We celebrate lo-fi, punk rock approaches to the cheapest, easiest-to-play, and most democratic of instruments, the ukulele. Highlights include live sets from no less than 5 bands, and a rare screening of ROCK THAT UKE "a quirkily philosophical cinematic love poem that examines the near mystical allure of the ukulele". Plus much much more!

NB: Tonight will probably be quite successful so if you want to be sure to have a ticket you might want to book! Look at the bottom of this page for more details.

Rare films and great bands for an extreme Ukulele Festival!

7pm - Short films

7.30pm - Feature Documentary: "Rock That Uke"

8.45pm - Live Bands

7pm: Films

We will be showing short films and the US feature documentary "Rock That Uke", in the presence of its director William Preston Roberston, coming all the way from California.

ROCK THAT UKE (2003, 63 min) is a quirkily philosophical cinematic love poem narrated by Holly Hunter.

It examines the near mystical allure of the ukulele and the recent wave of alternative and experimental musicians who have taken up the four-stringed underdog of the music world to incorporate it not just into their raucous and irreverent original compositions, but into a counter cultural/post-punk ethos.

Interviewing a broad range of ukuleleists ROCK THAT UKE asks among other probing questions, “Is there a ukulele personality?” and “What compels someone to amplify and distort this little instrument to play loud, aggressive music?”

ROCK THAT UKE explores the big questions by asking the small ones. It's a peek at human nature through a very tiny sound hole.

8.45pm: Live Bands

We have gathered no less than 5 bands to show the best of what can be done with a ukulele, and the night will be presented by well-known Tyneside uker George Welch.

5 extremely good bands: Eilidh Macaskill, Cat Green Bike, Ira Lightman, Cockland and Dirty Diamonds.

Cat Green Bike
Utilising the delicate little gem that is a Ukulele, this lady lays down some frequencies and spaces for your tonotopic maps. Attracted or repelled, you have no rights to sell her to the knacker.  

Dirty Diamonds
The Newcastle-based trio will perform a set of original material based on the idea that less is more. Multi-uked and multi-vocalled they blend tenor, alto and soprano ukuleles for your delight.

Eilidh Macaskill
"Come and dance gaily, and bring your shillellagh to Eilidh’s Daily Ukulele Ceilidh!"

Cockland
Cockland is Cambridge-based Jon Lloyd. He plays electric ukulele in the rock idiom, bolstered by electronic beeps and bangs.

Ira Lightman
Ira Lightman has been playing ukelele for two years and guitar for thirteen, and describes his music as “all punk self-taught”. During the summer of 2007, Ira embarked on putting as many Dylan songs as he could play on ukulele on YouTube.

George Welch

George was born in St Peter's which is as near as you can get to Byker. He was the first born so he had no hand-me-downs and from birth to the age of twelve years was to be found naked.

"I do what I do to the best of my ability... so there you go..." he says.

 

Let’s all go Uku! Come along, you know you’ll enjoy it.

For more info, visit the website of the festival here.

Price: £6.50 for the whole night.

Booking: You can book a maximum of 2 tickets in advance by sending an email to lightbulb08@gmail.com - but you have to collect your tickets at 6.45pm latest on the night or your tickets will be given away.

It will probably sell out so book or come early!

Please note: the Star and Shadow Cinema is entirely run by volunteers, and it is necessary to be a member to attend an event. This costs 1 pound a year.