Uke Cannot Be Serious
- 5 Nov 07, 11:44 AM
Since my previous post about the joys of playing a ukulele, I¡¯ve been getting encouraging messages from you all. Some clearly believe that a man of my age should have a hobby, and it¡¯s either the uke or a shed. Well, a Harley Davidson is clearly beyond the budget.
Other mates are amused that I¡¯m playing music again, after a 20 year sabbatical. My previous line of thinking was that it¡¯s better to be a reasonably good journalist than being a bad musician. But now I¡¯m strictly amateur in the literal sense of playing for love.
I¡¯ve been checking out singular uke music, from the likes of Patrick Wolf, Viv Stanshall and of course The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. There¡¯s a barely discernible line between fun and being silly, which is why I can¡¯t be bothered with George Formby. Who played a banjolele, anyway...
I can play about half a dozen chords, though not quickly in sequence. The tips of my fingers are getting calloused with fret action. And plans for a radio special on Friday November 16, 10pm are now well advanced. We¡¯re hoping the showcase the real skills of , who plays like a dream and writes a charming song. There will be a finale of massed uke players, some of whom have just outed themselves after reading this blog. And I¡¯m planning to perform a song myself. It could be rather embarrassing. I need more practice.
(Geoff Gatt photo by )
Stu Bailie presents The Late show on Radio Ulster, every Friday from 10pm until midnight. See his playlist here.
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