Aaaaaaand, relax.

Yes, after a few months of darting around and some pretty confusing calendar work, [We Are] Fuzzy Felt Folk returns to its usual slot [the first Sunday of the month], in our usual venue [Macsorley’s Music Bar], at our usual time [2pm] on Sunday 7th September.  Following the thrills of taking part in a couple of special collaborative events, we’re looking forward to calming down again and settling into our comfy seats with our chums and regular visitors at Macsorley’s.  Hoorah!  Since we’ve been on our little summertime sabbatical, we’ve managed to collect a fair amount of new music and we’re giddy with excitment to bring you some all-new twang from the likes of Steve Earle, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, Conor Oberst.   Lady Wurlitzer cannot wait to be home and in her rightful place - i.e. on a chair, playing her favourite songs and  munching the best fish n chips ever!

Into the bargain, the FFF homecoming is marked by a handful of important birthdays.  Our usual fixation with celebrating the birthdays of country stars we’ve never met is sidelined in favour of celebrating the birthdays of our chums and - ourselves!!  FFF chum Jennifer will celebrate her [belated] birthday and FFF founders Carrie (Lady Wurlitzer) & Garry celebrate their birthdays a week in advance.  You can bring US cake for a change.

See you next weekend!  Don’t forget your sketch pads!

Lady W

xx

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What a month it has been!

I had such a fun time at Mutant Music at the start of the month. Hosted by The Dirt and The Splendid Dead Collective at the Flying Duck, the night was jam packed with the best of mutant country music a la Glasgow. FFF favourites Skeleton Bob opened the live bill with a selection of their fabulously jingly jangly Evan Dando-esque country/grungey/rock tunes. “Let’s not talk of all the ways that you annoy me! Let’t talk about your womanly wiles and your cascading hair”. Love it.

Jen and Graeme of The Dirt played a fabulous set - with the added spook of a clever pianist. I wasn’t convinced The Dirt could surpass their last Flying Duck performance, but you know? I think they did. Tears were almost shed.

Last up we had the might Wilson Tan + their fancy synth machine thing. Having heard Wilson Tan play live a lot this summer, I wondered if the excitment might eventually die down a bit, but nope. Was thrilled to hear The Tan do their stuff as ever.

After the live acts were all sewn up, it was my turn to play some tunes for those gig goers who remained. There weren’t many in fairness, but I tried my best and had a swell ole time doing so. I think I put far too much effort into trying to work up to the foot stomping ‘cheesey’ country classics and I’ve learned for next time to just jump on in to Harper Valley PTA and Blanket On The Ground!!

‘Twas lovely to catch up with some chums too.

The Fuzzy Felt Folk/Don’t Mess With Texas afternoon at Macsorley’s on the 10th August was a swell success!  Many thanks to those who made the effort to come out and spend a sunny Sunday in the pub. Thanks too to those who were already enjoying themselves in Macsorley’s and decided to hang around for Lou’s sets!  We hope you had a great time.

It was just great to meet Lou and his mini live sets at Macsorley’s were awesome.  As the beer flowed and the chat became less decipherable, I felt Lou’s pain.  However, true to country form, despite the likliehood of a messy evening ahead, Lou plumped to come to Blackfriars with us to see a little of The Gilded Angels performance.

In the end Lou played a few little impromptu warm up numbers ahead of the arrival of The Angels.  Nice touch.   While Lou was rather sensible and headed hotel bound at a reasonable hour, I’m afraid I can’t say the same for the rest of us!  We jiggled around to The Gilded Angels for a couple of hours and caught the country bug - not to mention the Sailor Jerry bug (yum yum).

At the mere suggestion of continuing our weekend of drunkenness, we were bundled in a cab and heading to Sauchiehall Street for some added sleazy fun and several white russians.  Deary dear…

Hopefully, in September we’ll be a little more dignified?

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On Thursday 7th August, Lady Wurlitzer joins the folks of the Splendid Dead Collective for a night of country tinged fun at The Flying Duck. Lady Wurlitzer plays a little dj set of some her very favourite country songs in between live sets from Skeleton Bob, Wilson Tan and The Dirt. An excellent line-up of FFF favourites! Just wonderful.  Entry is a measly £4.00.  It’d be lovely to see y’all there!  Support your local musicians! Whoop!

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Visiting U.S musician Lou Vargo stops off in Glasgow during his UK tour to play a special free afternoon show  at Macsorley’s Music Bar on Sunday 10th August.  Organised by local country music clubs Don’t Mess With Texas and [We Are] Fuzzy Felt Folk, the one-off event promises the perfect Sunday afernoon tonic.  Lou Vargo plays two live acoustic sets sandwiched between  DJ sets by hosts Ken Robertson and Lady Wurlitzer from 2pm.

Inspired by Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clarke and Steve Earle, Lou Vargo escaped his hometown of Detroit and moved to Texas and formed a band.  After playing 1000 shows in five years with rough and tumble rock band Four Mile Mule, he made the move to Nashville in 2003 and has since found his voice as a solo writer and performer.

Lou’s debut solo release,  ‘American Disaster’, features a jaw dropping list of fine musicians;  Al Perkins (Gram Parsons, The Byrds, Rolling Stones, The Eagles), Stuart Duncan (Bela Fleck, Dolly Parton, George Strait), Dave Roe (Johnny Cash, Dwight Yoakum) and Lou’s good friend Joe Smyth of Sawyer Brown.

Combining Texas twang with the brutal honesty of his Midwestern roots, Lou’s music is the kind you’d expect to hear in an American roadside bar. Melodies reminiscent of Hank Williams country, Paul Simon folk, and 90s bred alt-rock are seamlessly intertwined with Lou’s raw, soulful vocals.  He side-steps the glitzy illusion and fakery of Nashville’s Music Row and instead takes influence from a no-nonsense working class grit.

Alongside acclaimed producer Jack Hale, Lou begins work on his follow-up release in Autumn 2008.  Hale’s CV is an impressive one.  He has worked with Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson and John Prine amongst others,  and is certainly qualified to spot genuine talent.  According to Hale, Lou Vargo is, ‘the real deal’. He says, ‘…The look, the person, the song, the voice, the guitar - it is his persona.  Lou Vargo wakes up and goes to sleep being this person.  That’s something you have or you don’t have.  Think Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson - when you hear them, see them, read about them, everything lines up.  I call it the believability factor.  I say this with no reservation, Lou Vargo is the real deal’.

Lou Vargo plays Macsorley’s Music Bar in Glasgow on Sunday 10th August 2008 from 2pm. Entry is free.

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[We Are] Fuzzy Felt Folk is excited to be collaborating with fellow country club organisers Don’t Mess With Texas to bring you a special dose of Sunday afternoon at Macsorley’s Music Bar on 10th August.

Not only will Lady Wurlitzer be joined in the dj booth by Ken Robertston of Don’t Mess Mess With Texas, but she will also be joined by visiting US musician Lou Vargo!  All the way from Nashville, Lou plays UK dates throughout August and we’re delighted that he has chosen to swing by Macsorley’s to deliver not one, but TWO acoustic sets during our country music afternoon!  Entry is free as always, but we’re bringing a little bit of the honkytonk to Macsorley’s in Lou’s honour (at Ken’s suggestion I should add) and we’ll be encouraging patrons to ‘tip’ the entertainment!  Yip.  Lou will have a big tip jar by his side and you are encouraged to add some pennies to it if you’ve enjoyed his music and appreciate his efforts :o)  I think we ought to make this a permanent fixture!  Nice touch, Ken :o)

You can find out more about Lou here.

So - bring your sketch pads, bring your knitting, bring your children, bring your friends.  We look forward to seeing you on the 10th.  It’s been a while…  xx

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Howdy!  Howdy!

We at FFF have been incredibly busy these past weeks.  Apologies for the weird tumbleweed episodes on the site!

I just thought I’d take this moment of relative quiet to write a few words and let y’all know what we’ve been up to and what we will be up to int he coming months.

We had a little holiday from our stint at Macsorley’s in July since we’d put on two dates in June instead - what with the Kris Kristofferson birthday party fun.  I should let you know too, that although our next Macsorley’s Sunday would ordinarily be scheduled for Sunday 3rd August, the lovely Macsorley’s gang are hosting a splendid Ivor Cutler tribute event on that day and since we love, love, love Ivor Cutler, we’ve politely stood aside to make way!   We’re hoping to confirm our next Macsorleys’s date in the next few days.  For now it’s looking like it ought to be Sunday 10th August.  Once this date is absolutely official, I’ll post again to fill you in on the big plans we have for the afternoon!  Things will be a little different than usual and FFF will be playing host to some very special guests.  Woooo… intriguing!  :o)

In other news, Lady Wurlitzer will be playing a selection of tunes spanning the crazily wide spectrum of  country music at a very special evening at The Flying Duck on Thursday 7th August 2008.  The lineup at this event is stupendous, with a number of my very favourite local country tinged acts on the bill:  The Dirt, Wilson Tan and Skeleton Bob!  Waowsers.

Once our schedule calms down and we settle into our regular slots again, we’ll be introducing some fun elements to our Sunday afternoons.   Crafters - keep your knitting needles and crochet hooks poised!

I do hope you’re all enjoying the drizzle-fest that is ’summer’ and I hope we see you very soon at a Fuzzy Felt Folk event near you!

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Ooooohhhh…my head…. Where’s the juice? Pass me the JUICE!!

Well. Friends. Kris Kristofferson’s 72nd birthday party surely did go with a swing!

Thanks so much to the acts who made it along and who shared their flippin’ splendid Kris tributes with us. Craig - your version of Chase The Feeling was AMAZING. Jimbo, Andy & Gav - ’twas great to hear your rendition of Jesus Was A Capricorn and your own Kristofferson-esque country wonder, ‘She Named A Bullet After Me’ is still stuck in my head!

Laura - the cakes were brilliant - as always!!

Garry, Clare - thanks for making the incredible raffle prizes. I am SO envious of the raffle winners! What I’d give for a Kris Kristofferson owl (yes, really), a snazzy collage print or… A KRIS KRISTOFFERSON EMBROIDERY!!!!

Special thanks goes too, to Teamy and the staff at Macsorley’s who helped set things up for us and kept us right with techie things! Kris surely did look swell on that massive screen!! :o)

To everyone who made it along to the party - thanks for making the effort! I hope you had a good afternoon. If you stumbled across us by accident - then thanks for sticking around!

See y’all next year!

xx

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Evening!

I have a couple of updates re. the Kris Kristofferson party for y’all.

Firstly, I’m sad to announce that The Gilded Angels have had to drop from the bill due to unforseen circumstances.  We’re awfully blue that they won’t be taking part in the birthday tribute this year but we’re hoping that we might see some angels with drunken faces kicking around at some stage of the proceedings.

The party, taking place on Sunday 22nd June at Macsorley’s Music Bar, combines the usual Fuzzy Felt Folk Sunday fun with a spattering of live magic and some birthday party silliness to make for a nice wee day out!  :o)  On the bill we have the lovely Mr D, blues master Craig Hughes of Don’t Mess With Texas/That Devil Music fame and members of the mighty Adjournments.  Musicians will play a handful of live tracks throughout the day, adding a little oomph to the special Kristofferson inspired playlist from Lady Wurlitzer & Friends :o)

Entry to the party is free and for your trouble you’ll have some scrummy cake to munch on!

The day kicks off at 2pm and goes on into the evening.

Please come

xx

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Special chum of [we Are] Fuzzy Felt Folk, Clare Nicolson, has kindly designed this year’s Kris Krisotfferson Party poster.  Ain’t it just swell?

Please show it to all your friends.

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It seems that my quips about the FFF Sketch Club have actually been taken on board! We do now have Clare, Jennifer and Garry bringing special pens and little notebooks along to FFF for sketching, doodling and list making purposes. If you would like to bring your notepad too, please do. Send us scans/photos of your workings later and we’ll blog it :o)

This session of the FFF Sketch Club was inspired by the previous night’s adventures at Glasgow’s Grand Ole Opry and of course, by some friendly faces we happened upon at Macsorley’s.

More to come!!

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