Chris Conway

Chris Conway (or Christo as he became known amongst filkers) came to filk music accidentally, a professional musician, not knowing he was playing filk.

Influenced by the space songs of Paul Kantner and Country Joe McDonald and by reading sci-fi books, the occasional space or otherworldly reference crept into some of his songs.

He then worked with Toronto filker Jodi Krangle from filk band Urban Tapestry, before being initiated into the UK filk scene at the Triplets Party and invited to play at the 12th UK Filk Convention Didgeridouze, where he also met and guested with Urban Tapestry who appear as guests on his latest CD. CC has played and recorded with Talis Kimberley.

Since then he has attended the the 13th, 14th 15th British Filk Cons Conthirteena, Contabile Fortean, and Quinze. He was a Pegasus Award nominee in 2003. He was honoured to be the UK Guest of Honour at the 2004 16th UK Filk Con where he won a Sam Award for his song "Orbital Filk Recording Studio"

In 2004 Christo attended GaFilk in Georgia USA playing a concert spot and was featured filk guest at Confluence in Pittsburgh, USA He has also and attended a couple of Nycons and Unicons and has played at 2 Eastercon's to the main hall of 800 fen.

A mercurial performer - stylistically his music goes hither and thither from folk, jazz, Celtic, world music, electronic. Instrumentally he flits between guitar, piano, flutes, kalimba and theremin, and subject-wise darts from silly to touching to atmospheric.

He's released a Live ! CD recorded at 2 filk conventions, and Alien Salad Abduction - his first dedicated studio filk CD.

Representative work for the 2006 Pegasus Awards (Note: this song is NOT a Pegasus nominated song this year - it is a representative work for Best Performer and Best Writer/Composer categories):

Alien Salad Abduction

Music & Lyrics Chris Conway
Lyrics posted with permission of the author

mp3 sample

When I was a kid maybe 8 or so
I heard my mama shouting from the floor below
She pointed to the fridge I was in trouble - just a hunch
She said "What happened to the salad that I made for our lunch?"
and I said...

Extra-terrestrials abducted all the vegetables
I know it sounds incredible but anyone can see
That it's all part of their master plan
To take them to their planet and
Create the greatest salads in the galaxy

As a representative of my generation
I won a prize to talk at the United Nations
I walked up to the mike, an expectant hush grew
And I paused...took a deep breath ...and shouted
"Whatcha gonna do about the

Extra terrestrials abducting all the vegetables?
I know it sounds incredible but anyone can see
That it's all part of their masterplan
To take them to their planet and
Create the greatest salads in the galaxy"

Well the first thing I noticed was an eerie light
A starship landing in the middle of the night
I looked out of the window and there running through my hedge
Were 20 green aliens stealing my veg.

I said "Aliens oh aliens please take me with you
I want to learn to make salad like the aliens do
I'll help you with the chopping up' I'll bring my own knife"
They said - "No we only take away intelligent life"
Said the...

Extra terrestrials abducting MY vegetables
I know it sounds incredible but anyone can see
That it's all part of their masterplan
To take them to their planet and
Create the greatest salads in the galaxy

So they turned me to an alien and taught me their ways
With Thousand Planet Dressing and Arcturan mayonaise
We'll take over the universe but not by the sword
We'll fight them on the buffets and the smorgasbords!!

We've really done our research and we've got our own style
We'll infiltrate your planet with a salad and a smile
With outlets openning all over the place
Next time you have a salad it could come from outer space!!!
From the

Extra terrestrials abducting all the vegetables
I know it sounds incredible but anyone can see
That it's all part of their masterplan
To take them to their planet and
Create the greatest salads in the galaxy