Ludlow Food Festival was a massive success for all involved. We played the whole 3 days and did a very enjoyable final set on the Saturday night. Fabulous weather, record attendances and plenty of fantastic food and drink made the festival a great experience. One of the good things about being called Whalebone is the huge amount of scope for puns. This weekend we coined the phrase 'Whaleburn' and learnt that after playing most of the day on Friday, in full sun, that drinking lots of water was the way forward. We also met a very talented chap called Louis who makes amazing chocolate called Chokolit, which after sampling extensively we can categorically state is fabulous.
The following weekend we spent playing at the Bishop's Castle Michaelmas Fair. September seems to be a safer bet nowadays for outdoor events with the weather, so we had another great weekend. The town was full of people and the vibe was lovely. Michaelmas is traditionally a celebration of St Michael the Archangel and coincides with the autumn equinox and the end of the harvest. Old Michaelmas Day falls around the 11th October and according to an old legend, blackberries should not be picked after this date because Satan was banished from Heaven on this day, fell into a blackberry bush and cursed the brambles as he fell on them... Don't say we didn't warn you! We played both days outside at the Six Bells Brewery and were looked after very well by Nev and Sue. The lead guitarist sampled a couple of their products so we have it on good authority that the merchandise is excellent. We will be heading back to Bishop's Castle in a few weeks on the 17th of October to play at The Three Tuns as part of our Autumn Tour. Talking of which....
The first date of the Autumn Tour kicked off at Ditton Priors village hall, with Rich McMahon and The Father Teds. It was great to meet up with Rich again, and a great night was had by all. The following week we played at Rushbury village hall with Daylevel and we always have a giggle and a nice time with Bri and Sal. The next date is in Shrewsbury at the Gateway Arts Centre on Friday 2nd October. Tickets are available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/whalebone.
Our live album, Roosty...Folky...Live and Funky... has received a 4 star review from Kindred Spirit Magazine! Click here to read it!