"It was Skiffle Jim... but not as we knew it ..."

Promoters said ...

"Once seen never forgotten. We are booking the Doghouse Skiffle Group again as a direct result of public demand - last year's audience wanted more and asked for them to come back"

They offer excellent entertainment - musically skillful and genuinely humerous. They definitely enhanced the opening night of our festival"

Clitheroe Great Days of Folk

"I’ve booked The Doghouse Skiffle Group twice for Sidmouth and twice for Towersey within three years so I must think they’ve got something. Great stage presence, great fun and great to work with. And they are from Hull you know!"

 Alan Bearman -  pp. Sidmouth and Towersey Folk Festivals

"....The lovable, irresistible, irrepressible Doghouse Skiffle Group......"

Yeoh Jun Lin - Artistic Director, Rainforest World Music Festival, Sarawak, Borneo

"Never have a band captivated audiences of all ages so quickly"

Cheshire County Council Rural Touring Network

"We loved The Doghouse Skiffle Group, giving one of the best nights out on the tour. Hugely witty, entertaining and highly professional, the band would be welcomed back with open arms by promoters and I would be happy to book them again in the future.

Audience responses include :-

“Brilliant !", "Excellent!" and "Absolutely Fabulous !"

Sue Robinson, Scheme Manager - Spot On, Lancashire's Rural Touring Network.

Media/Reviews ...

Their CD "The Black Album" arrived the other day and it is great !   -   Mike Harding BBC Radio2

So the tradition lives on. They do make it look easy but Keith drives his beautiful Takamine guitar with a skill worthy of Scotty Moore, Garry makes his washboard sound like a full percussion section and Alan Harman's bass not only provided a solid foundation but fascinated the youngest members of the audience. The singing was powerful and the timing immaculate. Yes, it’s easy to play skiffle but it takes professionalism to present it like that.

Mike Harrington - Whitehaven News

"The more you drink, the better WE are!" is the usual exhortation from the stage, preferably with a glass of cider to wave around. Well the audience must have had plenty to drink tonight because The Doghouse were monstrous good! They had old men dancing in the aisles, women dancing with mops and others blowing into kettle spouts as they shimmied past the stage.
On stage they thundered into "Putting on the Style" and it obvious from their participation in the first chorus that the audience was tuned in and ready for whatever came along, eager to join in on all the fun. Before long we were all in stitches with the on-stage antics, hoarse from singing Rawhide, hands stinging from clapping ... you get the picture.
The music was smashing - they are a very tight band indeed, and the act demands nothing less, because in places they can stop dead (and on one occasion go into reverse - oh yes!) and anything less than tight would just seem sloppy. The repertoire is traditional skiffle with lots of railroad songs (super!), mixed up with the occasional more surprising song, and some original material. The order was varied from the first time we saw them at Capenhurst, which I always take to mean that the act remains fresh and that they have either thought about it in advance or can change the running order on the fly.
As it says in their literature, if you want a quiet night of reflection and relaxation , DON'T BOOK THIS BAND! If you want a good night out, go see them.

John Sharp - http://FolkingAbout.Blogspot.com
 

Read the interview with Boey Yin Yin of NewMan Magazine (Malaysia) ...

" ...the Doghouse Skiffle Group, whose wit and singled-mindedness about covering the Beatles' "A Day In The Life" called for endless encores." Joe Ng, MTVAsia -   http://www.mtvasia.com/Review/Event/E20070730001572.html  

"...The Doghouse Skiffle Group from Hull went down pretty well too, considering the trio specializes in tongue-in-cheek cowboy tunes. Keith Cheesman held it together with his chunky rhythm guitar, Alan Harman did smirking chimp impersonations while thumping his one-string tea-chest bass, and Garry Pullen mesmerized the crowd with Hopalong Cassidy poses, Texan boots, and whimsical kazoo and washboard solos. Their audacious cover of the Beatles’ A Day in the Life (introduced as “an old English folksong”) qualifies them as past masters of their craft."

  http://magickriver.blogspot.com/2007/07/more-than-mere-festival.html                                  

... and let the public speak ...

For my money, this is the coolest skiffle band on the circuit today. Not just a great sound but 5 star entertainment live.

The Doghouse Skiffle Group, a three piece from Hull playing tea chest bass, washboard and guitar opened. Good singers all of them, they delivered songs from the 1950s and 1960s in a modernized skiffle style. And when the washboard nearly fell apart they reckoned it was not such a good idea to play on the night of the release of the new Harry Potter book. A most enjoyable group.

Doghouse Skiffle etc. might have been an eclectic mix according to the programme but the booker should have just tried to stop being clever and kept with the punky rock and pop covers style of band that turned the arena into a giant moshpit last year on both nights.

I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed seeing you at the Unicorn in Bowes last month. I was with the big family reunion group and you were definitely one of the highlights of our weekend. Love your "Mongrel Music" CD, too!

We really enjoyed your set the other night at the Arena. Certainly the best support set I've seen at Sidmouth in all my years. Really got the audience singing along - not always easy there!

Just wanted to say what a fantastic night we had at the Shire Hall on Saturday. I attended with my husband and 8 year old daughter. We thought we would enjoy it but never expected the response we got from her. Normally a Christina Aguelira (spelt something like that) fan, she was enthralled from the start. She was tapping her feet and singing along and demanded that we bought some CD's. Which you then kindly autographed for her. Her parting comments as we left were, 'My first live concert and I got an autographed CD'. So thank you for a wonderful night, it was brilliant music and fantastically entertaining. Long may you continue. We will definitely be seeing you again.

Wanted to thank you for the performances at Towersey and Sidmouth, I thoroughly enjoyed both.  It's great to see different acts at these festivals which sometimes need an injection of humour with style!

HAVING SEEN YOU FOR THE FIRST TIME AT SIDMOUTH MUSIC FESTIVAL 2003 AND BEING AMAZED AT YOUR LIVE PERFORMANCE WE CAME AWAY WITH YOUR CDS SO AS TO CONTINUE THE ENJOYMENT WE HAD THAT NIGHT.

Anyone who saw the Doghouse Skiffle Group take Sidmouth by storm (as they did last year at Towersey) will have had their faith in skiffle reaffirmed.

Thanks for an excellent night at Dalton Village Hall, we've been listening to Cigareets, Whuskey and Wild, Wild Women all day !

Thanks for a great evening in Southall. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Pity that there wasn't a fuller audience, but a small school hall in a small Nottinghamshire ecclesiastical town on a Tuesday in February with only tea and custards tarts for half-time must be a real challenge. The music was great and your enthusiasm was much appreciated.

Just listening to the CD I brought at the weekend in Beverley,and I just had to write and say how much I enjoyed the two concerts I saw.

Once again this year I found to my dismay that your CDs had sold out at the Sidmouth Festival, and I would be interested in ordering a copy of all three of your CDs.

Saw you at Beverley FF, superb. I am currently enquiring performers availability and if you might be interested for our next year's festival (I know it's a long way off) and would dearly like Doghouse Skiffle Band.

Just heard "Don't you rock me Daddio" on the Mike Harding programme.Out of this world. Best I have heard since the old days.

I am already the proud possessor of your first two CDs but now I see from your website that you've gone and made another! It is therefore essential for my personal well-being that I purchase a copy of 'Mongrel Music' without further ado.
By the way, I loved both of your shows at Towersey this year. Absolutely awesome!

I was at your gig at Towersey, bloody brilliant night!!

Had a fantastic time watching your performances at Towersey.  I know you're Hull based but I was wondering if you have any 'South' dates planned for the near future or have I got to wait for Towersey next year?!

We saw you at Towersey, and my wife has just told me she would like nothing better for Christmas than one of your CD’s. Is there any chance? I live in Hertfordshire.

We saw you at Towersey and were MOST impressed - great fun!!! Can I send you a cheque for your CDs please? I would like to buy them ALL

There is a band who play Skiffle like it was meant to be and they’re a really great live band too. Don’t you think it would be worthwhile playing some of this great band on your show. Their version of Don’t You Rock Me Daddy –O is really authentic and I would love to hear it over the airwaves.
(Request on BBC RADIO 2's Mike Harding Show)

I bought my small son your Black Album after he saw you at St Bees a year or so ago. He likes it so much that he has decided to be a rock and roll star when he grows up rather than an inventor.

Thanks very much for a cheering up a dull day at Felton!  We had a really great time and enjoyed meeting you and having a laugh.  Pleased to see you've got plenty of gigs lined up and hope to see you all again some time

Thanks for a great evening and for taking the time to talk to our children they are now confirmed fans !

Thank you all so much for a fantastic evening. So many people have been telling me what a wonderful time they had, and wanting to know when you will be back!

I'd like to say a big thank you to you all for making Goathland and Etton two great nights to remember. My dad's excitement at relaying 'one of the best nights of his life' after his trip to Goathland will be a lasting memory for me.