NEW SHOW at Edinburgh Festival 2008 - "GREYFRIARS TWISTED TALES!"

Such catchy tunes that I have stuck in my head, full of fast paced delicious dry humour and clever (twisted!) takes on human foibles and superstitions, love of dogs and Scotland! ..and the Mary Poppins meets Hitler sketch.. pure musical Monty Python!’

KIELTY BROTHERS & HOUSTON EDINBURGH FESTIVAL 2008


BUSKING

Popular street theatre since 2003!

Just along from the steps of St Giles the three Martians engage a circle of people every year for the 3 weeks of the Edinbrugh festival. The crowd are immediately struck by Gerry’s high falsetto! and John then encourages people closer. At times the boys pose for the cameras, enter the crowd, run away from wasps. Gerry with arms spread wide or high, leaps into an unsuspecting audience. They perform the same 5 cover songs (Brown Eyed Girl, Wonderwall, The Boxer, Hard Days Nights, Baby Baby ) I recommend catching them there in August!

CITY OF THE DEAD GHOST TOURS

Both John and Gerry take unsuspecting tourists to the Covenanters Grave in Greyfriars Kirkyard.

I was fortunate to catch John Kielty’s last Ghost tour. He’s been doing the tours for 5 years since 2003. The City of the Dead tours have inspired the boys writing and they hope will make the rich just as it has made JK Rowling, (and also the creator of Frankenstein, Dracula, and Jeckle and Hyde) rich! It’s a ‘thin’ place’, once a valley and now full of thousands of dead bodies it’s as if spirits of the past tell their stories to us in the mists among the old gravestones.

The Martians Photos by Pauline Keightley - PK Image.co.uk

 Martians High Street Edinbugh Festival 2008

I usually find the Martians taking up their spot beside the St Giles Cathdral. It can be hard to find them due to the packed crowds of tourists and the number of other performers from the fringe festival either hanging about or doing their acts. I notice when the Martians start their set of 5 cover songs, the people passing are in fits when they hear Gerry's high falsetto voice - people wonder does he have something in his mouth! Great fun to photograph!

 Aug 23 2008

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THE MARTIANS WERE INSPIRED BY THE SPIRITS AND THEIR STORIES IN EDINBURGH'S GREYFRIARS KIRKYARD.

Forgotten voices call in the rising mud shrouded in deep stories – penetrating mud!’ Quote – ‘I’ve never worried about being inventive or ‘original’. Those are just nonsensical words to me when making art. I feel like I come in a long line of traditionalists, that I’m a team player and I serve a good purpose.’ Jacob Dylan.

Add yourself to the tradition.

The Martians Edinburgh Festival

 ‘GREYFRIARS TWISTED TALES’ Aug 2008

Martians show in Edinburgh, the show was sold out on Saturday!

Has had 5 star reviews! WINNERS OF “THE SPIRIT OF THE FRINGE 2008!”

Kielty Brothers and Houston at Edinburgh festival

This is their most professional show so far. They now have the backing of Carole Metcalfe of the Bridewell theatre company. And the boys have trimmed things down; too much information can bamboozle people! Offering us just enough of their fun humour, and their physical, melodic and verbal expression.  

WOW great audience reactions!!. I took my cousin and she loved the show, and thought it was ‘brilliant’ (her word) and was recommending it to some people we met. She thought Gerry was a great talent. The guys are all so much more polished performing now. Such catchy tunes that I have stuck in my head, full of fast paced delicious dry humour and clever (twisted!) takes on human foibles and superstitions, love of dogs and Scotland! ( Invisible SkyGods, Reformation, Nessie, Not A Valley Anymore) Highlight was Gerry as Greyfriars Bobby (dog with black socks on his ears) And the totally out-of-context 'Mary Poppins meets Hitler' sketch, a pure musical Monty Python! Mocking war is good, it is ridiculous - The Martians will eat heads!

A clever take on musicals it takes you through the Martians journey, beginning with the Reformation (their interest in Scottish folklore, religion and torture….in that order?) Then a song about Edinburgh ‘Not A Valley Anymore’ – and next moving to the ‘thin place’ of Greyfriars Graveyard. For the last 5 years (from 2003 to 2008) John and Gerry Kielty have taken unsuspecting tourists on the City of the Dead tours to the Covenanter Grave. The show then includes a song from ‘Scotland is a Great Big Evil Face’ - ‘Heaven’ from their show here in 2006. Then a song from the ‘Sundowe’ - ‘Small Dog’. Next a sketch about grave Body snatchers ‘Burke and Hare’

Instead of a sketch about the Covenanters grave... the guys launch into what most musicals do..which is to rip off other musicals! only changing the songs slightly. They match Hitler to ‘Mary Poppins’! With Mariannne Sellar in a bright red bonnet and songs such as ‘One shot between the Eyeballs makes a Nazi go down’ – brilliant off the wall diversions and totally out-of-context sketch! (MP2 music by Richard Sherman)

The songs have a new even jazz feel to them, and this was the first time I had watched John on the piano (where he does most of his songwriting he says). The Martians: with spirit and energy they use humour and pathos to tackles life's absurdities and tragedies - to create their bold strokes of out-of-this-world expressions.

Their tunes have a clever playful way with words; with memorable, fun melodies. Brother James Kielty and third Martian Houston also write for their off-the-wall and upbeat musicals. Their show is fantastic fun with top songs, brilliant humour, and fast-paced and clever as usual.


I was fortunate to catch John Kielty’s last Ghost tour after the show. The City of the Dead tours have inspired the boys writing and they hope will make the rich (!) just as it has made JK Rowling, (and also the creator of Frankenstein, Dracula, and Jeckle and Hyde) rich! It’s a ‘thin’ place’, once a valley and now full of thousands of dead bodies it’s as if spirits of the past tell their stories to us in the mists among the old gravestones.

I enjoyed the festival, although not as much as last year! (In 2007 John also did sold out gigs with David Sneddon at the Jazz Bar Edinburgh to wonderful reviews)

 It is magic at times though. On Saturday strolling the Royal mile after John’s Ghost tour ( his last!) the fireworks were going off above the castle and a couple of young guys were playing a T Rex song in the window of a Bar – it was all quite surreal and magic. A few people were dancing. Sometimes festivals offer that life enhancing celebrations…

Wish you were here…. Paulinex

PS:  JOHN is doing a UK tour with the reduced Shakespeare company in ‘The complete Word of God’ He is writing a new musical about Jacobites called ‘Charlie’s Year’.

THE ’MARTIANS CHRONICLE’

The Martians have produced their own print press

- with write ups by David Sneddon (former Martian who wishes he was still a Martian!) and music theatre mogul Cameron MacKintosh (Cats, Les Miserables)  

 

SONGS

Reformation

Not A Valley Anymore

Greyfriars bobby

Heaven

Small Dog

Burke and Hare

MP2 music by Richard Sherman

Invisible SkyGod

Nessie

 Aug 9 2008

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 Aug 16 2008

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DAVID SNEDDON - Former Martian David Sneddon is a singer-songwriter. Sneddon has had chart hits worldwide for other artists, including the international hit The Message for UK soul artist Nate James. He is currently signed to Universal Music as a songwriter, and describes his music as 'melody-driven indie pop'.

 - David released a 5-track EP called White Noise in January 2007, which is No 1 Indiestore charts August 2008.

CHECK OUT PICS OF DAVID PERFORMING WITH THE MARTIANS IN 2002!

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 EDINBURGH FESTIVAL PHOTOS by Pauline Keightley - my FLICKR SITE , MYSPACE -

 I hope you enjoy the Martians 2008 pics and the new page 2008 - so much fun to photograph!

 © 2004 - 2010: themartiansfansite.co.uk

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