Online press kit - our shameless endorsement!

We've just added another string to the bow for our online promotion. The Oddsods have their own online press kit!


PCWillow has been set up by Pete and Chele as a service to help improve coverage for bands and musicians.


Says Pete:

The design of the press kits reflects years of frustration I have had - as a columnist and festival programme writer - trying to get some clear information (or good quality photographs) from some of this country's top bands.

Here's a link to the PCWillow home page - this explains how the press kit works and other media support services available. And here's a link to the press kit for our good friends, Joe O'Donnell's Shkayla.

If you're a musician, promoter or venue organiser looking for better media coverage, why not get in touch?

Cheers!

We were well looked after at the Birmingham Beer Festival last week. Not only free drinks but also free commemorative glasses do drink them from. This comment arrived from the organiser a few days later...

Once again, many thanks for the band’s performance at the beer festival on Friday night. We have had nothing but compliments from customers and staff and the music volume was perfect.

Thanks Mr CAMRA - any time!

Let's get this show back on the road!

Typical! You wait for ages while nothing happens, then they all turn up at once!

After a 3-week break from the gig circuit, The Oddsods are making two appearances this weekend!

Friday night sees us back at the Albany Club in Earlsdon, Coventry - by popular demand it seems. We start playing at 9.30pm.

Sunday night is 'Oddsods and Friends' at the Denbigh Arms, Monks Kirby - a week earlier than normal for this monthly event. Musicians are most welcome to contribute to the orchestral ambience of this unique hybrid of session and concert. Admission is free and the key is (usually) G!

Come in your coach loads for a double-decker helping of musical mayhem.

Three 'alves at Warwick!

See what we have to put up with? Past and present members of the band are playing our hearts out while Simon takes a beer break!

The Roebuck Inn was rockin' to the sounds of the 'Sods at Warwick Folk Festival. If you've ever wondered why we always announce that we're playing an "evening of three 'alves", it's because we cram in more into the night than yer average mad Irish folk band - not because we're lousy at maths.

Our Saturday night session featured the band and friends, including Colin Squire on guitar, Caroline Sampson on whistle/recorder, former Oddsod Louisa Davies-Foley on the fiddle and founder Oddsod Michael Mahon on banjo (Pete Willow did try to sabotage this by breaking a string while tuning the banjo, but Banjo Mike grabbed Paul Kenny's instrument and kept on plucking away).

We also appeared in concert on the Friday night but without the dulcet sounds of Doc Rider's euphonium and bass harmony as he was attending his stepson's wedding that day. We know - such a feeble excuse.

Anyway it was a wild Warwick. Chele Willow took some great pics - see for yourself - including some interesting poses of the Sods in musical action.

Brace yourselves Warwick - The 'Sods are back in town!

Hey hey we're off to Warwick this weekend! (And we'll make sure our banjo player is given the right directions!)

The 28th Warwick Folk Festival kicks off this Friday (27 July) and it has loads of great guests - Seth Lakeman, Osibisa, Altan... 'Yeah yeah yeah,' I hear you say, 'but what we really want to know is when are The Oddsods playing?'

Well, you can find us on Friday night at the Living Tradition Centre - that's one of the venues in the grounds of Warwick School on Myton Road. We're the final act of the evening concert, following Mick Holditch, Ceridwen Davies, Ninepenny Mark and Chris Aronsten. Estimated start time for our set is 10.30pm.

And on Saturday night, we're hosting an 'Oddsods and Friends'-type event at The Roebuck on Smith Street, Warwick, 8-11pm. Billed as 'A Rare Old Time with The Oddsods', it'll be a little like our regular Denbigh Arms sessions. Admission is free and the key is G!

A rare old Napton finale

Follow the arrow to find us at the Bridge III Beer Festival at Napton on Sunday night. (Click on the image to enlarge)

We'll be the 'headline act' for the folk concert in the Napton Bridge Hotel. The whole weekend will raise cash for the Air Ambulance with rock and blues bands on the Friday and Saturday and folk all day Sunday.

The 'Sods step on stage around 9.30pm to round up a day of entertainment that includes sets by Maggie and Jez, Pam Ashford and Andy Thomas, Danansooz, Rack & Ruin (featuring our old buddy, Nigel Ward on the fiddle), Three Men In A Boat and Ron and Mabel of Meet On The Ledge.

Admission is only a quid. Further details are on this website although a lot of the artist information is now out of date.

It's gonna be a super night - not to be missed!

Folk show to rock at Godiva

Old friends and new names line up to play the free folk concert at this weekend's Godiva Festival.

Hosted by Oddsods singer-guitarist Pete Willow, the Sunday afternoon concert takes place in the Rhythm Tent in Coventry's War Memorial Park. Guests include Dubliners singer Sean Cannon, popular Coventry trio Isambarde, superb blues guitarist Jim Crawford and many more. Click here for full details of the line-up and timings.

Admission is free - just turn up and enjoy. Be warned however - it's in a big marquee and there are no seats provided so you might want to bring a groundsheet or folding chairs.

Although regular guests at Godiva, The Oddsods won't be taking part this weekend, especially as we're playing a private party the night before. We thought we'd give the local residents a break from having their windows rattling to the chorus of 'I'll Tell Me Ma' - for this year at least!

(Photo of Sean Cannon courtesy of Chele Willow)