Happy New Year!

Ok, so I'm a few days late.

Looking back at 2011, it was an amazing last year with lots of gigs, meeting new friends, joining new bands and of course, leaving one very special old one.

2011 was the year I found Big 10 and left Popes of Chillitown, although I'm recording the album with them this month. It was the year the Voodoo Trombone Quartet opened for Bellowhead at Chagstock, and we managed to record our 3rd album in half the time the 2nd one took.

2011 was the year I decided my chosen career as a Ska Saxophonist. 2012 is the year I get on with it.

Chagstock - One more thing...

This is what our other halves were getting up to while we were perusing set lists and warming up...

Voodoo Trombone Quartet at Chagstock

I've just returned from Chagstock 2011, a music festival held at the foot of Dartmoor. A festival for hardy folk.

It doesn't rain so much as the clouds get so low you're stood in them, and the wind is bracing to say the least. But the selection of music is varied, supporting local artists as well as getting a few big names along.


The headline act on Friday night was the ever impressive Show of Handshttp://www.showofhands.co.uk/ whose cover of Don Henley's 'Boys of Summer' went down a storm. Saturday's music highlights included a fantastic Brazilian reggae band called Aluminio Roots, and an astounding set by John Otway. Despite his forward rolls and theremin antics, Otway was in danger of being out-charisma'd by his guitarist, Murray Torkildsen, whose asides, geezer demeanour and stylophone solo just about stole the show.

The big draw for Saturday night were The Magic Numbers. Now, I quite like their albums, but as a live act they were just so-so, a bit tame. But then without lead guitarists hanging off ladders and babies dangling from the stage, I suppose it would.

And so to Sunday. Gig day. Show time. And the cloud descended, a drizzly chilly day and we wondered if we were going to have anyone to play to at all. But whoever coined the term 'Southern Fairies' clearly hadn't met the hardy folk who live on Dartmoor. They turned out for us and bounced like mad things, despite it raining sideways for most of the set. Our special guest trumpeter (Paul VTQ's son Oscar) proved popular with the crowd during 'Edgar', earning an encore! They bounced,  cheered, and apart from a few wristband jobsworths, Chagstock made us feel very welcome. The Voodoo Trombone Quartet hope to return to Chagstock for 2012, and we'll bring better weather with us next time!

Voodoo Trombone Quartet confirmed for Chagstock 2011

I'm happy to confirm that The Voodoo Trombone Quartet will be performing at Chagstock 2011. After last years set was so well received by all the people to your left, and around a thousand others, the VTQ have been invited back to provide music for people to bounce to.

We will be performing on Sunday night, warming up for the headliner, the awesome Bellowhead. Chagstock is a great festival, with a family atmosphere and amazing pies. Tickets are still available, this is their website if you want to be down the front at one of the biggest Voodoo Trombone Quartet gigs to date.