FOCSLE Music What’s On

PAUL OPENSHAW, from Dorset Tues. 23rd May
Click/tap for Paul’s website

Venue: The Guide Dog 38 Earls Road Bevois Valley Southampton SO14 6SF
Singaround preluding the gig Janice Hanson, from Rochester NY, previously advertised, is stuck in Paris with COVID
Pass-the-Hat for the Guest: rec. amount £7.50pp Raffle in break, with alcohol and confectionery prizes

Usually, In‑person FOCSLE Music meets
on second, FOURTH & fifth TUESDAYS at The Guide Dog, Bevois Valley,
but, for May, only on FOURTH Tues. [see below]
and on FIRST & THIRD WEDNESDAYS at The Wellington Arms, Freemantle
Exceptionally this month, we also meet there on FIFTH Weds.
and will scratch the fifth Tues. at The Dog, the day after the Bank Hol.
Entry typically by Pass-the-Hat; raffle in break with alcohol and confectionery prizes

Details further down; add your comments on our Facebook page.
See a date-order calendar of all events, live and virtual, here.

Virtual FOCSLE Music
Every WEDNESDAY, 8pm UK time
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.
See all events, virtual and live, here, date-by-date.

FOCSLE Music ‘LIVE’

Next event: SINGAROUND, as a Zoom-hybrid, round the room with our virtual music friends from round the world
Weds. 31st May Note no Guide Dog meet on Tues. 30th
Venue: The Wellington Arms
56 Park Road Freemantle Southampton SO15 3DE
Donations in the tin: rec. £2pp Raffle in break, with alcohol and confectionery prizes

Next Guests: CATH (Jigfoot) WATKINS (fiddle) & NIC (Bad Cat) BRADFORD (guitar)
Tues. 27th June
Venue: The Guide Dog
38 Earls Road Bevois Valley Southampton SO14 6SF
Pass-the-Hat for the Guests: rec. £6pp Raffle in break, with alcohol and confectionery prizes

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.

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

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

Link for Attenders in person, wondering when guest-nights will be returning

Performers, Acts, their Agents, or anyone seeking to play at FOCSLE Music

Please sign up to FOCSLE Music’s regular Zoomaround list, for info about virtual events,
or this one, for in-person Sings and periodic guests.