FOCSLE Music What’s On

In‑person FOCSLE Music meets
on SECOND, FOURTH & FIFTH TUESDAYS at The Guide Dog, Bevois Valley,
and on FIRST & THIRD WEDNESDAYS at The Wellington Arms, Freemantle.
We switch to the day after, at The Welly, if a fifth Tues. follows a Bank Holiday.

SINGAROUND
Weds. 4th October 8pm
Venue: The Wellington Arms 56 Park Road Freemantle Southampton SO15 3DE
Entry by Pass-the-Hat [rec. amount £2pp] Raffle in break, with alcohol and confectionery prizes

Next Guest: BRUCE WATSON Tues. 10th Oct.
Our second singer/songwriter from Down Under in less than two months!

Coming up: Oct. GEORGINA DALE (aka MBS George)
Nov. MICK RYAN (postponed from Sept.)
Details further down; add your comments on our Facebook page.
See a date-order calendar of all events, live and virtual, here.

Other music events on Tuesdays at The Dog mean FOCSLE Music can’t run weekly there, and all Weds. are now their Curry Nights [recommended, but too busy for us to have use of The Doghouse]. At The Welly, Tuesday availability is just too erratic, so we must accept Wednesdays there.
We rely on your, and others’, good sense in taking some COVID-19 precautions, and on your not attending if you have symptoms. It ain’t beat: Mick Ryan had to postpone because of it, and Jon Ellis, our usual MC for third Weds., was unable to honour his September stint.

You’ve a right to know why this mess of haphazard dates: see the problem here.

FOCSLE Music ‘LIVE’ Entry by donation. Raffle in break, with alcohol and confectionery prizes

Next Event: GUEST
BRUCE WATSON (Australian singer-songwriter/guitarist)
Tues. 10th October 8pm; Singaround first
Venue: The Guide Dog 38 Earls Road Bevois Valley Southampton SO14 6SF
Rec. Pass-the-Hat donation for the Guest: £10 pp

…and after that:
SINGAROUND
Weds. 18th October 8pm
Venue: The Wellington Arms   56 Park Road Freemantle Southampton SO15 3DE
     Rec. Pass-the-Hat donation: £2 pp

‘GEORGE’ DALE (Sidmouth Middle Bar singer; pure-voiced a capella)
Tues. 24th October 8pm; Singaround-with-Guest format
Venue: The Guide Dog   38 Earls Road Bevois Valley Southampton SO14 6SF
     Rec. Pass-the-Hat donation for the Guest: £5 pp

SINGAROUND
Tues. 31st October 8pm
Venue: The Guide Dog   38 Earls Road Bevois Valley Southampton SO14 6SF
     Rec. Pass-the-Hat donation: £2 pp

SINGAROUND
Weds. 8th November 8pm
Venue: The Wellington Arms   56 Park Road Freemantle Southampton SO15 3DE
     Rec. Pass-the-Hat donation: £2 pp

MICK RYAN on Tues. 28th November

Between them, Singarounds on alternating Tuesdays at The Dog and Wednesdays at The Welly.

Virtual FOCSLE Music e‑mail for access-codes
Join us and our international music friends (incl. some professionals)
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 Audience as welcome as performers
Themes mostly arise on the fly, esp. among the more verbally playful of our number
Pre‑arranged Themed Sings on the fourth Weds. each month: your compliance entirely optional
See upcoming themes here
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)

* 60 years ago, 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