Stuff we've done
The Lightship
Down in the Bathurst Basin you'll find the headquarters of Cabot Cruising Club, aboard a one hundred year old lightship. And if you're lucky, you might catch a few fish inside, squished onto the stage, singing their little fishy socks off. Bless'em.
Alma Tavern Theatre
Small but perfectly formed. But enough about Neil. We loved playing two nights in the Alma Tavern Theatre. It was cosy and it was packed. The audience joined us on stage - mainly because there wasn't enough room for them all in the audience. The show was based on our 2018 Folk House set, but with the sneaky addition of a few new numbers we're working on. Behemooth certainly took everyone by surprise, including us!
St George's Brandon Hill
This must be one of our favourite places to sing. We've done it a couple of times now but never as a six piece. Guess whose missing from the picture.
BBC Radio Bristol
Not so much a gig, more a jolly Saturday morning chat with Laura Rawlings. Neil and Dave spoke most eruditely and entertainingly, and we sang a couple of songs in the hope of enticing the listeners down to the Folk House. A show of hands that evening revealed not a single audience member had heard the interview. The power of radio!
Bristol Folk House
We've done four and a half shows at The Folk House. It's our annual treat for ourselves and our loyal Fish Followers. It's a great place to sing in, and the Folk there are so welcoming. And we get a proper stage and lights and everything. It's usually a sellout, which is nice. And each year, we give the show a slightly different twist. Our most recent show, In January 2008, featured special guests Ali Orbaum, Elaine Wilson, Kerry Elkins and Jess Broderick singing songs arranged specially for them by Dave.
Look out for news of our next visit to the BFH.
Zion Bristol
If you haven't discovered the Zion Cafe in Bishopsworth, take it from Kettle of Fish - it's worth a visit. We played a "secret" gig on Beer Tasting Night. It obviously wasn't a secret to anyone who was there tasting beer. They couldn't really ignore six blokes singing at them for 90 minutes. but we didn't tell our loyal fans about it because we were testing out our new set for the Folk House. We figure that if we can get a room full of people we don't know singing along and forcing us to do an unplanned encore, then we're ready for anything!
If you're reading this, Zion, we had a great night and we'd love to come back.
The Southbank Club
Ever ones for excitement and adventure, we ventured south of the river for the first time in 2017 and played the Southbank Club in Bedminster. Slightly more intimate a venue than the Folk House, we played to a packed house, including may a KoF virgin. Always a pleasure.
Bristol Old Vic
This has to be the nicest theatre we've ever sung in. It was all like proper theatre, with wings to wait in and lights and an introducing man end everything. It's a shame we only had ten minutes on stage, but they were probably the best ten minutes we've performed, and we still managed to fit 4 songs in.
If the nice people from Bristol Old Vic should ever feel like asking us to come and sing there again, we'd love to, thank you very much for asking.
The Arts Trail
We are proud to be associated with the North Bristol Artists. For the last few years we have had the pleasure of singing at two venues during their annual Arts Trail. We can rely on a packed house in Maite's kitchen. At St Bart's Church Hall, and more recently at St Michael and All Angels, we played to large and appreciative audiences. Thanks, North Bristol Artists, for letting us sing. We hope we didn't distract the customers from buying art.
Maite's Kitchen
They were standing in the aisles, and clambering over the seats in their excitement. It's not our first time singing in a kitchen, of course, but certainly the first time we've had an appreciative lion in the audience.
Bradford Roots Music Festival
Yet another first for the Kettle of Fish, as expand our scope further out across the South West. Thank you Chris and Lisa Samuels for inviting us to take part in the Bradford Roots Music Festival. What a great event! 2 days of live music programmed across three stages, and even at 11:15 on Sunday morning there was a large and enthusiastic audience upon whom we tried out all of our latest material.
Rondo Theatre, Bath
We made our Bath debut with poet John Christopher Wood in June 2016, as part of the Bath Fringe Festival. We played to a packed house, although of course we cannot show a picture of the audience for confidentiality reasons. Just imagine this wonderful auditorium filed with happy punters - the happiest of whom was probably the lady Neil chose to join him for a dance.
A sing-up in a brewery
We are almost a regular fixture at Stroud Brewery. In Stroud. Pitch up there on a Thursday night, and there's a one in twenty eight chance that we will be singing there.Yes, on average once every six and a half months, Kettle of Fish pack their microphones and maracas into the back of the van and drive up the A46 to entertain the lovely people of Stroud.
Festival of Song
Kettle of Fish surprised people enjoying the cafe culture in Clifton village on a Saturday afternoon by spontaneously singing at them. We gave the world premiere of our Dreadlock Holiday in Victoria Square. We like to think our performance in the Colston Hall foyer on the Friday evening was a fitting climax to the fortnight of festive fun.
Colston Hall
Yes, we've played the Colston Hall. Hasn't everybody? Great atmosphere, great crowd. Part of the Festival of Song, 2013. An early gig for us, but we'll be back in 2015.
Southrop Village Hall
Of course, not every band includes Southrop on their touring schedule, but we like to take the Fish Kettle out to the people, wherever they may be!
The Amphitheatre
Bristol is host to many a festival, and we were priveleged to grace the Happy City stage at the Harbour Festival in 2013. Admittedly at 11:00 in the morning on Sunday when the audience were mainly picking up the litter from Saturday night. But we were jolly good.
The Polish Club
You either love it or you hate it. Or you don't mind it. This was the first time we used the Kettle Of Fish Stage Banner, and boy did it make a difference? Combined with the twinkly lights and our very own KoF Sound System, it was a night to remember.
Corineum Museum
Surrounded by Roman remains, this was where we first sang about woodlice, to rapturous applause.