Caroline Stewart sings "Baby"

Here is my great friend and ukulele kindred spirit Caroline (Robson) Stewart at Castleford GFS performing that rare kind of George Formby song, a romantic ballad - "Baby", recorded 1933, and from the film "Boots, Boots"

Doesn't she do that beautifully? I'm so jealous! What a lovely voice! I do believe she's playing her Gibson solid mahogany soprano uke here. Thanks to Peter Pollard for the video. Lovely ....

Wondering what happened to Caroline?

Caroline Robson's banjo-uke solo from "Leaning on a Lamppost" is always a popular post on here. If you are one who has enjoyed it, you may be wondering what Caroline has been up to lately. Well. For a start, she got married is now Caroline Stewart. And her singing and playing goes from strength to strength.

She still plays banjo-uke of course, and in September she was elected assistant treasurer for the George Formby Society... but back in July when the society had a one-day convention at the old Winter Gardens theatre on Morecambe, free to society members and the public alike, Caroline went on stage and did THIS.... What a fabulous performance.... I think it suits her and her voice particularly well, don't you? If you're wondering about the uke, it's my Kiwaya KTS-4 soprano. I think that came over rather nicely too!

Thanks for dropping in.... I'll be back soon with more news....

It's the November Convention of the GFS - and here come the Judge!

Last weekend we braved the busy motorway all the way to Blackpool once more- for the November Convention of the George Formby Society. "What is the attraction?" you may ask! Well - watch this video, (thanks to Caroline) and you'll get an idea! Judge Henry and friends - yes, I do believe he really IS a judge - they were well into their piece on the last evening, after the band had gone home and the wonderful stand-ins had picked up the traces. Actually, you'll notice that this little combo were using their backing track to this medley. If you'd like to see the whole twelve minutes of madness, see Peter Pollard's video of Judge Henry and his gang, Alan Kershaw, Mac McGee and Tom Fletcher here!

Judge Henry mentions struggling with his split-stroke... the fast, syncopated, rhythmic strumming that characterizes a Formby-style solo in the instrumental break in the middle of a song. I know how he feels. It's one thing being able to do the strum - however slowly - but playing it in time with a song, to be able to "solo" with it is something else again. BUT - after reaching the height of frustration with it at the weekend, I can at last report a little progress! The GFS members are so kind and helpful... and I have Jonathan Richards to thank for the help he gave me on Sunday to start to get it together - so kind, what a lovely family... I'm concentrating now on the "window cleaner" solo - it's actually one of the easier songs to play - I think the way ahead is to practise getting the split-stroke into the right places in the solo, as fast as is manageable, then work at putting "frills" on it.

I'll let you know how I get on!

Meanwhile - my uke-mate Caroline goes down a storm when she goes on stage in Blackpool. This time she gave us a bit of Tom Jones, (with Kala pocket-uke) and Kirsty MacColl... (with Ohana tenor-necked soprano) a cracking number that and really well done! See here....

And - see here for more pics and news on the November GFS Convention.

(Psst - that woman with Caroline - is Yours Truly... what did I do to get my mug-shot in there?)

And if you're tempted to get a taste of the warmth and fun of a GFS Convention, all the information you need for the 2013 meetings is here.

Coming up - after a few days enforced blog-silence - a couple of the youngest GFS members, Lewis Clifton and Tommy Bland, two of the nicest (and very talented) young lads you could wish to meet - if you can't wait, look them up on Youtube!

Thanks for looking in!

Caroline Robson performs Leaning on a Lamppost - and talks about stage fright

I didn't see Caroline's first performance at the September meeting of the George Formby Society; I was tucked up in my own little pit at home, feeling sorry for myself. She had an attack of stage fright. You'd hardly know; she dealt with it so well... but for the benefit of anyone who loves to share their music but suffers form this, she talks about it.....

"The weekend of September 15th and 16th saw me attend my third consecutive George Formby Society Convention at Blackpool. I've been a member of he GFS for less than a year but made a lifetimes worth of friends. One of those is Lesley Fowkes, the author of your regular Life's a Ukafrolic blog posts. We met in June and became firm friends straight away. The uke connection does that. Anyway, this weekend we had planned at the very last minute to perform a song together on stage but due in part to Lesley being ill and her having touch of stage fright we put it off until next time. Lesley had arrived too late to see my debacle of a performance on Saturday afternoon otherwise she would've run a mile when I suggested a duet! Stage fright appears to be one of my areas of expertise. I could teach her a thing or two!

I first performed at the GFS in June on the Sunday night when there are fewer people about and its a lot more relaxed. First time ever behind a microphone and my throat closed up, voice went, my legs shook but I just about pulled it off. However, I struggle to watch the YouTube video of it. The singing is so strained.

I couldn't understand it. I am normally so calm. Even when the world is falling around my ears I stay cool. Well, I look like I'm cool even if inside I'm terrified. Remember that bit for later.

So despite the terrifying experience I vowed to try again in September.

I learned two Formby songs. Correction. I thought I'd learned them. I got up on stage on Saturday afternoon in front of a packed room (400+ people) and proceeded to forget all the chords to Leaning on a Lampost and then play a completely different solo to that played by the backing band. As if this wasn't bad enough, I then had to carry on and do a second song when all I wanted to do was run away. The only bit of the second one I remember is singing the same line twice!

It was horrible. I was so disappointed. I felt like you used to feel after an exam that you knew you'd done really badly in. I'd put in so much work then on the day I messed it up.

I know it happens to the best of them. I'm not alone.
Now there is always something to be learned from any performance, no matter how bad it is.

Here are my pearls of wisdom learned from painful experience.

Before you get up on stage...

1 Learn the song. Then learn it some more. Learn it so you can sing it the all way through while you are concentrating on something else. Same goes for the chords.

2 Try to stay calm - my best performance followed me chattering away maniacally to a friend just before going on stage. I was still nervous but not terrified. It's a fine line.

No matter what happens when you get up on stage you must do two things.

1 Keep going. Never stop.

2 Keep smiling. I have discovered that the audience will warm to a winning smile. If you look nervous the audience will get nervous too. When the legs turn to jelly force a smile or crack a joke. Most audiences want you to do well. None more so than the GFS audience.

Afterwards...

1 Accept compliments graciously (I'm not good at this) and seek honest feedback from those with more experience whose opinion you respect.

2 Learn and move on. Don't beat yourself up.

During the weekend, a couple of people told me I have very good stage presence. This performing lark is all new to me and I didn't know what it was so I looked it up. I think it basically means when you get on stage the audience like you, warm to you and forgive you for your human mistakes.

So I'll be working on the words, the chords and the stage presence!
Finally, remember that you never get better by not doing something. After my terrible experience on Saturday I got back up on Sunday night and did just fine. A few mistakes but that winning smile got me off the hook.....I think!

Til next time....Caroline"


Thanks to Caroline and also to Peter Pollard for sharing the video!

Post Script...2015
Caroline is now Caroline Stewart, and is now Chairman of the George Formby Society! Those GFS folks know a good thing when they see it!

It's Caroline - Leaning on a Lamppost!

I asked my banjolele friend Caroline Robson, whom I met at the last GFS convention, to let me study her version of Leaning on a Lamppost - she's so much better than me, I can't keep up with this... she tells me that the solo doesn't have all the right chords in it, but I think this is pretty darned impressive - and fast! Don't you? I think it'll be a very long time before you see my version! But I'm working on this.....and that Gibson UB2 is lovely.......

Thanks for letting me post this, Caroline! I know it will be enjoyed!