Paris Uke Fest 2009 as experienced by a beginner.

Great day, lovely people, excellent ukulele acts : a day to be remembered !

Here are some highlights of the Paris Uke Fest (PUF)
Early arrival : 
I wouldn't miss a minute of the PUF after waiting 14 months to meet other ukulele players ! IMG 1017
At 1:00 pm there is still plenty of room in the Bellevilloise. It makes it easy to meet people, test all the ukuleles on display,  chat with the Juste Cordes Team, admire Sylvain's unusual handmade ukuleles (link to http://www.la-case-a-ukes.fr/) IMG1018. 
I then get to put faces on pseudos seen on forums. The room diffuses a soft ukulele chatter, people trying out each other's ukes.
The atmosphere is very laid back and international so I feel immediately at home.

Workshops :
In a room which had a temperature close to a sauna's, a first workshop by Tim Sweeny trying to convince our group that playing with a guitar pick had more impact on listeners than standard playing using fingers.
This was followed by a great strumming course by Ukulelezaza. Great feel to hear a group of people strumming ukuleles with muted strings. It felt like a percussion band. Combining all the techniques ukulelezaza explained was too difficult an exercise for me... 

The Film : Rock that Uke
Weird is what best summarizes it. A portrait of over the edge American ukulele players. Many people left before the end... I don' t think many of the ukulele players attending the PUF recognised themselves in the portrait painted.

Open Mic:
Very different styles, I admire people who have the guts to go and play in front of a crowd. IMG 1027 1028 -  

The concerts :
Opening by the lively Ukulele boyz who started playing in the middle of the room before going up on stage.  IMG 1032

Tricity Vogue and the Sugarsnap Sisters IMG1055
Brilliant performance ! I really enjoyed the vocal harmonies and their music

Tim Sweeny IMG1060

Kelli Rae Powell IMG1062
After the cheerful performances of the Ukulele Boyz and the Sugarsnap Sisters, Kelli Rae Powell' s music made me blue with songs like "There's nothing bad that can' t get worse"...

Ukulelezaza and the Red Cats IMG1067
Time for ukulelezaza to display all the techniques he had showed us earlier on. 

Then it's time for the raffle with its lucky winners. IMG 1070
The lucky winner of the First Prize which was a tenor Pete Howlett uke. I think he still can' t believe his luck. 
I tried it but it's too heavy for me... any excuse not to have any regrets...  IMG 1071

Marie Darling and her sophisticated style IMG1073

Patti Plinko and her Boy :IMG 1077 1078
If there was a background chatter in the room, it ceased when Patti and her Boy started playing.
This was a really raw and excellent performance which left us bewitched. From whispers to roars Patti really looked like a playful leoness with her lion Boy at her side. There was such a complicity between the two of them and their alternating between slow and wild rhythms was captivating. 
She said she had been drinking quite a few whiskys before going on stage, I kind of wonder what brand it was to have such a powerful effect.

Elvira Bira IMG1085
The concept of punk ukulele with a yellow Makala and a tuba is quite original (she was without her band so her father played the tuba to give her a bass sound) . She certainly had a voice.

That brings us to the end of the festival. I am already looking forward to next year's. IMG1091