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Pete Atkin >> Shrinks >> Shrinks gigs 2007
(Message started by: Dave_Lewis on Today at 19:50)

Title: Shrinks gigs 2007
Post by Dave_Lewis on Today at 19:50
Okay, here's some upcoming gigs.
Thursday March 15th, The Prom, Gloucester Road, Bristol. Free entry. Onstage 9.15. This will be the full band, with James Ryan sitting in for Fish minor.
Friday March 16th, The John Sebastian, Bathurst Basin,
Lower Guinea Street, Bristol BS1
- This will be a stripped down Shrinks, with Dave, Pete, myself, and Hilary. We'll be airing some of Dave's songs which we don't normally perform.
Sat 7th July, Priddy Folk Festival, Priddy, on the Mendips. We're playing the main stage, early evening. Expect beards, big jumpers, and morris dancing, although not from us.
Fri 31st Aug or Sat 1st sept, Didmarton Bluegrass Festival, Kemble Airfield, Glos. Expect banjos. Lots of 'em.

That's it so far, although we're waiting to hear about a couple of other festivals this summer.

We will probably start work on the 'difficult fourth (or is it fifth?) album soon.

Title: Re: Shrinks gigs 2007
Post by Jan on 20.03.07 at 00:32
Thanks for posting the dates Dave!
I'm afraid I couldn't make the latest gigs, the John Sebastian one sounded particularly interesting! (Much more interesting than the Oldham Coliseum's Look back in anger - as the Ice cream lady said "They're very good but its not my cup of tea)
Please post future dates, the more notice there is the easier it is to manipulate committments.

Jan

Title: Re: Shrinks gigs 2007
Post by paul.leighton on 20.03.07 at 11:01
Well, we finally made it to a Shrinks gig and discovered just how good they are.
Their songs are both witty and  tuneful and the band very tight musically. ( Guy on the keyboards is pretty good too!)

The good ship John Sebastian in Bathurst Basin, Bristol, was an interesting venue and it could have been a great night.  

Unfortunately half of the audience had clearly turned up to see (I hesitate to say
hear) the other performance (by Redd FM) and chose to talk their way through the entire
Shrinks set.  This would have been less of a problem had they stayed in the upper bar at the back. They didn't! Half a dozen of them stood in the middle of the floor - under the noses of the band - talking as if they had not seen each other for twenty years!  I swear one young woman did not stop to draw breath throughout the Shrinks performance.

I'm looking forward to catching up with the Shrinks again soon, but preferably at a venue that discourages audience participation!

Title: Re: Shrinks gigs 2007
Post by paul.leighton on 22.03.07 at 13:28
I knew there was something I had forgotten.

At the close of the Shrinks set on the John Sebastian, Dave told the audience:

"We've been the Shrinks...and you've been...talking!"

Great exit line.  

Title: Re: Shrinks gigs 2007
Post by Jan on 22.03.07 at 17:09
If you're lucky next time you'll pick one of the gigs Dave Brown organises himself. They've had them at various venues in Bristol from time to time, the last one was just before Christmas at the Bristol County Sports Club. The audience appears to consist entirely of friends and relatives of the band. Lots of them know the words and they all behave because Dave knows who they are ;)

Jan

Title: The Bell! The Bell!
Post by Dave_Lewis on 03.06.07 at 16:34
Oops! forgot to put this one on the list:
The Shrinks will be playing The Bell, Walcot Street, Bath, on Wednesday 6th June, 9pm, as part of the Bath Fringe. Full band. The Bell is a long-established venue, which looks suspiciously like a pub. Free entry. From the Bath Fringe Programme:

" Immaculately crafted Americana-influenced songs; strong on the vocals. This is Gram Parsons meets Randy Newman. This band is absolutely on top of their game and should be gracing the pages of the glossy rock monthlies by now, instead of playing The Bell. This will not always be the case - get in and hear them now.

Oo-er!

Title: Re: The Bell! The Bell!
Post by Pete Atkin on 15.06.07 at 10:28
This from last Saturday's Bath Chronicle ---

"Old rockers never die apparently, only young ones do - nor do they fade away, they just play a little quieter and take on the sensibility of country musicians. This means they slide into a groove like true pros, play with economy and restraint, sing soulfully with dulcet harmonies and just generally make a lot of grown up musical sense.  We speak of the Shrinks, Bristol's own roots rock septet that could just as well be from Bristol, Tennessee.  They are stamped from the medium tempo soulful country template authored by The Band, partly down to lead singer Dave Brown's earthy, resonant voice.  The guitars of Guy Prichard and Tim Fish both display that clean,  biting Robbie Robertson tone, Pete Atkin's piano sounds born in Memphis and Dave Lewis' bass just lives in a country groove. Their cover songs give a hint of their taste: John Hiatt, Gram Parsons, Tom Waits and of course, The Band, but what truly sets them apart are their original songs, mostly from the pen of Dave Brown. All this makes The Shrinks an outstanding band, which an audience of  all ages packed The Bell to enjoy.
--- Charley Dunlap"

Don't forget that Shrinks CDs are easily available from the Hillside online shop....


Title: Re: Shrinks gigs 2007
Post by Jan on 05.07.07 at 21:44
I hope the weather is kind to the Priddy Folk Festival (http://www.priddyfolk.org/index.htm )this weekend, the forecast is good anyway.
To quote the newsletter on the website:

SATURDAY AFTERNOON CONCERT – SWILDONS MARQUEE
The Shrinks www.theshrinks.com Every year we ask a performer who went down well in the previous years club tent to perform elsewhere in the festival, and the Shrinks just knocked everyone for six, with their quirky & often sensitive & beautiful songs courtesy of David Brown, their music is country tinged, often reminiscent of Tom Waits with a strong mix of Squeeze.

Jan
P.S. Are there any Shrinks dates set for the end of August / September apart from the Bluegrass Festival at Kemble airfield.

Title: Re: Shrinks gigs 2007
Post by Dave_Lewis on 05.07.07 at 23:52
Jan, unfortunately, we won't be playing the Bluegrass festival at Kemble airfield in August, due to other commitments. We are however playing the Bristol Harbourside Festival on Sat July 28th, 2pm-ish, on the cascade steps stage. Our next outing after that is at The Prom, Gloucester Rd Bristol, on Thursday 4th October. Meanwhile, recording for another album has commenced, with songs about horses, fires, and so on.
The weather forecast for Priddy this saturday is looking good.......

Title: Re: Shrinks gigs 2007
Post by Jan on 20.11.07 at 00:50
Just noticed there's a Shrinks gig (http://www.myspace.com/theshrinksbristol) soon:
The Shrinks
30 Nov 2007, 20:00
Bristol County Sports Club
40 Colston Street, Bristol, Southwest BS1 5AE
Cost : free

"Our annual ’don’t mention the ’C’ word gig"

It was a good gig last year!

Anything else lined up?        
Getting down from Yorkshire takes a lot of planning!
Jan

Title: Re: Shrinks gigs 2007
Post by paul.leighton on 20.11.07 at 13:50
Thank you for the timely reminder Jan.  We shall be there!  

I understand  there's a good chance we shall actually be able to hear them at Bristol County Sports Club....more than could be said for the last venue we attended - the good ship John Sebastian - where the background chatter from philistines waiting for another act to appear was insufferable!

In fairness, I have long harboured a Victor Meldrew streak and now find myself fully qualified as a grumpy old man. Well, I am when I can't hear the band which I turned up to hear!

Best
Paul



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