought the Pictones were excellent. Southern Tenant Folk Union were the business. Midweek pints of Tennents at the Lemon Tree are helluva tasty too. Add an attentive audience and you've got yourself a great night. My only complaint was a bit too much "Andy from Vocoustics" ass-kissing over the mic.........

[Andy Mulhern]

Aye. I really enjoyed the night and the encore in the middle of The LT was great.
I will put up photo soon......


Also a download of the Inverness gig the following night is available, 44 mins but it stops just as they leave the stage to do the truely unplugged encore

http://www.the-medicineshow.co.uk/radio/stfu.mp3