Anarchy in the Uke-K!

New Bearwood Band Alert!  Well to welovebearwood at least which makes us very excited. The Strumtroopers, you'll recognise one of the band if you're a regular at The Midland Real Ale Bar, are a 7 piece instrumental ukulele covers band with their roots very firmly in the wood.

We’ve done some digging and found out how the band got together….

  

"It started with a gift. Tom ‘Capt. Mountain (ret’d)’ Reed was given a ukulele as a joke in 2008, and began formulating a plan with Ben ‘The Librarian’ George. The plan was to assume lead and rhythm parts in a ukulele band which would one day change the face of music.  Two years passed.

The band began to finally take shape with the addition of other neglected music genii from the West Midlands. Paul ‘The Beard’ Horn was found wandering the beer desert of Erdington bearing only a PhD thesis, a bass guitar and an owl. Adam ‘Hickman’ Hickman was the straight backed guitar king of St Andrew’s, willing to drop down a level on the promise of having the Strumtroopers’ attack built around his play. Sean ‘Sunshine’ Harris was recruited from the Bolivian jungles, where he had continued the fight of Che Guevara’s rebels until his discharge for demanding 43 years back pay. The Owl that had been nesting in Paul’s beard turned out to be Ben ‘Bezzy Bebbs’ Bebbington, who joined the line up providing bongos, a finely decorated cajon, and was almost always able to count to four without stopping. 

Two years of gigs, in front of almost totally perplexed audiences, passed.

With the completion of The Beard’s PhD he was allowed to graduate to the front row, but this left the side unbalanced, and the solution was the addition of Dave “Wolfman” Hingley a man with both the abstract alt-country stylings of Billy Wright, and the leadership and vision of Jeff Tweedy.”  Life's what uke make it!

 We’ve been told that “The Strumtroopers are not to be missed, and should under no circumstances be approached with seriousness. They are reported to be uke’d and dangerous."  

You’ll be able to find out for yourselves when The Strumtroopers play at The Midland on Saturday 23rd August in aid of Magi 4 Afrika, raising money for WaterAid.  Pop into The Midland to find out more. We’re sure uke'll love 'em !

For more info please visit their Facebook page right here and their website right here!

P.S.  Are you in a band based in Bearwood?  Get in touch by emailing us at welovebearwood@googlemail.com and we’ll help you spread the word. 

P.S. No more ukulele puns we promise…uke betcha!