Do Not E-X-T-E-R-M-I-N-A-T-E !Unfortunately, a fun video like this has had the embedding and comments disabled. The United Kingdom Ukulele Orchestra plays again. I think that they should be un-disabled and let people vent, the poison pen has seemed to stiffle my enjoyment and the sharing of the free market of music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkIR6jx4adI&feature=email
I am amazed to see that TUKUO's (4) videos have about 450, 450, 800, 1050 hits as of today. I like these videos. From the previous post comments you would think they were Daleks attacking the Ukulele Cosmos. I live in California but I am a great fan of BBC Mystery videos and Doctor Who. HU
Rose & The Doctor
I don't understand what you are trying to say. Can you clarify you point, please?
ReplyDeleteI am also a member of Ukulele Cosmos and privy to the plethura of negative comments on TUKUO. I may be a lone voice of dissent. Even so I have found many of the comments about where my paychecks come from to be humorous. I like the epitaph comment the most. I was just being a little cheeky with you my ukulele brethren. Doctor Who just slipped in because I watch it regularly and fit in with cosmos metaphor so effortlessly.
ReplyDeleteDaleks attacking the Ukulele Cosmos? No.. no threat at all and Dr.Who is on the side of the Cosmos of course. Attacking the aural sensibilities of most and attacking the reputation of an altogether more palatable UOGB. Dear HU, you need to see the UOGB live, and perhaps change nationality to 'get' the whole sordid affair (although some of your fellow countrymen and women completely get it) and understand why so many people are outraged by it. The UOGB are as essential to British culture as Rolls-Royce, pubs and folk music. TUKUO are merely Yugos, McDonalds and 2nd rate PopIdol in comparison.
ReplyDeleteDear Anon. thanks for responding with a bit of spirit. I am Jeff and the "humble" was a monicker to represent my humble (or modest) abilities on the ukulele. I do have a great enthusiasm for the ukulele and I'm fortunate to live in one of the hotbeds of ukulele players. I would really love to see UOGB come over to the U.S. and perform. I frequently post their videos both here and on Humble Baritonics. Tomorrow morning I head off to the Burning Uke VIII run by the Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz for 3 days.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the response Jeff. The UOGB are playing Carnegie Hall soon but the tickets sold out in 3 days I understand. That is an achievement really worth reporting. Have fun at the Burning Uke!
ReplyDeleteIts interesting to surf around and search on "Niel Innes" "Peter Moss" "Bonzo Dog" and some of the TUKUO members and see the links between the group and the song "Urban Spaceman" and how far back Peter Moss's links to ukulele players goes. One of the interviews with Peter states that he would write down songs as the Bonzo frontman Vivian Stanshall played them on his ukulele in the early 1980s.
ReplyDeleteAlso it would be interesting to see if there are any BBC links between founding UOGB members and Peter Moss. Is it possible that the they were all part of an idea to form a uke orchestra back in the early 80s when Peter seems to have been working at the BBC and involved with some zany TV shows and people.
I took a look at the TUKUO site and saw this statement in the upper right hand corner. "Die Kult-Sensation aus London in Concert" which I believe translates to "The Cult Sensation of London in Concert" Can someone tell me the criteria for "Cult Sensation." Has anyone located this cult? Are there any live performances? If we are talking about a cult following then I think: UOGB, Jake, James, and perhaps the amiable Aldrine Guerrero of Ukulele Underground may be the closest to a cult icon for the younger uke players.
ReplyDeleteI still like the "canned" TUKUO videos but now I call for some live video performances to be shared along with their cult membership card.
Please TUKUO share some vintage TUKUO videos. HU
I think you might be rather vintage (or antique) yourself by the time you get to see any, Jeff. Having met most of the long time uke movers and shakers on the UK scene, no-one I know has ever heard of them, let alone seen them live. Peter Moss's credentials mean very little indeed in this case.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes,
Anonymous #1 (the original anonymous)
PS: Anon #2 is the person writing about the Bonzos and is not me.
My stepfather was from a Finish immigrant family and lived in the small town of Finnlayson in the upper east of Minnesota, U.S.A. His name was Carl Edwin Lindroos and he lived the life of a farm boy with solid Midwest values and like all young lads lost part of his tongue on a frozen post box. He always taught me to be humble and to let your actions speak for themselves. I guess the 'cult sensation' has become a secret cult. Perhaps some overambitious marketing manager over sold this group and the backlash has been crippling and stiffling. I, the lone voice on this topic, hope they are setting up more songs on a different, non-studio, venue and kick out the marketing balast! The YT ukulele community welcomes originality. Laugh tracks have no place in this reality.
ReplyDeleteI don't have much of a head for business, but I believe Rolls Royce is owned by Volkswagen Group, with BMW involved in some way or other. Hardly British companies, and essential only to a relatively few upper class twits and those kowtowing to them...And I hear old fashioned pubs are on the way out, being replaced by more family-friendly establishments and yuppyish wine bars. Hardly essential...
ReplyDeleteConsider me unimpressed with the long-time movers and shakers on the UK ukulele scene or any other ukulele scene, for that matter. There is an entrenched old-boys network in the ukulele world that needs a good swift kick in the arse.
It's past time for these dinosaurs to step aside for some new blood and some real innovation.
The YT ukulele community welcomes originality? Oh, really... The only innovation from UOGB is new songs. It's been the exact same act for ages. And it's not just them - take Gus and Fin as just one other example. Movers and shakers, perhaps, but old,
stale, unchanging acts. Musically, the living dead...
True innovation and originality will come only from young artists, not the old established ones. With them it'll be the same-old same-old until they petrify.
I can't remember hearing laugh tracks on uke videos before TUKUO, so that actually does represent originality.
Speaking of backlash, someone seems to be caving to it.
Not content with merely coming off as pompous and condescending are we? Must we add blind and deaf, too?
ReplyDelete2nd rate? Nothing 2nd rate about Sarah Dale and Lesley Cunningham of TUKUO to this old bloke.
Yugos? More like Aston Martins (with little mileage on their odometers).
McDonalds? Far too yummy. Haute cuisine. Bravo, chef...
PopIdol? Sarah can out-sing every female who's ever performed with UOGB (every male, too, as far as that goes).
Next time you see those movers and shakers, mate, tell them to move and shake themselves out of the way of those who would pump some vital new blood into the ukulele world.
Oh, I know this issue is not going to be settled and the Ukulele Cosmos is going to be annoyed at me again. I am trying to sit balanced at the fulcrum point of this love/hate seesaw. I must admit the posting of TUKUO must be the most controversial thing this humble blogger has done.
ReplyDeletePsst! http://ukulelecosmos.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=21442
ReplyDelete