Cairns Ukulele Festival: Friday Links
July 3, 2009
The Cairns Ukulele Festival seems to have been turned into a political football. It looks like local politicians became involved (always bad news) – and Bosko and Honey are no longer involved in organising it. Understandably, the prospect of funding a ukulele festival didn’t go down well with the uke-ignorant tax payers. This article in the Cairns Post, complete with mocked up photo of the mayor of Cairns, attracted plenty of uke-bashing comments from people with an obvious axe to grind:
“Do the investors in five star hotels, restaurants and first class tourist facilities really want the town to be inundated with combi vans, floral shirts and ukeleles complete with eskies of mung beans, coconuts and happy weed?”
“Now come on everybody what is this woman on ??? we’ve voted and paying for a complete Idiot with the imagination and common sense of a dead cane toad.”
And it ruffled a few pro-uke feathers – as you can tell by the subsequent comments. The counter insurgency obviously worked as the paper then printed this article and this was the front of the magazine. And now the mayor has gone on a publicity offensive. All this entertainment and the festival still an entire year away.
Jimmy has launched a Bobby McGee’s competition where you can win a t-shirt and a special edition of the album.
New Re-entrants CD: The Good, The Bad and the Ukulele.
Preview of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain documentary.
Halifax Ukulele Group has a pdf of camp fire songs.
I’ve only just noticed that Mark Occhionero is offering ukulele lessons by Skype. Seems like an excellent way to do things.
Ben Harper gives the gift of uke (via James Hill).
Video of the Vicenza Ukulele Festival and one of Ukelear Meltdown II including the quite brilliant Cat Green Bike.
A song for those of us in the small Venn diagram crossover between ukulele players and WordPress fans.
If you live outside the UK you can find the UOGB’s Ode to Joy tutorials here.
Zoe finds a simple solution to her ukulele storage problem.
Ukulele fever spreads to Thailand.
How to steal a ukulele in 10 easy steps.
The ukulele vs recorder story is doing the rounds in the UK press again. Here’s what the Telegraph said this week and here’s what they said two years ago. I hope that’s not a typo and the headteacher’s name really is ‘Barabara’ – I hope the kids taunt her with this song. Although when your school is called ‘Rood End’ you’ve probably got all the fun you need right there.
And so ends a rather cynical and world-weary edition of Friday Links. I think it might be due to reading Flat Earth News.
Buke, UKEit and Ukulele Hero T-Shirts
July 18, 2008
The baritone ukulele site Buke has been shut down. It did have a note saying it was for copyright reasons (which makes me nervous). I tried to email Roger to find out more, but his email wasn’t working. It’s a real shame to see it go. Anyone know any more?
With the recent UKEit festival, it’s clear good things are happening with the ukulele in Italy. You can pick up a CD of Italian ukulele acts. And there’s an Italian blog with uke chords here including Pink Martini and Hank Williams (don’t scroll too far down if you want to keep things entirely work safe).
A batch of Bluegrass ukulele tabs on Uker Tabs from Ken Middleton.
Treat yourself to a Ukulele Hero T-Shirt (or a Kazoo Hero T-Shirt if that’s more your speed).
UPDATE: Thanks to Jan for pointing out you can get a 25% discount if you sign up on this page (plenty more ‘Hero’ style tees on there too).
Nellie McKay plays her ukulele for TED (Thanks to Paul, Garatth and Catherine from SUJ).
Friend of Uke Hunt, Heather will be hosting a ukulele special on her show on CJSR tonight at 6 p.m., MST. You can listen live here or listen again here (find Q Transmissions).
Hoosierhiver tells you why your ukulele won’t stay in tune.
Mirah’s new album, The Old Days Feeling, is more than a little bit brilliant. There are three uke tracks (Dreamboat, Take Me Out Riding and Birthday Present) and you can download Lone Star free on Amazon.
Map of Bosko and Honey’s Ukulele Safari.
Mike McCready (of Pearl Jam) has a page of ukulele tabs on his site including Soon Forget and The Who’s Blue, Red, Grey. (Thanks to Daniel)
Cool Hand Uke’s iPhone ringtones.
MP3s: New track, Megaman 9, from Tanguy Ukulele Orchestra, Allo, Darlin on Indietracks, Herohill has Jon and Roy’s High on a Hill.
This might be the reason God made sure there was plenty of distance between Hawaii and Australia.
Monday Exposure: Bosko and Honey
July 14, 2008
I’m sure you all know who Bosko and Honey are. Their Ukulele Safari has been the uke highlight of the year so far. What you might not know is that they have just released an album Just Quietly.
The album features six of Bosko and Honey’s original instrumental tracks including the blistering Black Mountain Breakdown. If you sign up as a member you can download an mp3 of the track Samidare.
Go here to buy the album and support them in their Ukulele Safari. My copy is on its way right now.
George Formby’s uke, Bosko and Honey and Others
May 30, 2008
George Formby’s Abbott Monarch “Little Strad” banjolele (as used for recording When I’m Cleaning Windows along with many others) is up for auction at Bonhams in London next month. The estimate is £45,000 (via BBC). Also up for sale is a Dallas E banjolele formerly owned by both Formby and George Harrison (via Uncut).
Bosko and Honey talk about their Ukulele Safari on Ukulele Spotlight (mp3 link).
After a bit of lull with the Tribute to REM season, Le Soir is back on top form with decent performances from famous people like Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly and The Wombats; and great sessions from people I’ve never heard of like Timesbold and Cocoon.
There’s still a little time to enter Ukulele Review’s logo contest and plenty of time to enter buy a ukulele video contest.
St Matthew Passion on the Ukulele(MP3 link).*
Does the size of your ukulele stop you showing it to a girl? UPDATE: He should read the Dating Advice from Ukulele Players (includes Uke Hunt faves Jen Kwok and Sweet Soubrette).
Chords for Queen’s Dont Stop Me Now courtesy of Andy.
*I spent so long working this one out the moment has long gone, still…
Abbe May, Michael Wagner, John King and Others
May 17, 2008
Loads of great videos this week including John King, Ohta San, Aaron Keim and the most charming version of Stormy Weather you’ll ever hear. The big surprise was Abbe May. Usually, she makes PJ Harvey-style alternative rock. She does a great job with a uke.
I haven’t been posting Bosko and Honey’s Ukulele Safari on here because I assume everyone is watching it anyway. You are watching it, right? [Read more]
Fin Raucous, Brian Hefferan, Craig Robertson
March 8, 2008
This week’s best ukulele videos include a rocker from GUGUG’s Fin Raucous, a NSFW tune from the UkuLady, Ukulele Ike and many more. [Read more]
Lars Larsson’s Ukulele Video Showcase: Ukulele Duets and More
October 20, 2007
GUGUG
Rawhide (Played on a TV Pal Plastic Ukulele)
California Sun
Exodus
Man in the Street
Tequila
Honey & Bosko – Girl from Ipenema
Laughing Will Smith & Stefan Raab (Germany Interview / Comedy)
Patsy Monteleone, Gio Gaynor — Sleighride
Jeffrey Lew, Uke Jackson — Come Back Baby
Uke Jackson, Patsy Monteleone – Friend of the Devil
Renee Rogers, Uke Crooner – Cheek to Cheek
Karen Langlie, Craig Robertson – Money
Garota de Ipanema (Brazilian, excuse the burp!)
Honey & Bosko (Never enough of them)
Lars Larsson’s Ukulele Video Showcase I: UkuLadies
October 6, 2007
Recently, the Berkeley Ukulele Club message board disappeared and took along with it the excellent list of the best ukulele videos in various categories. The list was compiled by Jeff West of the Berkeley Ukulele Club, the Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz and the Deutscher Ukulelenclub. He’s very kindly supplied me with the lists and has let me put them up.
Here’s the first list, dedicated to the distaff side of ukulele.
Karen Langlie (w/friend) / Money
Honey with Bosko / Dance with Me
Kelli Rae Powell / Handmedowns
Sweet Soubrette / Tenderness Has Teeth
Heather Lev / Ukulele Afternoon
Mercedezz (Banjo Uke) / I Will Survive
Honey with Bosko / Baby It’s You
Zoe Woodbury / There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
Janet Klein / Tonight You Belong to Me
Victoria Vox / Uking on the Road
Bosko and Honey’s Ukulele Safari
August 21, 2007
As they mentioned in their very first ukulele love-in, Bosko and Honey developed their uke playing a long way from other uke players and had never met another uke player before their sojourn to the New York Uke Fest. They’re planning to make up for that by spending most of next year touring the globe, 
meeting and jamming with other ukers and documenting their travels for YouTube and a DVD.
They’re going to be visiting the east coast of Australia, Japan, the USA, the UK and Europe (which covers everyone who has visited this blog ever apart from one person in Djibouti). So if you want to be one of the strange and exotic animals they observe on their safari – or you fancy jamming with them or putting them up for the night – head over to their website and shoot them an email.
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Ukule Flambe – In The Jailhouse Now (mp3) via their website
I knocked up this tab for the intro to In The Jailhouse Now. Some of the positions are different to those Bosko uses.
The chords for the song follow a similar structure – but with a D on the ‘They’ve got him in the jailhouse…“
