BlokeFest is calling us North

It might go a little quiet around here for a wee while as Magnificent activities tail off for the summer and other things take up our time, such as trogging up North for BlokeFest.

This inspired annual gathering of the clans of BlokeSong is hitching its Big Top and pitching in the very lovely locale of Ilkley, being hosted thanks to some regular BlokeFesters from thereabouts.

Its sure to be a cracking affair so we will provide a post match review in due course.

Till then, keep singing in the sun!

It's beginning to look a lot like... BlokeFest!

To (mis)quote the bard, Michael Bubblé, "It's beginning to look a lot like"... BlokeFest!

That annual event when the clans of BlokeSong gather for some #altmvc alternative Male Voice Choiring activities and general good blokey socialising that was the fruit of some particularly visionary "pub talk" many moons ago.

This year they have blokes coming from all over the British Isles and even the continent to be there and a cracking line up of Workshop Leaders.  So, expect it to go a bit quiet from here for the rest of the week and into next as we prepare and recover from another epic event.

Full details at http://www.blokefest.net.

Male voice choirs 'good for your health' - Bloke voice choirs even better!

The world of BlokeSong was stunned in the last 24 hours by the news that one of its leading lights has become a TV celeb!

Young Dominic Stichbury, he of ChapsChoir and Bellow Fellows and BlokeFest  and Singing in the Shed fame, has become even more famous overnight.  

He was featured on itv NEWS for The London and a pretty chunky video posted

According to the blurb "Male voice choirs are making a comeback and they're good for your health. Dominic Stitchbury who runs the Chaps Choir from Islington and Dr Emily Falconer from the University of Westminster have been researching the impact on its members."

Well, as you know, we could have told them that Blokes gathering together is good for their health and well being as The Magnificent AK47 and BlokeFest have proved these many years.   And it is great to have such a vibrant scene at either end of the M4 and Manchoir and little old us in between.

Well done Dom.

Watch for yourself.

Male voice choirs are making a comeback and they're good for your health. Dominic Stitchbury who runs the Chaps Choir...

Posted by ITV London on Wednesday, 24 February 2016

Four more sleeps till BlokeFest 2015

BlokeFest Ahoy!

That annual gathering of the BlokeSong clan is in sight when we get to meet up with singing Blokes from points (very) North (Aberdeen!!), South, East and West of North North Wiltshire as we congregate near Pewsey in Middle Wiltshire.

More info at http://www.blokefest.net/

Why don't men join choirs . . .

If you were ever to casually google the phrase "the magnificent ak47 guardian" then from yesterday you might well come across this piece in The Guardian involving our very own beloved Choir Meister blabbering to the national press about the joys of song among grown ups, and in particular those of a blokey kind.

This must pass as our first mention in national press so could be considered up there in the "quite exciting" category of all the great things we have done in the past few years.

Of course this comes as no secret to us and our loyal readership, we know only full well the huge number of benefits from joining in and singing, there is the prevention of m..., um, what was I going to mention??  

Anyway, you can't put a price on the sheer back of your neck hair raising experience that is singing to a room full of people whilst wearing a wig or a series of hats so that even your own mother would be hard pressed to pick you out from the crowd, even though she would be gushing with pride at the part her offspring was playing in making such a sonically spectacular sound.

Yes, we know a thing or two about men singing, and will continue to do it, despite the stigma and the hurdles we have to overcome.  All power to your elbow Chris!  Sing on!!

Go to BlokeFest

In case you have been lured here by a placing of a banner outside Tescos in Cirencester, then welcome to our humble website full of BlokeSong and the activities of The Magnificent AK47 and be very encouraged to venture along to http://www.blokefest.net/ to learn more about the festival we set up last year and meet a few of us.

Do drop by again and whilst you are here sign up for our subscription list just to the top right on this page and we would love to keep you in touch with our goings-on.

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And "Stop Press!", here's a photo of our banner in action outside Tesco's Cirencester as love'em or not so love'em, they do get a lot of traffic past - let's hope it is still there after a few more days. . . 

New, improved BlokeFest.net

Wow! The fab, new, improved and especially blokey BlokeFest.net has just hit the streets, or the Information Super Highway to be more accurate.

It has been put together by those loverly chaps at BlokeFest and we would heartily recommend the whole business to anyone aspiring to find out more about the wonderful world of BlokeSong and looking for a great weekend.

It is a really smart looking site and has links to sign up for Tickets and BlokeFest Extras, which sound intriguing.  There are also some testimonials from last year saying how good it was and also a very informative (and frank) Frequently Asked Questions, and one or two that should need not be asked!  

Click over and nab a place before they all go - and tell them we sent you to http://www.blokefest.net/

Who is Who?

In an sonic version of "Spot the Ball", someone who knows how to do these sort of things has put together a little mélange, a mash up (apparently, according to the young people) if you will, of two groups we know very well, both singing the same song.  

The song is very recognisable to those who know their "BlokeSong" classics but the question is "Who?", er, and the second question is "When does the first Who become the second Who"? 

Click here to play the piece.  Can you spot who is who?  Can you spot the join?

1) At what time in minutes and seconds to you think the join is

2) Who is singing first and who is singing second on this track, The Magnificent AK47 or the Spooky Men's Chorale?

3) Also interesting to ask which do you prefer and why?

Answers on an e-postcard to PO Box AK47, North North Wiltshire, or email themagnificentak47@gmail.com.

Enjoy!

Tunnel Inn Revisited

Well, there has been an impressive response from many blokes to the call to the brotherhood to return to the Tunnel Inn to sing on this coming Sunday at their Beer & Cider Festival and to help the process we have finally managed to get round to posting some new rehearsal material.

The audio tracks for Delilah and Dry Stone Waller's Song can be found at http://soundcloud.com/thetrulymagnificentak47/sets/tunnel_inn and the regular TMAK47 rehearsal material can be found at http://soundcloud.com/the-magnificent-ak47/sets/currentpracticematerial/

Other examples of BlokeFest audio can be found at http://soundcloud.com/blokefest.

Also available on request (just send us an email) are the Magnificent AK47 Songbook and the relevant BlokeFest pieces.  Please bring your own copy along.  Note that we will make a special exception from our usual stance of "no crib sheets whilst performing, learn the songs properly . . . " so that crib sheets may on this occasion be used for Delilah and Dry Stone Waller's song (but nowt else!).

Please note there may be a last minute Quality Assurance threshold applied to maintain our "reputation" (whatever that is) so don't be too disappointed if the pieces don't quite come together in time and get pulled at the eleventh hour.

Looking forward to seeing quite a crowd there and the weather is due to hold out . . . just!

BlokeFest is far

Wow, what an amazing weekend!

It's fair to say that the event surpassed wildest expectations of the organizers with the sheer quality and quantity of the singing, drinking, merry making and general all round great blokeyness - so many awesome Magical Man Moments in one weekend

• The warm up sessions before the singing
• The quite amazingly brilliant Caberet
• The team representing Ashton Keynes taking on "The Rest of the World" to become the very first Indoor Tug o' War championsThe hog roast in the pouring rain
• The "train" in the Daneway tunnel . . .

It's also fair to say that the feedback has been phenomenal and knowing the BlokeFest Inner Circle as we do they have asked us to thank all who have expressed their individual gratitude.  

Everyone has now been scattered across the country but plans are afoot to share some of the digital souvenirs from the weekend once real life gets out of the way!  A starter for now can be found at http://soundcloud.com/blokefest/sets/blokefest-2012-daneway-tunnel/ with much more to come.

Hurrah!

BlokeFest is near

Queens's Jubilee?  The Olympics?  Pah!!  These events pale into insignificance when compare with the inaugural BlokeFest. 

It is now only four more sleeps until the biggest gathering of singing, facial hair and dodgy T-Shirts since, well, since time immemorial quite frankly.  Suffice to say the Blokes of The Magnificent AK47 will be girding their loins as well as packing their camping kit.  And a fearsome itinerary awaits them.  

In brief, the weekend looks like this:

Friday – gather at The Tunnel Inn, coach trip to visit to Stroud Brewery, food, drink and singing then back to the camp overnight

Saturday – series of workshops for all things Bloke, singing, tug of war, hog roasting and other such activities

Sunday – more singing, some walking and a bit more eating, drinking and singing

It may surprise you to know that much more can be found on a website, aptly named
BlokeFest.net.

Let's just hope the weather holds off and all the facilities work!