Bingham Hall, Cirencester Fund Raiser Gig

The lads are back in action again this very Saturday night (you can watch Strictly later...) as part of a fund raiser for local good causes.

The event sees us  teaming up again with some of the ridiculously talented MJ-UK crowd who we worked with in the summer for the World War 1 Commemorative event, and also some of our singing chums in the Cirencester Community Choir.

Also appearing are another Ashton Keynes Music Festival success story, the Ukeydukes, the ukelele group from AK.

All in all a great little show for the bargain rate of £5 (Under 14 free) so we look forward to seeing some familiar faces there.


Tickets available from Local Info Point at
Bingham House, 1 Dyer St, Cirencester  – Tel: 01285 655646 or on the door or from Cirencester Visitor Information Centre (www.cotswold.gov.uk) at Corinium Museum, Park St, Cirencester 01285 654180

A Magnificent Farewell

Just a quickie to report that the village of Ashton Keynes bade fond farewell to Anthony, landlord of The White Hart these past three years, and his family with much merriment and song and above all drinking (it is what he would have wanted us to do).  The pub was packed, which is an indication of the high esteem in which he is held.

We even gave him a token of our appreciation of all the hard work we have made him and his staff do to help keep us refreshed during our workshops and Yuletide Carol events.  

Here you can see former Big Chief Instigator Neil B pulling a face of suitable pointless grandeur with Anthony, in his recently presented "Magnificent Polo Shirt" from our extensive range of leisure wear, looking suitably chuffed with the gift.

He has promised to invite us up to his new premises at some point so watch out for news of a visit once he has had a chance to settle in and explain about the special place of Ashton Keynes and the extra special Magnificent AK47 who have emerged from there.

We wish him all the best and look forward to striking up a relationship with the new landlords

Going, going, nearly gone

Goodbye from all of us!

Who ate all the pies?  Well, not the chap in the middle, flanked by two giants of our Magnificent world, Big Mike and DR Sweeney.  

But who is the little chap handing over the carefully pre-warmed pies before the start of our Wold Tour 2013?  It is none other than one Mr Anthony Klee, who along with some inspired local owners has breathed a HUGE new lease of life into our belovéd local watering hole, The White Hart.

Sadly he has been lured away to bigger and better things round Glawster way and we will miss his genuineness, keen eye for a good beer and propensity to open up specially for us on a Sunday Workshop to make sure the blokes could whet their whistles.

If anyone is around and fancies popping along there will be what will no doubt be a massive hooly of a send off for him and his good lady wife and son this coming Friday 24th October.

We wish him goodbye and good luck and have a Magnificent time.

Sounds of the City

And just to round off our record of a lovely evening of song, in the City of Song, as part of the Festival of Song, here is a snap of the Stepford Singers with their charismatic Choir leader Fran about to address the audience as their set draws to a close.

And below you can here their final contribution for the night with a stirring rendition of a piece "Voro Ivanivicki" that was rehearsed separately by the two choirs and together just the once, moments before the show.

The ladies appeared a little nervous coming back onto the stage after the blokes had put in a sterling performance, but they need not have worried.  The combined sound was impressive given the lack of joint rehearsal and is a validation of the knowledge of the respective choir leaders knowing that  it would work, and the talent of the singers making it work.

The power of song - a fitting metaphor for the whole festival - well done, another triumph and we look forward to next year already.

Twitter me Timbers!

Just a quickie posting as a down payment for more stuff to follow about last night's gig as part of the Bristol Festival of Song show with the Stepford Singers.

This is partly because we are still collectively reeling from what turned from a less than awesome soundcheck into really quite special "Magical Man Moment" for us.  

This was the first outing for some of the blokes, so there was a higher level of anxiety than normal, but the delightful ladies of the Stepford Singers sang so enchantingly and actually dedicated a piece to us that quite turned our little heads.

And when we finally made it on to the stage (waiting for lumbering John W who got stuck, yet again, getting into his donkey outfit...) we found an absolutely fabulous audience totally up for it and loving every minute.

As you can see from the "Tweets" we seemed to be a hit on that there social medium thingy.

And we would like to make a special mention of the delightful Hannah who has organized the event.  We hope to have evidence of the Magnificent AK47 mug we presented to her in action very soon - bet you can't wait!

Would you trust this lot with your parrot?

Would you trust this lot with your parrot?

Well, it is a reasonable question to ask given the reputation THE Magnificent AK47 have been building for several years now, what with their carefully manicured public persona (!) and having graced the stages of Chippenham Folk Festival, Colston Hall and alike. . .  

They may have the best array of hats and other props and other prosthetic aids in all the land, but can they actually sing to back it all up?  Again, a question that is often asked (mostly by the blokes themselves) and one you should judge for yourself by listening to the couple of clips recorded at their recent performance in the M-Shed.  In particular, marvel at the cunning and witty way in which they adapt one of their best loved pieces, the homage to male sanctuary, to better suit their location.

Returning to Bristol on Friday night and paired up on an inspired bit of programming to present a great double bill with The Stepford Singers, they will be performing as part of the wonderful Bristol's Festival of Song at St Francis' Church, North St, Bristol, BS3 2AN - see http://www.festivalofsong.org.uk/ticketed-events/ Friday 17th October at 19:30.

Expect the usual mixture of dead pan humour and dead good singing and possibly a stuffed animal or two for good measure.

Still, wouldn't trust them with your parrot, but find out for yourself how good they are by getting along on Friday

Go West!

Hot off the presses is this snap and the early "rushes" from the recordings of our trip to Bristol to play our part in their Festival of Song and in particular the "Song Raids" down in the docks.

A lovely Autumnal afternoon was had by all as the blokes plied their trade singing on The Matthew, on a Steam Train carriage and also generally posing about the place as can be witnessed here with a motley crew haranguing Bristol legend John Cabot.

Some rough and ready recordings of the afternoon can be heard below - watch out for more photos and other stuff, most likely mostly on facebook.

And we return to Bristol's fair city this coming Friday 17th October to perform in St Francis Church with The Stepford Singers.  More in the next posting or two.

Shiver your timbers!

Lock up your drinks cabinets and prepare your lug'oles for a sonic spectacle and your peep'oles for a visual feast of Pirate finery and much more at The Magnificent AK47 lumber into the big city to play their part in the Song Raids for Bristol Festival of Song down in the historic docklands.

Sunday 12th October - Harbourside & City Song Raids

Song Raids are a Gathering Voices speciality! In the style of the contemporary flash mob, in locations across the city centre and harbourside - look out for for some of the city's (and surrounding area's) finest acappella talent (and us!) offering intimate performances, just for you...

The blokes can be seen in action 
Aboard "Matthew" at 12:30 - that should be something to see - Pirates in their element!!
Harbour Trains around 12:50
Millennium Square for 13:10
"M Shed" at 13:50

Gathering Voices featuring us!

Look at us - featured on one of the prime pages on the main site for the Bristol Festival of Song in all our Gringo splendour!  The picture is taken from last year's gig at the wonderful St George's Hall where we have been privileged to perform three years running as part of the day long multi-choir event.

This year we will be sharing an evening with another unusual act, The Stepford Singers, on Friday 17th October and more details plus ticketing info can be found at http://www.festivalofsong.org.uk/ticketed-events.

Song Raids ahoy!

It is that time of year again when a whole city starts singing and us blokes from this tiny little village not so far away are lucky enough to be invited to play a small part.

And whilst our part is small, but perfectly formed (you can see some of us lurking in the photo below the singers in red), we are particularly lucky this year to have been asked to perform not once, but FIVE times!

Our first four of those are on Sunday 12th October as part of the Bristol "Song Raids" taking place in and around Bristol's historic dock area and adding to our already large number of unusual places we have sung, from concert halls and pubs to tunnels and hill tops, Steam Engine sheds to Breweries.  We are very excited that we will be kicking off in the World Famous ship the "Matthew" at 12:30.

We will then be moving on swiftly to the Harbour Trains around 12:50 then across the water to Millennium Square for 13:10 then finally at the "M Shed" at 13:50 - a busy old schedule and we will certainly need to be swift with getting around.

Just to recap locations and timings:
"Matthew" at 12:30
Harbour Trains around 12:50
Millennium Square for 13:10
"M Shed" at 13:50

Much more information about this phenomenal series of events can be found at http://www.festivalofsong.org.uk and more info coming about other gigs.  

The Hammerman Tour - A Magnificent day out

Looking suitably pleased with themselves, behind their immense statuesque stare of pointless grandeur, are one Alan H and the notable DR Sweeney, posing as men most contented with their pie and first pint of the day on The Hammerman Tour, our Magnificent Day Out when we celebrate local history, culture and geography with a song and tipple or two.

And our very many hats must be doffed to this pair (and a few others) for their care and attention to detail in organizing this year's event, that took in Swindon's fantastic STEAM exhibition and commemoration of all things railway (a definite longer visit required to do it justice), the Glue Pot pub nearby, walks up Liddington Hill and along the Thames (in the encroaching gloaming), South Marston to visit the home and final resting place of Alfred Williams, the Hammerman Poet himself.  

More pictures and recordings to emerge shortly, but for now, here are the blokes in action with their first song of the day in the tunnel under the Railway in the centre of Swindon.