The Wayside Serenaders are playing an exclusive, private Birthday Brunch at a classy residence tomorrow morning, but just so the rest of you plebs don’t feel left out, we’ve added some recent videos to the VIDEOS page.

Check them out here.

This week the band swapped musical instruments for culinary ones. A feast of food and drink in the balmy summer evening air.

Next week it’ll be trying out a few new tunes and preparing for a private party.

Dam Street, Lichfield. Between about 11 and 12.30. A neat quintet making an untidy noise.

Hope to see you!

And, as the sun reaches its zenith and beats down upon the vast plains of Beacon Park, so we spot three of the rare species Waysidus Serenadus, a subset of the genus Lesser Buskerus, as they seek shelter in the shade, there to unite with fellow Serenadii with whom they will caterwaul and scrabble at primitive implements.

Zoologists believe this is a crucial part of their strange parasitical behaviour, and is aimed at trying to ingratiate themselves with other more successful species who possess more jingly-jangly stuff in their pockets than the poor Serenadii

This weekend it’s the Fuse Festival in Beacon Park, Lichfield, just as it is every year at about this time. And, as on a couple of previous occasions, the Wayside Serenaders will be (almost) there. We’re not at the actual festival – far too sophisticated for us… and too noisy too – but we’ll not be far away, between the festival site and town, playing beneath the shady trees near the tennis courts on Saturday from about 2.30pm for an hour.

Here’s a video from a previous (almost) Fuse appearance:

If you’re heading up to the Fuse, or just ambling around the park, do come and say hello.

Usual place… from 11 till 12.30 or so.

A reduced Wayside Serenaders will be back on the street in Lichfield tomorrow from about 11am till lunchtime or we get tired, whichever comes first. Find us at our usual spot in Dam St.

Do drop by and make a donation to the charity Crisis.

We should be in Lichfield, near the corner with Quonians Lane, this Sunday morning, 15 June, between 10.30 and noon.

We might even try out a new tune or two.

It would be lovely to see you…

… and it’s not on the street; it’s at a jazz festival!

We’ve been asked to entertain the jazz fans in between the proper jazz acts at the Kings Bromley Jazz Festival which takes place on Saturday 17 May at Kings Bromley Village Hall.

Of course, we’ll be dusting off our jazziest tunes, but let’s face it, our main purpose will be to demonstrate what music sounds like when you haven’t even heard of, let alone mastered, all the weird modes and altered scales and re-voiced chords that real improvising musicians don’t even need to think about.

Those real jazz musicians at Kings Bromley will be the Tim Amann Xtet and the Lydia Rae Ensemble. Also performing on the day will be the Lichfield-based community band ASpire and the Kings Bromley Harmony Choir.

I think the Wayside Serenaders will be playing between 5pm and 8pm, or thereabouts.

Booking is here