If you miss the days of John, Paul, George, Ringo and the like playing their tunes, a local band based in Launceston is bringing the swinging 60s into the 21st century.
The Hurdy Gurdies is a band with a passion for preserving music from the decade that has gone on to influence many artists since: the 60s.
With Mathew McCarthy on bass, Patrick Gayle on guitar, Barry Elms on guitar, keys and harmonica, Mark Crees on drums and percussion, and some fantastic vocals thrown in, The Hurdy Gurdies play material from some legendary British acts such as The Beatles, The Kinks, The Yardbirds, The Rolling Stones, Spencer Davis Group and The Who, as well as their American contemporaries such as The
Monkees, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Turtles and The Byrds.
Bassist and vocalist Mathew told Launceston Life more about how The Hurdy Gurdies came about, after a long time stuck indoors sparked an idea.
“During lockdown I had a lot of time to listen to records, and I was listening to a lot of classic music from the 60s,” he said. “My friend Mark and I were both looking for a band, so we tried putting something together. Barry came in next and was pulled into playing the keys and the harmonica. We started in the summer of 2021 and had a few more line-up changes, then we found Patrick, who came along shortly after that. Once the line-up was settled, we were on our way.”
Mathew, Mark, Barry and Patrick all had one thing in common: they were massive Beatles fans.
“A lot of the original 60s acts are either sadly no longer with us, or have retired from the industry,” Mathew continued. “It would be a shame to lose that musical history, so we try to carry it on and bring it back to how things were in the 60s every time we perform.”
The band uses period-correct instruments and equipment to ensure each performance is authentic. The Hurdy Gurdies mainly perform around Devon and Cornwall, and are also keen to do more shows in their home town of Launceston. This New Year’s Eve, they will be playing at Firebrand Brewery - a show not to be missed, with a full show of 60s music, followed by a DJ set playing hits from the 70s, 80s and beyond.
For more information about The Hurdy Gurdies, go to www.hurdygurdies.band
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