The Orchestra is thrilled to be playing at festivals this year, including the Austrian Ukulele Festival in Graz, Underneath the Stars, Barnsley and the Sidmouth Folk Week. We will be bringing our unique combination of the well-known and the unknown; off-the-wall music and re-imagined overworked classic songs. In the early days of the UOGB sometimes the comments included views that the repertoire was too challenging or far-out. Currently we are more likely to hear that attendees allegedly yearning for a musical art designed to elicit beard-stroking brain-ache opine that the Orchestra is far too populist and the act constitutes mere entertainment. Comments included: “Too lowbrow for Geoffrey”, and “Dumbing down of the worst kind”. In this time of unease and uncertainty we think it might be considered a pleasant thing to be criticised for being popular and entertaining. What do you think, is it best to be credible or loved, widely appreciated or under-rated yet critically acclaimed? Or can we have it all and be off-the-wall and on-the-ball simultaneously? We hope so. We’ve always been “on the back foot forward”. Why stop now. 

The DVD of the “Concert for Kitty”, recorded at The Barbican in London to celebrate the life of Kitty Lux, singer, composer and UOGB founder, is being edited and is scheduled for release later in 2018. The programme includes the full orchestra, and a recreation of the very first UOGB gig with the original performers. The programme includes Prokofiev, Clean Bandit, Highway to Hell, Willie Nelson, Holiday for Strings and Kitty’s compositions including one sung alone by George, as well as her “Death I laugh in your face” and her Sheeny and the Goys classic “Ever Such Pretty Girls”, ending up with a stage invasion on “Bondage up Yours”. Includes footage of the orchestra playing live at the Ukulele Society of Great Britain in 1987. 

‘By Request: Songs From the Set List’  is an album created in direct response to our fans wishlist of music.  An album conceived to deliver some of the list of requests received from fans all around the planet, from Tasmania to Svalbard, Lerwick to Adelaide, Paris to Toronto, or from Beijing to New York, in short wherever the Ukes have performed and thrilled audiences with their renowned stomping, laughter inducing, thought provoking live shows.

The album was recorded at Urchin studio in London. It has the lustre, depth and sonic clarity which only a fully equipped modern studio with a great acoustic can bring to bear. Plus the time for the orchestra to stretch out in space and recording time. This recording promises to be the one which sets the standard for any other ukulele orchestra recordings. There are old and new popular songs, obscure but choice oldies, twisted covers and mash ups, and the inimitable jollity, joy and exuberance of the orchestra's celebrated style; from hard rocking classics to moody ballads via a confluence of Woodstock and New Orleans Mardi Gras.

Available to buy now!

May 2018 includes the orchestra’s return to Scotland, with dates in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Stirling. A lot of emails ask us: When are you coming to Scotland? Here’s when!

18 May - Queen's Hall, Edinburgh

19 May - Milngavie Town Hall, Glasgow

22 May - Eden Court, Inverness

23 May - Albert Halls, Stirling

A welcome return to venues in the Scottish Nation.