Play On folk club
Play On now takes place at The Rutland Arms, Brown Street, Sheffield on the first friday of every month. After a temporary relocation in November 2010, we moved permanently in May 2011 (The Robber's Dog already in residence on the second and fifth Saturdays since September 2010).
Play On had been at The Fat Cat since 2002. The club actually took the name Play
On while resident at The Shakespeare, Gibraltar Street during 2001 -
Your hosts are
- Andy Bowdin -
whistles,concertina, guitar and, reluctantly, vocals (Jig for a Kiss, Eathtales, The Detail, SPaM!) - Karl Ampofo -
guitar, mandolin, any other stringed instrument you can think of as well as those you can’t (Earthtales, The Mysterons, The Fabulous Wealthy Texans, Agent Orange, The Detail and many others) - Phoebe Taylor-
Thorpe - guitar, vocals
Your hosts have in common that they have all lived in Broomhall, Sheffield. Other connections and indeed with some of the regular artists are the Amazing Grapes Vaudeville and Folk club and the bands Rhiannon and Earthtales.
The original hosts of the Harlequin folk club were members of the band “Whale of a Time” :
- Stella Davies -
whistles, recorders, bowed psaltery, drums, violin, vocals - Myke Barritt -
guitars, mandolin, vocal, percussion - Craig Booker -
keyboards, guitar, percussion
Stella Myke and Craig were formerly in "Rhiannon" and recorded an album "The Birds
of Rhiannon" (Fellside) in 1985, though they had previously had a track on "Flighpath
One" (Vulcan) in 1984. There are also some home produced tapes -
Craig Booker left to form “Tyburn” with Mick Ball (former host of The New Grapes Folk Club (Saturdays) at The Grapes, Trippet Lane).
Jig for a Kiss (1995 -
The band came together at The Harlequin, Johnson Street in 1995 and made the Harlequin Folk Club a regular monthly feature. When the Harlequin closed in 2001, we moved to The Shakespeare, Gibraltar St. and renamed the club Play On.
The band were
- Stella Davies -
whistles, recorders, bowed psaltery, drums, violin, vocals - Myke Barrit -
guitars, mandolin, vocals (also tin- plate modeller) - Andy Bowdin -
whistles, keyboards, concertina, guitar - Ann Naylor, followed by Glynis Llewelyn -
vocals
and performed mainly traditional celtic songs and tunes, including some in the welsh language
Jig for a Kiss play "Telyn Artur" on The Harlequin Collection CD (ISIS 1998?)
Jig for a Kiss also began a club called Take The Floor at the Red Deer and a blues/folk club called The Blue Horses at The Earl of Arundel and Surrey. Simultaneous changes of landlords/landladies saw Play On move to The Fat Cat and The Blue Horses to Buskowski’s Piano Bar & Diner on London Road at which time the name changed to Ain’t Misbehavin’ Badly.
Jigtales (2002 -
Following Stella's departure to Cardiff in 2002, Karl joined the three remaining members of Jig for a Kiss at Ain’t Misbehavin’ Badly evenings. Jigtales also appeared at The Green Fair, Sharrow Festival and other Sheffield venues.
The band were
- Myke Barrit -
guitars, vocals - Andy Bowdin -
whistles, keyboards - Glynis Llewelyn -
vocals - Karl Ampofo -
guitar, mandolin & vocals
and performed many styles of music including blues, folk -
Karl was one of the many Mysterons and a Fabulous Wealthy Texan. He also performs solo, favouring the works of Jackie Leven of Doll by Doll, but above all he, along with Myke, was a founder member of Earthtales.
Jigtales (2008 -
Glynis returned to her rural Pembrokeshire roots in 2008. Jigtales were then similar to Earthtales without a drummer!
(2010 -
Myke Barritt, the last of the original founder members of the club, died suddenly in May 2010. It was his determination that the folk club would ALWAYS take place on the first Friday of every month. Unfortunately the great flood of 2007 made the July 2007 club impossible. However the club has happened on every other first Friday since 1995, taking place at The Gardeners Rest and The Rutland Arms on occasions when the room at The Fat Cat was unavailable.
Myke is remembered at Myke Barritt (1949 - 2010) tributes page.
Finally, Earthtales were founded by Myke and Karl in 1976. Between sometime in the eighties and 2010 the line up was:
- Karl Ampofo -
guitar, vocals and songwriter - Myke Barrit -
guitars, vocals and songwriter - "Prof" Parsons -
drums, vocals - Andy Bowdin -
keyboards, whistles
Earthtales are still available, very cheaply, in the new line-up:
- Karl Ampofo -
guitar, vocals and songwriter - Phoebe Taylor-Thorpe -
bass and vocals - "Prof" Parsons -
drums, vocals - Andy Bowdin -
keyboards, whistles
Your Hosts