Rudy Warman and the Heavy Weather – Local Music

Rudy Warman sits cross legged on his carpeted floor in their house in the Creative Quarter of Folkestone. He’s the lead singer of Rudy Warman and the Heavy Weather, although at the moment he’s doing a pretty good job of being quite shy and letting his drummer brother Zenon steal the show.

“Play her something on your guitar!” Zenon commands more than persuades, “Um… I can’t remember anything…” and after a few stumbles, out come renditions of classical guitar pieces that Rudy has taught himself.

His dad, Shane, the third member of the band and the bass player, had many musical instruments hanging around the house when the boys were young. Rudy picked up the guitar one day and fiddled around with it and started to play. Shane realised he had a talent for the instrument, but at 6 years old, his hands couldn’t reach around the stem of the neck to be able to hold the guitar steady enough to play.

Earning the hourly rate of a solicitor

The trio busked in Canterbury, with Rudy sitting on his Dad’s knee, and playing one handed, whilst his dad strummed the notes Rudy was forming. They made some money this way, but it was more effective, to the hourly rate of a solicitor, when Rudy could play by himself. His dad and brother left him to it and observed from the edges of the crowds that formed around the boy.

Creative Foundation Tenants

The boys are Creative Folkestone tenants, living above Tontine Street and joining in with various elements of the town. They gig regularly, and have an international following. Their work has taken them across Europe to play at fans’ weddings; the boys pluck away and sing examples their songs that have been the soundtrack to many people’s Big Days.

When their dad, Shane, walks in, looking very much like the older brother than their father, the stories change to other major events in their lives. The boys are vegans and are great friends with Dr Legumes. Zenon is the photographer for the restaurant and Rudy’s girlfriend works there.

rescuing cows

Shane tells me of the day he met Ruby the cow up on Castle Hill. “We had a connection, she came over to me and smelt me and licked my hand. It was amazing; she was a really lovely animal.” He would regularly walk up on the Hill and Ruby, so named by Shane, would always seek him out when he was there. When, one day, the cows had gone, Shane wanted to know what the fate of the animals on Castle Hill would be, and tracked down the farmer. The cows had been sold off at auction. Shane decided that with the help of Rudy and Zenon, he would save Ruby from her fateful journey through the meat industry process.

The band crowd-funded to get enough money to buy her back from her new owner, and she now resides in The Retreat Animal Sanctuary in High Holden, Kent. They make regular visits, and continue to raise money for the rescue animals there.

The lads write, play, film and edit all of their own songs. They are homemade, in Folkestone.

Songs:

Rudy Warman and the Heavy Weather – Sweet – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLo9sFlaVXY
Rudy Warman and the Heavy Weather – Hummingbird – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKltIPkdPd4&feature=youtu.be