PaNiKaTaK
News page
August 2008
Up and running again we hit the Hydro hotel in Windermere last Wednesday night (20th August) for an after dinner ‘do’ for Windermere Rotary and in sympathy with British Olympic efforts it turned out to be a gold medal session. Huddled onto a small dais we warbled through a dozen or so old favourites ably assisted by an enthusiastic audience of almost a hundred. As on previous occasions we were joined by our guest from the Welsh Olympic Bog Snorkelling team and there were a couple of items extolling the virtues of modern medicine. It seems we are always appreciated by audiences who have fed well and drank just a drop or two of the relaxing liquids. Thanks to Martin for his mastery of the p.a. gear and thank you Windermere for a welcoming return to the world of PaNiKaTaK entertainment. We had a super evening.
July 2008
Ignore the newsletter below - although it wasn't a vicious
rumour, it was more serious than that - HOWEVER - we are up and running again -
and for those who have been panicking - we will be doing the ladies night at the
Hydro on the 20th August - and I hope we will be together long enough to once
again star in the frost at the Ambleside Lights switch on day in
November.
Back to the darkened room to practice and plot !
May 2008
Alas after some dozen or so years the band has split and
Panikatak as was - is no more.
Whether anything can rise from the ashes is as yet unknown - but at present
seems unlikely as the summer season sets in and folk wander away on holidays and
other things.
At present this website will remain more or less as it is until the final
outcome is known - besides which we have a few cds, tee shirts, mugs and books
to sell. Contact details remains the same at present too.
I'm sure all members of the band would like to pass on our heartfelt thanks to
everyone who came and supported us over the years, joined in the chorus when
needed, shouted when needed, laughed when needed and generally enjoyed the
mayhem. Your support and encouragement over the years gave each of us a
considerable boost to our normal daily drudge and moreover enabled us as a group
to raise such a wonderful sum for our local charities. Who knows if we'd
kept going we might have been able to save the Westmorland General Hospital.
I will post up any further news here when anything occurs - thanks for all you all did for us.
April 2008
Ambleside New Parish Hall was a great success - raising over £1,000 for the
Christmas lights fund -
more to follow soon
March 2008
A quick note on the recent concert for the Rotary Section of the Caravan Club in the memorial hall at Hawkshead. I gather the Caravan Club has so many members that they have various different sections and this one was a gathering of Caravan Club members who are all Rotary club members. So there were people from all over the country, mostly all staying at Skelwith Fold for the week end I gather. We had a great time with sound check ending about 6 then across the square for a meal in the Royal Oak to stagger back for the do beginning just after 8 ish. A pretty normal start with half the band not aware what the other half were doing - I suppose if we'd been a pop band it wouldn't have mattered much but as it was a song and half the group were still on an introductory instrumental when the other half began singing the chorus it must have appeared a touch unusual. Then the evening wore on and we all settled down, us as well the audience, most of whom will never have seen us before. They realised such things were quite acceptable and joined in with gusto where needed and we all ended on the same note. A great evening! I suppose very few read any of this but if anyone who was there does come across this page and feels they would like to email or post any comments or observations on the night we would be pleased to receive them. Contact our pa - manager- the wonderful June from the contacts page.
February 2008
Welcome to the new revised edition of our website, I hope you'll find it easier to navigate. I should be able to update it much easier too as we are now with a new web host and I pledge to update as often as - - no, I pledge to do my best to update it - - no, perhaps I'd better just say that in theory I should be updating more regularly. From experience I think its easier not to promise anything then there is no upset when a promise is broken. Lets just face I am bloody unreliable and accept the fact and live with it. Anyway in business, art, radio, entertainment, etc. it is important that there is always something new to catch the eye, A fresh new approach, the latest angle, a bit like politics - a fresh start. So - what's new with us - well I'm pleased to be able to say - nowt. How many politicians would say that eh? - though of course they all seem to be able to continue with the same stuff. - Anyway we are working on new stuff behind the scenes most of the time, some traditional, some new by folk we like and some new from ourselves - which is the hardest bit. We also have not many copies of the first cd left and we are in discussion as to what to do with it. here was talk of digitally re-mastering it with original contents. There has also been talk of doing it completely from scratch again and also talk of picking some tracks out of it and adding new stuff to compile a completely new cd. Who knows what will come of it. as they say, watch this space. Looking forward to this season playing a few good concerts again and maybe the odd outdoor gig too - things always seem better outdoors - maybe its because the noise dissipates easier. Hoots the noo !
September 2007
The summer recess is over and parliament is once again in full
session and the MP's - Members of Panikatak - are busying themselves over their
instruments of desecration in preparation for the Autumn series.
Check out the gigs link for a list of the times, places, and to organise your
tickets. Remember also we are not averse to doing 'private' functions and
have performed a number in the past for wedding parties, birthdays, or just
parties. The problem is that with six in the band, gear, back up, etc. the
charges are on a more commercial scale than those we try to set for charity
driven events.
Apologies to the regular visitor to this site - I am suffering with upload
problems due to technical difficulties that I need not bore you with. So
bad in fact I have to take a short holiday to get away from it all, (indeed I
shall miss the 6th October gig in the Rugby Club, which you must not), - but
when I return refreshed and full of vigour, verve, vim, viagra, or anything else
beginning with v I will look again and get it sorted. At the same time I do
intend to try to trace a scribble I did many moons ago about the history of the
band and get it on here. (My excuse for the fact that the history link is
still not active). Have a good 'run up' to Christmas and of course
you m must not forget to snap up one of our new Christmas cd's hot off the press
- out in the next few weeks - with luck - should have been out for Easter, well
should have been out for Christmas last year but our organisation is not up to
matching Hayes at getting the Christmas stuff out in August so phew -
finger's crossed.
June 2007
Storth
Saturday 9th June saw us in concert again in Storth village hall – this time playing ‘down the hall’ as sort of half way across it. The place was packed by one of the best audiences we’ve played to. Whether it was because we’d played there before, so they knew what sort of drivel to expect or whether Storth is so quiet that they all let off steam whenever there’s anything on – who knows but we were as one from the word go. Almost everyone seemed to be joining in on the first chorus of the first song – most unusual. (Maybe it was because Chrisy wasn’t with us – she was away in France on holiday – maybe it’s her schoolmarm aura that overwhelms folk initially and it takes a few songs before they realise she’s not going to put them in detention – it’s alright I can say this ‘cos I’m sure she never looks at this site – but then who does?). Anyway – it was a great night in a packed hall. - - Maybe it’s just Storth that’s strange as there can’t be many places in the country where you’ll find recipes pinned to a lamp post in the village. So if you’re short of culinary inspiration nip down to Storth and look for the lamp post with the recipe on. Who knows there may be one there shortly for Panikatak pie.
Thanks a lot Storth a great night.Return to top of page Return to Home page
March 2007
The 10th saw us crowded onto the stage in
the village hall at Brigsteer - following in the footsteps of fairly famous
bands. But then from now on the folk who follow us there will have the
great privilege to be able to say, "We played on the same stage as
Panikatak", whew what kudos will they get from that I wonder.
It was nice to see so many familiar faces there and a few who we hadn't seen for
a while. Very welcome among the familiar faces was Bill and Annie who
some years ago were 'big' in the Scouts and even had organised a few concerts
where we played to raise money for the local Scout organisation. I do
recall we held a concert to raise funds to send a scout to South America and was
quite surprised that we weren't asked to raise further funds to secure a safe
return. We even secretly wondered whether they'd gone themselves as we
hadn't seen them for a while, you know done a 'Great Train Robbers' escape sort
of thing. Then we discovered the reason why we hadn't seen them for a
while. Time has taken its toll on Bill, he sat at the front at
Brigsteer in a wheelchair minus one leg. It comes as a bit of a shock when
you meet someone you haven't seen for a while who has obviously gone through the
mill a bit. Bill was quick to put us at ease however, telling us that
years of pain and suffering had gone with the leg. Then in true Brit grit
tradition he asked if I would recite the monologue about the green sock.
Written by Les Barker it begins;
"I've
got a a green sock, just the one, I used to have two, but the other one's
gone"
Now how many bands in the world can say that they were asked by a one legged
gentleman to perform a pome about only having one sock?
"Good on yer Bill", as they say in upside down land.
Barrow is our next concert - maybe there we'll be asked to sing the old Benny
Hill number, "One wheel on my wagon and I'm still rollin' along.
February 2007
Check out the gigs list and - As the lady said –
“Come up and see us sometime”