Ukulele Prom DVD, New World Record: Friday Links

You can pre-order your copy of The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain’s already legendary Proms performance on their website and watch a clip of it here.

New Zealand builds a human ukulele out of 961 kids and set a new world record.

Der Spiegal talks about the London ukulele scene (the entertainingly translated version) with Tricity Vogue, Eleanor from the “BonnyMcGees” and Mighty Ukulele who list the ukulele events in London.

Rolf Harris’s ukulele Christmas song. (Thanks – sort of – to Andy).

Build a Pez dispenser humidifier.

Cherryade’s Christmas album includes Uke Hunt favourites The Bobby McGee (who are ripping me off good and proper) and ‘Allo Darlin’.

On Uker Tabs: Corinne Bailey Rae’s cover of Editors’ Munich, Lust for Life by Girls and The XX – Islands.

Obviously all the models are playing ukulele – another to add to the list is Maxim cover (NSFW) girl Jessica Warner – but you know something’s really fashionable when the luge champions start doing it – Bartt has pictures of Kate Hansen ukeing and lugeing if you need the proof.

MP3s: My Crazy Music Blog and newdust have a couple from Galapaghost. And I recorded a couple myself: Eye of the Tiger (for a trailer for a film about chess-boxing) and The Bar-Kays’ Soul Finger (just for giggles).

In the comments: Ron Hale’s been kicking things off again with his appraisal of Dent May and campness.

Photos: Ukulele player practicing on the seawall, time has told me, Ukulele Girl

Is it a good idea to microwave a ukulele? (Thanks to April in Autumn).

Mr B the Gentleman Rhymer, Plushgun, Luca Gemma: Saturday UkeTube

Most of the UOGB stuff that turns up on YouTube is DVD rips, which makes lizardonuke’s channel very refreshing with lesser seen songs and backstage shenanigans. As well as the UOGB, this weeks vids include Mr B schooling us, Lulu and the Lampshades going bandstand busking (watch the whole thing here), The Bobby McGee’s fighting off zombies, Plushgun making a video on the cheap, Peter Moss soundchecking, Luca Gemma with the UKEit guys and plenty more. [Read more]

Ukulele Prom DVD, Play Ukulele by Ear: Friday Links

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain’s performance at the Proms will be released on DVD and Live in London #2 will be out soon. This review of the ukulele prom by Howard Jacobson is fantastic. “Seid umschlungen, Millionen!” indeed.

Jim D’Ville has released a DVD called Play Ukulele by Ear and has set up a website to go along with it. You can read Ukulele Tonya’s review of it here.

The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra will be releasing a new EP, The Dreaming, on 28th September. Tracks include Africa, I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man and Blue Smoke.

Bookulele – A Love Story (via Ukulelezo).

Garfunkel and Oates (Kate Micucci and Riki Lindhome) release their debut album.

Download a bunch of tracks from Toy Horses in exchange for your email address.

Metallica’s Seek and Destroy and Seaside by The Kooks on Uker Tabs.

Ibanez Ukuleles, Mel Bay: Friday Links

Ibanez are the latest guitar company to jump on the bandwagon with their range of ukuleles.

Mel Bay have a new dedicated uke site which includes a chance to win a Kala travel ukulele.

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain at the Proms (it may or may not be available where you are).

The film industry seems to have been overtaken by ukuleles recently. James Franco serenaded Julia Roberts with Jen Kwok’s ukulele. She’s also going to be ukeing in the film. And Zac Efron plays uke in his next film as well. Whilst Russell Brand ukes in his skivvies (thanks to Heather for that one). But they can’t do it like the old-school stars: Buster Keaton and Ukulele Ike duet on one uke.

Humble Baritonics is a new blog from Jeff searching out baritone ukulele tabs online.

One to avoid: PlayAUke. Yeah, it’s for charity. But charging for this is just ridiculous. Chapter one is six lines of writing and 3 Julia Nunes videos. And it doesn’t get any better.

The Observer chats to the UOGB and Tricity Vogue.

MP3s: Oh World has a track from The Hazzards (formerly the Ukes of Hazzard), ZME Music has tada tata.

On Flickr: Jukebox-ulele, The Secret Life of Toys

10 ukulele clubs and club nights in London.

The Beatle Fest’s largest ukulele ensemble record attempt gathered 97 people. So I’m still a World Record holder.

Impress your boho boyfriend with a ukulele (via ps i love uke).

If anyone knows or is a ukulele player/teacher in the Woodstock/Kingston area, can you shoot me an email.

Cairns Ukulele Festival: Friday Links

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.

Ode to Joy, Made In Hawaii: Friday Links

The UOGB provide a tutorial for playing Ode to Joy. Which you can play along with them at the Proms. They were plugging it on Radio 4’s Today (listen again here – starts about 1:41) along with Kathy Clugston.

Details of the John Kavanagh Memorial Concert.

Pam finds out what ‘‘Made in Hawaii’ really means. And the post is followed up by an article in the Hololulu Star Bulletin.

Uni visits Auckland where, according to the anchor, she’s a famous as the Rolling Stones.

For those of you who weren’t so keen on Madame Pamita’s lo-fi approach to recording, she has now rerecorded some songs in dazzling mono.

The Lille ukulele club COULE has a new website complete with uke-news blog in French and English and some funky illustrations.

Jeff always has the best ukulele photos on his blog and this one is an absolute gem.

Everyone is voting delete on this Flikr photo – it has to be saved (via Ukulelia).

Another – more challenging – ukulele quiz (via Seeso). 16/20 for me. But I dispute question 16 (and 18).

Daily Growl has an MP3 of Fanfarlo’s The Walls are Coming Down.

Uke Handie Stand.

I mentioned the other day that I couldn’t be sure Frank Sidebottom played the uke. I can now be sure.

Rodin and his Applause.

Ken Middleton, Jake Wildwood: Friday Links

Ken Middleton has released his first ukulele ebook: 12 Tunes for Bluegrass Ukulele. If you’ve been following his videos and his tabs, you’ll know he makes great arrangements and this ebook is definitely no exception.

Last chance to sign up for my How to Play Fingerpicking Ukulele mini-course – it’ll be taken down tomorrow (Saturday).

Jake Wildwood has a new album out and you can download it for free on his website.

The London Uke Festival people are keeping tight-lipped about who’s on the bill. They have a couple of acts listed here. My team of private investigators reveal the expected presence of The Bobby McGee’s, Joe Brown, The Re-Entrants, The Sugarsnap Sister (including Tricity Vogue and Cousin Alice) and a “smattering” of the UOGB. But the most interesting part for me is that I’ve always felt there’s a big disconnection between the London ukulele scene and the online ukulele scene. So it’d be nice to get together and be one big family. Or, failing that, have a Sharks-vs-Jets style dance-fight. If you’re feeling generous, you can sponsor my part in the festival here.

If you missed Dent May’s debut EP first time around, you’ve got a second chance to download it here. And you can watch a performance and interview from SXSW.

Armelle’s fascinating trip around the world of ukulele languages continues with Girls Aloud in Latin and a trip to Oceania. You can catch up with the full list here.

At the risk of starting a bidding war between Emily and Zoe, last week’s moustache ukulele is available to buy here.

This new uke website has popped up. Not much there yet but thought I better mention it before I forget.

Build your own ukulele speakerdog (via Ukulelia).

KDUS has animals doing people things – including playing the uke.

I usually only link to photos I can say something droll about. But I’m linking to these because they’re rather beautiful and they give me a light boner*: You might sleep, but you’ll never dream, Untitled, Ukulele.

*Yes, that link is safe for work. What’s going on in your head?

Saturday UkeTube

The most interesting video this week is of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain being joined by Yusuf ‘Cat Stevens’ Islam for a version of Peace Train. You can watch the Uke’s other performance on the show here.

Also this week are GUGUG, Ukesysteemi (the 14-year old, Finnish, slightly fuckin’ awesome version of GUGUG) and the usual mix of old friends and new favourites.

One video that didn’t make the cut is this one by me. I’m all excited about going to see Imelda May tomorrow so I knocked out some rockabilly cliches and pulled some stupid faces. [Read more]

Friday Links

Keep up ukulele players’ well deserved reputation for kindness and generosity and sponser me for my part in the London Uke Fest’s record attempt. A big thanks to Jeff, Josh, Art and Chris(who was incredibly generous) for opening the pot.

My Fingerpicking Ukulele mini-course is looking a bit tired and will be taken down next Friday. So if you’re interested, get in fast. It might be resurrected at some point in the future – possibly as part of an ebook.

Fantastic Moustaches of the World ukulele: Front, Back.

Play along live with the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain at the Albert Hall as part of the Proms. If you can’t wait until then to catch them, you can hear Hester on Radio 4’s The Afternoon Play on Monday and Peter on the album A Psychedelic Guide To Monsterism Island (The POP! Stereo has a track from it available for download).

A story about the rise of the ukulele in Singapore thanks to the efforts of Ukulele Movement.

Another Martin cropped up on Antiques Roadshow. Much more interesting than the last. It’s a one-off spruce top. If you can buy it for the appraised $4,000 bite his arm off – he is underestimating Martin collector’s craziness. (via Ukulelia)

Boy Meets World ukulele: Part 1, Part 2.

MP3s: Craig Robertson covers Ukulelezo. Fong Songs has two MP3s from Ukulele Force including James Hill’s version of Cantina Band. Out the Other has a couple of JuNu tracks.

Exceptionally easy ukulele quiz. I got 100%, bitches. Although it’s not entirely to be trusted: “That’s right. The next largest is the concert, the baritone and then the tenor.”

The Beatles Fest is going after the same mass-ukulele record as the London Uke Fest. They tried the same thing last year and managed 28.

Vertigo Smyth chords on Uker Tabs.

Bette Midler gives the Obama girls a ukulele.

Supermodel Pania Rose plays naked ukulele. Not particularly well, but it would have been remiss of me not to mention it. And she lists her favourite band as Beirut. Keep her away from me. She’d fall in love and it would be one big hassle.

And a whole bunch of naked ukulele models here.

Monday Exposure: The Hot Potato Syncopators

Hot Potato Syncopators – I’m in the Mood for Love (MP3)
Hot Potato Syncopators – Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head (MP3)
Hot Potato Syncopators – Bye Bye Blues (MP3) via their website.

Some traditional ukulele fare from the Hot Potato Syncopators. The Hot Potato’s Duke Marmapantz is something of a ukulele legend being an occasional stand-in uke for the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain and mentor to Jimmy of the Bobby McGee’s.

Visit Hot Potato Syncopators’ MySpace.

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