Mangledwurzels FAQ
-
Where
do The Mangledwurzels come from?
The Mangledwurzels are a band based in North East Somerset. Hedge was born and bred in Shepton Mallet, Seth was born in Farrington Gurney and now lives in Midsomer Norton, and Jethro Too! our newest member, was born in Nunney.
- Can
I book The Mangledwurzels for...?
Of
course - you can book the The Mangledwurzels
for gigs, parties, weddings, agricultural shows, cider and
beer festivals or farmers balls. Call Dave on 01761 416635
or check the bookings page on
the website.
It is a cliche to say 'book early to avoid disappointment',
but please do! After having to tell a visibly upset young
lady that we couldn't play at her wedding seven months hence
because we were already booked, we much prefer people to
arrange things as early as they can. The
band calendar will tell you when
the band is unavailable, but this does not show pending
enquiries.
- Are
you the real Wurzels?
No,
The Mangledwurzels are a Scrumpy & Western tribute to
Adge Cutler & The Wurzels. The real Wurzels are still
very much active, and have hardly aged since their number
1 hit in the 1976; most probably thanks to the quantity
of cider they have consumed over the years.
- How
can I book/see the real Wurzels?
Give
their manager Sil Wilcox a call; check The
Wurzels website for booking details. If you want to
see The Wurzels live, check the gig guide on the unofficial
fans website Wurzelmania!
- What
is Scrumpy & Western music?
Scrumpy
& Western music has its roots in a variety of sources
including jazz, folk, pop, music hall and rock 'n' roll,
but can't be easily categorised. According to Bob Barratt,
who produced Adge Cutler & the Wurzels' records at EMI
"It is impossible to define Wurzel-music. It's
not really pop - it's not really comedy. It has been disowned
by the West of England Folk-Song Society, and Adge was black-balled
from the Long Ashton Jazz Appreciation Group on account
of it".
Adge
Cutler himself said: "I suppose you can call the
sort of music I write 'good-time' folk. I have hardly ever
written a sad song. I write songs so that people can sing
them. They have got to be simple for me to sing them."
See the Scrumpy
& Western website for more about this genre of music.
- What
songs do The
Mangledwurzels play?
The
Mangledwurzels play Wurzels songs - Adge Cutler classics
and the 70s Wurzels hits - blended with self-penned titles
and pop standards 'Mangled' in true Wurzels tradition.
- Why
don't you play {insert Wurzels' song here}?
Adge
Cutler was a prolific songwriter, and since his death The
Wurzels have continued to record and release songs. The
Wurzelmania!
website lists over 150 Wurzels songs! In addition The Mangledwurzels
have written over a dozen or so of their own songs. The
Mangledwurzels normally play a 30-song set - we can't do
them all! It is no surprise that 18 of the standard set
are from the Wurzels' Finest 'Arvest album, as
these are the songs that most people know and love and expect
to hear. In saying that, we are constantly looking at trying
new songs, so ask and you never know, we might add it to
the set!
- Is
Hedge Cutter related to Adge Cutler?
No, not at all. Hedge started saying that he was actually
the love child of Adge Cutler and Pete Budd - but so many
people started to believe him that we all got rather scared!
Hedge was originally asked to join the band because we knew
that he was the kind of idiot who wouldn't mind dressing
up and making a fool of himself on stage. It was only when
we started performing in our stage gear that it became evident
that he does look uncannily like Adge and Pete!
- Why
aren't you drinking scrumpy?
We
have been asked that at gigs numerous times. We stand on
stage singing about drinking up our cider, and yet we seem
to be drinking coke or water! There
are two good reasons for this. Cider, while certainly being
good for 'ee, isn't always good for our performances. The
Mangledwurzels like to think of ourselves as professionals
- and being too drunk to remember the words, or play your
instrument (or stand up unaided) doesn't impress the audience
or the person who booked you! Also, we have drive to the
gigs, and so need to be sober enough to drive home afterwards...
So, one drink a night is our limit - and when you are arrive
to play at a pub with a barful of real ales and ciders,
it is sometimes very hard to maintain that level of professionalism!
So - you enjoy the cider, and we'll try not to drool into
our instruments...
The
mangold-wurzel (or mangel-wurzel) is a member of the family
Chenopodiaceae, genus Beta (beets). The beets include the
sugar beet, beetroot, and Swiss chard. The mangold-wurzel
(Beta vulgaris vulgaris) is a subspecies of the
common beet.
[source: Mangold
Hurling Association website]
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