You may or may not know local band The Bartells. Formed in 2014, they have not given up during lockdown despite the impact it has had on the entertainment industry. We had a catch up with Jonny to find out what they’ve been up to and what’s in the pipeline for 2021.
So, who are they? Jonny owns Oswestry coffee shop Milano’s and plays the guitar and piano, sings and loves the technical side of things like recording. Darren who works for the Little Food Company, writes lyrics and is the bass player in the band. Alfie, a fruit and veg merchant, plays guitar and the piano and sings. Civil Engineer, Rob, is the drummer and also sings. Quite a diverse group of guys but they all have the love of music in common.
It’s a simple story of how they came together, involving a charity gig at the Lion Quays hotel. Darren, Jonny and Alfie originally formed the group with Rob joining later on.
The Bartells, made up of the four members who all live locally, love playing live music to their supporters and can’t wait to get back into the pubs and festivals for the back end of 2021. Members Jonny, Darren, Alfie and Rob, all work locally and write and play their music in their spare time. During the past 12 months, the band have been incredibly resilient and recorded their latest single, 1972 and recently released this for purchase on 29th January. The band were able to record the single at the Liverpool Motor Museum just before lockdown measures returned last year. The songs they create are collectively written by the band including the latest single. The writing process can take hours or even weeks to create the perfect lyrics.
Sadly, the last gig The Bartells were able to play was at The Tankard in Oswestry, back on 14th March 2020, before lockdown one came into force. They usually play gigs locally at pubs, festivals and even weddings. The good news is, they have some weddings booked for 2022 and 3 upcoming gigs booked in for later on this year. To find out where they are playing, check their Facebook page for the latest details.
Jonny said, “Our supporters are mainly local and we love playing for them. We don’t like to charge for tickets to the gigs as we’re big on supporting local. So, if people want to come to the pub to watch us that’s amazing. And if our supporters buy drinks during the evening, that in turn supports the venue which is great. We’re just ready now to get playing again and support venues the best we can.
“If any local pubs or venues want some live music, or upcoming festivals need a band, we would love to help. We expect a lot of outdoor events this year due to the Covid rules, but we don’t mind and will do what we can to play.”
The band also love a charity gig and currently Alfie and Rob have been training for the London Marathon, fundraising for their chosen charities. Although lockdown has interrupted their training, they are booked back in for the 2022 race and as soon as possible, will start fundraising again.
So, keep your eyes and ears out for more news about the upcoming gigs once lockdown has been lifted and pay them a visit at a local venue.
To purchase the latest single, find 1972 by The Bartells on Spotify, iTunes, SoundCloud.
For booking enquiries or to contact the band via their Facebook page, The Bartells.
Jonny Milano, Alfie Edwards (bowler hat), Rob Evans (shirt and tie), Darren Edwards (glasses)
Darren Edwards (bass), Rob Evans (drums), Alfie Edwards (vocals), Jonny Milano (guitar).
