Home Future UK Gigs Curriculum Vitae Albums Hear Velvet Fist Links Contact Velvet Fist Sign our Guestbook View our Guestbook Tell your friends about our site by clicking this button:

Curriculum Vitae Velvet Fist began its life as Artery Choir in 1984 as female and male voices. Our roots stem from the international struggle for socialism, trade union representation and the peace movement. In 1986 we became a group of a cappella singers with Graham Knight as our musical director and officially changed our name in 1990 to Velvet Fist. Velvet Fist highlights are: Tony Benn's 70th Birthday party, House of Commons Our arrangement of The Red Flag on BBC Radio 4 Levellers Day, Burford Hague Appeal for Peace, London Support to Holly Near at Raise Your Banners '99 Our gigs since 1991 have included: 1991 9th National street Music Festival: Hackney Book launch: 'The Story of Gardening' by Martin Hoyles NAPO AGM: Llandudno Musicians Against Nuclear Arms (MANA): St James's, Piccadilly 1992 10th National street Music Festival: Sheffield Reading Miners Benefit with Tony Benn VF Featured on album 'Undefeated' 1993 National Union of Teachers AGM Memorial Service for Oliver Tambo: St James's, Piccadilly, with the ANC Choir Inauguration of the Mayor of Islington 11th National Street Music Festival: Caerdydd Book launch for Leon Rosselson 1994 International Co-op Day: Battersea Park 12th National Street Music Festival: Leeds SOLFEST: Morning Star, Hackney Empire Mordechai Vanunu Benefit: Jackson's Lane OXFAM World fair: Conway Hall, London 1995 13th National Street Music Festival: Stroud House of Commons: Tony Benn's 70th Raise Your Banners: Sheffield 81st Burston Strike School Rally: Norfolk 1996 14th National Street Festival: Notts Older Feminist Network 100th : London Cuba Solidarity: Hackney Empire CND World Court Project: London Women Against Violence Conference: Brighton Conference Centre 1997 Democratic Left, London 15th National Street Festival: Lancs Raise Your Banners, Sheffield Labour Party, Battersea International Women's Day Celebration, London NAC, London MSF conference, Brighton Women's Health AGM, London 1998 The Red Flag for BBC Radio 4, London Vannunu Benefit, London Velvet Fist CD Launch, London Levellers Day, Burford National Peace Council, London 16th National Street Festival: Leicester 1999 Levellers Day, Burford Hague Appeal for Peace, London Communist Party of Britain, Dalston 17th National Street Music Festival, Bradford Raise Your Banners, Sheffield Mordechai Vanunu, Conway Hall London Green Party benefit, S. London Older Feminist Network Xmas Party, London Chelmsford TUC, Chelmsford Joint gig with London Gay Men's Chorus, Croydon 2000 Appeared on BBC2 Body Chemistry Series International Women's Day, London Musicians Against Nuclear Arms, Brighton 18th National Street Music Festival, Manchester Onion Shed Theatre with Lizzie Shirley, London 2001 Coop anniversary, Conway Hall Because I Sing, Roundhouse Cuba Solidarity, TUC Wortley Hall Golden Jubilee 18th Street Music Festival, Nottingham Raise Your Banners, Sheffield 2002 19th Street Music Festival, Hebden Bridge 88th Burston Strike School Rally: Norfolk Firefighters Benefit 2003 Book Launch: 'Mighty Lewd Books: The Development of Pornography in Eighteenth-Century England' by Julie Peakman Brent Stop the War campaign