Auckland New Zealand
Pub singer, folk and street musician of the old school, member of the Tyneside Maritime Chorus, The Northumbrian Pipe Society and The Tyneside Shape Note Singers. Expect any of the above.
Geoff Grainger, born in Worcester, England, described himself as an English Vegesacker (a district in Bremen) having been resident in Germany for almost forty years. His repertoire covers all manner of American, Australian, British, Low German (Plattdeutsch), pub, music hall, folk and sea songs as well as gospels and spirituals.
He is an enthusiastic and rabid folk song collector. Being an ex Royal Navy Petty Officer, he learned to "sing" in various naval messes and naval canteens around the world, and was, after a very late start, a founder member of the Idle Fellows, an Anglo-German folk group which sang around Bremen for about 12 years. After a brief spell with Brian Kelly, a Liverpudlian Bremer and erstwhile member of the Idle Fellows from whom he learned so much, he turned solo in 1993. Solo recordings, vocal accompanied by concertina, marking that period were made in 1998 and 2000 and were entitled "Ditty Box", "Mostly at Sea", "In't Praties" and "Manifold Love". He was active as a solo street/pub singer and a member of many choirs and music groups in Bremen until he left Germany in 2011.
Geoff left Germany to study Geordie and Northumbrian music in Newcastle-upon-Tyne where he now resides. Here he is surrounded by folk legends past and present and sings regularly at the legendary Bridge Folk Club, The Cumberland Arms, as well as many other venues throughout North England. He also travels widely through England, Ireland, Germany and Poland enjoying meeting musical friends on and off stage.
During his tour of New Zealand Geoff hopes to make a lot of new friends while travelling from folk club to folk club, maybe to learn a little Maori singing and to introduce New Zealanders, old and young, to the world of shape note singing; a world of weird and wonderful harmonies where all are welcome, no experience is necessary. A full-voiced form of harmony singing - it's been called, "intense and striking", "like a cross between Gregorian chanting and bluegrass" and "fiercely beautiful".
Floorsingers first half.
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This year we intend to retain the phutball cup, won for us for the last 4 years! by the deft wristwork of Cameron Lee & Ron Starke; and wrest the Tiddlywinks Championship off Devonport, which unaccountably for the last few years, they keep winning.
Apart from the tiddlywinks and phutball tournaments, lots of other pub games are available, like darts, dominoes, cards. Devonport can always be trusted to put on a good spread foodwise, for what is always a great fun-filled evening.
Come and support your club and have a great time doing it!
An informal ‘Singaround’ - ‘Open Mic’ without a Mic - A smaller group of people meet to share their songs and music.
Last Update: 2015-02-02
The Club was conceived in 1965 when the Clancy Brothers didn't come and someone had the astounding idea of having a sing-a-round thus transforming an audience into a folk group. Formally established in 1966 we're still going strong.