Uphill and Still
Fri 11th Oct - 9:15pm
Although their sound is not entirely traditional, Uphill and Still have sprung out from a life of perpetual movement and crossing of fingers, reflective of old-time wanderers bound to a life on the road. Jon Marleau (Canada) and Maddy James (England) form a powerful duo of raw, commanding vocals combined with strings, household percussion and, perhaps most importantly, influences of home drawn from opposite sides of the Atlantic. The duo met serendipitously in New Zealand, 2014. Within days of meeting they embarked on a musical journey, allowing their individual sounds to grow together as they travelled. Driven by this growth (and not stumped by their lack of funds!) they ‘home’-recorded their first EP, Elkonomic Develephant (England, 2015) using what they had, when they could.
The Transitions
Sat 12th Oct - 9:15pm
The Transitions are a band created by men old enough to know better but still young enough to care less. We make a bit of dosh mostly having fun covering great songs you had forgotten you liked, and playing them to poor unsuspecting folks in drinking establishments all over sunny Dorset, Hampshire and Somerset. We don't stick to any genres really so we do have a wide and varied arsenal which is perfect for entertaining varied audiences. When we don't have our primitive cave dweller Mr Listy tapping out beats on his ca’jon (a kind of drum), Karlos plays bass guitar and a bass drum whilst Fatt’s plays guitar and tambourine with his foot. As a result Karlos and Fatts will both need hip replacements in a few years time. Come and check us out sometime and witness how a band with no real talent, manages to trick drunk people into thinking we do. Bare in mind in order to do this you will have to stay sober which may not be worth the prize.
The Velvet Doonicans
Sun 13th Oct - 4:00pm
The Velvet Doonicans were formed when the Velvet Underground replaced Lou Reed with Val Doonican in the early 70s. It was a whole new direction for the band and, sadly, soon led to the demise of the band that had come to represent the complete anarchic anti-music antithesis to the summer of love and to middle of the road cartoon Irish folk music.
The Skalatans
Fri 18th Oct - 9:15pm
The Skalatans play early 60s Jamaican dance tunes, from the era when 50s American R&B swung into Ska and Rock Steady - think Jazz Jamaica meets The Skatalites - and some latin/jazz dance tunes.
Vanilla Radio
Sat 19th Oct - 9:15pm
Emerging from the darkest depths of Dorset, Vanilla Radio burst onto the funk rock scene in 2013 delivering their soulful funky grooves to crowds all over the south coast. At its core Jamie Parker, Jack Ansell and Rick Veall have been playing in various line-ups for the last 10 years with the later addition of Will Sear on keys adding another dimension to their sound. Vanilla Radio’s live set is a funk rock explosion taking influence from jazz, funk, soul and motown and mixing all out furious guitar and keys, exploding bass lines and outrageous drum breaks to create a sound that will get you grooving.
The Bridport Turnip Prize
Sun 20th Oct - 1pm onwards
It has become evident that there is a lack of opportunities for non-artists and artists to compete on a level together in using their creativity and freedom of imagination. It is therefore with great pleasure that we announce the second, now annual, Bridport Turnip Prize. This is inspired as a spoof on the Tate Gallery’s Turner Prize and it is hoped that it will become an annual event. There are three rules: 1. Does it show a lack of effort? 2. Entries must have an alliteration or pun in the title 3. Is it crap? Entries with too much effort, or not crap enough are immediately disqualified. The prize will be a turnip nailed to a lump of wood and each year’s winner can keep their trophy for life. Overall the concept will be ʻWe know it’s rubbish, but is it art?ʼ We are asking for entries to be brought to the pub between 1:00pm and 3:00pm on Sunday 20th October for judging. If we have a large number of entries then the independent judges will create a shortlist. The winner will be announced at 4;30pm. Be proud to be the winner with the most feeble work of art. Entries will be £5 per entry and this will go towards the Living Tree.
Jinder
Sun 20th Oct - 5:00pm
We welcome JINDER to the Ropemakers in his most successful year yet having been in the top ten! He is a 36yr old songwriter, storyteller and international touring musician based in the UK's pastoral Westcountry. Following the lo-fi folk noir of 2015's critically acclaimed LP 'Traditional Dark', his tenth album 'Presents...KINGSIZE BLACKFOOT' (released on 17th July 2017) is an intense and joyful exploration of American blues and roots music, drenched in gutbucket Delta blues slide guitar, Bluegrass from the heart of Appalachia, Louisiana murder ballads, Country Blues and even an impassioned update of Yip Harburg and Jay Gorney's Depression-era anthem 'Brother Can You Spare A Dime', released in May as the first single from the album.
Sunset Cafe Stompers
Mon 21st Oct - 8:15pm
The Sunset Café Stompers – 8:15pm – The Sunset Cafe was a top night-spot on Chicago’s infamous South Side. Al Capone owned it, Louis Armstrong starred there. The Sunset Cafe Stompers do play the music of that period... great tunes from Scott Joplin, Irving Berlin, Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller... but the band’s wide repertoire also features songs made famous by artists as diverse as Patsy Cline, Marilyn Monroe, the Inkspots, Fats Domino... even Elvis. Beneath it all, one can sense the elusive, shifting, pulse which defines the sound of New Orleans. In that city, ever since the 1900s, bands have been hired to attract a crowd, or to add spirit and generate excitement for all kinds of occasion. Throughout the last twenty years we have followed in that tradition: playing jazz clubs, concerts for churches, arts centres, village dances, weddings, festivals, funerals, garden parties... from our Dorset/Somerset base, down to Cornwall and up to Cumbria.
Dr. Splink
Fri 25th Oct - 9:15pm
Dr Splink are here! In the spirit of the New Year Splink is rebooting as Dr Splink. Still the same infectious beats, cartoon characters & catchy vibes to get you skanking, grooving & laughing. They will medicate with music, prescribe with polyrhythms & diagnose dancing as inevitable. Dr Splink are a 6 piece from Somerset and Devon originally called Splink in the 2019 changed their name Dr Splink has landed.. Playing an original blend of Jazz, Ska, Reggae and Punk. They have been compared with ‘The Blockheads, Madness and The Stranglers.’ “They are professional musicians who specialise in having lots of fun, getting crowds smiling, laughing, dancing and singing along. They appeal to audiences of all musical tastes, Their original outstanding songs, stick in the mind. They put on a great performance and even hand out cheese to the audience”.
Davey Malone & the Longtails
Sat 26th Oct - 9:15pm
With his unique combination of Bareknuckle Folk, Acoustic Punk, and Comedy, Davey Malone has fast become an underground legend. Blending originals and quirky re-worked covers, he can tailor his vocal style to suit, be it a raucous tongue in cheek punk number or a heart rending melancholic ballad, the audience just go with him on his roller-coaster ride of styles and emotions. His gigs are interspersed with audience interaction, jokes and anecdotal stories of his colourful career... Over the years Davey has performed in Australia, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Holland, Greece, Portugal, and at the Edinburgh, Glastonbury, Beautiful days, Larmer Tree, Trowbridge, and Cambridge Folk Festivals, and has played alongside such names as Mark Chadwick (the Levellers), Steve Knightley (Show of Hands), Benji Kirkpatrick (Bellowhead), Dan Donnelly (The Wonderstuff), Gaz Brookfield, and Atilla the Stockbroker
Mitch Norman
Sun 27th Oct - 4:00pm
Enjoy an afternoon of gentle folky type tunes.
Buffo's Wake
Fri 1st Nov - 9:15pm
Buffo’s Wake are a twelve-legged beast hatched in the murky backwater of Brighton, UK. Armed with accordions, violins and a bucket full of gusto they waltz, tango, mosh and kolo their way through various influences from Eastern European, Balkan and Russian folk, to punk rock and cabaret, telling tales of debauchery, deformity, zombies, incest and anatomy and making the audience dance into the night in the process. Gypsy punk lunatics with a taste for the macabre. Festival veterans, regularly appearing at some of the UK's biggest festivals, including Glastonbury (2013), Bestival (2013) Secret Garden Party (2011 - 2013) and Boomtown (2011 - 2013), as well as live performances on BBC Introducing, Buffos Wake will grab you, and leave you dancing like a man possessed. Guaranteed to raise hell!
Sixteen String JAck
Sat 2nd Nov - 9:15pm
Sixteen String Jack are a 4-piece band from the South Coast of England playing a mixture of Americana, Country, Bluegrass, rockabilly, Irish Trad and more. The band formed in 2016 by Andy, Tom & Ethan after, there previous band “The Jack Ratts” disbanded. Since then they have built up a local following playing festivals, music venues, pubs and weddings around the south coast. With there newest member “Pidge” joining the band on drums, the band are set to record and release a E.P with the new line up in 2019.
GArry "The Slide Guy" Smith
Sun 3rd Nov - 4:00pm
Playing a National Resophonic Style 1 Tricone, Garry aims to take slide guitar out of the "Blues Ghetto". So a typical set will include my his songs and instrumentals alongside covers of artists such as Joe Ely, Richard Thompson or Tom Waits. There may even be some actual Blues, or Irish Music. He also loves a bit of collaboration and has appeared on Ema Scarr's "Dusty Words and Motorways" and Black Scarr's "North and South" albums.
Behind Closed Doors
Fri 8th Nov - 9:15pm
Behind Closed Doors is an acoustic cover duo consisting of one Cajon player/vocalist (Si Dew) and one guitarist/vocalist (Nick Randall), formed back in 2014 as a way to get together at a local open mic night and play Metallica covers for a bit of fun. On one night they shook things up by playing a cover of Paint It Black by the Rolling Stones that went down better than any of the Metallica songs, so hit upon the idea of playing songs that people might actually know and haven't looked back. Performing the covers acoustically but in their up-tempo rock/punk style, they have gone on to entertain many people at their gigs around West Dorset and even started encroaching into Somerset, as well as playing at local music festivals such as Jurassic Fields and the newly started Chard Rock.
Something-Else Fundraiser
Sat 9th Nov
After the loss of equipment due to extremely bad weather this evening has been given over to fundraising on their behalf. Line up to be announced but it will be spectacular!
Ropemakers Charity Dog Show
Sun 10th Nov - 3:00pm
The Ropemakers welcomes all sorts of lovely dogs and we would like to invite you to enter the Ropemakers Charity Dog Show. The fun categories are: Dog with the waggiest tail Best Paw Shaker Most Awesome Eyes The Dog who most looks like its owner The winner of each category will go through to the final: Ropemakers Top Dog 2018 Cost is £5 per entry which will include all categories. All in aid of the Living Tree
Fly Yeti Fly
Sun 10th Nov - 5:00pm
Singer/songwriter duo of dreamers from Devon! Fly Yeti Fly are the acoustic duo Lorna Somerville and Darren Fisher. Blending sensitive vocal harmonies with intricate guitar arrangements, mandolin and harmonica, the duo weave songs and stories from their travels together, with a sound that is reminiscent of the late-’60s folk scene. Their debut album ‘Shine a Light in the Dark’, released March 2017, has since received critical acclaim. Having appeared on BBC Introducing stages across the south west and keen artists on the festival circuit.
Ropemakers Cheese Club
Wed 13th Nov - 7:30pm
Cheese Club is coming. The November Cheese Club is here with six cheeses from the county of Oxfordshire for you to try and compare. These will come served with tasting notes, crackers and accompaniments. With each Cheese, Palmers Wine Store have selected a drink to further enhance your enjoyment of the cheese and these are available at an extra cost. The cost for the cheese platter is £7 per person. Booking is absolutely essential as these evenings are very popular. There will be two sittings, one at 7:30pm and one at 8:30pm. Booking and pre-payment are essential for this event.
Shelby's Elbows
Fri 15th Nov - 9:15pm
An acoustic duo from deepest darkest Dorset, playing a variety of covers, from Nirvana to Neil Young, Seal to Skynyrd, Dire Straits to Turin Brakes and anything in between.
LAdy Winwood's Maggot
Sat 16th Nov - 9:15pm
Sometimes an angel choir. Sometimes a chainsaw screaming through raw flesh. The Clash mating with Johnny Cash. Lady Winwood’s Maggot have been storming the south for many years with their unique style of Death Western. Fusing traditional American and Irish music with self-written songs and presenting them with an old-school punk attitude. Banjo, Mandolin and Acoustic Guitar are backed with thunderous Drums and Bass. This is a band who believes in putting on a show, with their own full scale lighting rig, stage attire and presence they bring to the audience an energetic and absorbing performance
The Arnie Cottrell Tendency
Sun 17th Nov - 4:00pm
Arnie Cottrell is a multi-instrumentalist and singer based in the south of England. He has been performing and recording music for many years on both sides of the Atlantic. His current band, formerly The Velvet Doonicans, has now been renamed . . . The Arnie Cottrell Tendency The lineup is exactly the same: Arnie Cottrell - lead vocal, guitars, mandola, octave mandolin and mandolin Graham Bushell - lead guitar, mandolin, dobro, banjo and harmony vocal Rick Foot - double bass, harmony vocal
Sunset Café Stompers
Mon 18th Nov - 8:15pm>
The Sunset Cafe was a top night-spot on Chicago’s infamous South Side. Al Capone owned it, Louis Armstrong starred there. The Sunset Cafe Stompers do play the music of that period... great tunes from Scott Joplin, Irving Berlin, Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller... but the band’s wide repertoire also features songs made famous by artists as diverse as Patsy Cline, Marilyn Monroe, the Inkspots, Fats Domino... even Elvis. Beneath it all, one can sense the elusive, shifting, pulse which defines the sound of New Orleans. In that city, ever since the 1900s, bands have been hired to attract a crowd, or to add spirit and generate excitement for all kinds of occasion. Throughout the last twenty years we have followed in that tradition: playing jazz clubs, concerts for churches, arts centres, village dances, weddings, festivals, funerals, garden parties... from our Dorset/Somerset base, down to Cornwall and up to Cumbria.
Surfin Birds
Fri 22nd Nov - 9:15pm
The psychosonic constellations are clearing so open your airwaves and countenance these cavalcades of swinging surf and raucous rockabilly. Thundering their way to a gathering near you this year secreting rustic rockabilly charm, allow their guttural guitars and dynamic drums to reverberate your reason and magnify the madness. Simply throw back your hair, whirl that waistline onwards and follow your frenzied feet to the searing sounds of Dorset's musical sensation that is The Surfin' Birds.
BEMIS
Sat 23rd Nov - 9:15pm
Formed in 2006, they have been making their name around the South and in London, with close harmonies, a huge list of covers, a long list of songs written by themselves and a strong commitment to the professionalism people expect from them. Through all this seriousness is the frivolous way they change the set during the evening after painstakingly planning it in the rehearsal, the dodgy introductions to the songs and the massive MASSIVE enjoyment they get out of doing what they do.
Mutter and Clive
Sun 23rd Nov - 4:00pm
Sublime Sunday sounds from two of the finest local musicians. Blues orientated with a host of other influences this should prove to be a sensational afternoon of fine music
The Bomo Swing
Fri 29th Nov - 9:15pm
The Bomo Swing comes bouncing out of Bournemouth, an eight piece band renowned for its high energy and unique blend of Balkan, Reggae, Cumbia and dance. All powered by sizzling Latin drums, jazz influenced bass lines and topped off with spirited gypsy violin. Their upbeat performance and passion will bring a smile to your face and have you dancing your worries away as you enjoy the fiesta with them.
Toxic Fish
Sat 30th Nov - 9:15pm
Original 3 Piece Ska/Punk/Reggae Band from Weymouth
