Last, was the first week of the Buskers Festival in Neuchâtel that is celebrating their 20th anniversary; this week being the second with a different batch of street performers. E & I went down to check it out, all the more since the fact that one duo had a washboard player had caught my attention.
The festival was fun, too many clown musical acts for my taste and far to much amplification, but groups like the Mongolian Egschiglen ensemble (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjQMq87UgME) with their fantastic voices, harmonics and bass included, where a pleasure to listen to. Knowing there was a washboard player became frustrating however when after listening to a few groups and walking around streets where the festival takes place it became apparent that depending on where they were and where I was, we might never cross paths… To the festival organizers: not having a program that more or less tells you who is playing where and at what time is simply stupid!!
Fortunately as I was beginning to feel ready to give up, I spotted two guys with a guitar case, dragging a couple of suitcases and that looked the part; “Let’s follow them”, which we did. The Stripey Brothers, since it was them, are Stripey Howling Hancock and Romuald Poplonyk (that’s the best link I can find for him). Stripey told me that they had met a few years ago at Romuald’s festival in Poland, had discovered their common love for old jug band and ragtime blues tunes and decided to play together whenever possible, which unfortunately is not very often. Stripey sings and plays guitar and Romuald beats on his washboard and a suitcase bass drum while humming bass lines and other melodic phrases into a fantastic homemade kazoo contraption that uses old horns from a phonograph, bugle and who knows what else (there are at least four horns in all). This is so big and chunky that he has to hang it from a device that somehow is attached to his back; it must weigh a ton…
These guys where great! They where one of the rare groups that wasn’t completely over amplified, Stripey has a very small amp that just barley get his voice and guitar loud enough to be heard over the washboard which was very loud (I was amazed Romuald could hear anything besides himself) being completely made of metal. He said he found it in a house somewhere. Likewise his kazoo contraption and suitcase bass drum were true jug band instruments, homemade with stuff found here and there. But what a sound!
I hoped to get down there again with Dave before they left but unfortunately wasn’t able to. One reason being the fact that Dave was down there the next evening but said that he never managed to find them during the three hours he walked around and didn’t feel like going back. To the organizers again: you absolutely need a better program with information on who plays when!!!
Unfortunately I have not found a video of them playing together to share with you.