About Us

back in the old days....

Sarah Coxson encounters the Indestructible Testcard

Reproduced from fRoots Magazine, 1996

Kwela was the first commercial musical phenomenon of apartheid stricken South Africa. The sprightly, upbeat penny whistle became a township craze after the release of a film in 1950 called the Magic Garden, featuring a young boy playing American swing and boogie woogie on penny-whistle. It even had international effect. The 1954 hit recording of Tom Hark by Elias & his Zig-Zag Jive Flutes (or a host of alternative personas) is surely familiar to most.

The penny whistle craze slowly progressed to the harder, more driving township jive, as players picked up saxophones and electric instruments and ultimately created mbaqanga, as we know it today. The whistle stars of the day were Spokes Mishiyani, Lemmy 'Special' Mabaso and West Nkosi who died a short while ago (Mathalini's record producer amongst many fortes). Kwela was very much the music of an era..like, say, skiffle or Alma Cogan..

Well, it's summer 1996, it's South London and the band Positively Testcard, headed by Billy Bragg's regular trumpeter Dave Woodhead, are an enthused and gigging kwela quartet. Andy Kershaw has broadcast the band in session several times and their vivacious little debut 5 track CD is out now. It's called, of course, the Indestructible Beat of South Norwood.
"The way Kershaw talks about it, it's as if there's a South London kwela scene going on - posses of whistle gangs battling it out on street corners and frantic cutting sessions being broken up by the police."

In reality, being a kwela band in South London presents slight logistical problems in convincing promoters to book them.
"Once people hear it you're fine. It's just trying to tell a booker you're from South London playing 1950's South African whistle music. There's not a niche that we easily fit into."
As far as Dave is aware they are the only band they know of playing kwela, but he'd welcome the opportunity to test his whistling clout with his posse on those street corners. Forget the saleability factor, he's a diehard fan.
"The whole thing started out of fandom really. Every now and then you come across a South African compilation that features a couple of whistle tunes. You never find whole albums of them. It just sounds so good and fresh..and empty. Just bass, a little bit of rhythm and whistle soaring over the top. It's so sparkly, jumpy and jiggy."

The project started out about four years ago with Dave Woodhead just trying out tunes with his mate Adam Keelan (guitar). They were joined by Chris Morgan (string bass) once they decided to get a band together, and later by Mario Guarnieri (drums). Whilst other work and family commitments might make the project somewhat occasional, it doesn't dampen enthusiasm for their music.
"When we got together, there was no whistle in the line up. I'd started playing one of these tunes on the trumpet because I loved it. And then I just picked up a penny whistle and learned it properly. It started out that I'd just put in a penny whistle set because playing the trumpet for an hour and a half was very knackering on the lips. I'd try to break it up by playing a penny whistle, which is completely effortless. I suppose it's a bit of laziness, really. These people that go and play trumpet for two hours at a time are taking it really seriously. They probably do press ups on their lips on their nights off."

Kwela is seemingly quite a technically difficult musical idiom. Apparently the wailing tone which is prevalent makes it a very different form from jazz playing.
"The bent notes and wailingness of it is tricky. You just pick it up from the spirit of the thing, and you know when to wail on a seventh, bend thirds up and fifths down. Once you find out what the tricks of playing the music are you play them for all they're worth!"
"Every now and then we do weddings. It's very listenable for all that. All the 50 and 60 year olds like it too. All Elias and His Zag Zag Jive fans of old."

However, despite early devouring of tunes by Spokes Mishiyani and Lemmy Mabaso, The Positively Testcard's choice of material has moved on from kwela cover versions only. You can expect anything from I Fought The Law to Soul Limbo (the Booker T/former BBC Cricket theme tune) to S.E. Rogie tunes, and to liven things up for dancing they dabble with ska. However, this does have its drawbacks.

"In some pisshead pubs, we get people falling onto the monitors trying to skank along to a ska-ish tune and they carry on despite the fact we're playing a tune with a different feel. Eventually, they realise..you know, that it's a slow waltz, ladies' choice!!!"
The appeal of the band to the listener is not just the novelty of a rare music form or stupid dancing however. The crispness of the sound and the instrumentation are key elements. Dave Woodhead sets out the formula;
"We've been told it's 'music made for festivals'..not a straight folk band, not a straight dance, but good sounds from the right instruments together played well. It's hard not to make a nice sound. Because of the sound of the instruments, we searched high and low for a string bass player. It presents all sorts of transport problems but I suppose it makes up for me just carrying a bag of whistles!"

ABOUT US

Dave Woodhead
Dave Woodhead has tin and copper running through his veins - hence the fondness for Brasso instead of a pint. A trumpet player, if not by birth, certainly through diligent practice, Dave has added the penny-whistle to his quiver of instruments - leaving the Nation with a slightly equivocal gratitude. Basement Jaxx are among his most recent employers - but other patrons include Billy Bragg, Sid Griffin and any number of dodgy pop bands. Photo: Thanks to Tot

Our Musical Chums
Chris Morgan
Founder member of the band and now pursuing other diverse musical interests including The Repertoire Dogs. His fine playing features on our first two CDs. Photo: Tot

Terry Edwards
Terry plays sax & organ on several numbers on both our full length abums. In-demand sessioneer and live performer, and solo artist with and without sidesmen The Scapegoats. Photo: Lydia Lunch

Simon Humpries Simon is a regular dep for both Adam or Marcel, being able to turn his considerable musical talents to both guitar and bass. Jazz is his first love, but playing with us live shows that he's not proud and can lose his natural inclination to play interesting notes. Photo: Tot

Geraint Watkins
Top piano & organ contributor to Let's Do The Kwela,
Geraint is the legendary Rock and Roll, Boogie and Blues pianist that has given his skills to some of the biggest names in music -- including Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Bill Wyman, Van Morrison, Mark Knopfler, and Paul McCartney. And The Positively Testcard of course.

Caroline Hall
Caroline's played trombone on both of our full length albums, but she's a multi-instrumentalist (bass-clarinet, clarinet, flute, piano, vibraphone, accordion,
percussion). She's at home on the stage as both an actress and a musician. She has worked and recorded with Jools Holland’s Big Band, Billy Bragg, The Happy End, Salsa y Aché, and is a member of the Magic Bullets who provide the music for the Robert Wilson/Tom Waits/
William S Burroughs collaboration The Black Rider.

Mat Fox
Mat works as a session musician, composer and songwriter and teacher. He plays piano, sax and dulcimer and Samba and African drums and sings. He was founder member of The Happy End, The Barely Works and The MusicWorks big band. He has been working as music director for Kinetika projects for the last two years.

Ralph Jordan As well as being what he describes as an "audio butler" to Andy Kershaw (he's been Andy's studio engineer for the past fifteen years), Ralph is a talented player of bizarrely shaped and weirdly tuned instruments and a fine exponent of the McCann Duet Concertina.
Not on the PTC CD's but once a regular live performer with the band, Ralph currently plays with The Fraser Sisters and (up and coming beat combo!) Patterson, Jordan, Dipper

Lucky Ranku
Lucky is one of Africa's greatest guitarists - and he plays on three tracks of Gas up My Hotrod Stoker. He rose to fame with Malombo Jazz in the 60s. He was a long standing member of Julian Bahula's Jabula then a leading member of Dudu Pukwana's Zila, as well as leading his own bands. He has collaborated with the likes of Mike Oldfield, Hugh Masekela, Johnny Dyani, Jonas Gwangwa, Chris McGregor, Louis Moholo, and many more. He can also be heard on the soundtrack of the film "Cry Freedom"

Charlie Hart
Charlie plays the violin for us on Brassica (Rocket 99) on Gas Up My Hotrod Stoker.
As a multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Charlie has experience of world music, cajun, rock, jazz blues and more.

Mario Guarnieri
Suffice it to say he's a dab hand with a brush and not frightened of whacking a stick on a taught skin. He is, of course, a drummer - not a decorator with sado-masochistic tendencies. Life has taken on a new dimension with the arrival of a 'bass' drum, which despite resistance from the Woodhead minimalist school has established itself as a regular piece of luggage in the Guarnieri limo.
Photo: Tot

Marcel Stranis
Bass player Marcel Stranis volunteered his services to the band many moons ago on hearing us during, bizarrely, a gig for the London International Festival of Theatre. His rock and roll lifestyle necessitates a complex system of levers and pullies to ensure his presence not only with the PTC but also with another band at any number of arena sized venues.

Adam Keelan
Adam has been playing the guitar for a while now, and quite frankly ought to be better given the time he's invested in doing so. Unlike country music, which defines itself as "three chords and the truth", Ad's kwela style is reduced to "three chords if you're lucky." The PTC are his first and only love in a performing musical capacity, excluding schoolboy bands. Fans of Gaseous Exchange can safely draw a straight line to the Testcards should they be constructing a Pete-Frame-style family tree.

Home

CDs & Sounds

News & Gigs

Press Kit

Miscellany

Photos

Contact Us!