The Old Time Wasters group consists of Steve Blake \u2013 violin, banjo, vocals, Ben McManus \u2013 banjo, violin, vocals and Andrea Ramirez Ruiz \u2013 guitar, vocals<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After many enjoyable musical sessions at the Fire In The Mountain festival and during music workshops in Wales, Steve had an epiphany: he didn't want to perform alone on stage. And so the band was born. The group mainly plays upbeat tunes and fiddle music typical of the 1920s and 30s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Steve is a well-known musician on the British scene. He played in a former lineup of the Old Time Wasters as well as with the country music group Cut A Shine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is an instructor each year at the Music In The Mountain workshop and gives private lessons in violin and banjo. He also offers online lessons on Patreon. He is also an award-winning musical director, composer, and performer, collaborating with the dance-theatre companies The Cholmondeleys and The Featherstonehaughs. He also accompanies dancers at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. He previously joined the Herbe Bleue team as a guest banjo player for square dances in 2023 and 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Based in the West Welsh countryside, Ben is a talented banjo player, guitarist, and fiddler. Having lived in Virginia, where he was immersed in Old Time music, Ben focuses on the clawhammer banjo and the two-finger style, competing in Old Time music competitions from the Appalachian Mountains to the Clifftop and Galax festivals. Ben has also released solo albums, runs a music venue, and hosts an Old Time session in Aberystwyth. He can be found at folk festivals throughout the UK, always on the lookout for new melodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andrea is a jazz guitarist and singer whose deep affection for Old Time music has been the rhythm of her life in recent years. Originally from Spain and now based in Berlin, she honed her craft in the "Toolbox Orchestra," an all-female group performing African-American music from the 1920s and 30s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Previous concerts by the group include: Gainsborough Old Time Festival (UK), Fire In The Mountain (Wales), Sweet Sunny South (UK) and Goren Festival (UK).<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Le groupe Old Time Wasters est compos\u00e9 de Steve Blake – violon, banjo, chant, Ben McManus – banjo, violon, chant et Andrea Ramirez Ruiz – guitare, chant Apr\u00e8s de nombreuses et joyeuses sessions musicales au festival Fire In The Mountain et lors de stages musicaux au Pays de Galles, Steve a eu une r\u00e9v\u00e9lation : […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2239144,"featured_media":25837829,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[6466,6687,6482],"tags":[6697,6692],"dipi_cpt_category":[],"class_list":["post-25837825","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-programme","category-in-2026","category-mise-en-avant","tag-6697","tag-samedi-8-aout-2026"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n