Banana at Nettlebed February 1, 2011

One time Youngblood Banana will be playing at Nettlebed, which is close to Henley-on-Thames in the Berkshire/Oxfordshire border badlands. The performance will on Tuesday February 1 beginning around 8pm. I am still awaiting confirmation as to whether Tony Poole (of Starry Eyed and Laughing fame) will be able to provide the support - but I remain hopeful. If he can't I will find someone else.

http://tinyurl.com/6yfeydu

There are only 60 tickets available at £8 each - with any remaining for sale on the night at £10 each. Let me know via banana@chickenonaunicycle.com if you would like a ticket. I am sure it will be a particularly nifty evening.

As a little background:

Banana began his career in bluegrass on the east coast in Boston with "Banana and the Bunch, Old Time Music with Appeal". After several years in the east coast folk scene, he formed The Youngbloods with Joe Bauer, Jesse Colin Young, and Jerry Corbitt. The band moved from New York City to West Marin in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1967.

Along with co-producing The Youngbloods records with Joe Bauer and many others on his own, he produced the first two High Country albums for Butch Waller in the early 1970's.

He was accompanist to Mimi Farina for over twenty years, played keyboards and sang lead with Zero for over 10 years, played with Norton Buffalo, Steve Kimock and Friends and currently on a fairly regular basis, plays blues with The Michael Barclay Blues Band and old time psychedelic rock with The Barry "The Fish" Melton band. He has done duo performances with David Nelson, Keith Little, David Thom, Paul Knight, and others. And he plays the beloved bluegrass music with friends and neighbors including The Papermill Creek Rounders, David, Tracy and Sam Grisman, The David Thom Band, and the legendary Artie Rose and associates.

Banana regularly visits and performs in the UK and Italy.

http://www.grandpabanana.com/

After progressing from their schoolboy band The Chymes Tony Poole and Ross McGeeney went on to form an acoustic duo, playing original numbers between covers of songs by Dylan and The Byrds, that would take the name Starry Eyed and Laughing, from a line in Dylan's song "Chimes of Freedom" when they turned electric in 1973. Regulars on the London pub rock circuit, touring the states and sharing a stage with the Flying Burrito Brothers and an appearance at the legendary ZigZag Magazine's fifth anniversary concert at The Roundhouse in April 1974, Starry Eyed and Laughing were on a crest of a wave with their Byrds influenced rock.
After a couple of great Starry Eyed and Laughing albums and the production of Flo and Eddie (The Turtles, Frank Zappa), Tony Poole went into production, including albums by Maddy Prior Steeleye Span, Giles Lewin, The Men They Couldn't Hang and currently Danny, Champ of the World (lead singer of country, soul/rock outfit Grand Drive). He also backed Katie Humble on True to Your Soul and Peter “Omaha Rainbow” O'Brien on his great album Junked Cars & Beat Up Guitars. With Ian Whitmore, Tony also recorded Fallen as The Falcons and Start The Countdown as The Sun with Kinks drummer Nick Trevisick. Playing a solo electric set, Tony is an absolute wonder to see.

http://www.starryeyedandlaughing.com/