FOCSLE Music  founded 1963
real live music in Southampton, UK for the past 60 years

In‑person events at The Guide Dog, Bevois Valley, second Tuesdays


Page updated August 29th '24.

In‑person FOCSLE Music Guest nights
usually on second* Tuesdays,
at The Guide Dog, Bevois Valley, Southampton  SO14 6SF
* occasionally others

Next Event:  Tues. 10th September  8pm Singaround

More events, and details of the above, further down;  add your comments on our Facebook page.

We rely on your, and others’, good sense in taking some respiratory-illness precautions, and on your not attending if you have symptoms.  COVID ain’t beat, so please continue following the simple counter-procedures.  The Dog still provides free hand-san. [on the central pillar, opp. the bar], so pls. use it, and help keep everyone safe(r).
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Virtual FOCSLE Music
Last WEDNESDAY of each month, 8pm UK time (no longer weekly)
thus next date September 25th
Details further down;  our Facebook header [NO m’ship / account / log‑in needed:  FBk won’t even track your click] acts as backup update-space, just in case we can’t access this server.
FOCSLE Music ‘LIVE’   Singarounds and Guest nights.  Entry by donation.   Raffle in break, with alcohol, confectionery and – new for 2024 – CD prizes
Future Events: 
at quasi-‘sister’ club Lymington Acoustic
Tues. 3rd September  7:30pm for 8  Singaround, Open Mic / Come-All-Ye style
Venue:  The Angel & Blue Pig   107 High Street  Lymington  SO41 9AP
     £4pp entry     e-mail about lifts from Southampton

Tues. 10th September  8pm  Singaround
Venue:  The Guide Dog   38 Earls Road  Bevois Valley  Southampton  SO14 6SF
     Rec. £2pp in the pot

‘Live on the Lawn’ / in the Lounge’ Singaround
Tues. 17th September  7:15pm
Venue [new for LotL]:  Pete’s  9 Torquay Ave  Shirley  Southampton  SO15 5HA
Live on the Lawn [= LotL] Singarounds were conceived during COVID, facilitated by the accuracy of online weather-forecasting.  In the e‑alert, we’ll indicate whether we’re likely to be meeting indoors or out [and you can check, too:  Bassett weather outlook   Southampton City weather outlook]
Post-COVID, we tweaked the format, to allow venue-certainty by being able to meet indoors, if conditions dictate

Differences from the pub version include:
  • BYOB
  • changing venue, each month [usually alternating between western, eastern and central SO postcodes]
  • earlier start than at pub [to catch best light / temperatures]
  • (usually) earlier finish [ad hoc, but likely c.10pm], at the say-so of the Host
Familiar elements:
  • (usually) just turn up without notice
  • DIY music
  • friendly atmosphere
  • raffle

Aspects applying just to this LotL date are in bold underlined CAPS
Be prepared to:
  • WRAP UP WARM [according to season / forecast]
  • ALLOW LONGER TO FIND STREET-PARKING IN AN UNFAMILIAR AREA
  • climb steps, with no rail.  If indoors, event may be held upstairs
  • bring your own chair, in case numbers high
  • interact with pets
  • be on a mailing-list, if venue needs to limit numbers
Access details to come.
Hosts may, but are not required to, provide tea, coffee, juices, nibbles and bathroom facilities [again, a warning if the latter is not on offer]  and, if they wish, M.C. proceedings.  Feel free to bring home-made light food to share.
     Rec. £2pp in the pot

Tues. 24th September  8pm  Guest
TERRY HISCOCK
Venue:  The Guide Dog   38 Earls Road  Bevois Valley  Southampton  SO14 6SF
     Rec. £10pp in the pot


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Steve Freedman (1957 – 2024), fine, hearty-voiced singer, wit* and sailor
Steve was found on his boat Tyro at Sandwich harbour on the morning of 14th June 2024, on a trip to “the Far East”**, felled by a heart attack.  At least he was doing the thing he loved:  sailing.  We’ll miss his merry demeanour (a unique combination of harrumphing and joie de vivre!), enthusiastic singing, and his enthusiasm FOR singing.  Back in May, some few lucky ones piled on to Tyro for one of our LotL events, a crazy variant he embraced with his usual whole-heartedness.
On behalf of the whole FOCSLE ‘family’, our sincerest condolences go to his family, and all who knew him.  Sail on, sunshine.

Our evening at The Guide Dog on July 23rd was dedicated to Steve’s memory, with songs (of course!), choruses (ditto!), narratives, reminiscences, etc. by those whose lives he’d touched.  Another, poss. bigger, event will be at The Dog on Mon. Sept. 30th, incl. people from the sailing community, and other circles he was involved in down here.

* e.g. the penultimate e‑mail I had from him, on June 10th, reported “heading for Sandwich tomorrow (where I plan to buy a sandwich at the Sandwich Sandwich shop)”
* & ** i.e. Essex and Suffolk…
Virtual FOCSLE Music             e‑mail for access-codes
Join us and our international music friends (incl. some professionals)
Last WEDNESDAYs  8pm (UK)   = 3pm Eastern / NY   = 12noon Pacific / LA
Click/tap for other details, incl. our start-time wherever YOU are in the world
Answers to some FAQs:  we run Singaround-style = whoever shows up performs a turn, while the rest listen in, muted
Musically, any genre welcome, ideally unplugged;  we’re definitely not a platform for watching videos (even if you’re IN them) rather than you performing directly for those of us in the ‘room’
Audience as welcome as performers
Themes may arise on the fly, esp. among the more verbally playful of our number, but nothing formal mooted
Despite the maritime-sounding name* [Southampton is a port city, geddit??], it’s not just a “Shanty Sing”:  they’re a serendipitous part of the mix
Turn up, and leave – and/or come back, even – as suits your schedule
Nice things put on the record:

   I love these   …most enjoyable.  The Focsle crew is a delightful bunch, including some breathtakingly good performers      (Austin, Texas)

…love the atmosphere of FOCSLE [Music] as well as the range of styles…
…enhanced further…  …by having a theme — it really brought out the best in people
…a very enjoyable evening…  …especially when quite a few other [online] sessions are getting a bit tired.
   Well done for playing such a big part in keeping so many people sane through these strange times      (Staffs., UK)

   Thanks for all the warmth you put into your hosting.  Felt welcomed and included…  …muchly enjoyed this      (St Paul, Minnesota)

   Congratulations on a very successful event      (Lincs., UK)

   Thanks for giving me the opportunity to meet, hear, and sing to/with a very talented group of singers.      (S. London, UK)

   You have an amazing geographical spread on your Focsle Zoom meetings…  …the four corners of the North American continent from…
   …California and Arizona in the south to Oregon and Alaska in the north west and Toronto in the east, plus an attendee from Sydney, Australia…  impressive!
   The art of compering is much underrated…  …You do it very well.  It helps that you know so many of the performers.
   Zoom folk clubs have been the silver lining to the pandemic.  However, what you have at the Focsle is exceptional and truly international.      (Hythe, Kent, UK)

   Thanks for the much-needed musical fix today.  And…  …for the creative theme ideas.      (Eugene, Oregon)

…truly enjoyable, meeting so many different people with so many different songs.      (Derby, UK)

   Fantastic — great session     …amazing!     Lovely…     …entertaining…     …a range of talented performers     …fine folks
   It’s been great       Excellent…  …again     …wonderful sessions every week       …thank you for doing this      (from around US & UK)

   I rate your 2 sessions as the tops!  [= FOCSLE Music and a US-based virtual ‘cousin’]      (Coventry, UK)
* When The Fo’c’sle Folk Club launched, it was typical for port-based ventures to point up their maritime city connections, hence the pun.  It’s pronounced “folks’ll” [not “fox’ll”];  also, “forecastle” – from which the term fo’c’s’le derives – is the upper deck in the bow of a sailing ship where the crew were quartered, and would relax to play tunes and sing
Contact Paul for all queries about VIRTUAL events
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Please sign up to FOCSLE Music’s now-monthly Zoomaround list, for info about virtual events,
or this one, for in-person Sings and periodic guests.