A-Z guide

Your A-Z guide to the Electric Lobsters

Austin 7

A great car, and, for many years, a great annual gig at the wondrous Speye Park. For more info on the Bristol Austin y club, go to http://www.ba7c.freeserve.co.uk

The Bell

Top Bath pub, where we’ve been playing for…oh, ever so many years. Great atmosphere, great music (Wed evenings and Sunday lunchtime) and great beer. Is that enough of a plug? To find out more, go to http://www.walcotstreet.com/

Barn Dance (also known as ‘ceilidh’)

Barn dances provide a great opportunity for people of all ages to get up, dance, and have a great time. A caller takes you through the steps, while the band keep you going to the end. Ideal for weddings, birthday parties, village events, charity fundraisers – you name it, we’ve done it!

Bass Guitar

Since the beginning of the band, the baton for the bass has passed from Duncan (see Duncan Kingston below) and Steve (See Steve Hall below) to O (see O below)

Ceilidh (pronounced ‘kay-lee’)

See Barn Dance

Dartmouth Regatta

Based on the beautiful south Devon coast, this was the location of numerous memorable Lobster gigs, often at great risk of electrocution due to incoming rain. See also Simon Drew below

Drums (and cymbals)

“Solid and inventive”…”dusky” – two phrases describing the drumming of Alan, our drummer, lighting technician, Thermidor editor and purveyor of endless repartee. Now playing an electronic kit, he occasionally brings out his acoustic one and frightens everyone with the volume.

Duncan Kingston

Ex-Lobster now playing lots of jazz (we tried to stop him…)

Electric Lobsters

At one stage, we were known as the Electric Lazy Lobsters but we were so laid back, we dropped the “Lazy”

Fiddle

Mike’s area of expertise – a variety of fiddles over the years now mainly the electric blue model. Oh, and he used to play the 12-string guitar as well (but not at the same time). He also sings.

Filton (in north Bristol)

‘The Lobsters are the greatest band to have come out of Filton in the 20th Century’ (Filton Gazette) Okay, so we made that one up. It is true, however, that two of the band originate from Filton, which is the home of Concorde (RIP).

For more info on Filton, visit: www.filton-town-council.co.uk

Gigs

The variety of gigs we’ve been asked to play at is extraordinary. From street festivals, through wedding anniversaries to birthday bashes, social club events, weddings, regattas, festivals, the finishing line of a charity bike ride, we even played at a wake.

Guitar

Simon’s instrument – nowadays mainly an electric acoustic (whatever that is) but he does play acoustic and electric guitars, penny whistle and he sings. He’s managed to turn up to at least 2 gigs without his guitar (he says he forgot!?)

Hope Centre

The venue in Hotwells Bristol, for our 10^th anniversary gig and CD launch (see Kamares below).

In My Trunks

The Lobsters’ first recording, in the distant pre-melodeon-age. Includes such luminaries as ‘Tall Ships’ and Up to the Riggs.

Jamie Matthews

One-time Lobster and legendary blues harpist. Now with The Daily Planet (www.dailyplanet.co.uk) Never liked playing outdoors.

Kamares

Our debut CD – 12 great tracks, still available!

Larry the Lobster

The mysterious death of Larry the Lobster has baffled police. For more info visit: http://geocities.com/verdrahciretop/camel3.html

Melodeon

Also known as ‘squeezebox’/ ‘that horrible thing’, but properly called a diatonic accordion. A much maligned (mainly by the rest of the band) instrument! Mark’s been playing one of these for twenty-something years, initially for Morris Dancing and with ‘The Old Britannia Band’ before joining the Lobsters in 1989. He filled in for one gig and never left. For all you need to know (probably a whole lot more than you would want to know!) visit www.melodeon.net

Morris Dancing

Both Mike and Mark have been involved in Morris Dancing in the dim and distant past. We still have good links with the fantastic Bristol-based Rag Morris, who always guarantee a high energy show. http://www.ragmorriscom

Not sure?

If you’ve read the stuff on this website and still aren’t sure if we might meet your needs, why not get in touch. Visit the contact page and drop us an Email or call one of us.

What can we say about this guy – his organ manipulation was legendary – but his bass playing is now his forte.

Pubs

When we play in pubs, we do our own music (a different set up from ceilidhs – see above). We’ve played lots of pubs over the year – large, small, out in the sticks, in city centres, quiet, noisy. Some of the more well-known ones include the Fleece (Bristol), The (former) Bristol Bridge (Bristol), The Bell (Bath), The Kings Arms (Bath) and The Louisiana (Bristol).

Quintet

There are five of us in the band.

Rag Morris

Big friends of ours. See Morris Dancing

Simon Drew

Based in Dartmouth, the Simon Drew Gallery has some amazing and very original designs and cartoons. We are indebted to Simon and his wife for their support over many years when we appeared at the Dartmouth Regatta.

Steve Hall

Ex-Lobster, now with Innes Sibun (www.innessibun.com) and playing a lot of blues and jazz (we tried to stop him too: see Duncan Kingston)

Thermidor

THE best known lobster dish – also the name of The Lobsters’ very own fanzine. If you want to know how to cook lobster thermidor, visit the following site: www.lobster-recipes.com/lobster-thermidor. If you want to be added to the fanzine e-mail list, visit the contact page.

Tony Slinger

One of the South-West’s top callers. We work with Tony, as well as a number of other callers. Please let us know if you have any specific requirements. It’s his own hair. Says Tony.

Ukelele

No – we don’t have anyone in the band who plays one of these.

Venues

We’ve played most of them – pubs, shopping centres, hospitals, hotels, social clubs, mills, trailers, on the open backs of lorries, marquees, bandstands, a library, drama theatres, someone’s front room, school halls, village halls, church halls, sports halls, universities, a zoo (see below), boats and of course, in barns.

Veux-Tu Danser

Another early tape recording. This was recorded as we were entering our Cajun phase, and includes the title track, Parisenne Waltz and our signature ending song from that time Wooly Bully.

Woolly Bully

This used to be our encore – one of the few cover songs but with a strange twist of “stops of varying length” at the end.

X-Rated

Not us! Our music is wholesome and family-friendly (well, apart from the notorious ‘Rutter’, which fortunately we don’t play any more)

You can’t dance?

This is not a problem! If you book us for a ceilidh, we’ll talk you through the steps. We have dances for everyone and have had people dancing from 8 to 80 years of age.

Zoo (Bristol)

Yep, we’ve played here too. Drove the monkeys crazy!