Did anyone feel that the sessions were noisier and more boisterous than in other years, in some instances just being only 3 - 4 feet away you could not hear the person playing? This year, I noticed mini-buses regularly ferrying large groups who were already worse for wear around the main locations hosting music/sessions; nothing wrong with this, but on number of occasions I nearly had the instrument knock out of my hands when in the process of playing a set of tunes when they wanted to take a short cut and go straight through the session. The reason behind this was total intoxication to a point where the offenders were incapable of reason, requesting to pass or offering an apology – after playing at festivals/sessions for the last 30-years this was the worst I’d come across.
Geoffwright, I'd be tempted to follow your advice, particularly if I'd traveled all the way from Amerikay to enjoy the week.
I would think this seriously detracts from the enjoyment of what sounds like a wonderful week (as yet, I can only imagine it!). I don't know a thing about the organization/administration of what must be this massive event. But it seems to me that this is a big enough of a barrier to the spirit of it all that it should be mentioned to the WC Week powers.
I really don't think that these problems are the domain of the organisers, do you really think that three men are going to spend the week being the trad police? Ireland's going through a period of change in which the melted tv brains of the majority don't recognise the irish accent any more and can only become excited and respectfully quiet when they hear the theme tunes of their fave US soaps
Maryp, I agree to what you are saying, Ireland has gone through large transition on all levels and consideration is one of them – But no one is expecting any type of session policing, and it was not suggested as these sessions are not part of the organised event and are therefore not the responsibility of the organisers; however, session etiquette did take a bit of a battering and I was not the only musician who encountered problems.
What I feel inappropriate behaviour is people barging through the session, falling over musicians when too inebriated to stand up straight or to dance and land on top of some one playing through an impaired balance generated by too many pints of Liffy Water.
Not the first time there’s been a bit of bother around Miltown:
e.g. In 1799:
"It was becoming clear that the government was losing control, and the area between Miltown Malbay, Ennistymon and Corofin was virtually in a state of rebellion."
"Among those whose houses were raided and whose arms were plundered were Thomas Moroney of Miltown Malbay ...."
"Armed with guns and pistols, scythes and pitchforks, bayonets and hatchets, all were bound for Ennistymon. Some 200 came from Miltown Malbay ......"
"At Miltown Malbay, the remnants of the crowd attended a huge meeting, at which the town crier, Tom Ryan, was instructed to proclaim that every man worth from £10 to £2,000 should come out when called on, and that blacksmiths should engage in no work, other than the making of pikes."
"Meanwhile, the Ennis Cavalry brought in sixteen prisoners from Miltown Malbay ......"
A couple of years ago, at the Mrs Crotty Festival in Kilrush, I heard similar reports about Willy Week, which made me disinclined to visit WW in the future. I also remember there were aspects of the Fleadh in some places at Clonmel the previous year which were likewise unattractive, but I was able to find sessions on the outskirts which were thoroughly enjoyable.
I think the message is that the smaller festivals (and there are many of them) generally slip below the radar of the inebriates and are the ones to search out go to if you want to play and listen to music without hindrance.
As a musician, but at Willie Week as a session "listener," I found the disrespect and ignorance of many an audience member quite distracting. I, too, traveled from the US, and encountered the worst display of drunken behavior I've seen anywhere in a long time. The worst was the number of completely inebriated YOUNG teenagers - I mean 13 and 14 year olds - staggering around the streets at all hours and barging through the sessions to use the loo.
The "best" sessions (for respectful listening) were in Mullagh and the Crosses of Annagh.
On my way to Miltown this year, I was expecting to find sheer madness daily, after hearing similar perspectives to the above for years. What I found was not dissimilar to the Willie Clancy that I attended 21 years ago. Sure, the weekends were a bit sloppy in the streets, but I expected that. And I did not really see much of the behaviour mentioned above.
Then again, I spent most of the week in Friel's where the sessions were brilliant and where many people listened, including myself. (Of course there was the ebb and neap of traffic, but it was manageable.) I really enjoyed listening to the low session in there on Saturday, when it was p*ssing rain outside. I will surely go back another year.
What happened to "thesession" session on Tuesday? I went to the Central Hotel around 3:00 and found a nice kids session going on, but no thesessioners.
Hello everyone, this was my first Willie Clancy week and found it brilliant. Kids are kids and they behave like this all over the country unfortunately. You should see them on a Sat night in our local sea side town. I'm sure we've all been there! How to change their attitude is another thread probably for another web site. I thought the tuition in the banjo classes was awesome and I made lots of new friends . Kieran Hanrahan John Carty and all the other tuitors were very helpful and enthusiastic and i hope to attend next year . Maybe all the sessioners of this site should agree to meet up one day beforehand at a venue for a bit of craic and music
Willy Clancy Session Audiences
Willy Clancy Session Audiences
Did anyone feel that the sessions were noisier and more boisterous than in other years, in some instances just being only 3 - 4 feet away you could not hear the person playing? This year, I noticed mini-buses regularly ferrying large groups who were already worse for wear around the main locations hosting music/sessions; nothing wrong with this, but on number of occasions I nearly had the instrument knock out of my hands when in the process of playing a set of tunes when they wanted to take a short cut and go straight through the session. The reason behind this was total intoxication to a point where the offenders were incapable of reason, requesting to pass or offering an apology – after playing at festivals/sessions for the last 30-years this was the worst I’d come across.
# Posted on July 15th 2006 by fiddlers-elbow
Re: Willy Clancy Session Audiences
Rule number 1 - always play with one foot stuck out.
Trip the buggrs up.
# Posted on July 15th 2006 by geoffwright
Re: Willy Clancy Session Audiences
Geoffwright, I'd be tempted to follow your advice, particularly if I'd traveled all the way from Amerikay to enjoy the week.
I would think this seriously detracts from the enjoyment of what sounds like a wonderful week (as yet, I can only imagine it!). I don't know a thing about the organization/administration of what must be this massive event. But it seems to me that this is a big enough of a barrier to the spirit of it all that it should be mentioned to the WC Week powers.
# Posted on July 15th 2006 by cathrynb
Re: Willy Clancy Session Audiences
I really don't think that these problems are the domain of the organisers, do you really think that three men are going to spend the week being the trad police? Ireland's going through a period of change in which the melted tv brains of the majority don't recognise the irish accent any more and can only become excited and respectfully quiet when they hear the theme tunes of their fave US soaps
# Posted on July 15th 2006 by maryp
Re: Willy Clancy Session Audiences
yup!
# Posted on July 15th 2006 by the wounded hussar
Re: Willy Clancy Session Audiences
Maryp, I agree to what you are saying, Ireland has gone through large transition on all levels and consideration is one of them – But no one is expecting any type of session policing, and it was not suggested as these sessions are not part of the organised event and are therefore not the responsibility of the organisers; however, session etiquette did take a bit of a battering and I was not the only musician who encountered problems.
What I feel inappropriate behaviour is people barging through the session, falling over musicians when too inebriated to stand up straight or to dance and land on top of some one playing through an impaired balance generated by too many pints of Liffy Water.
# Posted on July 15th 2006 by fiddlers-elbow
Re: Willy Clancy Session Audiences
Not the first time there’s been a bit of bother around Miltown:
e.g. In 1799:
"It was becoming clear that the government was losing control, and the area between Miltown Malbay, Ennistymon and Corofin was virtually in a state of rebellion."
"Among those whose houses were raided and whose arms were plundered were Thomas Moroney of Miltown Malbay ...."
"Armed with guns and pistols, scythes and pitchforks, bayonets and hatchets, all were bound for Ennistymon. Some 200 came from Miltown Malbay ......"
"At Miltown Malbay, the remnants of the crowd attended a huge meeting, at which the town crier, Tom Ryan, was instructed to proclaim that every man worth from £10 to £2,000 should come out when called on, and that blacksmiths should engage in no work, other than the making of pikes."
"Meanwhile, the Ennis Cavalry brought in sixteen prisoners from Miltown Malbay ......"
Read all about it!
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/history/clare_1798_rebellion.htm
# Posted on July 15th 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: Willy Clancy Session Audiences
And folks wonder why I only visit Ireland during the "off-season."
# Posted on July 15th 2006 by Phantom Button
Re: Willy Clancy Session Audiences
A couple of years ago, at the Mrs Crotty Festival in Kilrush, I heard similar reports about Willy Week, which made me disinclined to visit WW in the future. I also remember there were aspects of the Fleadh in some places at Clonmel the previous year which were likewise unattractive, but I was able to find sessions on the outskirts which were thoroughly enjoyable.
I think the message is that the smaller festivals (and there are many of them) generally slip below the radar of the inebriates and are the ones to search out go to if you want to play and listen to music without hindrance.
# Posted on July 16th 2006 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Willy Clancy Session Audiences
"Armed with guns and pistols, scythes and pitchforks, bayonets and hatchets, all were bound for Ennistymon. Some 200 came from Miltown Malbay ......"
Ok, who hadn't tuned up in Ennistymon?
# Posted on July 16th 2006 by Torgwen
Re: Willy Clancy Session Audiences
No Frezz, they were actually heading over to Ennistymon to keep the peace at the 'Micho Russell Festival Weekend'
:
http://www.michorussellweekend.ie/therussells.html!
# Posted on July 16th 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: Willy Clancy Session Audiences
As a musician, but at Willie Week as a session "listener," I found the disrespect and ignorance of many an audience member quite distracting. I, too, traveled from the US, and encountered the worst display of drunken behavior I've seen anywhere in a long time. The worst was the number of completely inebriated YOUNG teenagers - I mean 13 and 14 year olds - staggering around the streets at all hours and barging through the sessions to use the loo.
The "best" sessions (for respectful listening) were in Mullagh and the Crosses of Annagh.
# Posted on July 17th 2006 by Ceolagusrince
Re: Willy Clancy Session Audiences
On my way to Miltown this year, I was expecting to find sheer madness daily, after hearing similar perspectives to the above for years. What I found was not dissimilar to the Willie Clancy that I attended 21 years ago. Sure, the weekends were a bit sloppy in the streets, but I expected that. And I did not really see much of the behaviour mentioned above.
Then again, I spent most of the week in Friel's where the sessions were brilliant and where many people listened, including myself. (Of course there was the ebb and neap of traffic, but it was manageable.) I really enjoyed listening to the low session in there on Saturday, when it was p*ssing rain outside. I will surely go back another year.
What happened to "thesession" session on Tuesday? I went to the Central Hotel around 3:00 and found a nice kids session going on, but no thesessioners.
# Posted on July 17th 2006 by Jode
Re: Willy Clancy Session Audiences
Hello everyone, this was my first Willie Clancy week and found it brilliant. Kids are kids and they behave like this all over the country unfortunately. You should see them on a Sat night in our local sea side town. I'm sure we've all been there! How to change their attitude is another thread probably for another web site. I thought the tuition in the banjo classes was awesome and I made lots of new friends . Kieran Hanrahan John Carty and all the other tuitors were very helpful and enthusiastic and i hope to attend next year . Maybe all the sessioners of this site should agree to meet up one day beforehand at a venue for a bit of craic and music
# Posted on July 19th 2006 by banjoian