Wukulele festival

Well it was great, and lovely.

Reasons I love going to these things:

1. I get to talk about ukuleles and everyone is also interested in them, a big change from normal life.
2. People are always nice and interesting and willing to talk to another total stranger, mainly about ukuleles.
3. Great music from great musicians. On ukuleles. And you get to meet and talk to them mostly, and I like that. I briefly spoke to Sophie Madeleine. Squee!
4. You get to try out loads of different ukuleles, maybe buy them. And buy other ukulele themed stuff.
5. You can play in front of people and they politely listen, some might even be enjoying it a bit.
6. You get to wear silly hats and no-one thinks you look silly. Well, no-one says you do.

And I got to do all these things at Wukulele festival. Thank you organisers. Thank you artists who performed and did workshops. It was all a very special and enjoyable experience. If only life was always like a ukulele festival.

Going to a festival like this is like going to a party in your teens, what you put into having fun, you will get back, be the change you want to see in the world etc.

Oh, I bought a new hat and ukulele at the festival. I was happy there.

Anyway that's my review.

Old Man, Neil Young

Old Man, Neil Young

Dm/D
Old man look at my life, I'm a lot like you were
Old man look at my life, I'm a lot like you were
D F C G
D F C F

D F
Old man look at my life
C G
Twenty four and there's so much more
D F
Live alone in a paradise
C F
That makes me think of two

D F
Love lost, such a cost,
C G
Give me things that don't get lost.
D C
Like a coin that won't get tossed
F G
Rollin' home to you.

D Am7 Em7 G D/F#

CHORUS:
D Am7 Em7 G
Old man take a look at my life I'm a lot like you
D Am7 Em7 G
I need someone to love me the whole day through
D Am7 Em7
Oh, one look in my eyes and you can tell that's true.

D F C G D F C F

Lullabies, look in your eyes,
Run around the same old town.
Doesn't mean that much to me
To mean that much to you
I've been first and last
Look at how the time goes past.
But I'm all alone at last.
Rolling home to you.

Old man look at my life, I'm a lot like you were x2 (intro chords)

D F C G

D

Taylor Mac Review

Taylor Mac says early on his show is pure "theatre" and it really is. He is dressed up like an explosion in a Quality Street factory, but he draws the whole audience out with songs, stories, poetry and emails (seriously) that he fills with panache, energy, pathos, comedy and surrealism. By the end the audience is so in his world  the whole crowd is standing up doing something fun that I'll not give away the surprise by describing.
The basic structure is the songs on Bowie's concept album "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" so songs like 5 years, Starman and Sufragette City are all in there, but interpreted in a unique way. He mixes in Tiny Tim songs too and a few others. It works a bit like the TV show Glee where the songs are part of the story and in this case it is his life story and his whole philosophy. The main theme is Comparison and how it can be used to diminish someone's originality. I am guilty of it since I just compared his show to Glee. He talks honestly about who his inspirations really were and how creativity is not something exclusive or unique, it is something we can all express and we should. He says when people compare they are saying "you are not original" I think he's right, sort of, but the main point is nothing is original and that's OK.The show is 90 minutes long and it was too short for me and only featured two songs on the uke, but still recommended to anyone from kids to trannies, I mean grannies! 10/10, 5 stars, a must see etc.
By the way, if you are a fan of Bowie, you can go and visit the street where the cover of the album was photographed, it's 23 Haddon Street just off Regent Street, quite near the Soho Theatre, you can visit there in person (http://www.5years.com/heddon.htm) or just visit via Google Maps Street view! Show is only on until the end of the week at the Soho Theatre.

Sisters of Mercy - Leonard Cohen

G C G D G C G
Oh Sisters of Mercy they are not departed or gone

Bm F#m Bm F#m D Dsus4 D
They were waiting for me when I thought that I just can't go on

C G F Em D Dsus4 D
And they brought me their comfort and later they brought me their song

G C G D G C
Oh I hope you run into them you who've been travelling so long

Yes you who must leave everything
That you cannot control
It begins with your family,
but soon it comes round to your soul
Well I've been where you're hanging
I think I can see how you're pinned
When you're not feeling holy
Your loneliness says that your've sinned

They lay down beside me
I made my confession to them
They touched both my eyes
And I touched the dew on their hem
If your life is a leaf
That the seasons tear off and condemn
They will bind you with love
That is graceful and green as a stem

When I left they were sleeping
I hope you run into them soon
Dont turn on the lights
You can read their address by the moon
And you wont make me jealous
If I hear that they sweetened your night

G C
We weren't lovers like that
G D G
And besides it would still be all right

We werent lovers like that

And besides it would still be all right

In the Pines

Settled on my own version of this for the uke. Chords are: C, C7, F, Eb, G, G7, C

In the Pines.

My girl, my girl, don't lie to me
Tell me where, where did you sleep last night?
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun never shines
I shivered the whole night through

My daddy was a railway man
Died a mile and a half from town
His head was found in a driver wheel
His body has never been found

My girl, my girl, where'd you sleep last night?
Not even your mother knows
I stayed in the pines, where the sun never shines
I shivered where the cold winds blow.

My girl, my girl, don't you lie to me
Tell me where did you get that dress?
From a man in the pines, where the sun never shines
I shivered where the cold winds blow

Look down, look down, that lonesome road,
Hang down your head and cry.
Through the pines, through the pines, where the sun never shines,
And you shiver when the cold wind blows.

Loads of wonderful versions of this song out there: http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&q=in+the+pines+lyrics

Melodic Madness

I wanted to do something where I can share my love of the uke and hopefully, the opportunity has arisen. Exchange Dublin are looking for people to participate in a "Share the Arts with Kids" thing called Melodic Mayhem which fits exactly with that. I'm going to get some ukuleles from Waltons who have offered to do me a good deal, and will start in a Saturday or two.

Played at the open mic in Shebeen Chic last night

Usually just play fun stuff, like Valerie, Blister In The Sun etc, but attempted some more heartfelt songs, which was more nerve-wracking. But it went well I think. Singing into a microphone properly will take practice. It was recorded, so when I hear the playback I'll know when I was too close or far from the mic. I sang You belong to me Chords here and also Chords: Every Rose Has It's Thorn.

My voice is still weak, hope that's just lack of practice. My stage-fright is way less too, also, practice I guess!

Visit to Duke of Uke

I'll be back, tried out about 5 ukes, but had to leave since they close at 7pm, they has a crowd arriving for lessons then, the place was full of cool uke stuff.

Visit to Hobgoblin Music

This shop has loads of character, affable staff, not the usual intimidating musician/snobs you sometimes get. Got lots of help and advice. Tried out Soprano, Tenor and Concert size ukes. Didn't find much diference in volume, and think once you go to Tenor, you may as well buy a guitar. The smaller it is, the sweeter the tome it seems, and they're cuter. They get their own type made there, the Ashbury tenor Koa semi acoustic. This was the nicest I tried, was £209 which is not a bad price and comes with a soft case too.

First post, some ukulele chords with the fingerings

Yay, first post, the chords for the ukulele, with where to put your fingers. I got it here. @KimmyVille in Kentucky didn't have a way to open pdfs, so I copied it into a web page for her here. So, anyone else wants it go ahead, but all credit goes to Kiwi Ukulele who compiled the chart!