N'Ukefest Ukulele Gathering Line Ups Are Finalised!

Well, not quite a Got A Ukulele post, but news that the ukulele gathering being hosted by our band The N'Ukes is now booked up for performances! N'Ukefest is GO!

N'Ukefest is a charitable ukulele get together on 16-18 May, that is free to attend and now in its third year. This year though we thought we would go a bit bigger, providing two full days of ukulele open mic performances and a special evening programme of some of the UK's biggest uke performers on an indoor stage. Let's take a look at the evening programme first. We are delighted with these acts!!

Phil Doleman

We are well and truly delighted to get this act to N’Ukefest. Phil Doleman is extremely well known in the uke world and one of the highest regarded performers on the circuit.

Phil has been at the forefront of the ukulele revival for over ten years and is hugely in demand as a performer and workshop teacher. He plays beautiful instrumental uke, some standards, some self penned and has performed at more festivals than we can shake a stick at. Ken Middleton of Ohana Ukuleles called him ‘one of the most talented players in the UK’ and we would fully agree. Fresh from the Ukulele Festival Of Great Britain AND the Grand Northern Ukulele Festival we are delighted to have him with us.

This is a real treat! Did we also say that he is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet as well? He is!

Chonkinfeckle

Chonkinfeckle are a Wigan trio made up of Les Hilton, Tim Cooke and Peter Byrom and we are absolutely thrilled they are playing for us.

They are extremely well known on the ukulele circuit, having performed at both the Ukulele Festival of Great Britain and this years Grand Northern Ukulele Festival in Pontefract. They perform unique self penned tunes on ukulele, gob iron, percussion and keyboards that stay true to their Lancashire roots. They tell tales of everyday life, work, local characters and often including the local dialect. Beltin!


Krabbers

Krabbers hails from Surrey, and is a well known face on the ukulele circuit and was most recently seen running the ‘open no mic’ and the ‘Unplugthewood’ sessions at the Grand Northern Ukulele Festival.

He is the founder and host of the ‘unplugthewood' open mics and jams and has performed ukulele all over the world including the Ukulele Festival Of Great Britain. He is with us at N’Ukefest as a solo act, performing a range of his self penned material. A fabulous performer with a real songwriting skill and we are so pleased he has agreed to play!


Dead Mans Uke

 Another addition to the N’Ukefest line up is a duo we were not sure we could get, but it all worked out good in the end!

Tim and Jake Smithies have been playing together for a while now, and are a father and son duo who play in the mighty Anything Goes Orchestra. Dead Mans Uke is a stripped down, simple and stomping ukulele and bass combo that plays blues, Americana and anything else they darn well please on reso uke and double bass. Having played most of the pubs and clubs in their native Yorkshire Dales, including the odd festival (including the Ukulele Festival Of Great Britain) they are now heading further afield, stomping all the way. You have been warned!

The N'Ukes

That'll be our band then! The N'Ukes are hosting the event and performing their high octane set on the Saturday night.

The N’Ukes play an eclectic mix of rock, soul, blues, folk and country in their own style, accompanied by keyboards, drums and bass. Never ones to lean on lamp posts or tiptoe through tulips, they prefer to rock things up a little. We will look to throw some surprises into the mix on the night and of course you will get to know us as we will be rushing around during the day to make sure the event goes well!


Ooty And The Cloud

Ooty And The Cloud are a Chester based three piece making their return to N’Ukefest! Ooty comprise Stephen Fowler (vocals, uke, bouzouki), Rekha Fowler (Melodica, whistles) and Sally Gallagher (vocals, uke) and make some lovely music, much of it self penned with some inspired covers thrown in. Guaranteed to give us a dreamy set. Did we add they are also lovely people too?

And, that is just the evening programme. All day on Saturday and Sunday we are delighted that the following performers, bands, clubs have agreed to perform for the crowds on the outdoor open mic stage.

SATURDAY

11.00 The N’Ukes - introdcution, welcome and song

11.20 Jan Hough - Wigan
11.40 Bridgnorth Ukulele Band
12.00 Marc Gallagher - Nantwich
12.20 Congleton and Biddulph Ukulele Clubs
12.30 Ray Welch - Reading
12.40 The Splintered Ukes - Liverpool
13.00 Bluddy Hell - Wigan
13.20 Clarice Wokes - Leeds 
13.40 Stockport Ukulele Players
14.00 Surprise Event announcement!
14.10 Ukulele Club Liverpool
14.30 Bolton Uke Group
14.50 Rob Collins - Hebden Bridge
15.10 Aldridge Uke Group
15.30 Beer Of The Infantry - The Wirral
15.50 Macclesfield Uke Group
16.10 Pete Shurmer - Chester
16.30 Surprise Event and book on the day slots
17.20 Michael Adcock - Tenbury

SUNDAY
11.10 Carlisle Uke Club
11.40 Blue and Beyond - South Wales
12.00 Dylan Kennerall-Walters - Stone, Staffordshire
12.30 4ukesake - Skipton 
13.00 Stuart ‘Pockets’ Crout - Edinburgh
13.20 Wirral Uke Orchestra
13.40 The N’Ukefest raffle draw - hosted by Mary Agnes Krell
14.20 Mighty Flea - Wirral
14.40 Peter Moss - Alsager
15.00 Acoustic Milkfloat - Wirral
15.20 Zahra Lowzley - Edinburgh
15.40 Ukulele Union - Halesowen

What a ton of music for you! And don't worry if you are not booked in - keep sending us applications through the website as we will be keeping a reserve list for the open mic, and having some slots available for day visitors.

All details are on www.nukefest.com. We do hope you can come along.