Bellowhead in Pontardawe

Subject: Bellowhead in Pontardawe
From: GUEST,Albert
Date: 01 Feb 08 - 01:39 PM

Bellowhead played to a packed and enthusiastic audience in Pontardawe's Art Centre last night.Great gig from this eleven strong ensemble.
One of the best bands I have seen and quite unique in their lineup of brass,fiddles,cello,banjo, squeezeboxes and now bagpipes!
Thanks Bellowhead!
Albert

Subject: RE: Bellowhead in Pontardawe
From: GUEST,Guest Carrie
Date: 02 Feb 08 - 06:57 PM

Bellowhead blew my head in Cardigan tonight

Subject: RE: Bellowhead in Pontardawe
From: Captain Ginger
Date: 03 Feb 08 - 09:06 AM

I was at the Cardigan gig too - it was superb, with some great new material from the guys (I loved the Seventies wah-wah bazouki playing from Beni Kirkpatrick!). An absolutely brilliant night out.
Anyone despairing about the future of folk music, go and see them (or have a look at the stuff on YouTube). The future is in safe hands.

Subject: RE: Bellowhead in Pontardawe
From: GUEST,James H
Date: 04 Feb 08 - 07:39 AM

"and now bagpipes" but surely they've had bagpipes all along??

Subject: RE: Bellowhead in Pontardawe
From: GUEST,albert
Date: 05 Feb 08 - 02:14 AM

Well I saw Bellowhead a year ago in concert and didn't see anyone playing the bagpipes [I think they might have been northumbrian] but the young musician playing them ,who also played a mean fiddle was not on stage with them last year....albert

Subject: RE: Bellowhead in Pontardawe
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 05 Feb 08 - 03:03 AM

Giles Lewin has been playing bagpipes and violin in Bellowhead ever since the first time they played out at Oxford Festival almost four years ago.

Subject: RE: Bellowhead in Pontardawe
From: Mick Tems
Date: 05 Feb 08 - 09:38 AM

Yes - I was there (at the Ponty arts centre.) From the shape and style of the pipes Giles was playing, I think they are Leicestershire bagpipes. What a fantastic band - there will be a review on the Taplas website any day now!

Subject: RE: Bellowhead in Pontardawe
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Feb 08 - 10:23 AM

For those of us who don't know them, it always nice to include a link. Listening to their "disco sea shanty" right now. Sounds great!

Subject: RE: Bellowhead in Pontardawe
From: GUEST,James H
Date: 05 Feb 08 - 12:05 PM

Thanks Diane, I thought that was the case but was doubting myself. Not sure they use the pipes that much though, certainly not on every song/tune.

I do know though that they've had various people depping for Giles over the last few years (Helena Reynolds from Crucible and Sam Sweeney from Kerfuffle) both of whom play pipes and fiddle. Sounds like it was Sam you saw, Albert.

Subject: RE: Bellowhead in Pontardawe
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 05 Feb 08 - 12:32 PM

All the Bellowheaders have to have deps. It comes of being in about 150 bands each. Can you imagine the logistics of getting all 11 in one place at the same time?

Re Fire Marengo live disco version. This is a whole lot more exciting than the studio version on Burlesque.

Subject: RE: Bellowhead in Pontardawe
From: GUEST,albert
Date: 05 Feb 08 - 01:18 PM

It was a young fair haired man and ever so talented!! fiddle and pipes!n Can I just say I love the song Across The Line...very moving and evocative!
albert

Subject: RE: Bellowhead in Pontardawe
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 05 Feb 08 - 01:30 PM

That sounds like Sam Sweeney. He's fairish and just 18. He plays English border pipes which he learned in six weeks. As well as being a fantastic violin player he also plays the nyckelharpa. I really do dislike him so much!