The Painful St. Pat's Day Gig

[Rhomylly]

It's not a good sign when one's St. Patrick's Day gig leaves one craving massive doses of Advil.

 

Some random observations from my afternoon at the First Annual St. Patrick's Day celebration as organized by the Cultural Affairs Committee in my out-in-the-middle-of-hell New Mexico town:

 

*The new Catholic priest in town does know how to pronounce Samhain correctly. On the other hand, the Druids worshipped trees.

 

*The step dancers were quite good, the older the better (age range: 7ish to 17ish.). I was most impressed with the older ones.

 

*The gentleman who first called me and got me mixed up in this event really, I thought, piled on the suck-up a little thick over the phone: "oh, you're sooo good! You're a REAL musician" etc etc. Turns out he was only telling the truth. Which leads to...

 

*<b>Very bad</b> faux Irish music sung very loudly and very off-key. I have seven words, and I am not kidding: "Grandma got run over by a leprechaun." Followed by that Irish standard, "The Unicorn Song."

 

I am now sitting here at my lovely, lovely, home, waiting for the 4 Advil I took to kick in. I'm thinking about applying some alcohol later. There's already a Hornsby's in the fridge.

 

In the meantime, I am here looking for tea and sympathy

 

Just shoot me if I ever do this here again. Just shoot me. It will feel better.

 

At least my concertina playing was pretty good...

[Dave Prebble]

It's not a good sign when one's St. Patrick's Day gig leaves one craving massive doses of Advil.

 

Some random observations from my afternoon at the First Annual St. Patrick's Day celebration as organized by the Cultural Affairs Committee in my out-in-the-middle-of-hell New Mexico town:

 

*The new Catholic priest in town does know how to pronounce Samhain correctly. On the other hand, the Druids worshipped trees.

 

*The step dancers were quite good, the older the better (age range: 7ish to 17ish.). I was most impressed with the older ones.

 

*The gentleman who first called me and got me mixed up in this event really, I thought, piled on the suck-up a little thick over the phone: "oh, you're sooo good! You're a REAL musician" etc etc. Turns out he was only telling the truth. Which leads to...

 

*<b>Very bad</b> faux Irish music sung very loudly and very off-key. I have seven words, and I am not kidding: "Grandma got run over by a leprechaun." Followed by that Irish standard, "The Unicorn Song."

 

I am now sitting here at my lovely, lovely, home, waiting for the 4 Advil I took to kick in. I'm thinking about applying some alcohol later. There's already a Hornsby's in the fridge.

 

In the meantime, I am here looking for tea and sympathy

 

Just shoot me if I ever do this here again. Just shoot me. It will feel better.

 

At least my concertina playing was pretty good...

 

Aint all bad - The Irish beat Pakistan at cricket )

 

Dave

Edited March 18, 2007 by Dave Prebble

[Mark Evans]

Dear Rhomylly,

 

My heartfelt condolence. Just got home from my first St. Paddy's gig in 24 years. In this case it was a mistake to help a friend and I knew full well it would be. I too was treated to many of the same songs and unfortunately a local lad who sees himself as the next Frank Patterson kept coming up and asking us to back him up,,, . Good enough voice but The Freakin' Unicorn song. There he'd go an' almost start. Each time I'd have to ask, "what key" an then honk him a chord so we'd have half a chance at being in the same universe.

 

Advil? For my pain there is this bottle of 12 year old Glenlivet that is whispering to me now as I write. Just a wee dram and off to bed. The mandolin player and I cleaned our ears on the ride home with a good dose of the Bothy Band at full howl.

 

Tomorrow this will all seem a bad dream as I go spend an afternoon with the horses.

Edited March 18, 2007 by Mark Evans

[catty]

Funny. But...not to be unsympathetic.

 

Myself, I had quite an enjoyable day playing drums with a group of elderly musicians at the senior center St. Patty's Day dance. I always prefer to handle the bass or drums myself if I'm unsure of the rhythm section. If there's one thing I can't -- and usually don't -- tolerate is bad time.

 

We only did a few Irish numbers, so there was no "unicorn song."

 

However, working with this group had its challenges: it takes a little while for the name and key of each tune to saunter around the stage, long enough for all of the folks -- some of whom don't hear very well -- to assimilate it before commencing the number. And I had to 'spot' the bass player, who was intent on handling his own amp, as he nearly fell from the two-foot stage whilst moving his gear. And there was a tambourine player -- a graceful little lady about 75 years old. And another who moved onto the stage, grabbed a mic and attempted to sing a heartfelt number with some of the band -- but I noticed it didn't really succeed in a number of ways. She appeared intoxicated, but as I write this I suspect she was probably either senile, overcome with emotion, or both.

 

Anyway, it was a great day. Still, I'm drinking..

[Mikefule]

Nottingham, England: the main road into town is blocked by a massive St. Patrick's Day parade. The parade is led by a truck with bad music blaring out of speaker horns mounted above the cab. Behind the truck are various walkers mainly wearing large furry hats shaped like pints of Guinness. Some of the people are dressed as leprechauns. There are tricolours everywhere, most marked with the Guinness logo.

 

Behind the walkers is a marching band playing a very basic 3 chord trick like the demonstration mode of an early Bontempi. Behind them is another truck, then a marching band, of which only two snare drums are playing, then more leprechauns in Guinness hats. A lady asks me if I'd like to buy a shamrock. Do I look like I'd like to buy a shamrock?

 

In the market square, there are Guinness hats as far as the eye can see. I never knew this small east midlands city had such a massive Irish community - even though I used to be a regular at the local Comhaltas.

 

Bad Oirish music is playing - the most distinctive part of it is the heavy "dum, , dum, , dum, , dum" bass that you get in bad country and western music. To me, Irish traditional music is melody melody melody, not bass and chords.

 

Nottingham's take on Irish tradition is that it is mainly girls dressed as slightly tarty leprechauns, advertising a famous Irish brand of stout, and listening to country and wester with added diddly diddly, and lyrics about goats.

 

It's too late to organise it now, but next year I might just organise a St. George's Day parade in Dublin. We can wear furry Old Peculier hats, the girls can dress as slightly tarty Cornish pixies, and we can play "In an English Country Garden" in a Nashville style. I might even ask people if they want to buy roses.

[d.elliott]

I played 'star of county down', just for my own amusement and in recognition of the day, and it started to sleet and snow! So I stopped, it didn't, and this morning its worse.

 

Dave

[Animaterra]

In the meantime, I am here looking for tea and sympathy

 

Oh, you poor darling! Here, I've got some excellent Taylor's of Harrogate Irish Breakfast! Really- that's what I've been sipping as I read your sad lament.

 

I concluded some time back that March 17th was the one night of the year to avoid anything claiming to be Irish music.

 

I had an amazing night last night seeing and hearing Gary Sredzienski, Accordion Warrior: http://www.garysred.com/

He plays amazing PA, and did throw in a few Irish reels, but he plays music from all over the world. (Wish we could get him to the NE Squeeze-In!)

 

 

I hope you feel better today!

[Greg Jowaisas]

I certainly would have accepted a high paying gig in a noisy psuedo Irish pub for St. Patrick's Day but as a solo musician I did not have to contemplate running that gauntlet.

 

Instead I did a presentation at a local Catholic high school on "Irish Americans: An Immigrants' Tale".

This included information on the Ulster Plantation, James and the Jacobites, disenfranchisement of the Presbytiers and subsequent migration to America and the Appalachians. Next came the rise of the Ulster Irish in America culminating with the election of Andrew Jackson. Along the way examples and contrast of jigs, strathpeys and reels with Old-time American music. That part of the program finished with showing the progression from Irish tune Lucy Campbell to Jimmy Driftwood's"The Battle of New Orleans".

 

The second part of the program dealt with Cromewell in Ireland, the penal laws, hedge schools, early Catholic Irish immigration, American predjudice and bigotry, The Great Famine, The American Civil War and Irish conscription. Along the way "No Irish Need Apply", "Paddy Works upon the Railway", "Lakes of the Ponchatrain", "Mrs. McGrath" and "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" got sung along with some playing of jigs, reels and hornpipes.

 

Only a few early morning students fell asleep. The History and English teachers were greatfull and a number of students were intrigued enough to linger after the bell and ask questions about the instruments.

 

I offer the above experience as a possible alternative to the noisy cliche bar gigs we all endure. Of course if the money is right... I can do "Danny Boy" and "McNamara's Band" with the best of them!

 

Pass the Advil,

 

Greg

[Mark Evans]

Sounds like a very nice program Greg. I'd love to hear it one day.

 

Danny Boy....well we had actually worked up a good little version and at the opening bars our lad jumped up and invited himself to sing it. We had to stop and drop the key by several steps and of course he rammed us through several verses without allowing the little breaks that held interest for us. Then the tipper at the end is not even a glance in our direction as a thank you. Most singers we have played for at sessions have been grateful that we joined in and thanked us afterward (sometimes with a round of libations that can go a long way to erase the pain caused by out of tune singin' .

 

No more Knights of C gigs for me. Did I mention there was later a "Frank Sinatra" singing to a sound track before I could make for the door? It felt like being trapped in a John Waters movie that has found it's way into the Twilight Zone .

[Rhomylly]

I'm feeling much better today, thanks to some sleep, a nice cold bottle of Hornsby's and some Morris On.

 

Not necessarily in that order.

[John Wild]

In the meantime, I am here looking for tea and sympathy

 

Shouldn't that be guinness and sympathy. If you ever come my way, I will treat you to some of the former. Meanwhile please accept a dose of the latter.

 

Best wishes

 

John

[Stephen Chambers]

Hmmm, the best St. Patrick's Days were the ones we used to have in the Holloway Road, London, locked into a real Irish pub for the afternoon with the likes of Bobby Casey!

 

The ones in Ireland just don't compare, especially not if there's a "Committee" (often pronounced "Commie-tea") involved!!!

 

... next year I might just organise a St. George's Day parade in Dublin. We can wear furry Old Peculier hats, the girls can dress as slightly tarty Cornish pixies, and we can play "In an English Country Garden" in a Nashville style. I might even ask people if they want to buy roses.

Mike,

 

I never went quite that far, but I did used to fly a St. George's Cross on the day and drink some (bottled) real ale, when I was living in Dublin!

[Ken_Coles]

Well, I missed St. Pat's altogether. I was in Houston, Texas all last week for a planetary science meeting. It used to be held in the Johnson Space Center (good fun), but in the years since 9/11 we are exiled to a hotel in a nearby swamp. I stayed over the weekend and got a car to drive myself three hours over to the Cajun prarie region of Louisiana. I was in no fewer than four (count-em) jam and/or dance situations in one 24-hour period: Steve Riley at the Rabbit festival, Saturday morning at Marc Savoy's, the afternoon session at the Jean Lafitte center, and finally the live Saturday-night broadcast show at the Liberty Theater in Eunice. I was sans accordion and dance partners, so I just listened and sang along, but had a great time. Just got home, and am tempted to practice my accordion and not my concertina all this week! (Anyway, the fiddle class I signed up for in Pittsburgh didn't get enough students, so I am not restarting fiddle this week. Except maybe for Cajun music!)

 

I do Irish tunes and drink Guinness all the rest of the year, it'll turn out OK in the end.

 

Ken

[geoffwright]

St Paddys in Darlington was a temptation and a half - I have forgone alcohol for Lent and ended up at a gig with a beer festival (there was stout and porter on).

Two little leprechauns were playing in the bar so I joined them for an hour then went to play my gigs - two ceilidhs for English people. The band started up for the evening dance and half the audience walked out (again) - they were in the wrong room and wanted to hear Jez Lowe.

We played a few Irish tunes and it was all very sensible (for a change).

[JimLucas]

*Very bad faux Irish music sung very loudly and very off-key. I have seven words, and I am not kidding: "Grandma got run over by a leprechaun." Followed by that Irish standard, "The Unicorn Song."

I've always wondered how out of all the songs, Irish and otherwise, done by Irish (and "Irish") groups, The Unicorn Song came to be considered stereotypically Irish.

 

It's too late to organise it now, but next year I might just organise a St. George's Day parade in Dublin. We can wear furry Old Peculier hats, the girls can dress as slightly tarty Cornish pixies, and we can play "In an English Country Garden" ....

As in, "What do you do if you can't find a loo in an English country garden?"?

 

 

Danny Boy....

A beautiful song, actually. A shame it's been murdered more times than all the deaths in both World Wars. I remember once walking out into a parking lot after a good Irish concert, talking music with a new acquaintance. She said she liked "Danny Boy", and I risked saying that if she could sing it, I'd do a harmony. Not the stereotype at all, she sang it like a ballad, clearly and sweetly, and adding the harmony was easy. It was magical!

 

I offer the above experience as a possible alternative to the noisy cliche bar gigs we all endure. Of course if the money is right... I can do "Danny Boy" and "McNamara's Band" with the best of them!

It would take a lot of money to get me to do a bar gig these days.

 

I've done my share, in bars and elsewhere. Some good, some bad or worse, and at least one downright scary. (The music was good, but we didn't get our promised free beer because the crowd was so packed that they were unable to get it through them from the bar. No back door, and I was praying there wouldn't be a fire!)

 

I can deal with obnoxious "patrons" who think it's their show, or even that I'm their personal jukebox or karaoke machine. But the cigarette smoke is more than I'm willing to suffer, at least as I've encountered it in Irish pubs here in Denmark. (So thick you don't "cut it with a knife". You need a chain saw!)

 

Partly for that reason, and partly because I've been so terribly busy lately that three days in advance is a "long term" commitment, I didn't even try to find gigs for this year's St. Pat's Day. But at Pub Ro (which translates as "Pub Row", and is right on the water) in Helsingborg, Sweden, they shifted the monthly Irish session from Thursday to St. Pat's Saturday, so I went (a 20-minute ferry ride, with a short walk on each end).

 

And it was just that, a session. There weren't even special decorations. There were a couple of new faces, and a few of the regulars were elsewhere (unfortunately including two high-school girls who both play fiddle and also sing in harmony). We did a higher proportion of songs than usual. We did do Whiskey in the Jar and Wild Rover, though not Danny Boy. And quite a few songs that I haven't heard the Dubliners do.

 

One "member of the audience" near me kept insisting that it couldn't really be St. Patrick's Day unless we did many repetitions of Whiskey in the Jar. I pointed out that we disagreed. He didn't relent, but neither did we, and since he didn't get pugnacious, there were no real problems. (And we did it only the once.)

 

As usual, we also did a few Swedish tunes. And I sang Bottle of the Best, in praise of Scottish single malt whiskey, raising my glass of Bowmore at the appropriate point as I sang the line, "I'll no touch Teacher's, Grant's, nor Haig; give me Bowmore or Laphroaig."

 

Spirited but not overly intense, it was a lovely time. My only regret is that two of my friends -- one Swedish, one Danish -- were doing non-Irish concerts with their own groups at other locations, and I can only be in one place at a time. Well, a life without choices would be very boring, and I do hope I'll get to hear those groups at other times.

[spindizzy]

*Very bad faux Irish music sung very loudly and very off-key. I have seven words, and I am not kidding: "Grandma got run over by a leprechaun." Followed by that Irish standard, "The Unicorn Song."

I've always wondered how out of all the songs, Irish and otherwise, done by Irish (and "Irish") groups, The Unicorn Song came to be considered stereotypically Irish.

 

Hmmm... I've never heard of "the Unicorn Song" - should i think myself lucky?

Is it a USA thing?

 

Chris

[Mark Evans]

Hmmm... I've never heard of "the Unicorn Song" - should i think myself lucky?

Is it a USA thing?

 

Chris

 

I can't speak to its origin Chris, but my first memory of hearing it, there were a number of young men singing all wearing fisherman sweaters (one playing a long neck banjo) with irish accents. Ed Sullivan Show...I think.

 

It took root here and how !

 

20+ years ago when someone on the job site would ask me what kind of music I played, I would answer "Irish." When the alarmed look crossed their faces I would quickly follow up with, "oh, not the 'silly, silly unicorn' type, traditional music." Their faces showed relief. It puzzles me, but I think no one likes that stuff except on St. Paddy's Day in the states when they all loose their minds and swill plastic cups full of green colored beer .

[JimLucas]

Hmmm... I've never heard of "the Unicorn Song" - should i think myself lucky?

Is it a USA thing?

I don't think so. I've heard it sung at Irish pubs -- at least those who advertise their Irishness -- here in Denmark.

 

I can't speak to its origin Chris, but my first memory of hearing it, there were a number of young men singing all wearing fisherman sweaters (one playing a long neck banjo) with irish accents. Ed Sullivan Show...I think.

A quick (and long overdue) bit of Googling led me here. Shel Silverstein? I never woulda guessed!

 

And the group was The Irish Rovers.

 

Maybe lots of others have recorded it by now, but I haven't yet found evidence that either The Clancy Brothers or The Dubliners have done so. I'm not even going to bother looking for it under Planxty or The Chieftains. To find that either of them had done it would be as scary as it would be surprising.

 

I think it's actually a nice song, which unfortunately has been overdone and abused (like Danny Boy) until folks with taste are royally sick of it. But I suspect it was originally written for children (like a number of other things Shel wrote), and the only thing "Irish" about it seems to be that it was popularized by a group that was professionally both "Irish" and "folk".