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Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
One Sunday night many moons ago when I lived in North London, I took myself along to Filthy McNasty's on the recommendation of a friend who advised that the estimable Tommy McManamon ran a Sunday session there. (The successor to another of his ventures, the early afternoon Sunday session called Breakfast In Bedlam.)
On arrival I discovered that the session on this particular night consisted only of Tommy plus a guitarist, whose name I can't now recall.
At the time I had few tunes to speak of and didn't bring along an instrument and so I perched myself at the end of the bar to listen.
After a time Tommy noticed that I was the only person in the bar paying them the slightest bit of notice and invited me to sit in with them.
Talk got around to the usual "what brings you here?". I explained that I was setting out on learning the banjo and mandolin; not yet quite ready to play with a man of his calibre. But willing to sit quietly, observe and lend my support.
"Do ye sing or anything like that?"
I agreed I'd give them an oul' song in a while once I'd had a few (more) pints.
Three, four, five pints later, my whistle was sufficiently wetted and my courage sufficiently Dutch to give a song.
I lit in to "Sullivan's John". Trying hard to keep a good steady pace; maybe a little slower than some might like, but using the song to advantage - gracing the odd note and phrase, varying the tune a little from from verse to verse.
As I was approaching the end of the last verse, I noticed through half-closed eyes the boul' Tommy making a familiar gesture - thumb and forefinger making a ring and hand rocking rhythmically - that suggested he thought I was of an onanistic persuasion.
I finished off the song and turned to Tommy.
The hypocrite slapped my back and said "Good man! Great stuff!" or words to that effect.
"Oh, aye!" says I. "No need to get all Judassy on me!"
"Uh?"
"I saw ye. Giving me the oul' sign! I might have been dragging it out a wee bit. Might have been getting a wee bit "into it". But I don't think it warranted thon level of insult." (I'm struggling with my coat, here. Trying to pull it on and make a definite, but dignified, exit at the same time as delivering my "hurt" spiel.)
Tommy's face clouded.
"What insult?"
"The sign. You know ..." I demonstrated.
"Uh?" Then it dawned. "Ye buck-eejit. I was doing this!" He motioned to the bar for a drink by miming the waggling of an empty glass. A gesture which, through half-closed eyes, was indistinguishable from the gesture which I thought I had seen.
He and the guitarist fella laughed.
I stood, with my coat half-on, embarrassed and ashamed.
"Sit down for God sakes and quit yer rantin'! Take a drink off me!"
I felt too embarrassed to take up his offer, apologised and left.
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
great story. Reminds me of the time i invited a guitar player to a session, who didn't know how to play quiet chords. The feller smiled like nothing I've ever seen before. He had that "wow, hey look, I'm jamming a set of Reels!" look on his face. He was really behaving himself not to laught, so exited was he.
Afterwards I just had to give him a little advice.... "please, try using other than Amajor and Emajor when I keep yelling "B-MINOR" to ya.
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Nastygirl, the recipient of the fiddler's prowess in the cartoon looks a lot happier than many a person at sessions I've been to. Maybe we're all concentrating on the wrong thing?
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Don't we also need another thread entitled "Things you haven't done at sessions that you wish you had..." ?
I'd like to start it off myself but I can't think of anything really entertaining at the moment.
Trevor
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Blimey ottery - she doesn't look that pleased to me (but then, the old get does have rather a small fiddle); they must have been some mightily miserable people you've given the pleasure of your instrument at sessions.
Yeesh! my mind's stuck in some sort of "Carry On ... " timewarp. I cannae take any more.
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Not one that happened to me, but a young former workmate of mine, who, being from Co. Monaghan, to show how Irish he was, came down to a session I used to run on Sunday nights at the Castle in East Dulwich. This is a great pub. A complete dive, full of total drunks, but which has had a history of sessions over the years. Brendan Mulkere, Raymond Roland and Roger Sherlock have played here in the past.
To get to join us at the session, young Kieran had to step over the prostrate body of at least one regular, comatose from his days' exertions.
This he reminded me the following morning at coffee break in front of half a dozen other colleagues. But the last laugh was on him, as the session comprised of myself, who is OK, but also some of the best young players around London at the time: Kane O'Rourke, Christian... Piano box (forget his surname! Sorry! those of you who know him will know how good he is) and Sarah Roberts who is now in Eliza Carthy's band.
I made sure he became aware of that. I don't know what he could have been thinking...maybe he hadn't been listening, although he had been sat at our table...
well,it's funny you should mention this as last month we were at kane's girlfriend's house in meath and there's a pub called the bourne just down the road so christian could have been a bourne again christian
you all know where my coat is by now
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Last year in a lunchtime session at the Tenterden weekend.
I arrived as the session was in full swing, the pub was packed but I managed to stumble over a few people and get a seat. Straight away there was a gap in the music so I jumped in with both feet playing a set I knew most musicians there would know.
The other players sort of embarrasedly joined in while most of the punters started milling about getting drinks etc.
I battled on regardless feeling as if I might have a rather large bogey on my nose. I managed to get to the end of the set and said to the person next to me "That went down like a lead balloon". Judy answered "Well Dave we played that set about a minute before you came in"
A common occurence no doubt but one I wouldn't like to repeat.
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
It's a rehash of an old one, actually, as when Christian used to get his hair cut really short, time and again, so he was often a shorn-again Christian. Now, that's something I wish I hadn't said at a session...more than once...
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
I practiced and practiced on the slow air Easter Snow until I thought I could play it well enough in our session. My enthusiasm for the tune increased in the days immediately prior to our session, when I learned the tune was a favorite of the guy who has unselfishly shared his knowledge, tunes, and experiences in ITM with me. About half through the tune, a young woman who played stand-up bass in the late feature band, decided it was time for her to tune the damn thing. *Doon, doon, doon*.
I bore down. I focused. I finished the air. Then, while people were trying to tell me how much they enjoyed it, I walked directly to her on stage, and said, "I just played my guts out on a very special tune, and you walked all over it!" She was stunned and turned pale. Later she offered to buy me a drink. Mind ye, I'm not saying I was wrong, just that I wish I hadn't done it.
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
That's basses at sessions for ye, Steve. How could they possibly have a clue what's going on? I started a thread a while back where I complained about 2 people *shouting* over me, one on either side, while I was playing a flute solo. I said and did nothing but button my lip till I came here to moan about it. I suppose that amounts to a thing I *didn't* do at a session but wish I had. The thing was, even after I'd finished they were still yapping on about banjos, so I would have been butting into their conversation!
Imagine trying that on with Sean Casey or Brian Rooney! I accidentally bumped into Sean's bow once at the Sunday afternoon session Power's Bar in Kilburn (which I suppose I should post here, but I don't know if it's still extant - maybe I should contact Kieran Bradley to find out, then post it) while I was returning from the bar with some drinks. His neck stiffened at a funny angle, for a few seconds, then he continued playing...thank god! - that's one guy you don't want to tangle with, son of the great Bobby or not. After his set finished, I loudly made reference to the microsecond event, with something like, "Sorry for bumping you there, Sean, and putting you off, but I see you've managed to make a comeback after that." Since the whole table laughed he had no option but to do the same, and the aggro was dissipated.
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
That is such a funny story Aidan! I laughed so loud.Embarrassing session moments - far too many and far too cringe worthy to mention - but great thread. Look forward to reading more
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
In my wisdom, I encouraged my minnions to boo each other and shout "Repetition" if anyone repeats a tune that night.
Now, if I turn up late, I have to ask have you played this, have you played that, before I start. Luckily the others play in strict sets so knowing their sets, I get away with it by playing tunes in random order.
Already I'd moved from pints to pints and Black Bush through to Black Bush only.
I found myself in the Stag's Head, listening in to a cracking session and getting caught up in a whiskey melancholy. Thoughts of home; contemplating how dreary London can be in the middle of a wet and miserable winter; etc. The music was a comfort and a catalyst; feeding and soothing my whiskey-fuelled reveries.
At least it would have been! If I could have heard it.
Parked between myself and the musicians were two "trendy-looking" women who kept up a constant chatter about the guy playing the bodhran which they insisted on pronouncing as "boD-ron". BoD-ron this, boD-ron that!
I eventually had had enough. (Or the whiskey had had enough! Note the subtle shifting of blame...)
I said loudly to one of them the next time they used the offending mispronunciation, "The word you're searching for is bodhran, pronounced Bo-Ron. No D! Whereas you are are a modron. MoD-ron!"
It took a little while for the penny to drop. When it did the subsequent melee, in which some very uncivil language was used by a number of parties, saw me ejected from the pub with an uncoveted lifetime ban.
Steve - I've come to the conclusion that many people have a tendency to cough, talk, make whatever noise in quieter moments of all sort of music, as if because there's less volume, they're intruding less! And I don't think it's just a matter of me noticing it more at those moments. I think it's a counterintuitive reflex; like the other one that really bugs me, of helpfully standing stock still in the narrowest part of any corridor to let someone go past. Grrrr ...
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Steve, Ithink you had every right to say what you did to that bass player. She should have been a little more sensitive considereing she was a musician herself. Your story reminded me of when my friend and I were doing a performance of harp duets, and the band (including electric guitars) who was going to come after us started SOUND CHECKING during our mellow and quiet, already hard to hear performance. I was furious, I tell you and I can't remember what I said right now (it was a few years ago), but I hope it was good and scalding!
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
nastywee - Perhaps so. The bassist wasn't playing with us at all. She simply felt the need to get the instrument in tune so it wasn't laying on the stage, for 2 hours, all out of tune. I am completely confident she tuned the instrument again before her band started playing later that night. I don't necessarily think poor behavior should go unchallenged, but this girl really didn't have a clue - then - she should now.
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Andee - Our session is early, 6:30 - 8:30 Fridays, so the potential is almost always there for some kind of disruptive behavior by the feature band. But the bands who've been in previously seem to understand that the happy hour crowd isn't there to watch them set up. What a concept. We had a sound check crank up one night, so we stopped and the banjo player asked the sound man to let us know when he was finished. You know, he finished rather quickly.
Even lapsed Catholics feel the need every now and then for five minutes or so in the oul' confessional.
So ... a confession in thesession would start how? "Bless me Father Dollard for I have sinned."
Anyway ... a codicil to the Stags Head bodhran/moron/bodron/modron episode.
A while later, I was drinking with a mate up in that neck of the woods and he fancied heading on to the Stags Head for a final one or two of the evening.
I explained that I was barred and related the sorry tale. This simply served to convince him that we had to go! No-one will remember ... Even if they do, surely it's all water under the bridge ... What are you, a man or a mouse? Etc.
Against my better judgement I relented and off we set.
Once inside we called a couple of pints and edged over to the session. One of the heads says to me, "Crossey - ye boy ye - would you give us an oul' song so that I can get up and stretch me legs."
No bother. I gave "Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore" a blast.
When I had finished there was the usual ripple of applause, but behind my back a hearty, lusty, rapturous thunder of clapping.
I looked around to see who was so tyaken with my humble efforts to see the gaff's guv'nor, griining at me.
"That was great stuff, young fella. Great stuff altogether ..."
I thought to myself - By God, I'm forgiven. Tears of gratitude began to well in my eyes and the sort of joy that only a homecoming can bring blossomed in my chest.
"Oh, great singing indeed. Best I ever heard. Now f... off! You're barred!"
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
While not really a session I had the unadulterated gall to bring an untuned hammered dulcimer to a workshop with over 100 people attending. When the instructor would demonstrate a couple of mesures the whole lot would chime in with me a half note south. For some reason I thought I might try tunning at that point and started twanging my way north, somewhere toward being in tune. My skin crawls at the thought of how I botched up a perfectly good workshop with my miserable tunning techniques. By the good graces of God he didn't toss my butt out of the workshop. In fact this man stopped me to say he started with the same type of dulcimer and encouraged me to keep playing. I'm a bit better now and I'm promoting a concert of his next month. . . .
I don't mean to imply that my rendering of the song was indeed deserving of the praise heaped upon it by the Stags Head's governor. (It wasn't bad, but ...)
I think he was being over-flattering to make his final statement even more pointed!
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
What's his name again? Tadey, or something? I've always found a very decent guy actually. But that's probably because by the time I used to get to the Stag's I was fu' enough to think everyone was decent...drunken meanderings with Kieran Bradley and Pat Power...those were the days!
Have you ever wished you hadn't gone to a particular session?
I joined in one years ago which had Miriam Kavanagh (Ron's wife at the time), Annette Roland and her boyfriend James. James and Annette are nice people but Miriam...hmm. She stops half way through a tune I'd joined in and says to me
"Let me hear your flute."
So I played a snippet of a tune.
"Your flute's out of tune with itself"
I just said
"I can't hear that."
and carried on playing. I stayed only for a couple more sets, as I interpreted her remarks as "Eff off. This is a closed session."
I knew other people in the pub, which was the Fiddlers Elbow in Kentish Town, so I joined them for a drink. Anyone else know Herself?
The place - somewhere on the West Coast of Ireland. (I'm being particularly coy about this, sorry!) The time - mid-1990s.
It had been a hard evening, playing music, singing and drinking, even by the exacting standards of hard evenings that we had set ourselves over the course of that long, hot summer.
The word went out as the session was drawing to a close that a party was in progress a mile or so up the road and that a FAMOUS FLAUTIST was in attendance, along with a bunch of assorted cracking musicians and we should all haul our tails up there pronto.
Carry-outs were got. Fresh packets of fags bought. And those who had them tucked their instruments under their arms and we variously walked, limped, staggered and stumbled the distance to the party-house, singing and playing and what-have-you as we went.
As I intimated above, a fair oul' charge of drink had been had by this stage and we were a rowdy, boisterous and uncouth lot who turned in off the main road and into the drive of the party-house.
Not that anyone would have noticed. The house was thronged. People were milling about outside. The air was thick with the smell of illicit substances. Here and there a pathetic figure leaned or lay, relieving him/herself of partially-digested libations, while young couples snogged and fondled or fought tooth and nail beside them.
We made our way into the party house where FAMOUS FLAUTIST was flanked on either side by an acolyte. The three were playing an intricately-arranged air. The assembled audience was in awe. Such beautiful music you never heard!
As they soared to a thrilling climax, the spell of the music lingered for one, two, three beats after the last note faded.
Drunk as a monkey - and feeling far more clever and witty than I actually was - I took advantage of the rapt silence to shout (Oh, God! The embarrassment of it!) "Great stuff! Do you play "The Sash" by any chance?"
This was a bad move. FAMOUS FLAUTIST immediately launched into a rant and dissembled his flute. His disciples looked on aghast. There were dark mutterings amongst those at the party still sober enough to enjoy the music. Those who were too far gone looked on bemusedly at the agitation.
FAMOUS FLAUTIST left in a hurry, blaring profanities at the drunken amadan who had rained on his parade.
There was nothing else for it, only to burst into song, giving the boul' lads who'd accompanied me the opportunity to get their gear together at which point we got tore into a great oul' late-night session.
The thing is, I think that FAMOUS FLAUTIST is a real genius on his instrument. His music would melt your heart or set your pulse racing. A natural-born killer talent.
If you're reading this, FAMOUS FLAUTIST, rest assured that my gibe was a) intended to be merely a light-hearted and affectionate slag and b) was brought on by copious quantities of the devil's buttermilk. (And loosen up for God's sake otherwise you'll have a stroke for no good reason!)
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
This is a very apt subject for a thread, with the Days of Awe fast approaching: a time to ask forgiveness of those we've offended during the year. I like the detail that, according to the rules of the Reconciliation Polka (maybe, Aidan, as your penance you could make up the dots for this particular tune), should you ask three times and get knocked back each time, it's the other fella who's in the wrong. I read somewhere that a famously pious rabbi was asked, how we were to know that our sins were forgiven, and his answer was, that we'd know by the fact that we'd stopped repeating them. Here Endeth The Lesson.
Aidan - how drunk do you have to be to reveal the identity of FAMOUS FLAUTIST?
Breeep! Jabble Spronsbarg! Far gusrelia bardra freai phojiayt?
Ach, now, there's bags a scope in the future for man-sized slagging competitions at the Blythe..our protagonist being the wee fella whae owns the music shop in Greenwich.
on scarlach medh bwerno smeiurnaon vuartew lemhgnargh byreaanahdjh! Mhorthaoinugdh!
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Aidan,
You are slaying me over here! I don't know if others have let you know how hilarious your postings are (ie private email so as not to incriminate themselves publicly), or maybe my threshold of good taste has sunk to an imperceptibly low level, possibly only heard by small mammals, however, I think your stories are hilarious, don't feel the need to let up on them on my count anyway.
I was at a session one time - but had far too much to drink - so decided instead of playing tunes I'd just continue to drink with my friends, gorgeous music in the background, Padraig Rynne, Kevin Dorus, etc, etc, basically this story involves a double shot of tequila and me running to the bathroom and not quite making it! Not my finest hour - but luckily I have turned into a lightweight now and have not had an experience that bad since then
Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
One Sunday night many moons ago when I lived in North London, I took myself along to Filthy McNasty's on the recommendation of a friend who advised that the estimable Tommy McManamon ran a Sunday session there. (The successor to another of his ventures, the early afternoon Sunday session called Breakfast In Bedlam.)
On arrival I discovered that the session on this particular night consisted only of Tommy plus a guitarist, whose name I can't now recall.
At the time I had few tunes to speak of and didn't bring along an instrument and so I perched myself at the end of the bar to listen.
After a time Tommy noticed that I was the only person in the bar paying them the slightest bit of notice and invited me to sit in with them.
Talk got around to the usual "what brings you here?". I explained that I was setting out on learning the banjo and mandolin; not yet quite ready to play with a man of his calibre. But willing to sit quietly, observe and lend my support.
"Do ye sing or anything like that?"
I agreed I'd give them an oul' song in a while once I'd had a few (more) pints.
Three, four, five pints later, my whistle was sufficiently wetted and my courage sufficiently Dutch to give a song.
I lit in to "Sullivan's John". Trying hard to keep a good steady pace; maybe a little slower than some might like, but using the song to advantage - gracing the odd note and phrase, varying the tune a little from from verse to verse.
As I was approaching the end of the last verse, I noticed through half-closed eyes the boul' Tommy making a familiar gesture - thumb and forefinger making a ring and hand rocking rhythmically - that suggested he thought I was of an onanistic persuasion.
I finished off the song and turned to Tommy.
The hypocrite slapped my back and said "Good man! Great stuff!" or words to that effect.
"Oh, aye!" says I. "No need to get all Judassy on me!"
"Uh?"
"I saw ye. Giving me the oul' sign! I might have been dragging it out a wee bit. Might have been getting a wee bit "into it". But I don't think it warranted thon level of insult." (I'm struggling with my coat, here. Trying to pull it on and make a definite, but dignified, exit at the same time as delivering my "hurt" spiel.)
Tommy's face clouded.
"What insult?"
"The sign. You know ..." I demonstrated.
"Uh?" Then it dawned. "Ye buck-eejit. I was doing this!" He motioned to the bar for a drink by miming the waggling of an empty glass. A gesture which, through half-closed eyes, was indistinguishable from the gesture which I thought I had seen.
He and the guitarist fella laughed.
I stood, with my coat half-on, embarrassed and ashamed.
"Sit down for God sakes and quit yer rantin'! Take a drink off me!"
I felt too embarrassed to take up his offer, apologised and left.
What an eejit!!!!!
# Posted on September 22nd 2003 by Aidan Crossey
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Good story, Aidan. Shame you didn't hang around. Hard to know what do, after that.
I myself have never ever made an eejit of myself...
...honest...
Danny
# Posted on September 22nd 2003 by Rudall the time
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Any repetition of the scenario mentioned by ottery here
http://thesession.org/discussions/display.php/2166
and to be found here
http://www.libidomag.com/eroticart/protected/rowlandson/_rowlandson03.html
would presumably be the cause of some embarrassment and regret, should you try it in a session. Sheet music, I ask you!
# Posted on September 22nd 2003 by nastyweegirl
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
How about things you've done or discussed with your session mates, that you wish you hadn't...........*sigh*......
Joyce
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by JMH
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
great story. Reminds me of the time i invited a guitar player to a session, who didn't know how to play quiet chords. The feller smiled like nothing I've ever seen before. He had that "wow, hey look, I'm jamming a set of Reels!" look on his face. He was really behaving himself not to laught, so exited was he.
Afterwards I just had to give him a little advice.... "please, try using other than Amajor and Emajor when I keep yelling "B-MINOR" to ya.
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by Larshansen
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Nastygirl, the recipient of the fiddler's prowess in the cartoon looks a lot happier than many a person at sessions I've been to. Maybe we're all concentrating on the wrong thing?
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by Ottery
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Don't we also need another thread entitled "Things you haven't done at sessions that you wish you had..." ?
I'd like to start it off myself but I can't think of anything really entertaining at the moment.
Trevor
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
BTW, the thread title I suggested just now is up for grabs if anyone feels inspired to start it.
Trevor
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Got too drunk to play well and then started a set when I shouldn't have. This plays itself out far too often. *sigh*
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Started the tune I only just got right at tea time that day, and then found I can't play it in a session.
That and Zina's problem too.
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by showaddydadito
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
The other one was starting a game of conkers which ended up with a 5string banjo getting its neck broken.
The regret, of course, is for having upset Chris - not for the banjo.
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by showaddydadito
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Blimey ottery - she doesn't look that pleased to me (but then, the old get does have rather a small fiddle); they must have been some mightily miserable people you've given the pleasure of your instrument at sessions.
Yeesh! my mind's stuck in some sort of "Carry On ... " timewarp. I cannae take any more.
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by nastyweegirl
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Not one that happened to me, but a young former workmate of mine, who, being from Co. Monaghan, to show how Irish he was, came down to a session I used to run on Sunday nights at the Castle in East Dulwich. This is a great pub. A complete dive, full of total drunks, but which has had a history of sessions over the years. Brendan Mulkere, Raymond Roland and Roger Sherlock have played here in the past.
To get to join us at the session, young Kieran had to step over the prostrate body of at least one regular, comatose from his days' exertions.
This he reminded me the following morning at coffee break in front of half a dozen other colleagues. But the last laugh was on him, as the session comprised of myself, who is OK, but also some of the best young players around London at the time: Kane O'Rourke, Christian... Piano box (forget his surname! Sorry! those of you who know him will know how good he is) and Sarah Roberts who is now in Eliza Carthy's band.
I made sure he became aware of that. I don't know what he could have been thinking...maybe he hadn't been listening, although he had been sat at our table...
Danny.
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by Rudall the time
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Vaughan? (not that I've any memory for names)
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by nastyweegirl
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
yes,that's right!
he's got another one but does n't use it much
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by Götz von Berlichingen, III. Akt, Szene 17
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
If the other one was Vaughan he could be a Vaughan-again Christian.
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by Rudall the time
You wish you hadn't started this!
well,it's funny you should mention this as last month we were at kane's girlfriend's house in meath and there's a pub called the bourne just down the road so christian could have been a bourne again christian
you all know where my coat is by now
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by Götz von Berlichingen, III. Akt, Szene 17
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Aaargh...LOL
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Last year in a lunchtime session at the Tenterden weekend.
I arrived as the session was in full swing, the pub was packed but I managed to stumble over a few people and get a seat. Straight away there was a gap in the music so I jumped in with both feet playing a set I knew most musicians there would know.
The other players sort of embarrasedly joined in while most of the punters started milling about getting drinks etc.
I battled on regardless feeling as if I might have a rather large bogey on my nose. I managed to get to the end of the set and said to the person next to me "That went down like a lead balloon". Judy answered "Well Dave we played that set about a minute before you came in"
A common occurence no doubt but one I wouldn't like to repeat.
Dave.
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by Twiz
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
It's a rehash of an old one, actually, as when Christian used to get his hair cut really short, time and again, so he was often a shorn-again Christian. Now, that's something I wish I hadn't said at a session...more than once...
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by Rudall the time
I think we must all have done that, Dave...but maybe not the whole set! That's the problem with coming into a session after it has started.
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by Rudall the time
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
I practiced and practiced on the slow air Easter Snow until I thought I could play it well enough in our session. My enthusiasm for the tune increased in the days immediately prior to our session, when I learned the tune was a favorite of the guy who has unselfishly shared his knowledge, tunes, and experiences in ITM with me. About half through the tune, a young woman who played stand-up bass in the late feature band, decided it was time for her to tune the damn thing. *Doon, doon, doon*.
I bore down. I focused. I finished the air. Then, while people were trying to tell me how much they enjoyed it, I walked directly to her on stage, and said, "I just played my guts out on a very special tune, and you walked all over it!" She was stunned and turned pale. Later she offered to buy me a drink. Mind ye, I'm not saying I was wrong, just that I wish I hadn't done it.
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by Stevie C
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
That's basses at sessions for ye, Steve. How could they possibly have a clue what's going on? I started a thread a while back where I complained about 2 people *shouting* over me, one on either side, while I was playing a flute solo. I said and did nothing but button my lip till I came here to moan about it. I suppose that amounts to a thing I *didn't* do at a session but wish I had. The thing was, even after I'd finished they were still yapping on about banjos, so I would have been butting into their conversation!
Imagine trying that on with Sean Casey or Brian Rooney! I accidentally bumped into Sean's bow once at the Sunday afternoon session Power's Bar in Kilburn (which I suppose I should post here, but I don't know if it's still extant - maybe I should contact Kieran Bradley to find out, then post it) while I was returning from the bar with some drinks. His neck stiffened at a funny angle, for a few seconds, then he continued playing...thank god! - that's one guy you don't want to tangle with, son of the great Bobby or not. After his set finished, I loudly made reference to the microsecond event, with something like, "Sorry for bumping you there, Sean, and putting you off, but I see you've managed to make a comeback after that." Since the whole table laughed he had no option but to do the same, and the aggro was dissipated.
Danny.
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by Rudall the time
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
That is such a funny story Aidan! I laughed so loud.Embarrassing session moments - far too many and far too cringe worthy to mention - but great thread. Look forward to reading more
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by bb
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Sorry to restart the subject, but it's Christian Vaughan-Spruce, he also teaches piano box, if anyone is interested.
Jane R
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by LW
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
In my wisdom, I encouraged my minnions to boo each other and shout "Repetition" if anyone repeats a tune that night.
Now, if I turn up late, I have to ask have you played this, have you played that, before I start. Luckily the others play in strict sets so knowing their sets, I get away with it by playing tunes in random order.
Worst thing I did - teach them John Ryan's Polka.
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by geoffwright
One more time ...
I'd started drinking early in the day.
Already I'd moved from pints to pints and Black Bush through to Black Bush only.
I found myself in the Stag's Head, listening in to a cracking session and getting caught up in a whiskey melancholy. Thoughts of home; contemplating how dreary London can be in the middle of a wet and miserable winter; etc. The music was a comfort and a catalyst; feeding and soothing my whiskey-fuelled reveries.
At least it would have been! If I could have heard it.
Parked between myself and the musicians were two "trendy-looking" women who kept up a constant chatter about the guy playing the bodhran which they insisted on pronouncing as "boD-ron". BoD-ron this, boD-ron that!
I eventually had had enough. (Or the whiskey had had enough! Note the subtle shifting of blame...)
I said loudly to one of them the next time they used the offending mispronunciation, "The word you're searching for is bodhran, pronounced Bo-Ron. No D! Whereas you are are a modron. MoD-ron!"
It took a little while for the penny to drop. When it did the subsequent melee, in which some very uncivil language was used by a number of parties, saw me ejected from the pub with an uncoveted lifetime ban.
What an eejit!
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by Aidan Crossey
*Doon, doon, doon*
Steve - I've come to the conclusion that many people have a tendency to cough, talk, make whatever noise in quieter moments of all sort of music, as if because there's less volume, they're intruding less! And I don't think it's just a matter of me noticing it more at those moments. I think it's a counterintuitive reflex; like the other one that really bugs me, of helpfully standing stock still in the narrowest part of any corridor to let someone go past. Grrrr ...
# Posted on September 23rd 2003 by nastyweegirl
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Steve, Ithink you had every right to say what you did to that bass player. She should have been a little more sensitive considereing she was a musician herself. Your story reminded me of when my friend and I were doing a performance of harp duets, and the band (including electric guitars) who was going to come after us started SOUND CHECKING during our mellow and quiet, already hard to hear performance. I was furious, I tell you and I can't remember what I said right now (it was a few years ago), but I hope it was good and scalding!
# Posted on September 24th 2003 by Andee
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
nastywee - Perhaps so. The bassist wasn't playing with us at all. She simply felt the need to get the instrument in tune so it wasn't laying on the stage, for 2 hours, all out of tune. I am completely confident she tuned the instrument again before her band started playing later that night. I don't necessarily think poor behavior should go unchallenged, but this girl really didn't have a clue - then - she should now.
# Posted on September 24th 2003 by Stevie C
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
She should! I don't think you were as nasty as some might have been, and I'm sure she'd not do it again in a hurry.
I hope that, after their respective acts of contrition, the sessioneers will feel suitably purified!
# Posted on September 24th 2003 by nastyweegirl
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Andee - Our session is early, 6:30 - 8:30 Fridays, so the potential is almost always there for some kind of disruptive behavior by the feature band. But the bands who've been in previously seem to understand that the happy hour crowd isn't there to watch them set up. What a concept. We had a sound check crank up one night, so we stopped and the banjo player asked the sound man to let us know when he was finished. You know, he finished rather quickly.
# Posted on September 24th 2003 by Stevie C
Bless me father ...
This is great altogether!
Even lapsed Catholics feel the need every now and then for five minutes or so in the oul' confessional.
So ... a confession in thesession would start how? "Bless me Father Dollard for I have sinned."
Anyway ... a codicil to the Stags Head bodhran/moron/bodron/modron episode.
A while later, I was drinking with a mate up in that neck of the woods and he fancied heading on to the Stags Head for a final one or two of the evening.
I explained that I was barred and related the sorry tale. This simply served to convince him that we had to go! No-one will remember ... Even if they do, surely it's all water under the bridge ... What are you, a man or a mouse? Etc.
Against my better judgement I relented and off we set.
Once inside we called a couple of pints and edged over to the session. One of the heads says to me, "Crossey - ye boy ye - would you give us an oul' song so that I can get up and stretch me legs."
No bother. I gave "Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore" a blast.
When I had finished there was the usual ripple of applause, but behind my back a hearty, lusty, rapturous thunder of clapping.
I looked around to see who was so tyaken with my humble efforts to see the gaff's guv'nor, griining at me.
"That was great stuff, young fella. Great stuff altogether ..."
I thought to myself - By God, I'm forgiven. Tears of gratitude began to well in my eyes and the sort of joy that only a homecoming can bring blossomed in my chest.
"Oh, great singing indeed. Best I ever heard. Now f... off! You're barred!"
What an eejit!
# Posted on September 24th 2003 by Aidan Crossey
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
While not really a session I had the unadulterated gall to bring an untuned hammered dulcimer to a workshop with over 100 people attending. When the instructor would demonstrate a couple of mesures the whole lot would chime in with me a half note south. For some reason I thought I might try tunning at that point and started twanging my way north, somewhere toward being in tune. My skin crawls at the thought of how I botched up a perfectly good workshop with my miserable tunning techniques. By the good graces of God he didn't toss my butt out of the workshop. In fact this man stopped me to say he started with the same type of dulcimer and encouraged me to keep playing. I'm a bit better now and I'm promoting a concert of his next month. . . .
# Posted on September 24th 2003 by jrathbun
By the way ...
A propos my last post ...
I don't mean to imply that my rendering of the song was indeed deserving of the praise heaped upon it by the Stags Head's governor. (It wasn't bad, but ...)
I think he was being over-flattering to make his final statement even more pointed!
Yours, in shame
# Posted on September 24th 2003 by Aidan Crossey
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
What's his name again? Tadey, or something? I've always found a very decent guy actually. But that's probably because by the time I used to get to the Stag's I was fu' enough to think everyone was decent...drunken meanderings with Kieran Bradley and Pat Power...those were the days!
Have you ever wished you hadn't gone to a particular session?
I joined in one years ago which had Miriam Kavanagh (Ron's wife at the time), Annette Roland and her boyfriend James. James and Annette are nice people but Miriam...hmm. She stops half way through a tune I'd joined in and says to me
"Let me hear your flute."
So I played a snippet of a tune.
"Your flute's out of tune with itself"
I just said
"I can't hear that."
and carried on playing. I stayed only for a couple more sets, as I interpreted her remarks as "Eff off. This is a closed session."
I knew other people in the pub, which was the Fiddlers Elbow in Kentish Town, so I joined them for a drink. Anyone else know Herself?
Danny.
# Posted on September 25th 2003 by Rudall the time
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Actually I don't know whether I regret this or not.
Played a few tunes at the start of a dimly lit session on an Eb whistle. Then when the just-arriving fiddlers had tuned up, got a really good bo
# Posted on September 26th 2003 by showaddydadito
Last one ... promise!
The place - somewhere on the West Coast of Ireland. (I'm being particularly coy about this, sorry!) The time - mid-1990s.
It had been a hard evening, playing music, singing and drinking, even by the exacting standards of hard evenings that we had set ourselves over the course of that long, hot summer.
The word went out as the session was drawing to a close that a party was in progress a mile or so up the road and that a FAMOUS FLAUTIST was in attendance, along with a bunch of assorted cracking musicians and we should all haul our tails up there pronto.
Carry-outs were got. Fresh packets of fags bought. And those who had them tucked their instruments under their arms and we variously walked, limped, staggered and stumbled the distance to the party-house, singing and playing and what-have-you as we went.
As I intimated above, a fair oul' charge of drink had been had by this stage and we were a rowdy, boisterous and uncouth lot who turned in off the main road and into the drive of the party-house.
Not that anyone would have noticed. The house was thronged. People were milling about outside. The air was thick with the smell of illicit substances. Here and there a pathetic figure leaned or lay, relieving him/herself of partially-digested libations, while young couples snogged and fondled or fought tooth and nail beside them.
We made our way into the party house where FAMOUS FLAUTIST was flanked on either side by an acolyte. The three were playing an intricately-arranged air. The assembled audience was in awe. Such beautiful music you never heard!
As they soared to a thrilling climax, the spell of the music lingered for one, two, three beats after the last note faded.
Drunk as a monkey - and feeling far more clever and witty than I actually was - I took advantage of the rapt silence to shout (Oh, God! The embarrassment of it!) "Great stuff! Do you play "The Sash" by any chance?"
This was a bad move. FAMOUS FLAUTIST immediately launched into a rant and dissembled his flute. His disciples looked on aghast. There were dark mutterings amongst those at the party still sober enough to enjoy the music. Those who were too far gone looked on bemusedly at the agitation.
FAMOUS FLAUTIST left in a hurry, blaring profanities at the drunken amadan who had rained on his parade.
There was nothing else for it, only to burst into song, giving the boul' lads who'd accompanied me the opportunity to get their gear together at which point we got tore into a great oul' late-night session.
The thing is, I think that FAMOUS FLAUTIST is a real genius on his instrument. His music would melt your heart or set your pulse racing. A natural-born killer talent.
If you're reading this, FAMOUS FLAUTIST, rest assured that my gibe was a) intended to be merely a light-hearted and affectionate slag and b) was brought on by copious quantities of the devil's buttermilk. (And loosen up for God's sake otherwise you'll have a stroke for no good reason!)
What an eejit!!!!!!
Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa ...
# Posted on September 26th 2003 by Aidan Crossey
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
This is a very apt subject for a thread, with the Days of Awe fast approaching: a time to ask forgiveness of those we've offended during the year. I like the detail that, according to the rules of the Reconciliation Polka (maybe, Aidan, as your penance you could make up the dots for this particular tune), should you ask three times and get knocked back each time, it's the other fella who's in the wrong. I read somewhere that a famously pious rabbi was asked, how we were to know that our sins were forgiven, and his answer was, that we'd know by the fact that we'd stopped repeating them. Here Endeth The Lesson.
Aidan - how drunk do you have to be to reveal the identity of FAMOUS FLAUTIST?
# Posted on September 26th 2003 by nastyweegirl
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Aidan - So. . . did ye boys ever git around to "The Sash?"
I'll take that as a "no".
# Posted on September 26th 2003 by Stevie C
Breeep! Jabble Spronsbarg! Far gusrelia bardra freai phojiayt?
Ach, now, there's bags a scope in the future for man-sized slagging competitions at the Blythe..our protagonist being the wee fella whae owns the music shop in Greenwich.
on scarlach medh bwerno smeiurnaon vuartew lemhgnargh byreaanahdjh! Mhorthaoinugdh!
Berwan ogtigh
Diiannasd..
# Posted on September 26th 2003 by Rudall the time
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
....And just in case you thought I was talking crap, if you click onto this link you'll realise that I was speaking Pictish:
http://indoeuro.bizland.com/archive/article7.html
in a hypothetical subjuctive mode, of course.
# Posted on September 26th 2003 by Rudall the time
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Danny, nice *pict*ure of you on that indoeuro site!
and what does your "pictish" mean?
Trevor
# Posted on September 26th 2003 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Aidan,
You are slaying me over here! I don't know if others have let you know how hilarious your postings are (ie private email so as not to incriminate themselves publicly), or maybe my threshold of good taste has sunk to an imperceptibly low level, possibly only heard by small mammals, however, I think your stories are hilarious, don't feel the need to let up on them on my count anyway.
Cheers!
Emily
# Posted on September 26th 2003 by emily_bmore
Re: Things you've done at sessions that you wish you hadn't ...
Aidan - I thought *I* was bad....your posts are making me look like an innocent angel! Keep up the good work
# Posted on September 28th 2003 by bb
I was at a session one time - but had far too much to drink - so decided instead of playing tunes I'd just continue to drink with my friends, gorgeous music in the background, Padraig Rynne, Kevin Dorus, etc, etc, basically this story involves a double shot of tequila and me running to the bathroom and not quite making it! Not my finest hour - but luckily I have turned into a lightweight now and have not had an experience that bad since then
# Posted on September 28th 2003 by bb