Comments on: Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain: Will Grove-White Interview

By: Woodshed

Woodshed — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:19:31 +0000

Hobbit: I’ll get to work on that.

By: Howlin' Hobbit

Howlin' Hobbit — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:14:00 +0000

In my continuing efforts to catch up with the stuff I like on the intertoobs I’ve just gotten to this. And only two months late.

I’d like to see a website with just one page and on that page — in really, really big letters — would be this quote from ronhale’s comment:

“Ukulele performances alone are just not going to bring civilians into the ukulele fold, but ukulele entertainment can.”

Then we make all the ukulele players who want to play in public bookmark the thing and visit it regularly, sort of like meditating on a koan.

By: New York Times posts about Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain « Ukulele Perspective

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:09:02 +0000

[...] September 30, 2009 by ukuleleperspective Thanks to Nick on the tip about the New York Times’ article covering the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. Al on Ukulele Hunt had linked to the YouTube video of their performance in a recent post where he interviews Will Grove-White. [...]

By: Woodshed

Woodshed — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:45:19 +0000

Acilius: Your blog often makes me think.

By: Acilius

Acilius — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:17:16 +0000

Thanks for putting the question to Will Grove-White, Al! I’m amazed something from my blog could have an effect like that. By “an effect like that” I mean “any effect whatsoever.”

By: Woodshed

Woodshed — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:24:58 +0000

Armelle: I hope you get to see them soon.

zym: Thanks!

Acilius: You actually inspired the Dreamspiel question. I read your post right before I did the questions.

Byjimini: “So how did it all start?” is the sort of question I usually ask. It’s really tough to come up with questions when you don’t know the act well. It’s one of the reasons I’m giving interviews a rest for a while.

ron: Thanks for the write-up. Some of their skits do need to be seen to have their full effect. But I’m more than content just to listen to them. Their arrangements are always juicy enough to keep me satisfied.

cbf: Yeah, it looks like ass but it’s enforced. Massive blog problems. It’s a miracle it’s up at all.

Lonna: Don’t panic, it’s only changed today. It sweet of you to lie ;)

By: LonnaB

LonnaB — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:44:12 +0000

Great interview as always, Al.

How out of UkeHunt touch am I? I’m just now noticing the new format, it’s pleasing to my eye.

By: cardboardfrog

cardboardfrog — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:38:53 +0000

its excellent to see that the band which encouraged so many people to take up the uke is still at the front of the movement.
not so sure about the new layout though woodshed

By: Byjimini

Byjimini — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:22:35 +0000

Amen to that, Ron.

By: ronhale

ronhale — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:27:12 +0000

Maybe it’s just me, but to me anyway, the Ukes are (at least) as much a visual treat as they are a musical pleasure. Some of their songs are not just songs, they are musical skits in which the
acting is at least as important & enjoyable as the music.

Something like You Don’t Bring Me Flowers or Orange Blossom Special, which shine on the Anarchy in the Ukulele DVD, would be virtually pointless on a live CD, & hearing audience participation just doesn’t cut it
compared to seeing the audience members, too. Even songs that are not skits always have something visual happening, as each band member has a unique musical/visual personality & the visual personality is lost
on a CD.

People who love their DVD or videos should just close their eyes & see if the impact is the same. It isn’t. It’s been four years since the DVD, & a new live DVD is most welcome, but they should not pretend that they are simply a music group, & ignore the visuals. Some of them come from acting/comedy backgrounds, after all.

Hard to imagine Shaft without that one audience shot (not a visual of the band, of course), or The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly without seeing Jonty break-up.

Anyway, maybe my emphasis on the visual aspect of the band is just me, because Will doesn’t say a word about it. And I would love to hear what the other people think about this, because (to me, anyway) they’re only as
popular as they are Because of the extra-musical, visual aspects of their shows that people experience live & on the many videos floating around. Ukulele performances alone are just not going to bring civilians into the ukulele fold, but ukulele entertainment can.

Toss in Wuthering Heights & you have my three favorite Ukes tunes, but the WH on Live in London #1, is a pale, pathetic, poser wannabe of the DVD version.

The Ukes, of course, have played the Electric Proms, joining the Kaiser Chiefs on Ruby (one of my favorite videos of them).