Alan Day Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Strange coincidence that Roger Digby should be writing about a Duet of Concertina and Trumpet.I attach an advert for a Circus (no animals) that is appearing locally.The advert shows a Concertina playing clown.I have not heard of a modern playing clown (apart from me) since about the Fifties.We had a discussion about clowns and concertinas some time ago. Shame it is a cheapo he is playing, but I will try and see this chap and I will report back. Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Hi Alan A few months back I found this clown from France. I don't think he's playing it though. http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=philip...amp;view=videos Thanks Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Day Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 Hi Alan A few months back I found this clown from France. I don't think he's playing it though. http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=philip...amp;view=videos Thanks Leo Strange sound Leo.I have played with a number of Hurdy Gurdy players and if the drone is removed this is what it sounds like. Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Drinkwater Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Shame it is a cheapo he is playing........Al Yeah, well Al, you wouldn't want your best Linota covered in custard would you? Or have water squirted all over it? Quite possibly, it is an exploding concertina. Let us know when you have been to see the show. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveS Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Hi Alan A few months back I found this clown from France. I don't think he's playing it though. http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=philip...amp;view=videos Thanks Leo I also stumbled across these clips on YouTube a few weeks back - I found this clown very disturbing and unsettling for some reason - so much so that I went to other clips after just watching for a few seconds. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragtimer Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Shame it is a cheapo he is playing........Al Yeah, well Al, you wouldn't want your best Linota covered in custard would you? Or have water squirted all over it? Quite possibly, it is an exploding concertina. Let us know when you have been to see the show. Chris They might get a new one for each show! I figure that clowns like the cheap boxes with the many-fold bellows that pull out by the yard, so they can get that cartoony visual effect of a bellows stretching from arm to arm. --Mike K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Barnert Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Bob Berky is a fine concertina player (English concertina) and clown. I once saw his name on the registration list for NESI, but I don't think he actually came. I have seen him perform as a clown, though (including concertina). The Red Bastard is actually a member of concertina.net. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghijze mitter hacken Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Hi Alan A few months back I found this clown from France. I don't think he's playing it though. http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=philip...amp;view=videos Thanks Leo I also stumbled across these clips on YouTube a few weeks back - I found this clown very disturbing and unsettling for some reason - so much so that I went to other clips after just watching for a few seconds. Steve Some people fear clowns to death, it's called coulrophobia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drbones Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Shame it is a cheapo he is playing, but I will try and see this chap and I will report back.Al Wasn't Cheapo one of the Marx Brothers? The Red Bastard is actually a member of concertina.net. WOW! Now that IS disturbing!! Some people fear clowns to death, it's called coulrophobia. I think kids these days are more afraid of clowns than they are pirates. Personally, I've always had a fear of bastards regardless of their color. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Day Posted April 21, 2009 Author Share Posted April 21, 2009 Shame it is a cheapo he is playing, but I will try and see this chap and I will report back.Al Wasn't Cheapo one of the Marx Brothers? The Red Bastard is actually a member of concertina.net. WOW! Now that IS disturbing!! Some people fear clowns to death, it's called coulrophobia. I think kids these days are more afraid of clowns than they are pirates. Personally, I've always had a fear of bastards regardless of their color. Is it a bucket of water or is it confetti ? That is the worry !! There is something very weird about that clown though, like something out of a nightmare . Similar to opening your concertina box and there's nothing inside. Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 I have not heard of a modern playing clown (apart from me) since about the Fifties.We had a discussion about clowns and concertinas some time ago. There is at least one concertina-playing clown in Denmark. He plays well on both anglo and a miniature. I've spoken with him briefly, and I hope to have a longer chat or interview before the summer is over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bayliss Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 (edited) Grock plays the English concertina starting at about 21 minutes of this clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb_our5nLn4 Edited April 25, 2009 by jim bayliss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ishtar Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Hi Alan A few months back I found this clown from France. I don't think he's playing it though. http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=philip...amp;view=videos I also stumbled across these clips on YouTube a few weeks back - I found this clown very disturbing and unsettling for some reason That's cos he's French! No, really, it looks like he's a Pierrot, a form of clowning with a well-respected pedigree. I'm not keen on it either, but then I also find Marcel Marceau quite creepy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveS Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Hi Alan A few months back I found this clown from France. I don't think he's playing it though. http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=philip...amp;view=videos I also stumbled across these clips on YouTube a few weeks back - I found this clown very disturbing and unsettling for some reason That's cos he's French! No, really, it looks like he's a Pierrot, a form of clowning with a well-respected pedigree. I'm not keen on it either, but then I also find Marcel Marceau quite creepy. Well I thought as a clown he looked sinister. Quite an interesting summary of Pierrot clowning here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierrot Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Drinkwater Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Grock plays the English concertina starting at about 21 minutes of this clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb_our5nLn4 Well, not for nothing is Grock known as the 'musical' clown. He was extremely talented and funny and he could play a wide variety of instruments really quite well, as demonstrated elsewhere in his performance. It looks like the concertina he was playing, may be an Aeloa baritone-treble. There are three main types of traditional circus clown: Whiteface, of which the best known example is Joseph Grimaldi , Auguste, the type with the rednose, baggy pants and outsize footwear, like Coco the clown - Grock is a type of Auguste - and finally, the tramp clown or hobo, of which Emmett Kelly, is probably the most famous example. Tramp clowns have a painted on beard and a sad looking face and wear patched clothing. What type of clown were you Al? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irene S. Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 That's cos he's French! No, really, it looks like he's a Pierrot, a form of clowning with a well-respected pedigree. The French concertina playing clown looks as though he is probably a Straight Whiteface, rather than European Whiteface (aka Pierrot) judging by the costume.. see http://cheesecakeandfriends.com/c-types.htm As far as I'm aware Whiteface clowns NEVER come in for facefulls of custard, bucket fulls of water etc ... they're aristocratic, and in control rather than having things done to them ... so the tina would probably be quite safe. I had a look at the Red Bastard video ... what can I say?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Harrison Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 C.net Here's the link to a thread from 2005 about Clowns and concertinas.It has some more specific information there if you are interested.The thread has Grock with no link so it's great to see how he used his concertina. Wheatstone made two gilt metal ended baritone Aeolas in 1912 for a pair of clowns in the Paris circus. One of them Wim Wakker features on his banner on this site.(it is now gold plated) Here Robin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Day Posted April 27, 2009 Author Share Posted April 27, 2009 C.netHere's the link to a thread from 2005 about Clowns and concertinas.It has some more specific information there if you are interested.The thread has Grock with no link so it's great to see how he used his concertina. Wheatstone made two gilt metal ended baritone Aeolas in 1912 for a pair of clowns in the Paris circus. One of them Wim Wakker features on his banner on this site.(it is now gold plated) Here Robin These must be the lovliest looking concertinas I have seen. Thanks Robin Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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