THE DODGY JUMPERS
“We don’t take ourselves too seriously.”
Gill Sherry
You’d be forgiven for thinking that a band called ‘The Dodgy Jumpers’ would be adorned with a variety of questionable knitwear, but when it comes to this Ayrshire-based seven-piece, the band name has nothing to do with gawdy sweaters.
Vocalist and percussionist, Jim Frew, explains:
“Way back, I was asked to write a song for the Injured Jockeys Fund. Jack Berry is the top man at the charity and I met his son, Sam, who is disabled as a result of a horse racing fall.”
Jim wrote, sang and recorded the song which was then sold to raise funds and which resulted in an invitation to sing at the Grand National in Aintree. Along with guitarist Frank O’Connell, described by Jim as his “first victim”, he also performed at the Punchestown Festival in Ireland in 2016 and appeared on RTÉ Television.
“When we got back, we were asked to play at the Market Inn in Ayr on St Patrick’s Day, but we needed more players.”
They approached some of their friends and fellow musicians (all known for enjoying sessions at The Twa Dugs) and soon had their seven-piece band. It consisted of Jim and Frank, John Duffy (bouzouki), Norman Lawrence (harmonica), Donald Frame (fiddle), Peter Kerr (accordion) and ‘JP’ (bass), collectively known as The Dodgy Jumpers – a reference to their support of the Injured Jockeys Fund, rather than their taste in clothing.
Chances are, you’ve seen The Dodgy Jumpers playing live in Ayrshire at some point during the last ten years. They’ve entertained audiences at the Girvan Folk Festival, Girvan’s RNLI Harbour Gala and the Dunure Festival of the Sea. They also performed at The King’s Arms in Ballantrae when it was re-opened as a community-led project, and can be found at the Tam O’Shanter every year for both its Summer Garden Party and Christmas Party, and at The Market Inn on St Patrick’s Day.
So, what kind of music can you expect at a Dodgy Jumpers’ gig?
“We like to think of it as a show,” says Jim. “We do anything from rock to folk to country to blues, pop and traditional Scottish.”
The band members vary in age from mid-thirties to 80 years old, and if you’ve seen them perform, you’ll know they get just as much enjoyment from it as their audiences, as Frank confirms:
“Somebody once said to me, ‘you look like you’re having a great time’ and we are. It’s that audience participation, that interaction. Music is a big part of it, but it’s also the laugh. A seven-piece band is going to make mistakes, and no-one notices. But we notice.
We can tell when mistakes are made and that’s when we all start laughing!”
“One of the things that we are not,” adds Jim, “and will never be, is a band that just gets up and sings at you. I believe the only way to do it is where the audience and the band are one unit involved in that few hours of entertainment. My job is to build that bridge with the audience and make sure they’re part of the band. We don’t take ourselves too seriously.”
“Remember the Grumbleweeds?” asks Frank. “That’s us!”
Whilst they don’t perform too many gigs throughout the year, mainly due to the logistics involved in getting all band members together at the same time, they continue to enjoy playing their ‘regular’ events, including the Tam O’Shanter Garden Party (which takes place this year on July 25th), although Jim suspects it’s not just because of their singing…
“We get asked back all the time because we bring an audience. And what we get paid, we spend it back over the bar! We’re the band that keeps on giving!”
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed chatting to Jim and Frank. They were born to entertain, even over coffee at ten o’clock in the morning! One thing that’s guaranteed when you go and see The Dodgy Jumpers is a good time, because it’s not just a gig, it’s a show.
“We all love being together,” Jim concludes. “We don’t do it for the money. The money covers expenses… but for us, it’s a free night out. It’s a party.”
To join The Dodgy Jumpers’ party,
follow them on Facebook.
