Leigh Delamere and the Gordanos

Leigh Delamere & the Gordanos offer an upright-piano mangling barrelhouse banjo homage to the greats of rhythm’n’blues, garage rock, boogie woogie and ragtime in an old-timey skiffle party style.

Travelling with Professor Delamere’s famous pop-up-upright piano, they will guide you on a surreal road trip from New Orleans to Chicago via Paris and Penryn, picking up the occasional folk, gypsy, rock’n’roll or even self-penned tune along the way and shining a musty old light on it.  They have a repertoire suitable for all occasions, including songs by Tom Waits, Motorhead, The Beatles, Lonnie Donegan, Happy Mondays and Kraftwerk.

Leigh Delamere has toured the world tickling the ivories and pumping the bellows for Bash Street and Rogue theatres; the band have appeared in various guises at Glastonbury, Port Eliot,  Great Estate, Boardmasters, Masked Ball, Bath Fringe, Small World and Big Session festivals and have appeared at palaces, museums and stately homes across the country.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!

Leigh Delamere is now back in business and taking bookings for 2025, contact delamereleigh@gmail.com

Here are some comments from previous engagements.

Leigh Delamere and The Gordanos’ played our wedding on Saturday and they were toe tapping body twitching awesome. Us and our guests literally couldn’t keep still and were up dancing all night. We didn’t want it to end!! if you want your guests to have fun then these are your guys. Thank you so so much.

Leigh Delamere played solo piano and some accordion and vocals at our wedding a couple of weeks ago and was absolutely brilliant – we’ve had so many comments from our guests about his music! It was perfect both for background piano as people were arriving with welcome drinks, and then later on a bit of a livelier set to start the evening off. Absolutely perfect, we’re so pleased we booked him and thoroughly recommend that you do too!

The band played our wedding in South London and they were fantastic! Everyone was asking how we found such a great act, and the dancefloor was packed the whole time! Plus the acoustic music earlier in the day, they really made the whole event. So much more character than any other band we came across, massive thanks!

You guys were incredible! You created the most electric atmosphere, kept everyone upbeat and just nailed our two requested songs! Finding you guys was the luckiest thing that could have happened as the day just wouldn’t have been the same without you all there!  Thank you, we are beyond grateful, and thank you for getting wet for us ! Everyone is raving about you, you are truly talented!

You guys were so brilliant last night- everyone last night and today kept saying how fantastic you were. You really helped make the day extra special, and thank you for keeping things going for longer than planned at the village hall pre DJ. We all had so much fun and couldn’t stop dancing. If anyone is in need of a wedding band in future, I’ll be sure to send them your way

We just wanted to say a big thank you for your performance on Saturday at our party. It certainly fitted with the ethos of the evening which was ‘something a bit different’. Everyone commented on how much they enjoyed what you did – it was brilliant and great fun.

Thank you for doing such a brilliant job at our wedding at Trevenna in September. We absolutely loved the whole weekend and your band helped make the celebrations what we hoped they would be. The band was absolutely excellent and everyone said how much they enjoyed your music and the very energetic dancing!

This sounds amazing, how would one go about booking this band?

Write to delamereleigh@gmail.com and we will get back to you with a quote.

We require a specific song for our wedding, can you accommodate our request?

Yes indeed, bespoke, to order.  We will attempt any material, and have in the past been asked to upcycle songs by Nick Cave, Led Zeppelin, Flaming Lips, Dean Martin, Andy Williams, Black Flag, Billy Bragg and even a number from ‘Bugsy Malone’.  We include our own distinctive stylings and flourishes at no extra cost.

Where are you able to perform?

We are based in Falmouth, and so usually take bookings in Cornwall and Devon, however we do, on occasion, venture beyond the West Country – state your case in writing and we will provide a quote.

Can you perform outdoors?

Indeed we can.   Ideal for woodlands and pastures.

What is the ‘pop-up piano’?

Being something of a boffin as well as a musician, Leigh Delamere has designed and built his own pop-up-upright piano.  Often imitated, but never matched, this construction has withstood the close scrutiny of many bitter rival pianists, and utilises the latest digital technology combined with vintage DIY plywood work.  After years of touring with the Gordanos, Rogue Theatre and the Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, this much-loved piece of rock’n’roll furniture certainly looks the part – adding to the sense of occasion before even a note is played.

Can you play some music at my actual wedding ceremony?

Certainly.  We have plenty of experience of this, you will be in safe hands.  We will behave with appropriate decorum and provide the right music at the right time – whether it is a piano led singalong of ‘I’m a believer’, or a wistful accordion tune from the film ‘Amelie’, we can soundtrack that special moment with style.

How long are your sets?

A ‘standard’ booking would typically be 2 sets of around 50 minutes each, but we can provide a lot more if required – although as you will appreciate when you experience the high energy of our performance, we do ask for regular breaks to recuperate.

Are you in any way connected with or endorsed by the Motorway services of the same name?

No.  We have, whilst passing on our many travels, attempted to squeeze a free coffee out of them in return for our improvement of their brand, but to no avail.

Are you in any way connected with or endorsed by ‘Julian Gaskell & his Ragged Trousered Philanthropists’?

Yes, in fact ‘Julian Gaskell’ is a side-hustle operated by Leigh Delamere.

Want a wedding band in Cornwall or Devon?  Want to hear some familiar songs but avoid the cheese?  Want to try to sneak some Motörhead, Nick Cave or Black Flag tunes in without the new in-laws realising?

You have come to the right place!  We specialise in boogie-woogie, skiffle and rock’n’roll that will fill your wedding reception dancefloor and gypsy jazz, tangos, klezmer and bluegrass that will set a friendly, informal atmosphere while you enjoy a drink and a chat.   Also, being vaguely aware that we live in the 21st century, we will drag some slightly more modern tunes kicking and screaming into our old-timey world.

We can provide anything from unobtrusive instrumental background music to a transformation of your venue into a rowdy 1930’s speakeasy – we do special all-day deals (acoustic trio outside in the afternoon followed by full band dance in the evening).  To check availability and get a quote contact delamereleigh@gmail.com.