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Simon Ward

@drrubberfunk.bsky.social

1.5K followers 410 following 1.5K posts

Musician. Make music & play records as Dr Rubberfunk. Occasional co-producer of Olympic Cyclone Band. Founder member of Mr Güder. ‘Ectopic Beats Vol.1’ out now on Limited Edition Cassette. https://linktr.ee/drrubberfunk https://drrubberfunk.bandcamp.com

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Simon Ward @drrubberfunk.bsky.social · 12m

Love a vintage record shop bag. Gramophile way before my time in the area, will ask Jenny if she remembers them or Cloakes!

Simon Ward @drrubberfunk.bsky.social · 1h

Ooh, putting this on my Christmas list, I was his radio plugger for a few years in his Go! Discs era, he was a terrifyingly belligerent character by that stage & recall at least one radio session at the old Virgin studios that got a bit hairy, but the songs always just about carried him through.

Reposted by Simon Ward

Buried Treasure @btlabel.bsky.social · 20h

By the time I posted about the James Stevens white labels they'd gone (sorry). The full 10" LP + poster is still up for grabs though & just as groovy
buriedtreasure.bandcamp.com/album/they-c...

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Simon Ward @drrubberfunk.bsky.social · 20h

This is good info, thanks! Tbh I’m not sure I’m ever going to be the Banjo player in the house, but I might occasionally try to play it, so I’m gonna try and understand some basic patterns and techniques - will defo look into clawhammer 👍🏻

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Reposted by Simon Ward

Marie Gardiner @mariegardiner.bsky.social · 21h

I've been so crazily busy that I totally forgot to mention that I have an article in the autumn edition of This England magazine in which I try to condense the complicated & weighty history of the Stockton & Darlington Railway into a four page article, whilst also plugging our documentary!

#History

the first 2 pages of the S&DR article with lots of text and pictures. I can't put the text into the alt as the image isn't meant to have you read the text it's just promo for the article!

the second 2 pages of the S&DR article with lots of text and pictures. I can't put the text into the alt as the image isn't meant to have you read the text it's just promo for the article!

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Simon Ward @drrubberfunk.bsky.social · 21h

Lordy I wish! I am mostly playing the fool on it at the moment :)

Reposted by Simon Ward

Marie Gardiner @mariegardiner.bsky.social · 22h

A lot of you commented on this picture when I posted it alongside some of my other black and white photographs, so I thought I'd post it on its own 😊

#Photography #BlackandWhite #ThePhotoHour

a matte, black and white photograph of tall, thin trees with bare trunks for most of the way up and then some evergreen foliage at the top. The day is misty and not much in the distance can be seen other than more silhouetted, mostly bare trunks

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The Allergies @theallergies.bsky.social · 22h

Halloween bash in Bristol with DJ Format www.oldmarketassembly.co.uk/whats-on/#e1...

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Tom Robinson @tomrobinson.com · 22h

LEICESTER TONIGHT: Dear BlueSky chums we have a couple of spare tickets on our guest list for tonight's show at The Y Theatre with #GabrielleSey. If you live locally and fancy a night out, drop me a line via tom(at)tomrobinson(dot)com and I'll add your name +1 to the list :-)

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Simon Ward @drrubberfunk.bsky.social · 23h

The whole of the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute Concert is here on @archive.org - taken from German TV coverage and including the crowd singing 'Happy Birthday' at the start, over Harry Belafonte's valiant effort to deliver his speech. archive.org/details/nels...

Simon Ward @drrubberfunk.bsky.social · 23h

Thank you!

Reposted by Simon Ward

@theblowmonkeys.bsky.social @theblowmonkeys.bsky.social · 2d

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Simon Ward @drrubberfunk.bsky.social · 1d

💡 music video idea 💡

Simon Ward @drrubberfunk.bsky.social · 1d

Am just now discovering the joys of #TicketStubWed!
Here’s my first, just turned 16, partying at the old Wembley Stadium in support of the imprisoned figurehead of a proscribed terrorist organisation, with 74,000 other people, and watched on TV by millions worldwide.

Ticket stub for Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert at Wembley Stadium on 11th June 1988.
The top half of the ticket is white with black & red lettering, the bottom half is pale blue, fading thru green and yellow at the bottom edge, with black lettering and a fine white netting anti counterfeit background pattern. The paper has a circular Securibond watermark pattern.

Rear of ticket stub for Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert at Wembley Stadium on 11th June 1988, featuring instructions and information for attendees, including a plan of stadium turnstile locations. The paper has a circular Securibond watermark pattern.

The following text is printed on the ticket:

DO NOT BRING BOTTLES OR CANS. TICKET HOLDERS CONSENT TO THE FILMING AND SOUND RECORDING OF THEMSELVES AS MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE.

MERCHANDISE WARNING
BEWARE OF INFERIOR GOODS BEING SOLD IN THE STREETS APPROACHING WEMBLEY.

OFFICIAL PROGRAMMES AND MERCHANDISE ARE ONLY AVAILABLE
INSIDE THE STADIUM OR ON THE STADIUM CONCOURSE.

PLAN OF STADIUM
TURNSTYLES

OFFICE ENTRANCE
EAST TOWER WEST TOWER
MAIN TERRACE

ISSUED SUBJECT TO THE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF WEMBLEY STADIUM LIMITED WHICH ARE ON DISPLAY AT THE STADIUM TURNSTYLES. COPY AVAILABLE ON APPLICATION TO THE STADIUM MANAGER. UNAUTHORISED CAMERAS AND RECORDING APPARATUS PROHIBITED.
NO MONEY REFUNDED OR TICKET EXCHANGED
THE PROMOTERS RESERVE THE RIGHT TO ALTER THE COMPOSITION OF THE PROGRAMME.

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Simon Ward @drrubberfunk.bsky.social · 1d

Oh Puffinbassador, with this content, you are really spoiling us.

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Simon Ward @drrubberfunk.bsky.social · 1d

Man, that is properly bonkers. Haven't had to do it for a while and can't say I miss it, even if I am on first name terms with the crew at my local sorting office!

Reposted by Simon Ward

Buried Treasure @btlabel.bsky.social · 1d

James Stevens : white label bundle [5 available]

They Came From Beyond Space bundle including
+ 10" test press LP
+ A3 film poster
+ Buried Treasure key fob
+ label postcards
+ album download

buriedtreasure.bandcamp.com/album/they-c...

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Simon Ward @drrubberfunk.bsky.social · 1d

I have burnt a CN22 form, completed in ink from ancient oak galls, along with 10 identical copies of a shipping note as an offering to the Infinite Spirit Of Customs

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Simon Ward @drrubberfunk.bsky.social · 1d

From some basic research it seems like it should maybe have nylon strings - I’ve put Martin Vega Banjo nickels on - and I’m not entirely sure the bridge is original. The action is comically high but not impossible to play, it sounds more like a sitar than I was anticipating, but that’s cool right?

Photo of strings running across the bridge of a banjo to the tailpiece. The aged vellum of the banjo head looks a little like the surface of the moon.

Side view close up of the neck of a fretless banjo, showing the string height. Pearl dot fret markers are visible on the top of the neck and the fingerboard.

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Simon Ward @drrubberfunk.bsky.social · 1d

Shout to the banjo crew! New (old) addition to the pile of things with strings, an antique fretless short scale 5-string banjo! Had been in a case in my late father-in-law’s loft for 40 yrs, & has sat unstrung in my studio for another 4. Got some strings & yesterday finally set about setting it up!

An antique 5 string short scale fretless banjo, with original vellum head, leant against the end of a large black guitar amplifier. Other guitars are visible to the side of the amp, and a mess of audio cables covers the floor.

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The Black Dog @theblackdog.bsky.social · 1d

Hello, we have a new album ready, Loud Ambient, and we've remastered Fragments.
theblackdog.bandcamp.com

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Reposted by Simon Ward

Women in Jazz Media @womeninjazzmedia.bsky.social · 1d

Annie Macmanus, Writer, DJ, Podcaster, Unofficial Irish Ambassador talks to Emma-Jean Thackray

The Changes Interview : Emma-Jean Thackray

The Changes Interview : Emma-Jean Thackray

Six questions and answers on Change....

anniemacmanus.substack.com

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FIP @fip.fr · 1d

Bonne journée avec Fip 🥁

Tony Allen - Get Together

Out of Black Voices 2LP Originally Released in 1999.Buy 2LP's on Bandcamp : https://tonyallen.bandcamp.com/album/black-voices-2Tony Allen completely rewrote...

l.fip.fr

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Matt Ashton @matthewjashton.bsky.social · 1d

I’m sleeping out this Friday to raise money for Hackney Night Shelter in London.

www.justgiving.com/page/matt-as...

If you can, send money and/or toastie vibes. Thanks!

Matt's fundraiser for Hackney Night Shelter

Help Matt Ashton raise money to support Hackney Night Shelter

www.justgiving.com

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Reposted by Simon Ward

RTÉ News @news.rte.ie · 2d

The Basic Income for the Arts scheme will be put on a permanent footing in the Budget tomorrow

Budget 2026: Basic income for artists to become permanent

The Basic Income for the Arts scheme will be put on a permanent footing in the Budget tomorrow.

www.rte.ie

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