Ukastle Ukestra

This is a draft repertoire for our street performances at the 2025 National Folk Festival in Canberra. We have two gigs:

20 minute gig on Friday (midday)
30 minute gig on Saturday 5:30pm
20 min gig 10.50-11.10am Sunday

NFF-2025-schedule-Ukestra-and-Choir-.pdf PLEASE PRINT THIS OFF

We will help out Ukestral Voices at their Monday morning 40 minute street gig. (We’ll need to organise Thom Jackson to take the load at Festival Ukes on that day).

Final Rehearsal Videos – 13 April 2025

1. Heroes

Mick Ronson’s e-bow riff

We’d like a lot of people doing this, even if it is dodgy. We think it still might give the required effect. Mick Ronson was a guitarist who worked a lot with Bowie. This video shows him at work with an e-bow in his right hand. Weird.

Pick as fast as you can (using two fingers on the E and A strings), then go from the 5th fret to the 7th (rather than bending, as Ronson does).

Heroes Riff 1

Heroes Riff 2 with Bends (‘Chorus’)

2. Gold on the Ceiling

3. How Bizarre

4. No Surprises

5. Booster Seat – MUF 2023

6. Emmy Lou

7. Weather With You – Ukestra supporting Choir on Monday

8. Kakilambe – Choir Parade song on Monday

9. Common People – play along in this key – C F and G

Rationale for the repertoire

Ukulele within folk festivals is fairly marginalised, and stereotyped. I want to break the stereotype by not doing boomerie music, and by playing parts, playing well, with good rhythm. We also need to do fairly ‘up’ stuff, to try to grab the attention of a passing crowd. No Surprises is one slow contrast.

Ukestral Voices

The choir has 6 street gigs (see the above program). The choir and ukestra will be combined to perform at the Festival parade on Monday afternoon.
The Choir and ukestra will perform together for the Infinite Song Competition (see program for times). Song at this stage…….Miss You (Rolling Stones). However we only need half of the choir for this. The choir does not need to participate in the Latin Festival.
Song selection so far for choir
a. What was I made for
b. Mr Moon
c. Hine E Hine
d. Listen to the music
e. Kaki-Lambe-.pdf
f. Rock-the-Boat.pdf
g. Weather with you

h. Janie Mama

Infinite Song Competition

Miss You – Rolling Stones original version

I-Dont-Miss-You-.pdf the version we are playing PRINT THIS OFF

This is a video of “I Don’t Miss You” from our Sunday 30 March rehearsal.

Parade Songs

On Monday afternoon from 4.50-5.10pm the choir and ukestra are performing as part of a parade. The two songs to be learned for this are Kaki Lambe and Janie Mama. Print off copies below.

Kaki-Lambe-.pdf

Janie Mama

More info – For Ukestra and Choir
1. Tickets 49 people are going across the ukestra and choir.
2. Canberra Park is a really good accommodation option right near the festival site. If you don’t want to camp then there are other options. https://www.canberrapark.com.au/
3. Lauren is setting up a whatsapp group to communicate with all, please join this.
4. Commitment from you: 7 gigs/events in the 4 days.
5. Ukestrans are required to attend the Mariachi workshops (so that you can perform at the Latin Fiesta), and some of the ukulele workshops. The ukestrans only have 2 street gigs. It would be great if the ukestrans can support the choir in their gigs (carrying gear etc).
6. The choir has 6 street gigs.
7. The choir and ukestra will be combined to perform at the Festival parade on Monday afternoon. Songs for the parade are Kaki Lambe, and Janie Mama.
8. The Choir and ukestra will perform together for the Infinite Song Competition (see program for times). Song at this stage…….Miss You (Rolling Stones).
9. The choir has a 40 minute gig on Monday morning. We would like the ukestra to be a part of this. It clashes with the ukulele workshop so perhaps don’t plan to go to that!
10. We will be charging a $60 admin fee for attending the festival. This covers some of our costs (rehearsals, meetings, travel etc) but also makes up for our missed income over Easter. Cash or EFT is fine.