....................

Technology can sometimes be a nightmare, couple it with one own complete stupidity and a whole World can come apart.....

But I’ve an excuse.  I was feeling very pleased with myself, I had just all but for the crossing of ts and the dotting of I’s finished a Web Site for Malvern’s Allport Nurseries.  Nothing too complicated but picture rich and for a business site quite heavy on the pages, and it had been built from a blank sheet.  ....

And it was in the saving of this site that everything went wrong.   In that blasé way that one does, I clicked the buttons and then suddenly realised I had stuck it in the wrong Directory, worse the editing programme had saved it into Acoustic Rotherham’s Directory, and worse still over written the entire main Acoustic Rotherham Web Site!!!!  ....

Well that killed my self congratulating mood. ....

And of course my disc scrubber proved to be efficient and cleaned the site down the drain never to be rescued.  ....

No point in crying, no point in kicking poor old Mac Masher, nothing was going to bring 100+ pages of the site back into an editable mood. ....

The good thing is that the site was on the server.  ....

So the Acoustic Rotherham / Masher site is still there for all to see and use, but quite simply it will be a week or two before the site is properly updated with Gigs etc.  However, I do have access to the site and can place urgent news on the Front Page News Feed, so I can still get your Gigs up there. ....

The site was though becoming just a little cumbersome and heavy, and so this might all be a blessing in disguise as it means I can give the it the major revamp it needed – so watch out the new site will be brighter and packed with the information and services that you have told us that you will use.....

The site gets over 1500 unique ISP hits a week now.  Unfortunately I can’t break that down into new users etc.  but I’m hoping that while the site is stagnant  we will not see a fall off of this rate. ....

The biggy new feature of the revamp will be the launch of the CD Shop.  The main purpose of this will be for YOU artists to have yet another shop window to sell your CDs from.  ....

If your experience of Itunes and Napster is the same as mine then the 50cents for a play or whatever means that the set up costs and time to get the CD onto those sites simply becomes an investment in kudos, and an expensive one at that. ....

I think we have come up with a scheme that will prove attractive to artists in terms of price, plus your CD is not going to get completely lost amongst the millions and millions of tracks available on the main music sites. ....

We are going to concentrate on you the indie and mainly acoustic artist, and you the artist will have the main control. ....

AND, we are not going to sell downloads, except in a few cases or when specifically requested. ....

The full details will be available soon – so stay tuned. ....

We’ll be organising our Links and selected free advert links as well – plus making sure that those who place ads with us get positions on the page where they will be seen. ....

So blessings in disguise. ....

And I know what you are thinking – “back ups” – well ummmm  hummmmmm – yes I’m thick!!....

As to the events of the past week.  ....

The main feature was the second meeting of the Flat Cap Folk Club, where we were lucky enough to have Charlie Barker as main guest.  ....

Charlie is fantastic, her music is magical, with a mix of songs delivered by a superb singing voice that keeps the audience entertained – her guitar playing isn’t bad either, once in tune (lol).  Best of all though she is simply a nice person and that beats all in our view. ....

The good news is that she’ll be doin’ a spot at the January Acoustic Rotherham.....

It was a fantastic evening of music, with floor spot appearances from Karen and Nigel – wow were they good or what? As Ken the Hat would say – and the Misk Hills Mountain Rambler- Al -who produced a hilarious set.  ....

Phillip Hartley also put in a great little set – his songs are just great fun.   Not heard of him!!  Where have you been, we’ve been singing his praises for ages, go check him out at Acoustic Rotherham - follow link to his feature page.....  from HERE....

It was also great to have Rob Slow leader of Nellie Folk doing his stuff, always interesting and across the range of styles as well.  ....

And all complimented by some super performances from friends of the Club.  ....

The audience was small, but as someone said well formed.  We are going to have to show an improvement in numbers if the Club is to survive into the New Year, we cannot expect the Rotherham Transport Club to subsidise us forever. ....

We are thinking that in the New Year we might well start to put a cover charge on to help reduce the liabilities.  We will see. ....

Pictures of the night can be found HERE....

In December we have Blind Summat coming to The Club, with promised guest appearances from Jack’s Rake, and I’m hoping that we can also fit more of our friends for what should be a Christmas Special – and maybe the last meeting of The Club. ....

Almost forgot, The Mashers had their first Open Practice at The Bridge (formally Nellie Deane’s) on Monday.  Hat’s off to the new Managers there as all the rooms are now in fantastic condition.  I think it will make for a good new home for us.  ....

 News too that The Mashers will be touring Germany – (sounds Grand) during the first week of May, we’ve sorted out the hitches that caused the problems in the Autumn of this year. ....

Coming up this week.  Well, The Mashers will be heading towards The Shaw at Barnsley on Monday to listen to the wonderful songs of Anna Shannon.  ....

On Friday we hope to be heading out to Last Friday Folk at The Venue, Stocksbridge, hosted by the said Charlie Barker.  If it’s anything like last month we will be in for a treat. ....

Also on Friday Ken The Hat is making a rare appearance at The Brewers Arms, Bramley.  You’ll be sure of an entertaining evening. ....

Saturday we have the Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice fund raiser at The Rig Dyke, Manor Farm, Rawmarsh, Rotherham, hosted by Ken The Hat who will be appearing in various disguises throughout the evening. ....

Don’t forget – The Monkwood Jam session has ended.....

Main sessions of the week, Tuesday it’s The Black Bull, Thursday you can find live music The Yellow Lion at Greasborough. ....

Finally a reminder about the South Yorkshire Acoustic Night at The Vault in Rotherham on 5^th December, The Rogues + Tina and Matt + Paul Pearson / Chris Treebeard /Cheri all introduced by the sensational, Philip Hartley.  Full details HERE

So here I am on a wet Monday morning, sat at the keyboard and still recovering from an amazing outing for The Mashers at the very first Peterborough Folk Festival. ....

Joining us on our outing were Sue and Barry, our unofficial and unpaid road crew, and huge thank you to Barry who undertook the driving when it was quite clear that a Ford Fiesta packed with instruments and four people might just be a little cramped, while Barry’s state of the art Kia offered a spacious and relaxed environment in which to prepare for the Festival. ....

And we only got lost once! The trip into Peterborough being uneventful, but the opening of a new Bye Pass that has not reached many road maps or Sat Navs causing complete confusion. We were not the only one’s caught out by this one. ....

Having passed the pub several times and taken a trip around the centre of Peterborough, admiring the wonderful Cathedral, we eventually arrived – EARLY – yes the pub had not even opened when we pulled into the car park of Goodbarns Yard. ....

But once the doors were opened, and the folks started to arrive the venue produced a super atmosphere, with a warm welcoming audience. And wow what a treat they had, with some super performances from local performers and acts from a far. ....

We were pegged onto the back of a little South Yorkshire section which included Paul Pearson, and the magnificent Charlie Barker. ....

Poor Paul was suffering from a sever sore throat, not aided by a traumatic journey involving getting lost on the same straight stretch road as ourselves – yet with a few Vocalzones and a bit of arm twisting we managed to talk him into performing, and he did himself proud, with Charlie Barker providing brilliant backing support. ....

And Charlie herself, well what can we say, it was an absolutely stunning performance, peaking with a performance of “Fields of Barley” that was just on another planet and had the venue hypnotised into adoration. ....

Need I say – get to Flat Cap Folk at The Transport Club, Rotherham on Thursday night and listen for yourselves, you’ll be in for a fantastic treat, and it it’s going to be done completely acoustically again. ....

As for our spot – well we had to follow Charlie, but wow, what fun we had. There’s something about being completely different and off the wall and while Myke and I remain mystified by the reception we receive what we do does work really well. We had great fun. It’s also great listening to the comments after the set – and what people comment on – and you know you have it right when the high lights are different for different people. ....

So thank you Peterborough, and we hope you ask us again, we had a great time. ....

And again thank you Barry and Sue for taking such good care of us by returning us home safely, your efforts are much appreciated. ....

A great topper to what had been a very quiet week for The Mashers. PICTURES HERE ....

However, the quiet time did give me a chance to get on top of a load of jobs that had been put on the back boiler due to Virgin media, and I think that we are almost there. ....

This next week for The Mashers will see us debut our Open Practice session at The Bridge Inn – we’ll be upstairs in the little room. ....

On Thursday the 19^th you’ll find us hosting The Flat Cap Folk Club at The Transport Club, Union Street, Rotherham, starting at 8:30pm. Special Guest is Charlie Parker, and I think I can promise you some excellent floor spot singers as well this month, including our old chum Phillip Hartley making his debut at the Club. Full details HERE ....

Let me also draw your attention to a South Yorkshire Acoustic Night to be held at The Vault on 5^th December. This promises to be a really special night headlined by the folk rockin’ Rotherham Rogues, hosted by Phillip Hartley, with fantastic support from the amazing Tina McKevit and Matt Hegarty and our old chum Paul Pearson with his backing group of the energetic Chris Treebeard and Ceri. ....

Tickets for the event are available by following the links at £5 in advance and £6 on the night so book early for a great evening of music. It all starts at 7:30pm and will end at 10:30pm. FULL DETAILS HERE ....

A reminder also about the Bluebell Wood Fund Raiser being held at The Rig Dyke, Rawmarsh is on the 28^th November. Always a special night, organised by Ken The Hat, who I’m told will be appearing in various disguises throughout the evening. Be early though as the Bar does tend to become very full. ....

Ken is also putting on a show at The Master Brewer, Bramley, on Friday 27^th November (a busy man) he promises a rockin’ night so pop in and give him a cheer. ....

And I almost forgot Tuesday 17^th Phoebe is playing The Handsworth Folk Club at The Cross Keys Handsworth – accompanied by Myke Masher – a special evening is promised. All starts around 8:00pm.....

Our usual warning that next Monday 23^rd is Nellie Folk night – at The Bridge Inn, Rotherham – if you’ve not been before it’s next to the Trades Club. ....

Unfortunately The Mashers won’t be there, we’re going to pop across to The Shaw Inn, Barnsley to see the brilliant Anna Shannon in action on the same night. ....

The Acoustic Rotherham Survey, yes I’ve eventually got around to sorting it – IF YOU AN ARTIST WHO HAS APPEARED AT AN ACOUSTIC ROTHERHAM AND NOT BEEN CONTACTED PLEASE GO TO THE NEWS PAGE WHERE YOU WILL FIND THE DOWNLOAD LINK. Your views will be very much appreciated. Thanks. LINK HERE ....

We’ve been told that The Monkwood under Martin is into it’s final throws of life. This coming Friday will be the last Jam session at The Pub and Saturday will witness the last Karaoke night. We’ll be sorry to see Martin go and we’ll be sorry if this all means that the pub is closing. This does not change our views concerning the hosting of BNP Meetings at the pub though, and while we will be at these last events in spirit we cannot bring ourselves to return to the Pub. ....

I’ve documented the reasons for the demise several times in our Blogs, the real villains being Punch who’s just about legal restrictive practices means that Land Lords like Martin have to sit and watch their businesses sink with their hands firmly tied. Having been there myself in the past, I know exactly how he feels and it’s not a nice place. ....

No matter what our recent differences have been, we wish Martin and his Partner well in whatever they may be doing in the future and hope that the experience will not be too traumatic for them.....

And that’s it for this week - ....

Thanks for the growing and continued support we really appreciate it.....

WHERE HAVE WE BEEN? The story of Virgin Service....

So, have you all enjoyed your week of non Masher activity on the Internet? ....

Yes, it all came to a grinding holt last Tuesday, when on going through my morning switch on ritual, which is a complicated ceremony involving coffee, finding my glasses, and making sure the track suit will be warm enough for the chilly climes of my Office, I discovered that my little “ready” light on the modem was out.....

Nothing strange in that on it’s own, but the modem reboot failed. ....

So leaving it for my customary four hours just to let Virgin do any work that they may have been doing on the quiet I got on with all my other little jobs. ....

But sadly four hours later no sign of a connection. ....

No mention of a Network issue on the Virgin hotline, so through to a helpful young man who tried to put it right from his end with no result. An Engineer would be called, and I was not to be worried by the seemingly long wait for a call, Monday, as it seemed that were a number of modem failures in my Post Code which meant that an issue would be posted, and the problem sorted well before an engineer would get out. ....

“Call back this evening” he told me, and the situation would be updated and I might find an earlier slot for a call if all else had failed. ....

On calling in the evening I got a young lady – and watch out for this name if you have to call the Virgin Broadband Customer Support, Margret. The most unhelpful, unsympathetic Customer Services person I have ever come across. ....

The conversation started with, “I hate it when operators ask people to call back” – “look you’ve got an appointment and we are not going to change it”. “You use the connection for business, well read the terms and conditions, you should be paying a business rate”. “No there is no Supervisor available to talk to you at the moment, one has promised to call you back this evening.” “Look I’ve just booked a service call for someone else for six days time, they didn’t complain!” ....

Need I say that the promised call back from a Supervisor did not occur. ....

But bright and early on the Wednesday a supervisor did call. Good news, my Engineer appointment for Monday had been cancelled as at 12;01 that morning someone had decided that a Local Network issue existed. With luck your services will be back on line by Tea time. ....

And indeed on finishing work there was a message on the machine to inform that the local issue had been dealt with and that I was to call the Centre if the problem had not been solved on my modem.....

No - my modem was still dead. ....

So I called as requested and a really nice chap apologised, then informed me that according to his screen the local issue had not been fixed yet it would late into the evening. Then gave, without request, a credit of £15. Nice chap. ....

In the morning though still no action on the modem. Guess what? An engineer would have to be called. “I’ve got a gap on TUESDAY”. So not only did the Network repair not sort me, but my engineer would be 24hrs after the original appointment!!! Was I a happy a bunny. ....

He told me that it was the way the system worked. ....

A Supervisor was called. He explained that their target was to get problems sorted within forty eight hours – well I had already been off 48 hours and would be waiting another five days, and besides my target was to be a millionaire by Christmas, and that by the looks of it Virgin and I would share the impossible dream. ....

But it’s no good moaning too much to the poor lads and lassies in the call centre, it’s not their fault that there operating systems and training are rubbish. So I made my mind up that I would have to wait, but hey, a couple of engineer calls had been cancelled while we had been talking and so they could fix me up on Monday again. WOW!! If they thought I was going to be impressed they must have been very disappointed. ....

And so Monday morning arrived.....

And low on going into my inner sanctum I spot that my modem is showing signs of life. ....

Boot up the computer and wey hey were at full speed and all in the World is Peace and Love. And done without the need for an Engineer calling as well!! How good is that then? ....

But the systems of Virgin are relentless, and at 9:00am the phone goes to tell me that the engineer would be with me in ten minutes, and he was. ....

His explanation for the clever trick of fixing the problem without the visit is that there was indeed a network problem, and he had got the system guys to check it out and yes certain modems had been switched off as if they had not been activated and no one knows how. ....

So it took from Tuesday until Monday to establish the Network fault!!!! ....

Would I be being too cynical to suggest that some people knew exactly what was going on, and knew exactly how long it was going to take to put it right? ....

There is no doubt about it Virgin Broadband is probably the best and certainly the fastest about, but their support service is simply appalling. They have all sorts of clever Network analysis tools available to them, right down to one that can track your on line speed, but unfortunately it seems that some people don’t know how to use them to establish where problems are. ....

Oh and the business rate thing – well apparently for another £180 per year I can be assured of a target 24 hrs service!! Please note the word Target. I wonder if it works like the 48 hr service target? ....

Given what I pay already, it’s a big sorry guys. ....

So that’s why you’ve not heard from us for a week.....

SO WHAT? COME ON, WHAT HAVE HE MASHERS BEEN DOING. ....

Well Tuesday, and at fairly late notice we headed out to The Three Tuns at Stainton for the monthly singers Club they have. ....

It’s always an interesting evening, with some great performances, this month was no different. ....

And what a turn out! absolutely brilliant. It’s good to see that some Folk Clubs are doing so well at a time when many appear to be struggling. ....

Then on Sunday we headed out to Manchester. ....

How I hate trying to find my way around the streets of Manchester when I don’t know where I am going, it’s a nightmare. ....

But after a few wrong turns we eventually got it right!! Arriving at Fuel on the Wilmslow Road just an hour later than we anticipated!!!! My how we were laughing. Fortunately though we had missed nothing. ....

The evening had been billed to us as an Anti Folk night, and so it was with very innovative music and performance from Autumn Breezes and My Shepherd Mouse. ....

As a venue Fuel is great offering a cosy, intimate atmosphere while being big enough to hold a reasonable sized audience.....

We have to admit we felt just a bit old, as the audience was made up of students, and it has been a very long time since we’ve been to such a gathering. ....

We were just a little worried to, as our sixties innovation music is hardly at the cutting edge of modern song writing. But we need not have worried, they had all lived such sheltered lives that our songs were new and fresh to them and I think we made some more new friends. ....

Overall, returning to Rotherham in the early hours, we felt the trip to be well worthwhile and should you get an invite from Kyle to go and play at one of his nights we would really recommend it. ....

And that was our week. ....

This Week – ....

We’re on the road to Peterborough, with the other half of South Yorkshire, looks as if that might be a great Gig. We’re on around 5:00pm. ....

Acoustic Rotherham ....

The Web Site is undergoing it’s changes and you should see one or two improvements on all pages. ....

Don’t forget 19^th November – Flat Cap Folk Club, at The Transport Club on Union Street Masborough, Rotherham – it’s near the big First Bus depot – when we have Charlie Barker, no, the lovely and talented Charlie Barker as our Special Guest. Plenty of Floor spots available – so come along for a fun evening. ....

IF YOU’VE GOT A GIG TO PUBLICISE – GET IN TOUCH WE’LL HAVE IT UP ON THE WEB SITE IN A FLASH – VIRGIN ALLOWING.....

The dust settles. ....

We’ve got to be honest and say that we’re still buzzing a bit from the stress of last weekend, but hey, on reflection, it was just so good. ....

We’d like to thank all our friends who made contact with us, deep into this week, as they caught up with The Masher Spam, it’s good to know so many people take an interest in what we do. ....

There’s still some tidying up to do after Acoustic Rotherham 5, one of the best on reflection, and it’s given us extra energy to make Acoustic Rotherham 6 even better. ....

So watch out all you artists that have already played at an Acoustic Rotherham we’re sending out a survey to get your views on how we can do it better. It will be in your Inbox soon. ....

The South Yorkshire Times ran a story about the happenings with The Monkwood, you can find the article HERE. I think we can all draw our own conclusions. ....

The Mashers long weekend continued with Nellie Folk. Rotherham’s Nellie Deane’s has now re-named itself, back to it’s original name, The Bridge Inn. So now it’s Nellie Folk at The Bridge Inn. Confused? We were!! As if that is anything different. ....

The evening was a good one, not hot on numbers again, but the quality was right up there. ....

I couldn’t resist bringing the assembled Folkies attention to the BNP issue – it being still very raw – and the renditions of Be Reasonable and Dance On The Grave of Mrs Thatcher were delivered with a bit of venom. ....

I don’t think that one of the organisers really appreciated our hijacking the Club for fifteen minutes, but hey, what’s new there. What’s the point of singing “right on” political songs if there is nothing in the make up of the band to give the words a bit of credence?....

As the week progressed the telephone calls from the BNP dried up. That was a relief. Some of the comments left on my answering machine were really quite funny in a perverse sort of way, yet some were really scary. ....

And Friday night – wow – how refreshing – a full Folk Club. Yes hats off to Charlie Barker and her team for Last Friday Folk. ....

And what a line up of floor spots, The Mashers amongst them. The standard was just simply outstanding and the range of music genre was amazing. ....

And need we fear about the future of Folk Music, well certainly not on the evidence of a young band from Halifax “Folk On Fire”. If you get chance to see these young teenagers in action take it, they are fantastic. And what commitment to travel so far for a couple of tunes. ....

Top of the Bill for the evening was Down Trodden String Band, typically at their best singing their brand of American roots music. Brilliant stuff. ....

And it was back to The Bridge Inn on Saturday night to see Tim Cleverley’s Band in action. A rocking performance for Halloween – and what an effort they put in – the stage area dressed for the event and of course plenty of fancy dress on display. ....

I took my hat off! I think that was scary enough for everyone. Oh and Myke was also in the audience, although his big night comes on the 5^th November when we hope to make a few bob pushing him around the streets as living Guy Fawkes. ....

A good night of music though. Well done Tim and of course his side kick vocalist Rachael. ....

So onto other Masher News. ....

Our spat with The Monkwood about it’s involvement with the BNP left us without a practice room. Thankfully The Bridge Inn has come to our aid and we’ll be up out of the way in the Small upstairs room as from Monday 9^th November. ....

So if anyone really wants to go through the torture of a Mashers Open Practice session, that’s where you will find us from now on. ....

This week: ....

We’re playing Myke’s home Club Play On on Friday at The Fat Cat – always a great evening for singers and musicians. ....

On Sunday 8^th November we’ll be heading to Manchester for Jamboree at the Fuel Café Bar. We’re intrigued by this, it’s sub titled an Anti Folk Night. Check out our News page for the Full details HERE....

Acoustic Rotherham 5 pictures are up HERE....

David Kidman has posted three new Reviews for you to digest; top of the pops as far as we are concerned is the Ray Hearne CD The Wrong Sunshine – a fantastic bit of work – go check out what David says HERE.....

The slow improvements to the Acoustic Rotherham site continue. We hope that you’re finding that the pages down load quicker and more efficiently. If you come across any broken links then please get in touch with me. ....

Also please note if you Email us – all the Email addresses that end with .freeuk.com have been deleted – so please send mail to any of the .jmucreate.com addresses.....

And a sad note to finish on. Phil Archer has passed onto the big Farm in the sky, and so ends an era which for me has lasted for 36 years of listening to The Archers. His warm voice will be greatly missed.

Well that was week…………………… we’ve survived and I hope come out of it even stronger than when we first went into it…………….. read on………....

So Monday found as usual at our Open Practice session at The Monkwood, preparing for our busy week ahead. Little did we know that this would be last time that we would cross the threshold of The Monkwood, well certainly for the foreseeable future. ....

It was a great practice though and everything seemed to be swinging into place nicely. ....

On Tuesday we headed out to do our Gig at the Handsworth Folk Club. Always a pleasure this one, although we do feel a bit guilty at having been there two out of the last three months. The audience if small is always appreciative of our efforts and like to join in on the songs which of course makes the evening go for us. ....

This time we played of programme of rarely heard Masher material, which seemed to go down really well, and it was nice to dig out the songs that had some how sunk to the bottom of the Rep book and give them a good airing. ....

A great night and thanks to all those who turned out. Pictures HERE....

Wednesday came, and the earth seemed to be taken from under us. I got an Email informing us that The Monkwood was planning to hold a meeting of the BNP. ....

Where The Mashers stand on such matters is not a secret. Our immediate reaction was to pull Acoustic Rotherham from The Monkwood. However, Martin Hickman, who acts as a sort of on line conduit for anti BNP information, set in place a campaign which lead to The Land Lord informing the media that the BNP meeting had been cancelled. ....

So after consulting with the acts it was agreed to leave Acoustic Rotherham in place, especially as it was only days to the event. ....

However on Friday I learnt from The South Yorkshire Times that The Monkwood had gone ahead with the BNP meeting. More frightening was to be told that around fifty BNP members from all over Rotherham attended. I was told that “it’s alright most were just drunk louts shouting out slogans” but this was tempered with “but there were a couple there who appeared to be saying things that made sense”. Indeed. ....

And that is frightening thing that the BNP are getting their messages of hate across under a thin disguise of respectability. ....

It also shows just how our “liberal” Political Leadership through their corruption and total bankruptcy of ideas are failing the “people” and allowing these fringe groups to get more than a foot in the door of respectability. ....

The bottom line was Acoustic Rotherham had to be pulled from The Monkwood. I’m pleased to report that all the Acts made it known they would be uncomfortable at playing The Monkwood and 95% cancelled. ....

But why let the political thugs win by spoiling our afternoon of music? The wheels of Acoustic Rotherham went into full over drive to find a new venue for the Show. ....

And it came to pass, thanks to the efforts of Bob Humphries we found that The Queens in Rawmarsh was more than up for putting on the event. ....

The ether was hot with Emails, Blogs etc and eventually we held together the show. ....

The only thing against us was the potential Swine Flue of Acoustica and Glenn Coggin’s car. ....

It would have been nice to report that there ended the crisis. But on returning home from work on Saturday – yes work – I discovered that my answering machine was full of messages from BNP members suggesting that I might well find Acoustic Rotherham picketed by the BNP and worse that I might not have mouth to sing with (well that one depends upon where you are coming from I suppose). ....

I have to admit it’s scary. ....

I had a little bit more sympathy with a few calls about The Monkwood itself. ....

I’m going to be as fair as I can here, some may think that I’m compromising or being too understanding, but………….. ....

The Monkwood in common with many local pubs is struggling for business at the moment a combination of a bad Pub Group, the smoking ban, cheap super market beer make it virtually impossible for Land Lords to make any sort of profit. It’s a subject that we’ve touched on many times in our Blogs. ....

So it’s little wonder that when guaranteed a bumper night of punters that a Land Lord will be tempted to take any business that comes his way. ....

And in the case of Martin the Land Lord of The Monkwood this was the case. ....

Martin and his Partner are not Political in any sense of the word, just a relatively young couple trying to make a living and I’m sure did not fully appreciate the depth of feeling within many communities against the BNP. ....

I think Martin was shocked at the reaction by the Acoustic Rotherham and the acts involved. I think he was also shocked by the reaction of the campaign mounted by Rotherham’s anti fascist organisations. ....

Unfortunately, I think he now understands, that we would have gone ahead if it had not been for the lie. In fact he may have gained more business as by banning the BNP he may have benefited from regular concerts from the anti fascist organisations. ....

I can say that I have a personal apology from Martin for any offence that he may have given and on a personal level I hope that he can get off of the financial tight rope that he is walking. ....

Unfortunately we all have hard choices to make in life. Unfortunately ignorance, or turning a blind eye on some basic issues in life and the choice made will lead to consequences. And just as Land Lords have every right to allow anyone they like into their pubs, artists have the right to choose whether or not to perform in the Pub or venue. ....

And as far as I am concerned that ends the matter as far as The Monkwood is involved. ....

So was it just by chance that on Saturday we were due to play at a Fund Raiser for Unite Against Fascism, organised by the Socialist Party, at Nellie Deane’s – indeed it was. ....

A small but appreciative audience were in great form, as were Gill, Andy Holt and his Daughter Catherine, who gave fantastic performances. The Mashers were of course The Mashers.....

I don’t want to take anything away from the evening BUT unless we can turn the decent folk of Rotherham out to make their voices heard then the messages of the BNP will get louder and louder. ....

We have to be forthright in getting what I hope our more positive messages about life and community out there. ....

You can see a few pictures of the event HERE....

And so to Acoustic Rotherham 5. ....

First a big thank you to Chris at The Queens Hotel for being so accommodating and positive from the first. In quick order the event was up and being advertised by the Pub and for that we are very thankful. ....

Sometimes there is silver lining to a cloud, and ours is discovering The Queens as a venue for acoustic music. ....

The venue itself was super and all the artists commented upon the fantastic acoustics and the general layout of the bar that allowed the musicians to dominate and have their music heard.

It was great to see so many new faces, some new friends from the Anti BNP lobby and we were really pleased when John Healey our local MP and a Labour Minister joined us for a few minutes to show his solidarity with the stance the artists had taken.
....

And once again I was stunned by the standard of performance, as were the audience. ....

Barry Smith from West Yorkshire was the first guest up, entertaining us with a mix of traditional songs, some with unique arrangements, it was fantastic. If you’ve not heard Barry then go to his Myspace HERE....

Short Supply was next up. Those expecting a Band gasped in surprise when coming face to face with Kev of The Rogues in solo mode. On the quiet Kev likes to write songs – which in our humble view are fantastic, and he entertained us with a great set of the material + one cover that he could not resist. His songs are well worth a listen HERE. I hope to get a special page on the Acoustic Rotherham site soon. ....

And then we had someone we had been trying to get along to an Acoustic Rotherham for sometime, Barbara Helen. What an amazing talent? I have a feeling that Helen hides her talents under too many bushes, for her performance and the wonderful songs she writes and sings were just stunning. ....

Barbara should certainly being made to work harder by promoters – so go listen to her and book her for your Folk Club, you will not be disappointed. HERE....

Following Barbara came another great song smith, and a great supporter of Acoustic Rotherham events Phillip Hartley, press ganged into giving a full set at short notice. Performed with confidence and in his own distinct style he held the audience brilliantly. Go on, if you’ve not heard his songs GO HERE....

And then local young lady Penny Cook gave us something completely different with her well crafted songs in the Punk tradition. For a Las of seventeen, she just has so much talent. Go HERE to hear her music.

We then had a special appearance by supremo of the Thursday Nellies session Gill. Two songs performed in his own brilliant style. I’m not sure if he’ll remember much about it though. ....

And then another great supporter of Acoustic Rotherham David Kidman entertained us with a few of his political songs – great stuff as usual. If you don’t know Dave then GO HERE and find out about all the stuff he does in the world of Folk Music. ....

It’s about this time in the afternoon that the stamina of the audience starts to get tested. ....

So a performance of energy and brilliant musicianship by Bob Humphries was just what was needed. He was on great form and unfortunately we cant point you to anything as he does not have an Internet presence – but if you pop along to any or most of the sessions in and around Rotherham you’re bound to bump into him…………………. ....

And from one local mega star to another. Making what was suppose to be a surprise visit to Acoustic Rotherham 5 was Ray Hearne. Poor Ray. He had travelled North from a Gig the previous evening down South on the Sunday and straight into the Lions Den of Acoustic Rotherham, and if that were not bad enough, I landed him with a full spot instead of the three songs he had originally been pressganged into giving. ....

A mixture of old and new from Ray who was in brilliant form, and the songs from his new CD were just perfect. GO HERE to find out more. We’ll have a review of Ray’s new CD up on Acoustic Rotherham very soon. ....

Before people could catch their breath we were into String Theory offering yet another contrast in musical genre. Dave, Sarah and John are fast becoming legends on the folk scene for their marathon sessions playing and singing a range of roots and traditional songs they held the audience absolutely captivated. String Theory come out of Barnsley and they are a busy band – so get them while you can. Have a listen HERE....

By now energy levels were starting to run low, so who better than to lift the evening, as it now was, but the incredible CrackTown. ....

Now Crack Town had been booked in several times before only to be frustrated by travel and vehicles, but it was fantastic to have them play a full set in front of what one might describe as a diminishing audience. ....

If you’ve not come across CrackTown then you are missing a treat, they are well worth a listen to for their “right on” politics and sideways look at life. Take a listen HERE....

But the evening didn’t end there. String Theory played on, and on and on – and I’m told that they were eventually dragged away from The Queens late into the evening, but just before the Quiz kicked in. ....

Well done, Dave, Sarah and Andy – you did us proud. I’m afraid that I was just emotionally and physically exhausted and had to find a quiet place to take in all the events of the week.

You can find pictures of the event HERE
....

So the end of the week found Acoustic Rotherham with a new home, but now The Mashers don’t have an Open Practice venue anymore, so that will be our next project. Anyone with any ideas please let us know. ....

Doesn’t matter this week as we are off to Nellie Folk Monday (tonight) where we will be taking our message about the week just gone, and kicking a few butts. ....

Finally in this Blog I want to thank everyone who has contacted us over the past few days with messages of support. Your thoughts and support have been very kind and have helped us to see the week through. It’s great to know that there are so many people out there who care. ....

So this week make it one of peace and goodwill, and please don’t compromise on this.

Well............................... what a morning.

Thanks for all the messages - thanks for all the comments.

I was very close to completely canceling Acoustic Rotherham 5 -

But then I thought, why should we have our afternoon ruined by brainless morons.

ACOUSTIC ROTHERHAM 5 WILL GO AHEAD - and thanks to Bob Humphries for coming up with the idea and for taking the time to sort it out.

NEW VENUE:

THE QUEENS HOTEL
KILNHURST ROAD
RAWMARSH
ROTHERHAM
S62 5QN

All the same timings

Please come along and demonstrate that the Fascists cannot win and that no matter what we more liberal minded folks have a voice and a determination to wipe their vile messages out of British politics - (we can dream - "and demand the impossible NOW")

We need your support for this one big time - lets show just what The Monkwood missed because of it's blind stupidity.

I have this morning been contacted by the South Yorkshire Times.

It appears that the Land Lord of The Monkwood having told everyone that he was cancelling the BNP meeting for last night (Thursday) actually went ahead with the meeting.

His rational for this action was that he could not afford to turn the trade away.

It is our view that the lie compounds the sin.

Our immediate reaction would be to pull Acoustic Rotherham 5 and if we cannot find an alternative venue cancell our First Birthday Party completely.

However - a lot of people have put a lot of work into the event and all the artists have been looking forward to doing their stuff, so before making a final decision I'm putting out there for comment.

Should we go ahead with the event at The Monkwood?

Thank you one and all who sent personal messages or called The Monkwood, your action has produced a result and the BNP Meeting for Thursday has been cancelled.

The Land Lord has said that he did not appreciate just how much trouble he was bringing on himself by allowing the meeting in his pub.

While I am sure we all appreciate the problems that some Land Lords currently face in the License Trade, (indeed we have only recently covered the problems in one of our News Blogs) there is a line that one needs to draw as far as organised meetings are concerned.

It's great that the Land Lord now appreciates the depth of feeling amongst the good people of Rawmarsh and those in the music community that responded to our call for help. We even had messages of support from Russia.

On a personal note I'm glad that Martin woke up to the reality of the problems that he was bringing upon himself.

It all goes to show that United against Fascism we can rid ourselves of the hate that Party's like the BNP can be defeated. Make sure it's at the ballot box as well.

And don't forget that we have a United Against Fascism Acoustic Music Fund Raising Night at Nellie Deane's this Saturday 24th August hosted by Andy Holt - please come along and give the evening your support.

I have to day been told that The Monkwood, Rawmarsh is hosting a meeting of the BNP on Thursday 22^nd October. ....

The Rawmarsh Mashers and Acoustic Rotherham would like to record their protest to the hosting of this event by The Monkwood. ....

No matter what the reasoning behind Martin’s decision to allow the meeting in his Pub, (and we would not presume to dictate how he should run his business), cannot be good for either the name of the Pub nor for the racial harmony within the local Community.....

We’re sorry that Martin has decided to give a platform to the messages of hate that the BNP propagate. While the principle of free speech is fundamental, we should at least record our protest when some people propagate policies that undermine the basic liberalism that underpins our society and would take those privileges away from those who share in and contribute to our society. ....

The Mashers and Acoustic Rotherham have attempted to give The Monkwood its full support over the past few years, hosting Gigs and various music events, and encouraging other music promoters to use the Pub. ....

We will now of course find this difficult to do in future. ....

We would ask all the acts appearing at Acoustic Rotherham 5, if they feel so moved, to make their contempt for the hosting of the BNP meeting known during their spots at The Monkwood on Sunday. ....

I have also invited the local Unity Against Fascism Branch to say a few brief words at the start of the Special Guest Spot on Sunday – I trust artists will be understanding. ....

The Unity Against Fascism Representative has asked people to call Martin 01709 5255808 or 522524 to make your views known – we would support this. ....

OK then, why is it that the easiest looking songs can sometimes be right b****** to learn? ....

That was the general theme of Monday’s practice at The Monkwood on Monday. One beat either side, with the odd bang on version being produced more by luck than judgement. But of course in reality, that’s The Masher way.

Made for an interesting practice though - even if the air was a little blue!
....

It will be cracked and ready for an outing very soon. ....

So Flat Cap Folk Club, had it’s first get together on Thursday at The Transport Club, Rotherham. ....

The Mashers are really proud to be associated with the Club, and were honoured to be asked to host the Monthly event, and also invite friends to perform. ....

Musically the night was a fantastic event with Special Guests, Brother Crow and Toein’ In The Dark pulling out performances at the top level.

TOIN' IN THE DARK

BROTHER CROW

....

All nicely supplemented with excellent floor spots from Paul Pearson, Sue, and John adding to the mix of the night. ....

The Mashers did their bit, working in their rendition of Part of The Union (Strawbs) as a gesture of support for the postal workers who have been pushed into a corner by their Management who expect them to make decisions about their future which similar to the one Turkeys might make about Christmas.....

Strikes are never fun – so please give your support to your Postmen and women, tell them how much you appreciate what they do. Remember the deteriorating postal service has nothing to do with them, it has to do with the decisions being made by the Post Office Management.....

And we had a nice audience mix to. Not the biggest one has ever seen, but not bad for a first time out. About 50% of the audience were non Folk Club regulars which is what The Club is all about e.g. opening up new audiences to Folk Music. ....

So – a promising start. ....

All systems go then for the November 19^th date where the lovely Charlie Barker will be our Special Guest for the night. ....

Photographs from the first night can be found on the Flat Cap Folk Club page HERE....

And WOW, what an evening of music Myke Masher put on with Earth Tales at Nellie Deane’s on Saturday night. Earthtales is one of those Bands where the word “occasional” has a meaningful application as this was the their first non Myke Masher Birthday outing for several years. The amazing thing is that despite these long periods of non activity they can still put together over ninety minutes of tight music.....

EARTHTALES

Those of you who have tuned into The Acoustic Rotherham and Mashers Web Site will have noted that the changes are slowly taking affect – I hope that you are finding that the pages are loading quicker, without stalling, and that the overall affect and navigation to the bits of the site you want easier to find. If you’ve not checked the changes out, have a look and let me know what you think by going HERE....

Acoustic Rotherham 5 is the next big event. At The Monkwood, Sunday 25^th October from 1:00pm. ....

I hope to have the running order up on line by Monday. We’ve got some top folks coming again, and some special surprises. So please put the word out there and pop along for what is always a great afternoon of music. You can check out the full details....

Please don’t forget that The Mashers will be again be at The Handsworth Folk Club on Tuesday 20^th at The Cross Keys. This month it’s doubling up with a Literary Festival organised by Roy Blackman.....

The Mashers will also be out and about on Saturday night, 24^th October at Nellie Deane’s, for an evening of Acoustic Music hosted by Andy Holt (Toein’In The Dark) in aid of Rotherham Unity Against Fascism. Should all get underway around 8:30pm. Come along and support the event and please donate. ....

Don’t forget to keep up to date with all the best local Gigs and Music News by going HERE....

Thanks for reading and catch you next week.