The ShadowMusic Web Community

I've just been looking at Shadows Clubs on the web and when I was looking at the South Wales Shadows Club I noticed there's a lady called Jackie who plays a green Strat which looks almost exactly the same as my Mexican Strat and wondered if Jackie is a member here.
http://www.southwalesshadowsclub.org.uk/News.htm

There seem to be very few women Shadows players and I'd love to make contact with any especially if there are any in Brisbane, Australia.
It would be wonderful to be able to play along with other players when I can play better and it was great to see Jackie performing with the club.

I suppose back in the early 60s it was very rare for women to play except for acoustic guitars so it's understandable there are not many women playing Shadows (that I know of anyway from YouTube) but maybe there are some like me who have taken up playing later in life and like to play the music from back then.

Best wishes
Rosemary

You should start a thread on women Shadows guitarists, including those who want to play or are fans, Rosemary. You've corresponded with our bassist Anna, I think, and I do believe there are a number of other women on this and the other Shadows forums. The "people" section isn't visited frequently, so the "general" section might get more responses. I wish sometimes that there were only one Shadows forum, as we do have to visit at least three sites!

Good luck, and it's great that you are so keen on Shadows music.

Andy

As a matter of fact, I start one for you, Rosemary. I hope you don't mind if i quote from your good post.

Andy

Hi Rosemary,
I'm the Jackie with the Mexican Strat the same as yours, only it's now got locking machine heads which help it to stay in tune for much longer. I have been playing the guitar since 1999, starting off with an acoustic which I still play quite a bit. I have been trying to play Classical Gas since for ever and only now I am able to play the first part a little (very slowly of course) I am determined to learn it properly this time if it takes for ever.
I joined an evening class at the local school in about 2003 and met a load of blokes who played electric guitars, I walked into this room where they all were playing strats and the like. It was like Toad of Wind in the Willows, I had to have, and after about 2 months got my Strat, Since then of course it has been joined by brothers and sisters, mostly second hand but still glorious to play. I don't go in for posh handbags and shoes but get very extravagent when it comes to musical instruments and the like.
I then found the local South Wales Shadows club which met in a pub some 20 miles away from us, and they helped me get going, giving me tabs and backing tracks. I have got a wonderful teacher who started me off learning chords and the first tune I learnt was Apache. The band at the club started me off playing with them after I had learnt a couple of tunes. It was very frightening but exciting playing along with them, and I am so lucky to have met them all.
Richard (my husband) decided that I was having too much fun being picked up by blokes in sports cars and whisked off to the various Shadows meetings to return 4 hours later on a complete 'high' after playing so he bought himself a bass guitar and took lessons and very soon he could join us and enjoyed it just as much. Playing has now become a major part of our lives and as we have retired we can practise when we want and go to everything we want to. Also we play together a lot so we don 't have to rely on just backing tracks totally.
It is a great shame that we don't live in New South Wales, it is a bit far to come and play with you. We have seen your video and it sound very wonderful. I am jealous that you can stand up and play, but I am only 4' 9" so standing up to play it not possible, as the guitars weigh such a lot, but never mind I manage, and the most important thing is the amount of enjoyment you get when you learn to play a new tune, or you hear something on the radio and search it out and evertually learn to play it, even if it is your own version of playing it. So the moto is keep playing and enjoying and in as someone else said it keeps you young in your own mind. Cheers for now. Jackie.

Hi Rosemary

Our West Of Wales Shadows and Guitar Club only has a small membership (a dozen or so) at the moment, but two of our regulars are lady guitarists. Also, Jackie, from the South Wales Shadows Club, has come along with Richard on several occasions - quite a long trip (though not by Australian standards!)

One of our lady members couldn't play at all when she joined us, just coming to listen. Now she is learning quickly and has the confidence to play in front of everyone. Our other lady first came with an acoustic but, like you, couldn't wait to get a Strat!

Cheers

Noel

Hi Jackie and Noel
Thank you both for your replies. It's great to know there are more lady players out there and it's lovely to hear from you Jackie.

Jackie: We're very alike that I couldn't care less about clothes, handbags and shoes and much prefer musical instruments (and I'm a bit of a computer nerd going back many years too).

I started playing about March last year. It was around the time of the Shads and Sir Cliff concert when my husband bought me a very cheap acoustic guitar from the markets ($5!) that he and his Dad later restored. It looked beautiful when it was finished but unfortunately once the strings were on the action was too high to be playable and fixing it would have meant practically taking it all apart so I then bought a new acoustic and a few months later an American Standard Strat and a few months later a secondhand Mexican Strat like yours.

Like you, I still play the acoustic a lot - mainly learning tunes to try out on the Strats on weekends or days off. They're all lovely guitars. My husband has always preferred the tone of the Mexican Strat actually. I love its tone too but think the American Strat is more comfortable to play (but mainly because of the trem bar I think).

I also struggle with tuning problems but they've improved a bit as my technique is perhaps a bit better now and I don't accidentally bend the strings or put as much pressure on them as previously. String changes always develop into major projects but I suppose I'll get better at that in time too.

After playing the Strat a couple of months I decided to try to play standing up and it took a bit of getting used to. I'm about 5'2" so know what you mean about Strats being heavy especially standing up playing for a long session.

It's fantastic your husband Richard plays now too. Apart from buying the Mexican Strat as a backup, I'd hoped maybe my husband would like to play it too as he learnt a few chords many years ago but he's not very enthusiastic about the idea although he encourages my playing

It would be great if there were a Shadows Club here. I'm hoping one day to meet up with local players in the future and might even take lessons. In the meantime I just practise as much as possible

Best wishes
Rosemary

Hi

Just thought of a few more ladies: there is Zoe McCulloch though she plays less Shads now; Matilda in France (I have a CD from Leos Den of her); and there is a lady in the Exeter club (also a teacher) who we heard at the preliminary social meeting before a Shadowmania.

They do get around if you look!

Richard

Hi
We have a great lady rhythm player, Jean, at the Congleton Guitar Club. She knows most of the Shadows songs, and plays in the "Live Backing Band" regularly.