Plinky Plonky Pete

I’ve just taken delivery of my Beltona resonator ukulele. It has a glass fibre resin body which is light and easy to handle. It’s so comfortable to play, just feels right with an amazing sound and a superb quality of tone. An absolutely awesome instrument.

When the strings have settled down I’ll record a sound sample.

I’d like to wish you all a Happy New Year (2020).

By the way, I also wish you a Happy Hawaiian D7 which happens to be 2020 in our ukulele chord charts.

It’s another day and another Xmas gig.

We joined the Stafford branch of Age UK at their Xmas party and performed a selection of Xmas songs. The audience really enjoyed singing along with some well-known songs and we found it to be a very rewarding event.

Feliz Navidad Prospero Ano y Felicidad to you all.

All About Uke visited County Hospital, Stafford to bring some festive entertainment and cheer staff and patients. Here’s a short video of “Merry Xmas Everyone”.

The leader of the group, Rachel, was unable to be with us and so I was asked if I would lead. It was good fun introducing the songs and then singing along whilst playing my bass ukulele.

It’s been a busy time with six Xmas gigs this month at various places in the local area. Merry Xmas to you all and best wishes for the New Year.

We’ve just finished our first Christmas gig of 2019 which was at a local Garden Centre where we played to welcome Santa Claus to his Grotto. I was able to have my photograph taken with one of his elves. Our set list was made up of a selection of Christmas songs which the audience enjoyed singing.

By the way, I wore my new Christmas jumper which features a Christmas tree decorated with ukuleles. We’ve got another four Christmas gigs at various community groups and charity groups in the town.

Please find below a video of one of our songs – “Jingle Bells”. I’m on the back row playing my bass ukulele.

This week is going to be quite busy as I’ve got two gigs on consecutive nights with two different ukulele bands.

Tonight I’m playing the bass ukulele with the Ukunauts of Stone for Rotary Club’s social event at the local golf club. Then tomorrow evening it’s over to Penkridge (near Stafford) for a charity event in aid of the Parkinsons’ Society when I’ll also be playing bass.

It’s interesting in that I shall be playing some of the same songs at each gig, however they’re in different keys and one band has added some extra repeat verses. Furthermore, the two bands play them in slightly different styles, including at different tempos. This means that I’ll have to pay attention and not let my mind wander whilst I’m playing especially as some of the songs are in the same 12 bar blues format.

Despite all this, I find it enjoyable to play in front of a live audience especially if they start to join in. So during the rock’n’roll numbers I’ll turn up the amp. maybe to 11, in order to get them all up dancing. Rock on, dude!

Fantastic – my YouTube video “Drive some more down the A34” has just clocked up 1,000 views. Many thanks to all who viewed it and I hope you enjoyed it.

A hectic morning – here’s a photo from the radio interview with BBC Radio Stoke. We did the interview from the side of the A34 at one of the locations featured in my YouTube music video “Drive some more down the A34”. I was talking and singing to the reporter as we sheltered out of the rain at the back of the van. Not very rock’n’roll. However they seemed to like the interview and especially the idea of having songs that contain local place names.

A ukulele player has hit the road and recorded his own music video to celebrate the places of the West Midlands. 

Peter Wood, also known as ‘Plinky Plonky Pete’, decided to make the video after wanting a change from playing songs about American locations at his Ukulele clubs.  

The 71-year-old from Stafford recorded the song at home in his study and spent the summer filming his own music video to go with it.  

He adapted the lyrics from Bobby Troup’s Route 66 to feature locations along the A34 including Stoke-on-Trent, Walsall and Birmingham. 

Peter said: “I’m a local chap and wanted to sing a song about local places, so I decided to write my own. Route 66 has always been a favorite song of mine, and as the A34 passes right though our region, I decided to adapt the lyrics to that. I had great fun writing it, and thought why stop there and decided to make a music video.” 

“Despite playing the Ukulele for over three years, it was the first time I’d ever recorded myself. I recorded the vocals, rhythm ukulele and bass, and two of my friends helped play lead guitar and drums. Once finished were all very happy with it.”

The video was shot over the summer and features Peter’s classic MGB car.

He added: The best part of making it was getting out there and visiting the wonderful places that our region has to offer. I hope it’s something that people can enjoy and recognise familiar places.”

You can view the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wyMYgD1IA9Q

For more details email Peter Wood at plinkyplonkypete@gmail.com

Here’s All About Uke’s video of “In the Mood” for the competition to find Britain’s best ukulele band. I’m sitting on the extreme left playing the bass ukulele.