MY BANDS
Well, no, not my bands, but bands that I play in. I’m completing this list as time allows.
MELOBO A ceilidh band formed in 2012 featuring Graham Hubbard (melodeon and fiddle) Charlotte Pascoe (oboe, recorder and Scottish small pipes) and me (bass and guitars). We have several top class callers we use and also use a sound engineer with professional sound gear. We perform at wedding receptions, family celebrations (birthdays, anniversaries, Burns’ Nights etc), folk festivals and ceilidh series around the country and all sorts of other gigs.
AVAILABLE FOR HIRE.
GREENGAGE is a local folk band and varies in composition from time to time. Usually it is Howard supporting a few tunesmiths (they play all the hard bits). Most recently, the lineup has been Howard (guitar), Justin (violin) and Lucia (violin).
AVAILABLE to perform at community events, fund-raisers and the like.
THE VALE ISLANDERS are a troupe of musicians and dancers who perform dances from 17th century England in historic costume.
AVAILABLE FOR HIRE
HENDRED UKULELE GROUP is a friendly and informal ukulele group based near Wantage. We play well-known songs and enjoy performing. I play ukulele but I usually support HUG by playing bass.
AVAILABLE FOR HIRE
TROUBSHORT AND TURNIPSEED is a fun group, consisting of Mr Reg Troubshort and Mr Abner Turnipseed, ably assisted by their band – Justin Greenhalge and me. Old Time American music, songs and plenty of self-penned comedy songs too.
AVAILABLE FOR HIRE
WANTAGE COMMUNITY CHURCH is based in Kingsgrove (a new development to the East of Wantage). Howard plays bass, electric guitar and mandolin. Occasionally cajon.
Not forgetting these wonderful bands who I no longer play with, or only play with once in a while (if they’re really desperate, lol)
HORIZON This is a Sixties pop duo performing songs from the 1960s. Not a covers band as such, but we play great songs from The Beatles, The Kinks, The Turtles, Creedence Clearwater Revival and so on. Chris Rae and I went to the same school in Whitley Bay and got together to play music when I was 15. Once retired, we formed Horizon and picked up where we left off (but with better gear, hehe). Vocals, acoustic guitar, bass and mandolin, plus great sound gear.
Disbanded 2025
WHOOSYA plays Americana (country folk, blues, gospel) and is enormous fun. We have banjo, mandolin, guitars, bass and percussion, and strong vocals lead by Sian and Trevor. We’re busy looking at adding some traditional folksongs to our repertoire.
Disbanded 2024
JIGWORKS is my other regular ceilidh band. The repertoire is mostly Irish, but we can cover a whole range of traditional tunes and dances. Simon Weston leads the band on button accordion and concertina and it’s always fun to perform at weddings and family celebrations.
Disbanded 2024
ROSE HIPS is a folk-fusion belly dance troupe based in Oxfordshire. The side has its our own band and dance in a variety of belly dance styles to music from all over the world.
Rose Hips is available to perform at ceilidhs, parties, festivals and other occasions.
PANDEMONIUM is a folk band that I belonged to for 15 years! I have to include them here as I learned more about performing music in a group than anywhere else. And I had the most incredible amount of enjoyment and fun too. Pandemonium put on numerous concerts for the likes of WIs and Care Homes and so much more. I even recorded a CD with them “Hats off to Wantage“. Happy days!!