Another Broadside Banger by Julian Gaskell & his Ragged Trousered Philanthropists Granny Smith, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Pink Lady and Jazz, we know how they got their names, but what about the Cat’s Head Apple? Find out how it got its name in our rendition of a 200 year old proto-music hall ballad. The astonishing and shocking video directed by Cally Gibson and starring Ethel Darling, … Continue reading Cat’s Head Apples
ALBUM – ‘A SHANDY BALLAD’ An 11 track 50/50 shandy of ballads and originals. Recorded by Julian, Cally and Thomas in October 2023. You can also enjoy a Shandy Ballad in video form with solo performances of songs from the album at various locations around Penryn and Falmouth – “GASKELL’S ACCORDION WALKS” here: Continue reading A Shandy Ballad
For the third instalment of our sheet music collection for 2022, we present, after many years of deliberation and dither, the string-laden epic ‘Mizzle Eyed Maiden of the West’. Featuring extensive orchestral renovations by Cally Gibson as well as storming folk drums by the much-missed Dave Hart, this song takes an inscription from a Zennor gravestone for a lop-sided tango on a listing vessel in … Continue reading Mizzle-Eyed Maiden of the West EP
The second instalment of our sheet music collection for 2022, the new song ‘Shuffling the Same Deck of Cards’ is accompanied with a selection of instrumental and vocal novelties collected from Gaskell’s musical binbag. ‘Shufflin’ is a self-explanatory gamble in a post-brexit wasteland, and is notable as the first Philanthropists release to feature the actual Mrs Mills piano. Cally Gibson tries to improve the cultural quality … Continue reading Shuffling the Same Deck of Cards
Our first new track for 2022 A new song written by Julian Gaskell and recorded in Penryn, Cornwall, January 2022 with Thomas Sharpe and Cally Gibson. This is the first in a series of ‘sheet music’ releases which will happen in 2022, there are many more in progress which will be available here very soon. Only available on Bandcamp. JG& his RTP cannot be bothered … Continue reading The Exception that Proves the Rule
‘Out of the Trees’ album – 16th October 2020 The 2020 lockdown forced a break from shouting to be heard above the Cornish rugby songs, rambling wedding speeches and naked stage invasions, allowing Julian to focus on writing and recording a set of introspective songs dealing in love and loss, revealing layers of musical and lyrical sophistication previously unknown to all but the keenest of … Continue reading Out of the Trees
New track from the new album From the forthcoming ‘Out of the Trees’ album, ‘Automata’ was recorded in June 2020 by Julian Gaskell with Cally Gibson on strings and Thomas Sharpe on upright bass. The album will be here in September 2020… Continue reading Automata
Standin’ on a Rock EP – FREE DOWNLOAD!!! JULIAN GASKELL & HIS RAGGED TROUSERED PHILANTHROPISTS Recorded October 2018, Falmouth, Cornwall, Julian Gaskell – vocals, guitar, piano, organ Thomas Pooley Tolkien Sharpe – banjo, mandolin, vocals Nigel Parsons – bass Matthew Collington – drums, washboard, vocals Words and music by Julian Gaskell (c) 2018 Lyrics: Standin’ on a Rock I’m a standin’ on a rock, standin’ … Continue reading Standin’ on a Rock
Led by Julian Gaskell and featuring members of the Ragged Trousered Philanthropists Leigh Delamere & the Gordanos are the ultimate wedding breakdown and dysfunction boogie-woogie band, and a regular fixture at festivals and pubs in the south-west. Since the 2020 lockdowns, Leigh Delamere seems to have disappeared, but he might be coaxed out of retirement if the price is right, send a message via mail@juliangaskell.co.uk Latest … Continue reading Leigh Delamere & the Gordanos
Carvery of Blight – 2016 Carvery of Blight added a new level of production excess to the vast and mysterious musical landscape navigated by Gaskell’s various incarnations, and saw him firmly in control of the mixing desk building a production as epic in it’s scope as it is magnificent in its delivery, taking the ‘wall of thrift’ folk onslaught of his previous work and extending … Continue reading Carvery of Blight
A compendium of nuggets from 2001-2013, including solo, Ragged Trousered Philanthropists and Icons of Poundland hits, as well as a smattering of new songs and new versions of old ones. The Error of my Ways (hits portfolio) – 2013 The 14 track compilation attempts to navigate some of the musical landmarks of Julian Gaskell’s recordings with his Ragged Trousered Philanthropists as well as the murky backwaters of his … Continue reading The Error of my Ways (hits portfolio)
Kind Words from Home – 2012 Step into a tumbledown world of gypsy-punk accordion, surf klezmer, speak-easy ragtime, intellectual drinking and protest songs, romantic piano torch ballads, sweet musette waltzes, weeping country laments, violent tangos and stomping balkan skiffle beats. On Kind Words from Home, Julian Gaskell howls and hollers his way through a global cacophony, leaping from cockney cowboy drawling to barely uttered murmurs … Continue reading Kind Words From Home
Here the Brute Harpies Make Their Nests 2009 Having performed at hundreds of obscure locations in the UK, Poland and the Czech Republic since forming in 2006, by 2009 JG&HRTP had mutated from humble folk origins into what we charmingly described as… “Mambo accordion, polka washboard, romantic faction, darkness collapsing into the end of a drunken afternoon, new wave progressive ska, space dub Balkan dance-off, … Continue reading Here the Brute Harpies Make Their Nests
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist’s 2007 debut, when moustaches were still moustaches and ale was still ale. The sprawling eponymous debut from Julian Gaskell & his Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, recorded at Dan’s flat in Penzance, as well as various locations in Falmouth and Manchester. The astonishing artwork is by Thomas Barwick. Lyrics: The Great Money Trick Money is the root of poverty my friends, Money … Continue reading Julian Gaskell & his Ragged Trousered Philanthropists
Creak. Rattle. waaaaaiiinnnngongongogogogong. The whispery, hoarsely-hollered Cornwall of Julian Gaskell circa. 2005 Technology will make us better – 2005 Julian Gaskell’s first solo album, written after setting sail from Manchester to Cornwall in 2004, was recorded in winter/spring 2005 in a Falmouth bedsit and at Chris Gray’s legendary Troubador Studio (where I was working at the time) using charity shop harmoniums, balalaikas, organs and zithers, borrowed … Continue reading Technology Will Make Us Better
Why do you have to be so confrontational? – Guy Garvey 2003 From 2002 to 2004 I fronted “Icons of Poundland”, we started as a solo electronic/noise demo, and evolved from a one-off gig as “Icons of Uncool” to be one of Manchester’s most awkwardly noisy bands at the turn of the century. The lineup included ex Loafer bandmates Kester Jones (guitar, vocals, organ) and … Continue reading Icons of Poundland
Julian Gaskell & his Ragged Trousered Philanthropists 