CityLife

Dr Butler's Hatstand Medicine Band

YOU’RE running late for the 19.03 to Goostrey… what’s the last thing you expect aboard your humble Northern Rail carriage?

Probably an acoustic troupe dressed as a double bass playing Elephant Man – complete with sack over the head – a ukulele-clad faun and a ghoulish guitarist in a three-piece suit.

Some poor confused chaps boarding the Halloween Folk Train from Piccadilly didn’t know what hit them when they set foot aboard the Dr Butler’s Hatstand Medicine Band express heading for the obscure little Cheshire village.

Organised by the Hope Valley and High Peak Transport Partnership, this regular folk faring extravaganza is one of the most unusual musical events in the region – offering acoustic songs en route to a country pub, and back again.

Dr Butler’s merry bunch of washboard-playing, kazoo-loving three-piece played a non-stop set of spirituals, traditional folk and bonkers old time tunes all the way to the rural village, much to the amusement and confusion of passengers.

Trekked

Once there, their followers trekked along the dimly lit rural road on a 10-minute jaunt to a cosy pub ready for more renditions of top-notch toe-tapping, top hat raising tunes.

It is impossible not to smile when watching the Dr Butler’s boys in action. The gang – who are normally gowned in top hats and waistcoats ­- excelled themselves in both their Halloween attire and setlist.

Harmonicas

With a double bass, kazoos, harmonicas, and a range of friends who joined them for accordion and flute accompaniments, their vaudeville performance included railroad themed songs and lyrics about ‘no good’ women.

Innuendo-laden old time melodies on seemingly innocent subjects like ‘riding on my pennyfarthing’ brought smiles to the whole crowd.

It is irresistibly infectious when a band enjoys their own music and showmanship as much as Dr Butler’s Hatstand Medicine Band and by the train ride home they had everyone united in song bellowing out You Are My Sunshine and dancing in the carriages.
 
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