Dave's Pictures of The Unthanks from the Recent Killarney Folk Festival

My friend Dave from Ireland has just sent me these pictures of The Unthanks live at the recent Killarney Folk Festival:

Really like these shots (possibly taken by Dave's wife, Jean) as they capture the colour and atmosphere of the occasion:

Michael Chapman and Mike Cooper Live at Warsaw Pardon To Tu 21st July 2015

So glad I got to see accoustic guitar maestro Michael  Chapman at Warsaw Pardon To Tu last night.  Only discovered Michael Chapman's work properly a month or two ago, but I'm so glad I did.

The man just has a profound feel for his instrument, it's captivating, I just found myself being mesmerised watching his finger movements on the guitar all the time, tapping my feet in unison:

My favourite tunes of the night would have to be the opening 'Trains' or the encore 'La Madrugada':

Between songs, Michael Chapman was very gracious with a pleasant northern English (Yorkshire) accent, and it was interesting to hear how 'La Madrugada' had been inspired by and written in Italian, Spanish and Mexican churches.

Unfortunately, I only caught a few minutes of the Mike Cooper set afterwards, as I had to be up early for work the next morning.  As I'd expected, Mike Cooper's work looked as if it was going to be heavily esoteric, and from what I saw at the start, I'm not that sure if some members of the audience knew what to make of it.

Still, while there were a few problems with the microphone, Mike Cooper showed that he had a great, ironic sense of humour (e.g. his theory about the soundman being in the toilet), and recalled the days when him and Michael Chapman  had been playing live in the British clubs of the 1960s.

And the Pardon To Tu?  I just find this place a touch claustrophobic, especially at the back when the  music starts, although it's easy enough to move around and get a beer before the music starts:

Szczebreszyn (Poland): Three Dogs

Still in Szczebreszyn, eastern Poland here with Misiek, my wife's parents' golden retriever who almost looks like a small lion above.

And below, Misiek is having his coat combed with a rake which he loves:

And next door to Misiek, there's Czapek who  does a lot of barking but likes to lick people's hands:

And łatek also lives next door:

His big skill is jumping in the air as below:

Szczebreszyn (Poland): Ducks and Storks in the Fields

A few of my wife's mobile shots from her hometown of Szczebreszyn in eastern Poland here, starting with a wonderful group of ducks marching in a fully organised fashion towards hunting for slugs (above).

And below, there is a stork probably looking for frogs in a farmer's field:

While below, a stork is being more daring looking for frogs in someone's garden:

Saw the storks arriving in eastern Poland at Easter this year.  They're incredibly popular often making their nests at the top of telegraph poles and sometimes even on top of people's houses.  Of course, as soon as the weather dips and autumn approaches, they get read to fly back to Africa in massive groups.

The Godfather Live Warsaw Poster

Looks like the music from 'The Godfather' is going to be played live at Warsaw Torwar on 8th November:

However, I've just got too many concerts coming up in the autumn/early winter to even consider this.

Pilsner Urquell: A Healthy Beer

Couple of weeks ago my friend Piers told me that Pilsner Urquell (from Pilzen in the Czech Republic) was healthier than most beers due to the alkaline-acid balance in it.  Had never heard of this before but checked it out on the internet, and it seems that Piers was spot on.

So I tried a few bottles last weekend (the first time I'd drunk Pilsner Urquell in about 10 years) and felt no ill effects at all the day after.  Of course, Pilsner Urquell is only 4.4% in alcohol strength, but I'll stick with it as, like drinking Guinness, I felt fully okay after having a reasonable but not heavy amount of it (only drink once a week just to relax with listening to music videos).

Warsaw: A Few Fireworks in the Sky

Was just out and about Saturday evening, when suddenly there was a big bang, as somebody started letting off fireworks from their back garden.

For a minute or so, the sky was more interesting to look at.