The Busker

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t h eB u s k e r#01o c t o b o e r

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The Busker

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#04WELCOME

#07THE TEAM

#08BRANO

#16HAZARDOUS

RAFIKI#20

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Buskers corner

Wiyos

SARAh Rk&

Barney Kenny

Boardmasters

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On a usual night in Falmouth, pubs and bars are full of students and locals alike, experiencing an ever growing eccentricity of this student

town. There is no doubt that music is a very important part of night life in Falmouth. Every week there is a new band, a band with new style, different from the one before. Music, as a big communicator brings students togeth-

er and greets them like a best friend would. With the new students and possible new artists coming into Falmouth to study each year, it’s safe to

say that Falmouth offers a never ending library of musicians. Because the competition is so great, we decided to write features, reviews and profiles of upcoming artists of the month to introduce them to you. The content will range from local to international musicians that come to Falmouth and the area to play music. I can only hope that you will enjoy the con-

tent of this magazine. Thanks to everyone involved and I wish you a lot of success in your chosen career.

By Patrik GerthoferSThe Busker

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Welcome to the first edition of The Busker. Team Busker intends to bring you the vibe and feel of live music in and around Cornwall. This month’s edition will be focusing on a selection of up and coming artists as well as the hustle and but-le of Penryn's very own Performance Centre. The excitement in the air is electric

and everyone at buster wishes to thank all of the fantastic talent oozing from The Busker's pages. This month we sample a taste of the Falmouth music scene

experiencing fresh newcomers and original performers.

Every month we will be featuring a special on the Busker of the month, so keep an eye out for us on your local high street seeking the future sounds of raw

busking talent. We have also been blessed with the photographic skill set provid-ed by the amazing Natasha Verweij and the formidable Quinn Gaskell, as well as

design and influence from the Editor of Rolya, Sam Moore.

We invite you to take a look at what we have discovered.

By Ross Robinson S K 5

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E‘‘Without music, life would be a

mistake’’ Friedrich Nietzsche

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The Busker Team

E REditors:

Patrik Gerthofer

Ross Robinson

Designer:

Sam Moore

Photographers:

Natasha Verweij

Quinn Gaskell

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BRANOPhotography Natasha Verweij Words Patrik Gerthofer

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Brano Skocek is an upcoming artist from Slovakia, studying at Fal-mouth University and is an artist you should definitely keep an eye on. Brano is a guitarist and vocalist who performs a variety of different genres, including electrified folk-rock and classic rock. During his extravagant and energetic performances he really interacts with the audience and cre-ates an atmosphere that is both de-sirable and hard to find in Falmouth.

Early Years: It was in Stockholm, Sweden where Brano first found his passion for music. Brano believes that Swedish educational system does not put as much emphasis on traditional sub-jects, such as maths and science, so this gave him a chance to study more alternative subjects such as home economics but most importantly, music. ‘’The way that they treat music in Sweden, I found very inspiring and this is where I found my passion for music and that’s when my dad bought me my first guitar.’’

When Brano returned to Bratislava he went back to his studies but sadly it did not put a great deal of emphasis on practical subjects such as music and did not give him a lot of time to

pursue his new found passion. Brano persued his passion and recorded a CD as a part of a school project and experienced a small part of the mu-sic industry which helped him gain a few important contacts. This gave Brano the realisation that music was his calling and that it was definitely something he wanted to be a part of.

“The project gave me a chance to get some contacts and record my stuff, finished it and put it out there for peo-ple to see. This made me realise that music is probably something I want to do.”

Discovery of Falmouth:When choosing a university, Brano wanted to find some sort of combi-nation of practical and theory that would give him a chance to perfect his performance skills and learn about production and the workings of the music industry. Brano found his perfect calling at Falmouth Uni-versity. Falmouth’s eccentricity and arty vibe gave him an ideal place to perform and display his explosive showmanship.

Brano said: ‘’this is a perfect place for me to get a degree and study some-thing that I want to do, and that is music.’’

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‘’This is a perfect place for me to

get a degree and study something that I want to do’’

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Inspiration: Brano’s main inspiration is Bob Dylan who, as a songwriter, has in-spired many people with his pop song writing and hallucinatory stream-of-consciousness narratives. Bob Dylan broke down the notion that a singer must have a conven-tional voice in order to perform and thereby redefining the vocalist’s role in popular music. This is a concept that Brano can connect to as at first he did not think of himself as a good singer.

On what Falmouth has taught him Brano said: “It’s not whether the piece is good or bad, but it’s quite of-

ten very subjective and it’s more im-portant that you put your heart into it and make the best out of it.’’ Brano also managed to see Bob Dylan in Bratislava, which was one of the fin-est performances he has ever seen.

Brano’s latest project is a cover of Alicia Keys, New York. Rather than singing about New York he has skil-fully changed the lyrics to reflect his view of Falmouth and what it is like to live in such a wonderful part of England. He has also compared Falmouth to Bratislava in his cover, bringing a little bit of Bratislava into the mix. The song is quite original and we are looking forward to fea-

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turing Barno future projects in the Busker. Brano is a very positive and inspirational character, definitely worth seeing. His performances are uncanny, original and unforgettable at times.

‘’There are maybe more important jobs out there like teachers or doctors or people who save lives but it’s also important to make something that is going to make people’s lives easier and more enjoyable.’’

‘‘It’s not whether the piece is good or bad,

It’s more important that you put your heart

into it and make the best out of it.’’

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‘’There are maybe more important jobs out there

like teachers or doctors or people who save lives but it’s also important to make something that is going to make people’s lives easier

and more enjoyable.’’

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Eclectic and exciting with an enormous sound, Hazards smashed out psychedelic support for Rafi-ki at the Grapes. Hazards were able to educe an acid like experience catching you in a web of freakishly dirty times. It was almost like listening to a dark side version of The Doors during a hallucinogenic trip gone wild. The amount of passion unleashed by Hazards in such a small venue was enough to give

even the strongest mind a jolt of musical genius.

Lead vocalist, Stanley Duke, really puts on a great performance. Losing himself in the vibe of the mu-sic Duke remains at the forefront of the band like an evangelic demon on a musical mission. Hazards are made wonderful by Cruella De Veres blistering bass lines, Conkers guitar greatness, Stanley Dukes vivacious vocals, Josh Gibbs and his original organ skills and Morgan Lloyd-Mathews decadent drums.

Check out Hazards on facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Hazards/491243304243506 to find out more about this insatiable

band.

Photography Natasha Verweij Words Ross Robinson

Hazardous times at the Grapes

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Welcome HomePhotography Quinn Gaskell Words Ross Robinson

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Welcome HomePhotography Quinn Gaskell Words Ross Robinson

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The Grapes in Falmouth was the set of the musically talented Rafiki, performing their progressive funk style with pure adept.

Rafiki, originally founded at Fal-mouth University, were given a warm welcome home, everyone was aware that they were in for a treat. The Band has a unique warming and mellow style that has the po-tential to sweep over you like a hot summers day, regardless of your current environment. Rafiki clearly enjoy what they do and the general vibe of the night was rhythmic and harmonious with their experimental funk harmony washing over ev-eryone involved. Fully enclosed by the standing audience you could almost touch the raw talent on show. The beats were really tight and the combination of three vocalists and a dash of trumpet really shined on the night, blasting their quality sound all over the place.

The band comprises of Louis Crump blasting the bass, Ollie Renouf de-stroying the drums, Wilfred Pether-bridge rustling up tempting trumpet and backing vocals and finally Talent from Graham McHale and Henry Nicholson providing glorious guitar enriched with lead and backing vocals.

You can get your chance to see Rafiki in Falmouth at the Black Dog on the 16th of October and at the Treyarnon Bay Youth Hostel on the 31st October. More dates will be announced by the band through November and December.

Follow Rafiki on their facebook page Rafiki Music at www.face-

book.com/RafikiMusicUK for news on their up-and-coming gigs in

the UK.

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Photography Patrik Gerthofer Words Patrik Gerthofer

The

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Busker Corner


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Upon walking down the Falmouth high street we stumbled across a quite unique and different kind of buskers from those ordi-nary stereotypical one piece acous-tic guitar players that can be seen around every corner. There were two buskers; members of two bands called Veller Lia (Folk and Rock) and Craic Haus (Irish Folk) who were playing loud and energetic folk music using Banjo and an acoustic guitar. They were getting a lot of attention and people seemed to have been enjoying the vibrant atmo-sphere that they have brought to the Falmouth town high street. There-fore we chose to approach them and ask them a few questions. How long have you been doing this?

16-20 years What got you into busking?

We are skint at the moment so this helps us to make some extra mon-ey. We really enjoy playing music and we are also in two bands called Veller Lia, playing folk and rock and Craic Haus playing Irish folk music. We also do gigs locally in Falmouth and Truro and other towns around.

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Why did you choose Falmouth high street to busk?

Truro is very overrun now and people are stingier. Falmouth on a sunny afternoon is a great place to play music and people always seem a lot more cheerful around here.

Why did you choose to play music outside Mangos?

It just seemed like a very vibrant place to play music and a lot of peo-ple walk past. Therefore it seemed good enough.

Are there any other places that you like to play/busk?

We go to a lot of towns locally such as St. Ives, Redruth, Penzance but also Truro even though it’s not the greatest place to busk.

Are you planning to have any gigs locally?

We are playing a set this Friday (11/10/13) at shipwright. We mostly play locally in Falmouth and Truro.

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Follow Veller Lia on their Facebook page www.facebook.com/VellerLiaofficial?fref=ts for news on their up-and-

coming gigs

Folllow Craic Haus on their Facebook page www.face-book.com/pages/Craic-Haus/144369862256330?fref=ts for

news on their up-and-coming gigs

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Photography Ross Robinson Words Patrik Gerthofer

Photography Ross Robinson Words Patrik Gerthofer

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The Wiyos, band named after a notorious Irish street gang that ruled the Lower East Side of New York in the 19th century, performed Falmouth University's Performance Centre where we had a chance to experience their renowned musical talent and style.

The Wiyos consist of three musi-cians; Sauerkraut Seth on vocals and double bass, Teddy Webber on guitar, foot percussion and vocals and Michael Farkas on harmonicas, washboard, percussion, sundries and vocals. Early swing jazz, rural fold and old-time blues sensation Wiyos emerged over a decade ago. This year, The Wiyos have gone back to their roots, re-visiting those days when they first captured attention as one of the most exiting live acts on the circuit. The Performance Centre was The Wiyos last performance before they return to New York, and we were sad to see them go.

The Wiyos successfully combined the old with new creating a delight-fully unique style, blending new swing jazz with a dash of well timed comedic interaction that was most welcome and loved by the audience.

During the fantastic set a few mem-bers of the audience lost themselves in the music and ended up dancing. The songs played were very narra-tive based and had significance or history to the members. Some songs they played were loosely based on the Wizard of Oz and provided an interesting and enthralling re-take on originals such as 'Over the Rain-bow'.

Michael Farkas captured every moment of our attention with his proficient and unique way of playing the washboard, bringing out other handy instruments attached to his trousers and close to hand, playing them at certain moments for com-edy effect. By incorporating these physical elements of comedy The Wiyos created a very visually stimu-lating show.

The atmosphere was absolutely amazing and was able to transport listeners back to the time when TV and Internet was not a part of ev-eryday life and music was a primary form of entertainment. We really enjoyed the Wiyos and we highly recommend that you see them.

WIYOSThe

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Espressini Set

The


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Espressini Set

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A very intimate living room set at Espressini allowed us to get to know and meet the talented Sarah RK. Sarah’s controlled and heart-warming lyrics together with her playful interaction with the audience made watching her a great experience that simply could not have been missed. The atmosphere was very mellow and relaxed and the lit candles and wine made it that much more pleasant. Listening to her amazing voice really does make you shut up and listen and enjoy this unique opportunity. It was simply amazing. Musician and songwriter Barney Kenny was her support during this living room set and he really caught our eye as Sarah RK said that she met him when he was busking on the streets of Falmouth. ‘’It’s really organic but I love that when you stumble across someone like that.’’

You could see why Sarah picked him as her support as Barney has a very similar way of playing. The relaxing and descriptive lyrics told us a story of his previous life encounters and set the atmosphere for Sarah.

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After the set we were lucky enough to meet up with Sarah and ask her few questions.

The Start: Sarah wrote her first song at the age of fifteen. She used to go to Darting-ton where she was studying music before Dartington joined Falmouth University. Sarah was playing her first gigs during Open mic nights at Roundhouse in Dartington. This was very informal and it gave Sarah

a chance to gain some experience playing music. This way Sarah managed to get a band together and kick start her music career. ‘’There was cake and coffee and people were doing poetry and just approached each other and asked if you want to play.’’ Because Dartington moved to Falmouth it gave Sarah a chance to perform in front of a bigger crowd but made it that much harder for her to travel as Falmouth is quite far away from the major cities. ‘’You get new people that you didn’t know and

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an audience that were not just your friends. ‘’

Playful Interaction: Sarah loves to interact with the audience and when asked how she would describe herself, she said:

‘’Warm, mellow, soulful, I try to be funny but often unintentionally. I’m just in front of people and I kind of think of it as playing in my bedroom but with people watching, just don’t get nervous and let people into this

world. It’s a same thing as making a little joke to yourself and people like to interact with that or they just watch and be an audience. As long as people walk out happy because of something that I’ve done it’s all I can really ask for as a performer, wheth-er it’s a one moment or one song or whether it’s a whole set.’’

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Inspiration: Sarah considers her inspiration to be Bon Iver and mainly his way of tuning and playing guitar. Sarah likes to keep her cords open and experiment with different sounds. This way she is really similar to Bon Iver as she uses her guitar as a way of expression. ‘’That’s the great thing about a guitar that you can tune your voicing.’’

Biggest achievement:Sarah Considers her biggest achievement to be very dif-ferent from others. She believes that her achievement is being happy and being confident about the work that she produces. Sarah said that she was always a bit afraid that her writing is not good enough, not metaphorical enough until she gave up on it and started writing what she wanted to write. This worked out for her as she later realised that people liked it and enjoyed the honesty.

Sarah released some songs on Spotify and iTunes last Christmas. These are her first recording that

Sarah is really proud of so go check it out.

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Boardmasters is the biggest festi-val in Cronwall and we felt obliged to write about it. We were lucky enough to meet up with Quinn Gaskell, a Marine & Natural History Photog-raphy student and asked a few ques-tions about the festival and he gave us some of his amazing pictures. He was one of the few contestants for the free press pass to go and do some fes-tival photography at Boardmastes.

How did you manage to get a press pass for boardmasters?I won a competition through an agency called photomaze using a picture with horses in a mist.

What inspired you into going to boardmasters and do the music pho-tography?Because it was an opportunity to do something different and something that I haven’t done before. There were also a lot of bands performing that I feel very partial to and I wanted to meet them and party with them.

How long were you there for and where did you stay? I was there for a total of five days. I stayed there with some of my friends at the camping site. I turned down the VIP camp because I wanted to enjoy the festival with my friends.

Did you enjoy this rare opportunity? I absolutely relished it. I found out that I have a lot of enjoinment from the festival photography. There was a great atmosphere and mixture of alcohol and photography was inter-esting.

What was it like to meet the band members? The ones I met was great fun and great experience. We had an amazing time. I also spent a lot of time with the boardmaster media team which was equally enjoyable. Met a lot of people which was a great opportu-nity.

Do you think that getting into a festi-val with the press pass makes the fes-tival more enjoyable then going to it normally? Press pass was great because it was really surreal and the majority of the time I was sober whilst everybody was drunk around me and you have a job to do but at the same time you get over it and it was a lot of fun. The atmosphere and energy was incredi-ble. And you also get to go to a lot of places that other people don’t.

What were your two favourite bands to photograph?Skints and the Computers.

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Basement Jaxx ‘‘You get to go to a pit, which is a bit be-

tween the crowd and the band. There were a lot of other photographers there which meant a lot of competition. I managed to take photos from a different perspective and I got some amazing shots and one of the pictures was published on the Board-

masters page.’’

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Cosmo Jarvis

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The Skints‘‘I managed to go back stage

with them. It was mad!’’

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The Computers‘‘They were a really suave, sensual band and they all came on with these Ron Bur-gundy tuxedos. They had this retro vin-tage style about them with a slick back

hair.’’

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Tom Odell

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THANK YOUDedicated to the loved ones we lost

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