Demon Barbers

Subject: Demon Barbers
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 07:39 AM

How good are these then?

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 08:04 AM

Good.

eric

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 08:07 AM

Very, very good. Fine playing and singing, Black Swan Rapper, Dogrose Morris, Taylor Sisters Stepdancing . . .

Downloads here.

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: LesB
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 09:26 AM

Damien is on his own at our club tonight Bothy Folk Club Southport
The full Demon Barbers put on a great show.
Cheers
Les

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: Tradsinger
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 10:08 AM

Saw them at Sidmouth - terrific show and terrific energy,all English based music. The only criticism was that it was difficult to make out the words above the amplification.

Gwilym

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: GUEST,hen harrier
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 10:26 AM

How often have we said that.......moan, moan, moan!

Aren't most sound engineers deaf anyway through constant abuse of their hearing from having their equipment too loud or are they just plain, bloody insensitive?

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: *Laura*
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 12:47 PM

The sound at sidmouth was just generally not great - but the band are fantastic and put on an amazing show.
xLx

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 01:40 PM

Maybe the sound problem is due to hiring in soundmen who are more used to PA-ing rock bands than acoustic music?

At the Gainsborough Festival, we use the soundman and rig that Amazing Blondel use for UK gigs - not cheap, but very experienced in amplification of multiple voices and acoustic instruments played by very pernicketty and demanding musicians. Result? Wonderful, crystal-clear sound at sensible levels. Every artist we've booked has been highly complimentary about the high-quality of our sound, and we've never had a complaint from the punters about volume.

Maybe some festival organisers need to be more selective?

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: Kaleea
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 02:15 PM

Yeah, I knew a demon barber once, in Seville.

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: Lizzie Cornish
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 02:22 PM

So...getting back on thread here guys....

....The Demon Barbers are Awesome!!! We also saw them at Sidmouth for the first time ever and have become huge fans of them ever since. They're an entire mini-folk festy all on their own!

AND I'll let you into a wonderful not so secret-secret. Did you know that if you sign up to the messageboard, you can then download the ENTIRE 'Uncut' CD? AND it's brilliant! AND 'Waxed' is too...you can even hear Tiny and Fiona Taylor clog dancing on that one...AND Damien and Bry chatter away on their site to everyone, in an extremely funny and very entertaining away!

Here it is:

http://www.thedemonbarbers.com/

Just click on 'downloads' at the top of the page and off you go. There is a fantastic track on there called 'Ready For The Dance' which I absolutely love. It is a real story-picture song...so many lovely images in there...here's the tracklist:

http://www.thedemonbarbers.com/Default.aspx?tabid=94

AND...you can even download some of their dance videos...the Firedance is great! Here's the selection:

http://www.thedemonbarbers.com/default.aspx?tabid=151

And don't forget to read all about poor ol' Bryony Griffith's bad thumb in the 'Don't be daft' section of the messageboard, under the title of 'Too Late, I Already Have Been'....and pop in to wish her well and then send out those healing thoughts to her!

Apologies for rambling....but I think they are absolutely fantastic!

Lizzie :0)

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: Folkiedave
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 04:14 PM

I am a great fan of theirs. Go and see them when you get chance.

Dave

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: GUEST,hen harrier
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 10:11 PM

Agreed!

I know there are some good ones around, maybe we should draw up a short list.

Ones I can immediately think of:
Alan Horton in the Milton Keynes area, used to do Towersey & Sidmouth and local MK gigs; Matt Purcell, related to wonderful local singer Kate Purcell & sound engineer in our wonderful local theatre/arts centre "Glor" in Ennis, Co. Clare; Martin O'Malley of the Malbay Recording Studio, also here in Co. Clare.

Maybe other people can come up with some more, we need to know & they deserve to get the business!

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: GUEST,hen harrier
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 10:18 PM

I think we need to start a new thread here, see under "Tech: Sound Engineers"!

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: GUEST,Joe_F
Date: 20 Nov 05 - 10:24 PM

Sweeny Todd came from Seville?

--- Joe Fineman    [e-mail]

||: We are here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is. :||

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: GUEST,Billy
Date: 21 Nov 05 - 12:17 AM

The Demon Barbers need to find out about a song by John Forster on his "Helium" album where he uses the "Barber of Seville" music and uses references to all the demon barbers (including Sweeny Todd) in the lyrics. The people who get knocked off are legion (and useless!)
The sound effects on the track (guns, incoming shells, machine guns, explosions, as well as the "zeet! zeet! zeet! zeet!" violins from "Psycho" are also hillarious.

His web site is at http://www.johnforster.com/

Figaro Todd

This is the tale of a barber,
This barber was rather odd.
His Christian name was Figaro.
His family name was Todd.
He serviced his regular clients
With true dispatch and skill.
This is the tale of Figaro Todd,
The Demon Barber of Seville.
Count Almaviva had no life.
He tried to boink the barber's wife.
So when 'twas time to trim his mop
Figaro took a whole lot of the top.

Then Cherubino, horny youth,
Called Figaro to pull his tooth.
But Todd got in a jealous huff
And pulled a bunch of unrelated stuff.

Figaro clip, Figaro snip.
Figaro slice, Figaro dice.
Figaro chop, Figaro lop.
Figaro hack, Figaro whack,
Just unbridle all that homocidal rage.

A couple blocks from Figgie's shop
Lived Don Giovanni, famous fop.
The cad came in with two days' beard.
When Todd was done two weeks worth disappeared.

Outside a bullring down the road
Carmen caught a dasty code.
She called for leeching, which was dumb. [Figaro!]
He leeched the mezzo straight to kingdom come.

With every slash, every cut, [Figaro!]
He was getting revenge, revenge for what? [Figaro!]
Maybe a snub deep in his past. [Figaro!]
Maybe they always chose him last. [Ahhhhh!]
Nobody knew, hadn't a clue.
It's simply what Demon Barbers do.

They clip and they rip
And they slash and they bash
They sever and shatter and batter and mangle and maim.

Don Miguel, the Demon Barber of Castile,
Heard of Figaro's success and couldn't deal.
He packed his razors, shouting "Vengeance will be mine."
But by now, Todd had set off on a journey down the Rhein.

Those Rheinmaids' singing made him sick.
A depth charge shut them up real quick.
Then the high point of the week--
Eight Valkyries mit plastique.

The barber switched on A&E
And saw Three Tenors, count 'em, Three.
He did his thing and when 'twas done
He'd reduced the tenor count to less than one.

John Denver caught the barber's eye.
(Heave your cleaver high, Figgie.)
He lowered his Rocky Mountain High.
(Yanni, too, must die, Figgie.)
And Yanni at the Acropolis
(Phony phony man.)
Another one whose work we'd never miss.

Figaro biff! Figaro boom! George Winston!
Figaro bang! Figaro zoom! Zamfir!
Figaro wham! Figaro blam! Kenny G!
Figaro klonk! Figaro bonk! Michael Bolton!

Figaro mutilate, Figaro lacerate,
Figaro sever and mangle and maim.
Figaro, oh what a wonderful game,
Oh, what a wonderful wonderful game.

Figaro whack 'em and Figaro hack 'em and
Figaro stack 'em and Figaro
Slit 'em and split 'em and pit 'em and hit 'em and
Slit 'em and split 'em and pit 'em and hit 'em again.

Stab 'em and slab 'em and
Maul 'em and haul 'em and
Claw 'em and saw 'em and
Snip 'em and
Clip 'em and grip 'em and rip 'em and whip 'em and
Sever and shatter and batter and mangle and maim.

Puncture rupture sunder and kill,
Demon Barber (incoming shell sound)
Barber of Seville.

Hatcheta hatcheta hatcheta hatcheta hatcheta
Butchery butchery butchery butchery
Barber of Seville.

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: Lizzie Cornish
Date: 21 Nov 05 - 06:42 AM

Gosh! :0)

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 21 Nov 05 - 03:10 PM

I only asked.

Bought 'Waxed' on hearing one track at Big Pink Records, Manchester. Taped it this morning. It got me to Wythenshawe on the walkman and bike, just as the clogs kicked in.

Excellent!

Any other bands like this?

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 22 Nov 05 - 12:51 PM

Any other bands like this?

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: Grab
Date: 22 Nov 05 - 01:32 PM

Nice one Billy - have to get a copy of that! (Good argument for allowing Guests to post unrestricted. :-)

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 22 Nov 05 - 06:59 PM

Also saw them in Sidmouth, lined up prior to Bellowhead, so WHAT a concert! No,no other band quite like them, and the dance was fantastic - ever seen rapper done to heavy drum and bass? But it worked admirably!
TB

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: GUEST,Billy
Date: 22 Nov 05 - 08:54 PM

Grab, you have to hear "Figaro Todd" on the CD. Writing out the lyrics just doesn't do it justice. There are incredible sound effects throughout the "Helium" CD and John Forster's writing is satirical and hillarious. The "Helium" track has him inhaling helium and singing very high (at one point he goes so high that he disappears (sound effect: dogs barking). Then his take on gays in the military "In the Closet" (sample:
'Senator Nunn was under the gun
So he launched a special probe,
Which found that gays upset your average normal homophobe.
"Can't be done," said Senator Nunn.
"Why not?" said Bill and Al.
"You put the fruits in combat boots
And there goes your morale!"')
OJ Simson gets the treatment in his poem "The juice a la Seuss".

In his first album "Entering Marion" (a pun on signs on New England roads in the title track), he skewers Paul Simon "Fusion", The Germans "Whole" (goes the whole gamut, including Valkeries), The Japanese "Article Nine", McDonalds "Big Mac Tree", Shallow people, Codependent people and provides an explanation for several oddities of humanity ("Tone Deaf").

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: Lizzie Cornish
Date: 23 Nov 05 - 09:06 AM

Totally agree Tattie! I was staggered to begin with! Then I felt immensely proud to be watching them and to see how wonderful English music and dance can be....and then...I got ANGRY! Angry at the way our music and dance is so ridiculed by er....us English!!

If The Demon Barbers show was on TV they would be taken up by every theatre in London...begging them to put on an English 'Riverdance' (please let's not all get into an arguement over Michael Flatley though eh?) ;0)I'm talking about the excitement aspect of it all. But they are just sitting there, waiting for the right person to take notice of them!

They have a lot of pride in what they do I think. Just imagine a huge stage filled with dancers and musicians like that.....but with flaming swords as well!

If anyone reads this thread, and they've not seen The Demon Barbers....then you so have to go! They are SO visual and SO exhilirating to watch and hear! When Tiny and Fiona Taylor finished their clog dancing, the cheer that went up over Sidmouth was incredible. And as for the lads..well...I'd had to nip out for the 'call of the wild' with my young lad, but on the way back to the marquee, you could hear the crowd erupting and I thought 'Blimey!..What have I missed!!!"...then I came in and caught the last few seconds...and realised!

I would LOVE to see them back again at Sidmouth next year, but this time as a Headline Act. And, not that I'm into the Folk Awards very much these days, but The Demon Barbers should imo, definitely win the BEST LIVE ACT category...simply because...they are! :0)

Lizzie :0)

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Nov 05 - 09:20 AM

Quite good then?

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: Lizzie Cornish
Date: 23 Nov 05 - 12:11 PM

;0) ;0)

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 24 Nov 05 - 11:30 AM

Any others like this?

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 25 Nov 05 - 10:04 AM

When I was a 12 year old kid in Chicago, a demon barber cut my hair. He thought it was extremely funny to plug/connect his METAL hanger rack directly into an electric socket outlet. For me, as a kid, it was a harrowing and shocking experience when I grabbed a hanger to hang up my coat. I never went back to the guy for a haircut after that.---That must've been about 1953. This is the first time I've had an excuse to remember it!

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Nov 05 - 11:22 AM

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Nov 05 - 11:23 AM

didn't reckon much to his outburst in the shower bloc at this year's moor & coast festival nor did the other people who were there.

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: LesB
Date: 25 Nov 05 - 04:41 PM

I thought that old chestnut was dead & buried.
I think all that needs to be said on the subject, has been.
Les

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: Lizzie Cornish
Date: 25 Nov 05 - 05:24 PM

The Demon Barbers should have DEFINITELY been in the Radio 2 nominations for Best Live Act 2006.

And they should have won it too....

Because....they are 'Best Live Act'




Lizzie :0)

Subject: RE: Demon Barbers
From: greg stephens
Date: 25 Nov 05 - 05:28 PM

Trouble with shower blocs is you get GUESTS hanging round in them. Bit creepy, isn't it?