Big Al Whittle - a superior sort of support act!

Wrote a new song and recorded it today - an important song. Its about the BNP party - an ultra right wing party that have had electoral successes in the Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire border country where I live.

If you have festival where you think my song would communicate with the people there - please let me sing for you.

Phone me 01773812626

Every Englishman’s Friend

Oh the rich man stood on his castle wall

And said that the poor deserve bugger all

So no one turned the wheels or oiled the locks

And all our economy went to cock

And soon the Blame Game Boys are out there , and at it again

First they tell you they’re every Englishman’s friend

Its all these blacks and all these Asians

Ruining the fabric of our nation

An theres blokes on the street sayin’ stuff like this

With a mind like a jackboot and mind like a fist!

And the schools couldn’t teach the kids

And no one could reach

So much wrong-headed, right wing crap had been preached

And the Blame Game Boys are out there at the school gate

Stopping all the white kids and calling ‘em mate

You don’t read too good, don’t worry man

I’ve read the book of hate and I’ve got a plan

Its all these blacks and all these Asians

All the fault of this immigration

And soon the kids are startin life

With a swastika tattoo and a flick knife

So this is a song

To say your parents are wrong

If they vote BNP, they’ve been fooled and conned

You wanna go to the place Hitler took the krauts?

Just think twice before you bring that about

Pride in Fatherland

See the foreigner bow

It was bollocks then and its bollocks now!

And soon the Blame Game Boys are out there , and at it again

First they tell you they’re every Englishman’s friend

Its all these blacks and all these Asians

Ruining the fabric of our nation

An theres bloke on the street sayin’ stuff like this

With a mouth like a jackboot, and a mind like a fist

© Alan Whittle 25/11/2008 07:48:08

In many ways the reviews and the achievements speak for themselves. (In the last year three star review in Maverick and a four star review in Rock 'n Reel). A hit record, numerous awards, thirty years experience as a gigging act.

However Big Al has never been the sort of talent that schoolgirls swoon over, and record companies get out the chequebooks for, middle class djs identify with and/or hoovers up arts council grants - in fact record companies rarely pay him what they owe him! Its pretty much been Big Al contra mundum for thirty odd years.

Still on the bright side - this can benefit you.

You the promoter - you've seen it all. You've done favours that never get returned by record companies - promoted support acts and indeed main acts that could empty a room faster than a trapeze artist with diarrhoea. You've booked acts on the strength of corrupt journalists reviews that were got a crate of Talisker and a few lines of coke for landing you and the rest of the world with a turkey.

Here is an inexpensive way to make sure at least part of the evening works out. Book BIG AL! he has a load of experience as a performer and musician, he's a shit hot guitarist; and he is reliable and will do his damndest to help you out.

Welcome!

The main purpose of this website is to link up with festivals and acoustic venues and to get me gigs there.

So what I can do for your festival/acoustic music venue?

My greatest influence as a performer was the folksinger/raconteur Derek Brimstone. From Derek I learned how to present my work in the most entertaining and accessible way that I can manage.

Recently I performed at the Fylde Folk Festival. Here are the songs in my half hour festival slot - which I can easily expand to a one hour or two forty five minute sets.

Although Fylde was a blast, it made me realise that my music is a long way from what is ordinarily considered folkmusic. Therefore if you have have a festival or acoustic music venue that you think my music will fit in, get in contact with me by phoning:-

England(01773) 812626

or e-mail d.whittle@ntlworld.com

Introductory fee £100, but always negotiable.

The Act

I always start the act with a two chord song called Trish- all about my infatuation with radical chic(k) of the 1960's.

Click here to see Big Al on Youtube perform trish

This is foloowed by my more famous song 'George Joseph Smith'. The lunatic nature of the chorus reinforces the anarchy of the first song.

Here is a webpage featuring the best recorded version of 'George Joseph Smith' from my other site.

Third comes 'Auntie Nelly's Boogie Woogie' - a bottleneck guitar piece. But also a tale of of wartime Lancashire, when it was reckoned a Yank could always get a girl's knickers off.

a click here will take you to Big Al's first page of his other website, and before long you will hear the song 'Aunty Nelly'. From here you should be able to get to Big Al's Youtube page, where there is a video clip of this song.

Big Al is always very happy to to help other musicians with advice when he feels qualified. He taught for many years and he will always be happy to contribute to your festival by giving seminars on songwriting and guitar playing.

Buster the Line Dancing Dog is the fourth song - a surreal country song. Also get attable from the Youtube - plus it has its own webpage.

Access Buster's webpage here:-

http://bigalwhittle.co.uk/id19.html

The Water is Wide is a trad folksong.- and contains some quite classy guitar picking.

Play 'The Water is Wide'.

The Big Red Sausage was written in response to the Mattesons Sausage Company Songwriting Competition. I was (alas! as in so much else in life) unsuccessful in that competition. However, here is the song that could have catapulted me to stardom - if only the fates had been kinder, and we lived in an alternative universe.

NOW HERE'S A UNIQUE SELLING POINT

1) I can perform these songs solo - so a total no fuss easy set-up option for the PA man before your main act!

2) I can use either three separate acoustic guitars - or I can turn up playing the Variax 700 modelling acoustic guitar - which mimics the sounds of 12 string guitars, dobro's, a martin D35, a Martin Triple O and give alternative tunings at the press of a button - giving each song a separate and distinctive sound.

The Variax 700 acoustic is little known and few other guitarists have mastered this intriguing 'state of the art' guitar. I believe the ability to mimic open tunings will make it fascinating for every acoustic guitarist.

BE ONE OF THE FIRST FESTIVALS TO FEATURE ONE!

Here is the main Big Al web site with lots of songs - biographical details, and bit and pieces about Al's many interests and obsessions.