Amy Harrison and the Secondhand Stringband

Hello again,

Been a couple of weeks since my last post and I hope you’re well.

The Shoreham Folk festival was an absolute blast, I completed my half-marathon (thank you to everyone who donated) and we’re getting ready for the summer gigs ahead.

Hopefully we’re playing this Sunday for a fundraiser organised by the Hanover Day committee. Hanover Day couldn’t go ahead this year due to a lack of funds which is a real shame as it is a fantastic day. Fingers crossed it happens next year!

I’ll be writing more soon I promise, but if you fancy seeing us play on the 14th of August alongside the Coal Porters and the phenomenal Virginia based Dixie Bee Liners, get your tickets here:

http://www.wegottickets.com/event/85991

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Amy Harrison and the Secondhand Stringband Newsletter

Latest News Hello you! Forgive the rough version of our newsletter, this is something we’re working on improving for the future so that it’s a joy to read when it hits your inbox! Well, in the Secondhand Stringband world things are getting busier but first things first, I need to wish a big happy birthday to Tim and Malc! Last Saturday we played at Tim’s birthday party which was great fun and a Godsend for Tim who had no idea where to get hold of a band that would play for a couple of cans of Oranjeboom. We happily stepped in. This Thursday it’s Malc’s birthday which starts off the celebrations for 3 gigs this weekend (more information about that in the Upcoming Shows section below) In other news, we’ll be playing at the Didmarton Bluegrass festival this year. We’ll also be sharing a bill with The Coal Porters and Virginia band The Dixie bee Liners in August in Reading at what should be an awesome gig! hope to see you soon! Upcoming Shows Okay, this is where you can find us hanging out in the coming months!: Date Venue Friday 18th June The Ranelagh Arms, Brighton Saturday 19th June The Horse and Groom, Brighton Sunday 20th June The Bridge Inn, Shoreham Sunday 4th July The Hand in Hand, Brighton Saturday 17th July The Great Eastern, Brighton Saturday 14th August Cold Dog Soup, Reading 3rd-5th Sept Didmarton Festival Friday 19th November St Julians Club, Sevenoaks Monday 6th December The Lord Nelson Other News If you’ve visited the website recently you might have read that I’m raising money for Marie Curie Cancer care by running a half marathon at the end of this month. I’m travelling up north to see family and go on a 13.1 mile jaunt. All money I earn from gigs in June will be donated to Marie Curie and I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone at The Great Eastern who kindly donated £40 towards the pot.

Thanks to everyone in The Great Eastern Pub last night at our gig who donated their spare change so generously.

At the end of this month, I’m going to be running a half marathon to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care. I’m donating all the money I earn from our gigs in June and had a little jar last night to collect additional donations.

So far, from gig money and donations I’ve raised £66.31 and have 3 gigs to go next weekend!

If you fancy making a donation, just click on the donation box to the right.

Hello again – so soon I know, but I needed to update you all on tonight’s gig.

There’s been a double booking unfortunately, so our debut at the Snowdrop in Lewes won’t be this evening I’m afraid, but we will be there very shortly and will let you know when to update your calendar.

Sorry about this folks, it’s such a good venue and will be a great night when we do get down there.

Thank you so much for understanding. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Last weekend was beautiful in Brighton and we stepped out to do some busking on New Road.

We also played on the stage for the Fringe Festival – it was pretty hard to avoid us that day!

Had a fantastic time and have the sunburn to prove it (just ask Malc)

Thanks to the wonderful Emma for the photees!

in mid song.

Getting ready to play

Get your smart self over to the Music and Videos Page to check them out!

The Secondhand Stringband has a very good friend who will remain nameless as I don’t want to embarass Mr. X.

Mr. X has an unusual fascination with small garden creatures that have died from natural causes but could, if one wanted to, be placed in a cabinet to make an interesting display.

(I’m a copywriter and it took me half an hour to write that sentence, and it still sounds bizarre, but I assure you, it’s not.)

Last week, Malc found a poor dried out frog in his back garden.It was very sad and we suspect it may have been a result of the hot weather.

Unfortunately for the frog, it had dried out in such a position that made it look like it was about to take a blinding banjo break.

Because we are grown ups, we made him a little banjo and bow tie and made him the unofficial Secondhand Stringband mascot.

No frogs were harmed in the making of this mascot. We are all complete animal lovers.

Dan's thinking of Spinal Tap right now, I can tell...if only I'd seen it I could laugh along too.

Good evening Stringband friends!

We’ve got a couple of fun gigs coming up for you this week whether you’re looking for a late night on Friday or a chilled music night on Sunday.

Friday

This Friday we’re playing for the first time at The Hydrant pub, on London Road. It used to be the Hare and Hounds and is fast becoming a hot spot for some of the unique Brighton bands such as The Bobby McGees who we saw playing earlier this year, and who were (as always) just bloomin’ brilliant!

It’s got the makings of a great night, least of all because we don’t have to get up for work the next day so can let our hair down.

Sunday

We’re back at The Foundry on the 16th which is a great night if you’re looking for something live and acoustic to make you forget about work the following day. Get down, try one of their amazing pizzas and relax with some twiddly-diddly guitar and  biddily-widdly banjo.

Other News

Last Sunday at The Hand in Hand I busted out my Mandolin for one song. I’m a total beginner and the guys are  encouraging, but they do insist that until I watch Spinal Tap, I’ll never really be part of the band. The Mandolin only gets me so far into the inner circle. One day, I will know what they’re talking about when they mention Stonehenge and start giggling till Dan can’t even drink his tea.

It’s early Friday evening and from my window I can see people carting sacks of charcoal and crates of beer up the hill which means it’s a long weekend and the sun is out!

Our week of gigs has been a blast and it’s not over yet, though I think we’re going for a more chilled out feeling on Sunday night at the Hand in Hand and try out some new songs which should be a lot of fun.

Here’s a sneaky peek at one of the possible options for a poster that we’re deciding on at the moment.

That’s all from us at the moment, have a great bank holiday weekend and hopefully we’ll see you on Sunday night!

Till next time!

Expertly Designed Flyer by the Lovely Amy Hill!

With 4 gigs in one week coming up, I decided, in my infinite wisdom, to have my wisdom teeth taken out the week before. Now that I’ve had a few days to think about this whilst not being able to talk properly, I’m pretty sure I’d like them back.

But it would take more than a lack of teeth to stop Amy Harrison and The Secondhand Stringband.  No-one booking us would probably do it…

So, we’ve got a busy old week from the 26th of April, kicking it off by playing at the Brighton Folk Night at The Brunswick Pub in Hove.

The Brighton Folk Night is organised by the lovely Amy Hill. A charming and talented singer songwriter who took a wrong turn in Australia and found herself in Brighton. We like Amy. She’s easy to get on with, easy to listen to and just happens to have one of the best first names around…

On Wednesday 28th you’ll find us hanging around with our instruments at Mrs Fitzherberts. If you’ve never been before, this is a perfect excuse to check out this great little boozer on New Road. It doesn’t take a lot to fill it though so get there early if you prefer sitting to standing.

Thursday 29th we’ll be taking up some space in front of the bookshelves at the awesome Great Eastern on Trafalgar Street. This pub really does fill up quick (we may or may not say that about all our venues). With a famous selection of whiskies and bourbons, not to mention some of the friendliest bar staff in Brighton, it’s no surprise why we always find our way back to The Eastern.

We finish the week, and start the BANK HOLIDAY at our monthly residency over at The Hand In Hand on Upper St. James Street. As mentioned it’s the BANK HOLIDAY, and what better way to get ready for a Monday off work with an evening of songs about heartache and murder?. Seriously folks, I’m not kidding this time, this place really is small and fills up quickly but it has one of the best atmospheres for live music and some great ales. We’ll be having a special guest playing as well that evening so it’s a musical treat all round!

We really hope you can come down for 1,2,3 or, if you’re crazy enough, all 4 of these gigs! Have a great week ahead and hope to see you soon!