The Plonker's™ band line up
The main band members of The Original Plonkers Agricultural Orchestra are:

Gordon on Banjo, 'making noises what some people call singing'

Gordon and Bob founded the band in 1979 when they entered the Lymington carnival with a cider-making machine 'float'. It was a two-wheeled cart pulled by Plonker the donkey with whistles, bells and various gizmos. The cart was followed by Gordon on banjo, Bob on squeeze box and a trombone and bass drum. They won first prize playing the chorus of Drink up thee zider (which is all they knew, but as they kept moving the crowd never realised this!) for the whole parade. They did this for a few years until the 'band' numbered 15. Then one year the band booked for the Lymington Steam fair couldn't make it and Gordon was asked to stand in - the first booking for Plonker's Agricultural Orchestra.
Gordon has been heading The Plonkers Original Agricultural Orchestra ever since,
Bob has recently retired from the band,
and very sadly, Plonker the donkey has passed away,
Click here to see a tribute to Plonker the donkey

Gary, the sludge tanker driver, on bass thingy,

Gary Leport, Lead Guitar

Gary has played the guitar from the age of 15. First recording for the legendary Joe Meek, later forming the Five Dimensions with Rod Stewart. The group went on to play for Chuck Berry and other major American Blues artistes. Over the last twelve years Gary has turned to jazz. He performed in Chicago for the Bix Beiderbeck Festival and has also performed at London's famous 100 Club.
Gary remains enthusiastically committed to the music of Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club of France.
More details can be found at: www.swing39jazz.co.uk
For more info on Gypsy Jazz follow this link: Gypsy Jazz

The plonkers are delighted that Janette Beale has joined them as a new plonkette.

Janette Beale studied flute at the Purcell School, then gained the top music scholarship to continue at Frensham Heights Public School. From there she went on to study accordion and piano at the Royal Academy of Music, graduating with honours. In fact, she plays various instruments including the saxophone. 

As an accordionist, Janette is much in demand to play French and Italian music and in cabaret she has performed at various London venues including Salena Jones’ Jazz Club, Pizza on the Park and Jermyn Street. She has performed at the Edinburgh festival, the Wandsworth Jazz Festival, in theatres all over the UK and at The London Palladium. She has worked at the Fortune and the Arts Theatres in London’s West End, and has performed on most major television and radio channels. She has also worked with many opera singers, performing both on the QE II, and her sister ship the Caronia and other work has included many engagements where the honoured guests were members of the Royal Family.

Scottish and Irish influences in Janette's repertoire relate to extensive tours during her student years playing in folk, folk-rock and traditional bands.

More details on Janette can be found at:

www.janetbeale.co.uk

Rustic Ray on drums,

You can hear Rustic Ray on our current CD 'Second Eruption'
Ray will also be playing the drums on our forthcoming CD 'The Third Eruption'
Listen out for his legendary drum solo on Second Eruption

Dave Robinson

The Plonkers are pleased to announce Dave Robinson has returned to the band after a long exile.
(Known to his friends as Kacker or Gipsy Dave)
Dave was put out to stud for a few years down in Dorset,
but he has now returned over the cattle grid, and is back in the herd with the rest of us!

During most songs, Dave swaps from being Sexophonist to playing his liquorish stick.

Dave's wonderful playing can be heard on our CD, Second Eruption.
(click here for more details)

Julian Bishop
is our additional moosician from Somerset.

Whenever he can, (when he’s not filming or treading cider apples); he plays keyboard, bass guitar, or mandolin.

Julian recently played with the Plonkers in July at the 2008 Welland Steam fair, more news on this gig from Julian very soon.

Julian was also at Sark this year, the locals thought his old Joanna sounded gert good and lushish rustic, well it did once he got all the seaweed out of the upright.

Golly and the boys ‘asked Julian to join em at a surprise birthday party near Langport, in May. It was such a surprise they forgot to tell him where it tiz…

The directions were quiet easy to follow, go down the road and bit listen out for the cock calling, turn left, head up and bit and swing round and come past a gate. Not the 2^nd turning, but look out for the field where that horse used to be in, straight on follow your nose past the smelly farm and when you see the bright lights of the birthday cake, then you’ll be there or some where near by.

Take a look at Julian's website, the directions are............

www.videotrax.net/

Gillybaby, on the Catgut and Scrapey , or Violin

Gillian Tolliday, Violin
Violin teacher by day, jazzer by night Gillian graduated in music at Southampton University and obtained violin diplomas at Trinity College London. As a classical violinist she has led the Grainger String Quartet for the last six years. As a freelance viola player she performs with Quartetto Concertante and The Stromenti String Quartet (led by Jack Maguire co-leader of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra).
Her interest in playing without 'dots' began in the early 90s with the formation of "Corks Crew" an Irish band also "Treadmill" playing American, Scottish and English Dance music.
In the mid-90s the wild harmonies and cool charm of jazz drew her. She joined the Colin Collins Quintet and played at regular venues in Portsmouth.
The move to Django gypsy and swing jazz has come in the last two years after meeting the blindingly fast and intricate sounds of Gary Leport, the in-the-groove skills of Keith Kensley and the solid supportive playing of Ray Hincks.

Gill often guests for the Woodsiders Barn Dance & Ceilidh Band.

Jolly Roger on Sexophone

Jolly Roger from Fordingbridge, the champion pumpkin masher,
who used to play the squeeze box piano, has just returned from exile.
He's been on the run for a couple of years, but now he's returned
he is bringing his rough enough services back to The Plonkers Agricultural Orchestra.
Jolly Roger will be back with the Plonkers Agricultural Orchestra in the new year
as our new Sexophonist on a humongous saxophone borrowed from the Fawley oil refinery rubber plant.

also Una on the squeezebox,

More details on Una soon

Jimbo on Wind Thing

Jimbo is in the wind section, he's been known to notch a few points on the Richter scale when on form.
Jim is an original descendent from Jim the carter's lad and plays the Tuba

Also Andy on washboard, idiot stick, kazookaphone and occasionally backup drummer

Other people come and go depending on chicken-milking, cow-plucking and pumpkin-herding commitments.

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