FOCSLE Music  1963 – 2023
real live music in Southampton, UK for the past 60 years

In‑person events at The Guide Dog, Bevois Valley, second, fourth & fifth Tuesdays
and at The Wellington Arms, Freemantle, first & third Wednesdays

(When first Weds. falls on 1st of the month, these meets happen on second & fourth Weds. to avoid consecutive Tues. & Weds. events)


Page updated September 29th '23.

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.
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’   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
Back to top of Online section…
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.