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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
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Trev
Lokahi
United Kingdom
265 Posts |
 Posted - 03/17/2010 : 04:05:46 AM
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Thanks Wanda, much appreciated. We don’t have green beer, or anything like that, where I live, mind.
It used to be one of my favourite days of the year. There’ve always been Irish communities where I’ve lived, and it was a day where you could go and see people you knew from school, and their families, who you hadn’t seen for ages and they’d all be out having a drink and a sing. Particularly in the bad old days – the days of terrorism - it was the one day where Irish people could forget all about that.
Now though, I think mainly due to the the brewing corporate Diaego realising they can sell lots of Guinness on that day, it’s become a giant corporate bandwagon. The Irish music pubs are packed, not with regulars, but with people you don’t see at any other time of the year. And they’ve no interest in the music, they just shout for the five songs they know. Danny Boy (written by an Englishman), Fields of Athenry (written in the 70s) Wild Rover, Black Velvet Band and ‘Fairytale of New York’. It’s become a bit of a monster. We’ll have been playing jigs and reels for about an hour, and someone’ll tap me on the shoulder. ‘Excuse me, do you know any Irish music?’ ‘Er, yes, we’ve just been playing some for the last hour’. People get into the drinking, and treat the music as a background soundtrack to bellow at each other to. There’s often some unpleasantness.
But y’know, reading about the experiences of my brother and sister musicians from Hawaii and what you call ‘the mainland’, on here and on some other boards, this seems to be a common experience. Most people don’t really respect musicians. You’re like a jukebox to play stuff they know, or you’re there to ‘provide a service’ so they can talk to you like a servant.
Lots of people on here do gigs don’t they? How many people has this happened to? More than a couple I’d wager.
Drunk Person: “Now then! Play Simply the Best/Duelling Banjos/Theme from Shaft/Insert song you don’t know here!” (
Me: “Sorry mate, I don’t know it”
“Oh you do! Go on”
“No, sorry, I don’t know it”
“You must do!” (after all, you’re holding a guitar, so that means you have learnt all the songs in the world).
“I think I know the song you mean, but I don’t know it to play, I’m afraid”
“It goes ‘hyearh de de dum blaarch whaar’” (oh yes, drunk person! Of course I am instantly going to pick it up from your tuneless rendition in the key of ‘beer’)
“No, sorry I don’t know it”
“Well what about Kenny Rogers?”
“No, sorry”
Etc etc etc
I’m going out to play tonight, but to be honest, I’m dreading it!
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2010 : 09:04:05 AM
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| Faith & begorrah! So 'tis. Happy day to you, Auntie dear! Unfortunately, I got jaded toward Irish music back in 1975 when I played bass for the Des Reagan Irish Show Band for 3 weeks at the Union Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas. I last played on the 17th at F.X. McRory's here in Seattle 5 years ago - bass again. By 10:30pm there was 1/4" of beer on the floor of the bar. Didn't help my jadedeness one bit but the $$$ were very good. |
keaka |
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2182 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2010 : 10:51:40 AM
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| Welcome to Oktoberfest! As we are playing "The Chicken Dance", people come up and ask for "The Chicken Dance". "Eidelweiss" (a Broadway song) and "Beer Barrel Polka" (Czech, if I'm not mistaken) round out the cycle. It's great when someone asks for something else. I don't know what we'd do without the transplants from da MidWest (Nort and Sout Dakota, da "H"s are silent) |
Edited by - thumbstruck on 03/17/2010 10:52:19 AM |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2010 : 11:10:23 AM
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| Thank you Dear & Give her Roses - by Hank Haller |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2010 : 6:06:52 PM
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Play for yourself,"The Foggy Dew" and "Odonnel Aboo." At least those who should know, will. And understand.
Unko Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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Top o the Mornin' to Ya
