Here we are now, Entertain Us

Wednesday night at the Performing Arts Centre was a performance by the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. 9 ukuleles varying in size and tone from a big electric bass one to a pocket-sized one, played by 8 musicians and tunes ranging from Beethoven to Nirvana...can you guess which one they were doing in this shot?

Yule-kulele jam

On Thursday night we trotted down to The Joynt on Montague Road for a festive final BUMS meeting of the year (that's Brisbane Ukulele Musicians Society). We played Santa Baby which turned out really well - and a stonking rendition of Blister In The Sun by the Violent Femmes (not very Christmassy but still lots of fun). It helps that we have a double bass and some very good ukulele players amongst us who carry the others. You can't hear the wrong chords at all. At one point I had been confidently strumming away and concentrating on the words projected overhead - then I looked down to see my hand curled into the right shape but in the wrong position... which would have been resulting in a deliciously awful dischord. I am getting better, though!

Three of a Kind

Brisbane is definitely going a bit ukulele mad. This trio provided some great background music while selecting fruit and vegetables at the market last week.

Uke'n have a good laugh learning the ukulele

Last night I went to the WEE BUMS which is like the main BUMS (Brisbane Ukulele Musicians Society) but more of a sub group based in West End (hence WE ... don't know what that other E is there for - maybe because it's supposed to be smaller than the main?). Anyway. It's held in Blackstar cafe on the second Friday of every month and last night when we got there it was standing room only. Someone had a double bass and the rest - there would have been about 50 people - had all manner of ukuleles and were playing at all sorts of levels. A few people up front took it in turns to load up a song onto the projector with all the words and chords. Despite me realising that I was playing the completely wrong chords on more than one occassion, the overall sum of our parts was strangely harmonic.

Great Big B.U.M.S.

I went along to another Brisbane Ukelele Musicians Society (B.U.M.S.) jam at the Coorpooroo Bowls Club last night. It was an even bigger turnout than last month with an open mic section and songs for everyone to play and sing along to.
As we strummed and sang into the night upstairs, the "Bingo Bitches" punk-inspired bingo game downstairs rattled off numbers of their own.
Ace!

B.U.M.S. on seats

Well I had a great night at the Brisbane Ukelele Musicians Society jam night last night. There would have been 100 people there - this picture is only about a third of the room - all strumming their ukeleles and having a good laugh at the same time. They had a projector with all the chords and lyrics on it so everyone could read the songs and by the end we were all singing pretty loudly and playing more or less in time! Amazing really for such a wide range in skills and experience. I've got sore fingers now but I'll definitely be going again next month.

Last Minute B.U.M.S. Practice!

So over the past few months I have been toying with playing the ukelele. When I went camping at Easter I became a bit more competent and was able to strum along to a few songs. Tonight I'm off to my first night at the B.U.M.S. (That's the Brisbane Ukelele Musicians Society incase you were wondering - visit their website if you are interested). They have a jam every month at the Coopooroo Bowls Club and last month there was well over 100 people that turned up to play along! I can't even imagine what that would sound like but by the end of the night, with any luck, I'll find out and get back to you tomorrow.