Blowzabella factual history

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Blowzabella: A Factual History

BLOWZABELLA was formed in late 1978 by 4 students studying Musical Instrument Technology at the London College of Furniture. Primarily the band was formed for fun, to play for dancing at fairs and alternative festivals and secondarily to play bagpipes with hurdy-gurdies, which, at that time, was an innovative direction to take in the context of the British folk music scene.

The band’s first repertoire was French, Belgian, English and Balkan dance music. They played ‘English’ bagpipes, Macedonian bagpipes, melodeon, bouzouki, tapan, flutes, kavals and hurdy-gurdy.

Although it seems from the constantly changing line-ups that the band was in a constant state of flux, the group have always followed one particular musical direction; creating an interesting sound using unusual acoustic instruments and experimenting with British and European traditional folk music by devising their own arrangements.

The main differences between the original Blowzabella and the present line-up are firstly a move towards playing much more British and self-composed music and secondly a change of emphasis from a situation where the bagpipes/hurdy-gurdy were the primary instruments to a situation where all the instruments carry equal weight in the sound and texture of the arrangements!

Paul James

Formed at the London College of Furniture in 1978 Chris Gunstone John Orford Sam Palmer Dancer 1979: Blowzabella’s First Public Appearance Jon Savage Bagpipes Bagpipes Bill O’Toole Melodeon Bouzouki
Tapan

1980 Jon Savage Dave Roberts Dave Roberts Sam Palmer Dulcimer Chris Gunstone Melodeon C llief Stapleton Dave Roberts - Sam Palmer - Chris G. Bagpipes June 1982

1981 Jon Savage Dave Roberts Dave Roberts Dave Arthurs Melodeon Dulcimer Dulcimer Dave Roberts Jon Savage - Dave Roberts - Sam Palmer - Chris Gunstone

1982 Dave Roberts Sam Palmer - Chris Gunstone -
FIRST ALBUM: BLOWZABELLA Paul James - Cliff Stapleton Paul James - Cliff Stapleton -
Bagpipes Melodeon Cliff Stapleton - Sam Palmer P.R.2038 - June 1982

1983 Dave Roberts Sam Palmer SECOND ALBUM: NJ COLOUR Paul James - Cliff Stapleton - Duffws Paul James - Cliff Stapleton -
Owen Duffws Owen

1984 Dave Roberts Dave Arthurs - Nigel Eaton - Dave Shepherd THIRD ALBUM: ‘BOOMSHOOT’ Paul James - Nigel Eaton - Dave Shepherd Melodeon Sam Palmer - Paul James Melodeon Dave Arthurs - Dave Shepherd Violin

1985 Dave Roberts Dave Arthurs - Paul James - Nigel Eaton - Dave Shepherd Melodeon Sam Palmer - Paul James Jon Savage - Dave Roberts - Dave Arthurs Violin

1986 Dave Roberts Paul James - Nigel Eaton - Dave Shepherd Bagpipes Vocals Hurdy-Gurdy Dave Roberts - Ian Luff - Paul James - Nigel Eaton Bass Guitar Bagpipes Melodeon Cleft Item Whistle Hurdy Gurdy Percussion -

NEW ALBUM BEING RECORDED IN MARCH 1986. TO BE RELEASED IN MAY ‘86.