GDSF 2008
well, it's next week! What's going on, what are the hot things to look out for this year, what's the great new music we're going to hear? Are we all going to get covered in coal soot? Is it going to rain? Do we care?!

I was talking to someone last week who said the amount of rain we've had in the past few weeks wcould be a potential problem at the Tarrant Hinton site. Not insurmountable hopefully. My tickets have just arrived in the post.

These are all rumours! the corn has been cut and the site is rapidly taking shape! I am looking forward to plenty of beer and an extremely big hang over on sunday morning! oh and of course seeing all the organ's ;) See you all there... Cheers!

I took a look at the site yesterday (Tues 19th) and the mess we made last year has almost been cleared. The marquees are in situ and the Met. Office promises happy days except for the Saturday when, they predict, it will be dull but dry... a bit like a Temperance Bar in Merthyr Tydfil on a wet winter Sunday. :( However, even if the sun don't shine it'll be far from dull at the Carillon camp! :) Rob Harris and I are looking forward to welcoming our friends old and new to hear the best street organ on the site. Slake your physical and spiritual thirsts for a beer and hear the happiest music on Earth from an historic, hand-cranked veteran of the Netherlands street music milieu. In addition, there are lots of new tunes to enjoy if you haven't seen us since last year. This 40th Anniversary show promises to be a cracker so get flexing them musical muscles of yours and come have a good crank with us! :D (Carillon appears at The Great Dorset Steam Fair by the generous permission of steam and organ enthusiast Nick Baker, Gillingham, Dorset.)

Shane! does this mean you've got new music even more tops than Animal Magic!!!!???!!? Surely it's not possible!

oh yeah! I remember the guy! LOL! yeah, he was quite friendly as I recall. Mind you, I'll never forget the pasty guy opposite the Southsea Gavioli! What he said he'd like to do if they played "that ******* tune again" I won't repeat. I think it was "Tipperary" but, hey, what the heck, drive him nuts again this year. There is however a serious point here : whilst many organs ma have very large and varied repertoires each new person at the keyframe only really ever puts through what they like best and so you get lots of repetition though unintentionally. Maybe have a rule of thumb for some instruments and just start playing a top left book and work your way down one by one so on hand-over the music being played continues to be more varied. Just a thought!

Music "more tops than Animal Magic"? Hmmmm... that's debatable! You'll have to make up your own minds but, if you listen to Chris Evans' Drivetime Show (weekdays, Radio 2, 5-7pm), then you'll be pleased to know we'll be having our very own daily 'D' spot! :D

I will also look forward to an opportunity to crank 'de Carillon'; one of the highlights of last year's show. Does anyone know what other dutch organs are expected, in addition to 'de Ruisdael', 'de Anton Pieck', 'Victory' and 'Locomotion'? I wish it were possible to have a KDV stand with their CDs for sale. Pleased to read the weather forecast is likely to be good.