Casuals Up For Pig & Jig

Corsham band Corinthian Casuals are preparing for their

fourth Pig & Jig appearance by appearing at four different venues,

including an 'almost hometown' gig at the Queens Head in Box this Saturday 11th,

across the local area during June.

The popular local event takes place this year on Saturday

July 2nd at Box Common and with an entrance fee of £3 for adults and

free for children, will boast all of its regular features, including a well

stocked and staffed outdoor bar courtesy of the nearby Quarryman's Arms in Box,

a sumptuous hog roast and a ninety minute set from the band who have been

mainstays of the Pig & Jig since making their debut appearances there in

2007, aged just nineteen.

But the event this year will not feature the regular

providers of the 'Jig' part of the show, The Electric Lobsters, who have

decided to take a break from their annual performance after a lengthy

uninterrupted run of appearances. They will be replaced this year by an as yet

unnamed Ceilidh band from Bath, who will pick up where the Lobsters left off

last year and open the event with the jigs and reels that partygoers have

become accustomed to.

Taking a few minutes to talk to Corsham People during his

visit to the sandwich shop during his lunch break yesterday, lead singer Stu

Joslin spoke of excitement within the Casuals camp in the build up to what is

surely one of the most highly anticipated local events of the year.

'It's getting to be that time of year again – around the

middle of May every year, we begin to start planning what we'd like to go in

the set list, and things just go from there really. It's the biggest gig in our

calendar and we always want to make the one coming up much better than the last

one – so much so in fact, that this year we've managed to secure the use of a

five kilowatt PA system for the show. It's much more powerful than the one we

usually use, and we're hoping it's going to make a positive difference this

year towards making our sound that much better, and providing the ultimate Pig

& Jig experience!'

'The gigs we play in the run up to the show are always

treated as warm ups, trying out brand new material and seeing what works where.

Then once these are over, we usually end up all getting round a table in the

Two Pigs with a pint, and writing the final set list on the back of a beer mat.

I still have the one from last year, and we'll be using it as a basis for this

year's show seeing as it was so successful.'

'We're looking forward to playing at the Queens Head in Box

this Saturday (11th) as usual as that's always a great gig, and the

Parsons Nose in Melksham always guarantees a warm reception also. All in all, I'm

really looking forward to the gigs coming up – with any luck, people will come

along and we'll have a great time as well as being able to sound out our

material for the main event.'

Joslin is also making a relatively rare appearance as a solo

artist during the course of the month, as he plays a forty five minute acoustic

slot at the Neston Country Inn on Tuesday June 21st.

'I like to play solo gigs as and when I can, because it

gives me a chance to play the sort of music that I really like to play, but don't

normally get the chance to in the band.' said Joslin of the event, which will

also feature performances by Gareth Dinsdale and George Alty. 'I'm playing my

first full length solo gig at the Bear Hotel in Devizes in August, which I'm

really looking forward to and I hope leads to more, so the Neston one will be a

good warm up for me.'

All of the Casuals' shows this month begin at 9pm unless

stated and are free to enter.

Saturday 11th June – Queens Head, Box

Saturday 18th June – Fox & Hounds, Haydon Wick

Tuesday 21st June – Neston Country Inn, Neston (Stu Joslin Solo – 8pm)

Friday 24th June – Parsons Nose, Melksham (10.30pm)

Saturday 25th June – Waggon & Horses, Batheaston