Bristol Radical History Week 2006: Performers
The following groups and indeviduals performed at Bristol Radical History Week 2006.
Leon Rosselson: In the early days of the folk revival, he was a member of the Galliards with whom he made numerous radio and TV broadcasts and concert appearances. He started writing songs seriously (and humorously) in the early 1960s and hasn't stopped yet. His early songs were topical-satirical (some of them were featured on TV's satire show That Was The Week That Was) but he broadened out from there, absorbing different influences, from Music Hall to French Realist Song, and experimenting with different song forms.
He has performed in every conceivable venue around the country and toured North America, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland and Australia. He has written songs and scripts for Inter-Action's Dogg's Troupe and the Fun Art Bus, songs for a stage production at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, of They Shoot Horses, Don't They? and shows for performance with Roy Bailey and Frankie Armstrong, including the anti-nuclear No Cause for Alarm.
His song The World Turned Upside Down has been recorded and popularised by, amongst others, Dick Gaughan and Billy Bragg (who took it into the pop charts in 1985) and has been sung on numerous demonstrations in Britain and the USA. His Ballad of a Spycatcher, ridiculing the ban on Peter Wright's book, went into the Indie Singles charts in 1987 in a version backed by Billy Bragg and the Oyster Band.
In addition to writing songs for children and giving children's concerts in both Britain and the USA, he has had 17 children's books published. His first book, 'Rosa's Singing Grandfather' published by Puffin, was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal in 1991. The latest books are 'Pumpkin's Downfall', HarperCollins, published in 2000 and 'Home Is A Place Called Nowhere', published by Oxford University Press in December 2002. A stage show based on his children's story 'The Greatest Drummer In The World' was premiered at the Drill Hall, London, in December 2002 with Elizabeth Mansfield and Anna Mudeka and will tour the country from mid-February to the end of April 2004.
Robb Johnson: Robb Johnson is now widely recognised as one of the finest songwriters working in the UK today. His songs feature in the repertoires of a wide variety of musicians, from folk legend Roy Bailey to acclaimed cabaret diva Barb Jungr, & he enjoys a similarly diverse spectrum of critical acclaim - "a modern-day Dostoyevsky" said the US's Dirty Linen, Mojo made the double CD Gentle Men Folk Album Of The Month, while The Daily Telegraph made it their Folk Album Of 1998, & Tony Benn says Johnson's "Winter Turns To Spring" is his favourite song.
He has played pubs, clubs, pavements, pickets & benefits, arts centres & festivals, local radio, BBC Radio 3 & 4, Belgian Radio 1, Nicaraguan TV & Channel 4, the Albert Hole in Bristol &, as part of Roy Bailey's 1998 concert, the Albert Hall in London.
Robb has worked with a variety of bands, with friend & fellow songwriter Leon Rosselson, as well as solo. In 1997 Robb wrote the song suite Gentle Men, an ambitious family history of the first world war, for the Passendael Peace Concert, & subsequently toured it successfully in Britain too. He also plays extensively in Belgium, Holland & Germany, & he has toured Britain supporting Chumbawamba, & the US with David Rovics.
His label Irregular Records has also facilitated releases by a variety of song-orientated artists, including an album celebrating the work of Jacques Brel that has done much to focus a renewed interest in the chanson genre.
He has also translated several of Brel's songs & performed concerts celebrating Brel's life & work. Last year saw the publication of a biography of Yoko Ono that Robb has co-written (Woman, published by Chrome Dreams), & a double CD of previously unreleased songs by Robb entitled Tony Blair: My Part In His Downfall (Irr054). In spring 2005, Robb released a voice & acoustic guitar album A Beginner's Guide (Irr057), containing a mixture of old favourites, current live favourites & unreleased songs. The new album Metro, with no guitar & piano accompaniment, represents an exciting new development in Robb's songwriting & performing career.
The Red Hot Frilly Kickers: Hot from the festival circuit the cracking Can Can troupe The Red Hot Frilly Kickers helped to Hosanna our James Nayler into Corn St.and into history.
Surfin' Turnips: The Turnips brought a shredding ramonewurzel pirate punk to the outcasts of the nations of the earth in Bristol Radical History Week. As they say themselves 'We believe in the holy apple and the destiny of the Westcountry Republic - controlled by the punk rock community of the Apple Bretheren'. Visit them here. The Surfin' Turnips performed at The Junction on Wednesday 1st November and in the afternoon at the Seven Stars Pub on Sunday 4th November.
The Blew Regiment Of The Sealed Knot: The Blew Regiment of The Cittie of London Trayned Bandes was a Foot Regiment which fought on the side of Parliament in the Civil Wars of the 1640's. These Wars resulted in the execution of the Charles Stuart (or the King as our Royalist opponents like to call him) and England becoming a Republic until 1660.
Foot Regiments such as ours, fought with muskets and the fearsome 16 foot long pike. The London Trayned Bandes were recruited from the prosperous merchant classes of the City and at the start of the Civil War were the only large group of properly trained soldiers in the country. Along with most of the South and East of England they were firm supporters of Parliament against a King who claimed to rule by Divine Right.
Our recreated Regiment honours our 17th century forebears and is a very active part of the Sealed Knot Society which has several thousand members and is the largest society of its type in Europe. Only a society the size of the Sealed Knot can put on a battle which recreates the real thing with massed cannon, cavalry charges, the smoke and noise of huge musket volleys and the sheer brute force of pike blocks engaging the enemy at closest order. If you've not seen an SK major battle you've missed out on one of the most impressive spectacles around.
Put briefly, our aim is to promote the memory of arguably the most important event in our history and to have an enormous amount of fun at the same time!
The Harry Browns: We sing both traditional & contemporary songs, but with an emphasis on songs from the West Country. The Harrys enjoy singing and sharing that enjoyment with anyone who chooses to listen. We hope to keep alive the memory & traditions of the sea-faring people of Bristol. Although shanties were working songs sung on board ship we believe that, these days , they are better enjoyed when sung by everyone - Harrys and audience alike. The Harry Browns played at Can't Y'Dance The Polka? on Saturday 4th November.
Gunner's Mate: David Bacon & Simon Hall, who together form "Gunner's Mate", have known each other about 25 years, during which time they have sung, played and performed together in a variety of guises and disguises. They share a background of messing about in boats (sometimes quite big ones) and messing about with music & drama. The "Gunner's Mate" format was born in about 1994 when Simon was living on his barge in Falmouth. GM performances have been rare in the last few years as Simon now lives in Exeter. David is still in Falmouth where he performs regularly, playing hurdy gurdy, bagpipes and fiddle - mostly for dancing. Simon has become a theatre director, producer and performer in Exeter. They have joyfully re-formed for this fortuitous festival and will be giving it their all in their inimitable style! Gunner's Mate are played at Can't Y'Dance The Polka? on Saturday 4th November.
