You may have noticed--No, you'll all be fully aware--that probably the majority of Irish bands are named after well known tunes e.g Boys of The Lough, Cherish the Ladies, Toss the Feathers, London Lasses, Planxty (Whatever) to name but a few.
Does anyone know how this practice originated i.e Who were the first band to think up this "once" highly original idea? Should people carry on with naming bands after tunes or think of something else? If it's a good name and appropriate to the music, then I say "why not?" but what do you think?
Here are a bunch of Irish bands that are not named after tunes (just off the top of my head, I'm sure there are many more):
Altan
Danu
DeDannan
Teada
Bothy Band
Four Men and a Dog
The Chieftains
Dervish
Solas
Beginish
Nomos
Siona
Dordan
Based on this, I'd say that the practice of naming a band after a tune is very much a minority thing, rather than a majority thing as you state. Still, it's not a bad idea when trying to come up with a name for a band to use a catchy tune name, especially if if fits the personnel of your band (e.g. Boys of the Lough, London Lasses). I'd say that the Boys of the Lough were probably the first to do this, as they've been around for over 30 years. I wouldn't count Planxty, as there's no tune called "Planxty". Planxty is more like the name of a type of tune than it is the name of a tune.
I was in two minds whether to include Planxty as an example as it is a type of tune. However, you do get tunes such as Planxty Irwin, Planxty Davis etc so I cheated a little.
Yes, I agree there are many bands who are not named after tunes but there are several which are. Others include Skylark, The Foxhunters, Ashplant, Lilting Banshees, Bohola, Black Eyed Biddy, Moving Cloud, Flax in Bloom to name but a few more. However, you might be right about them being in the minority , John.
Other bands that have not named themseleves for songs are the Cottars, Old Blind Dogs, Leahy and The Dubliners. I think the idea of naming a band for a song is a neat idea; that's what I did. We call ourselves the Merry Blacksmiths. What I don't really like is where a band is named for one person, like the John Whelan Band. That is NOT a very original or interesting name, and it destroys the ensemble feel of a band. Any one else feel that way?
BTW -- Is Patrick Street named for the song Patrick Street, or did they just pick that name? And while I'm thinking of Kevin Burke, another band that isn't named for a song is the Celtic Fiddle Festival.
You have made me think. I had to come up with a name for my new ceilidh band when the caller at our first gig asked over the PA what the band was called. I don't know what sort of febrile imaginings were crossing my mind at the time, but I shouted out 'The Foolish Virgins'.
As I am having quite a time living that split-second decision down, I will have to write a blinder of a tune, and then claim eponymous origins for the band being named after the tune.
Nice one, mate! Best regards to your mother, good woman herself.
Oh, I imagine so, Max, though I don't know either, so I can't say! BTW, I think the reason you get bands named after somebody is usually a marketing thing...you know, hype the attraction that'll make you the money...
I agree with Johnkerr at the top of the list in that the practice of naming bands after songs is a minority. I can not judge wether this is good or bad, however it is merely what you choose.
OK Carol and the Stardust Cowboys
Tired Fish
The Under-Insured Brazilians
Many More (always on Festival line-ups)
The Arthur Negus Explosion (The BBC banned that one as Arthur Negus was their copyright...true!)
Dart Moor and the Surrounding Area
Thirty Thousand Frenchman
The Brotherhood of Fizz
None of these were song or tune names.
Is this relevant?
Probably not, but I'm at a loose end since I finished grouting the utility room this afternoon.
Grouting -- my favourite job I must say -- what a way to spend your hard earned time off, Geoff. Still, could be even worse -- ever tried fireboarding a ceiling on your own, with just some bandstands planks and a deadman for company?
Fireboards are the fire-resistant plaster boards, not the big 8'x4's, but big enough to be painful to hold in position while you get the first couple of nails in. Bandstands are those height-adjustable metal support things and a deadman is a length of timber, cut to the distance between yer planks and the ceiling, but with a foot-square piece of ply nailed perpendicularly on top. So you get the board up into roughly the position, get the deadman underneath, move it around to the final position, then get yer nails in. Repeat process for forty to fifty hours per week if you wish to make a reasonable living, or until your back goes, whichever is first. Glad I'm out of all that crap.
Appearing in a performer's workshop at a festival some years ago, Robin Morton explained that when he and his fellow Boys of the Lough first began playing together, they had pretty much decided to use the name of a tune for their group -- so they were going to call themselves "Jenny's Chickens."
Imagine how different ITM history might've been.
I suspect the High Level Ranters (named after the hornpipe) were on the go before The Boys of the Lough, Alistair Anderson being the common factor in both bands.
In the good old days (before we had a proper name), we ran a folk club with a stage made out of a agricultural hoarding stood on beer crates. The sign advertised "Silade for better silage". Whenever our band came on, the watchword was "You've heard the silage, now hear Silade" and the name "Stuck" for some years.
We eventually became "Bracken Rigg" (a mountain in the Lake District and a fine Scottish jig) in the mid 1970s
I inspected 60 or so Irish trad. band names from a CD mail order catalogue. Accordung to that you could go for
- the "firm of solicitors" - type e.g. Cranitch,Milne,Sulli
this fails if there's eight of you.
- the "family" e.g. a)The Black family b) The Johnstons
would that make sense in your case?
- play with words e.g. Gael Force, Ceili Bandits
not very popular in Ireland,
from England I remember the Vindscreen Vipers
- tune name e.g. Toss the Feathers
seems to be more popular abroad
- something plainly unmusical e.g. Four Men and a Dog
- if you really want to be big it's got to be in gaelic,
sound good and relate absolutely no meaning to outsiders e.g. Lunasa.
I myself have been a member of "South Wind" and "Pinch of Snuff" . I think the name of my current group is unbeatable: "Among Friends". There is also a song by that name I think..
It's all very well naming your band after a tune, and sometimes it works, like the Boys of the Lough (sounds just quaintly Irish, and they are all "boys"), Whiskey Before Breakfast (not a name you'd forget in a hurry) The London Lasses (self explanatory, but not exactly inspired -- especially now they've got Pete in and it's "TLL's and Pete Quinn" - just sounds clumsy -- if I were them I'd change the name completely. Just start again. Nice guy, though, is Pete. And a neat FIDDLE player!)
Anyway, it's kinda subconsciously based on the assumption that your "virtual" audience knows the titles of some of the popular tunes around - when, in reality, although This Stuff goes in and out of fashion of being fairly popular among the chattering classes, and clinking glasses, most of the casual listeners wouldn't know The Dogs Among the Bushes if it bit them on the arse.
And there's the assumption that the tune title is god-given and sacrosanctly precious. Imagine calling your band Boiled Goat's Milk (#884 in O'Neill's 1850).
Notwithstanding such considerations, there are some great and grand tune titles - "The Wheels of the World" for one, but I don't think it sounds very catching as a band name.
In conclusion, I would instinctively shy away from using a tune title as a name, for the aforementioned, but also it's a cop-out from trying to unleash your imagination. But, as there are some lovely titles I wouldn't rule it out.
Couldn't people be rather more adventurist and name a band after a popular poem instead?
Eg's:
Stop All The Clocks - Auden
I Remember, I Remember - Hood
The Glory of the Garden - Kipling
Everyone Sang - Sassoon
....and, though he possibly doesn't deserve it, but pax vobiscum, as we approach Armistice Day,
Isnt Patrick St a place in Cork where the lads all met? Something along the lines of that anyways.
I like the name 'The London Lasses' -I think is catchy!
Ha, ha, Will! Reminds me of this one that was tacked on the end of a music group e-mail broadcast recently:
Child: "Hey Dad, I got an assignment here where I have to name some bands from the 70s. Can you remember any?". Dad: "Yes." Child: "Who?". Dad: "Well, that didn't take long, you're all done then."
I was recently asked to put a band together for a "Barn Dance" in Dorset. We had to think of a name and thought that "The Far Corfe Ramblers" might do the trick - "Corfe" being an abbreviation of Corfe Mullen - the scene of many a fine session!
Apparently the organisers weren't too keen with this play on words - so we went out with the far less offensive title of "The Cubic Pears"
Naming your bands.
Naming your bands.
You may have noticed--No, you'll all be fully aware--that probably the majority of Irish bands are named after well known tunes e.g Boys of The Lough, Cherish the Ladies, Toss the Feathers, London Lasses, Planxty (Whatever) to name but a few.
Does anyone know how this practice originated i.e Who were the first band to think up this "once" highly original idea? Should people carry on with naming bands after tunes or think of something else? If it's a good name and appropriate to the music, then I say "why not?" but what do you think?
John
# Posted on November 7th 2003 by John J.
Re: Naming your bands.
Here are a bunch of Irish bands that are not named after tunes (just off the top of my head, I'm sure there are many more):
Altan
Danu
DeDannan
Teada
Bothy Band
Four Men and a Dog
The Chieftains
Dervish
Solas
Beginish
Nomos
Siona
Dordan
Based on this, I'd say that the practice of naming a band after a tune is very much a minority thing, rather than a majority thing as you state. Still, it's not a bad idea when trying to come up with a name for a band to use a catchy tune name, especially if if fits the personnel of your band (e.g. Boys of the Lough, London Lasses). I'd say that the Boys of the Lough were probably the first to do this, as they've been around for over 30 years. I wouldn't count Planxty, as there's no tune called "Planxty". Planxty is more like the name of a type of tune than it is the name of a tune.
# Posted on November 7th 2003 by johnkerr
Re: Naming your bands.
I was in two minds whether to include Planxty as an example as it is a type of tune. However, you do get tunes such as Planxty Irwin, Planxty Davis etc so I cheated a little.
Yes, I agree there are many bands who are not named after tunes but there are several which are. Others include Skylark, The Foxhunters, Ashplant, Lilting Banshees, Bohola, Black Eyed Biddy, Moving Cloud, Flax in Bloom to name but a few more. However, you might be right about them being in the minority , John.
John
# Posted on November 7th 2003 by John J.
Re: Naming your bands.
Other bands that have not named themseleves for songs are the Cottars, Old Blind Dogs, Leahy and The Dubliners. I think the idea of naming a band for a song is a neat idea; that's what I did. We call ourselves the Merry Blacksmiths. What I don't really like is where a band is named for one person, like the John Whelan Band. That is NOT a very original or interesting name, and it destroys the ensemble feel of a band. Any one else feel that way?
-Max
# Posted on November 7th 2003 by Max Becher
Re: Naming your bands.
BTW -- Is Patrick Street named for the song Patrick Street, or did they just pick that name? And while I'm thinking of Kevin Burke, another band that isn't named for a song is the Celtic Fiddle Festival.
-Max
# Posted on November 7th 2003 by Max Becher
Re: Naming your bands.
FYI -- "Tunes", Max -- we call 'em tunes, because tunes don't have words, and songs do... ;)
Kevin Burke tells funny stories about the name of their band..."Dear Mr. Street, we regret that the festival cannot book you this year..."
# Posted on November 7th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Naming your bands.
Hiya John.
You have made me think. I had to come up with a name for my new ceilidh band when the caller at our first gig asked over the PA what the band was called. I don't know what sort of febrile imaginings were crossing my mind at the time, but I shouted out 'The Foolish Virgins'.
As I am having quite a time living that split-second decision down, I will have to write a blinder of a tune, and then claim eponymous origins for the band being named after the tune.
Nice one, mate! Best regards to your mother, good woman herself.
Greg
# Posted on November 7th 2003 by Skipjack
Re: Naming your bands.
Sorry Zina. I meant to tunes, not songs. BTW -- There is both a tune and a song called Patrick Street. I don't know whether or not they are related.
-Max
# Posted on November 7th 2003 by Max Becher
Re: Naming your bands.
Oh, I imagine so, Max, though I don't know either, so I can't say! BTW, I think the reason you get bands named after somebody is usually a marketing thing...you know, hype the attraction that'll make you the money...
# Posted on November 7th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Naming your bands.
I am the lead nose-flute player in a band called Zina and the Lees.
Our name is pretty original, no?
Paul
# Posted on November 7th 2003 by cuchulain54
Re: Naming your bands.
Oh yeah, she's like some former porn-star or something, right? Yeah, that'd make money... *smirk*
But I think Lass of Lees would work better.
# Posted on November 7th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Naming your bands.
I agree with Johnkerr at the top of the list in that the practice of naming bands after songs is a minority. I can not judge wether this is good or bad, however it is merely what you choose.
# Posted on November 7th 2003 by Jason_the_fiddler_01
Re: Naming your bands.
I always went for witty, sophisticated names:
OK Carol and the Stardust Cowboys
Tired Fish
The Under-Insured Brazilians
Many More (always on Festival line-ups)
The Arthur Negus Explosion (The BBC banned that one as Arthur Negus was their copyright...true!)
Dart Moor and the Surrounding Area
Thirty Thousand Frenchman
The Brotherhood of Fizz
None of these were song or tune names.
Is this relevant?
Probably not, but I'm at a loose end since I finished grouting the utility room this afternoon.
# Posted on November 7th 2003 by Geoff Pollitt
Re: Naming your bands.
Thirty Thousand Frenchman! WHAT a great name for a band! LOL
Sure know how to have a good time there, Geoff.
# Posted on November 7th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Naming your bands.
Grouting -- my favourite job I must say -- what a way to spend your hard earned time off, Geoff. Still, could be even worse -- ever tried fireboarding a ceiling on your own, with just some bandstands planks and a deadman for company?
Fireboards are the fire-resistant plaster boards, not the big 8'x4's, but big enough to be painful to hold in position while you get the first couple of nails in. Bandstands are those height-adjustable metal support things and a deadman is a length of timber, cut to the distance between yer planks and the ceiling, but with a foot-square piece of ply nailed perpendicularly on top. So you get the board up into roughly the position, get the deadman underneath, move it around to the final position, then get yer nails in. Repeat process for forty to fifty hours per week if you wish to make a reasonable living, or until your back goes, whichever is first. Glad I'm out of all that crap.
# Posted on November 7th 2003 by Rudall the time
Re: Naming your bands.
Appearing in a performer's workshop at a festival some years ago, Robin Morton explained that when he and his fellow Boys of the Lough first began playing together, they had pretty much decided to use the name of a tune for their group -- so they were going to call themselves "Jenny's Chickens."
Imagine how different ITM history might've been.
# Posted on November 8th 2003 by sts
Re: Naming your band.
I suspect the High Level Ranters (named after the hornpipe) were on the go before The Boys of the Lough, Alistair Anderson being the common factor in both bands.
In the good old days (before we had a proper name), we ran a folk club with a stage made out of a agricultural hoarding stood on beer crates. The sign advertised "Silade for better silage". Whenever our band came on, the watchword was "You've heard the silage, now hear Silade" and the name "Stuck" for some years.
We eventually became "Bracken Rigg" (a mountain in the Lake District and a fine Scottish jig) in the mid 1970s
# Posted on November 8th 2003 by geoffwright
Re: Naming your bands.
I'm in a duo harp/concertina called "The Roaring Hamsters" - maybe I should write a tune with that name...
# Posted on November 8th 2003 by Ptollemy
Re: Naming your bands.
I inspected 60 or so Irish trad. band names from a CD mail order catalogue. Accordung to that you could go for
- the "firm of solicitors" - type e.g. Cranitch,Milne,Sulli
this fails if there's eight of you.
- the "family" e.g. a)The Black family b) The Johnstons
would that make sense in your case?
- play with words e.g. Gael Force, Ceili Bandits
not very popular in Ireland,
from England I remember the Vindscreen Vipers
- tune name e.g. Toss the Feathers
seems to be more popular abroad
- something plainly unmusical e.g. Four Men and a Dog
- if you really want to be big it's got to be in gaelic,
sound good and relate absolutely no meaning to outsiders e.g. Lunasa.
I myself have been a member of "South Wind" and "Pinch of Snuff" . I think the name of my current group is unbeatable: "Among Friends". There is also a song by that name I think..
-
# Posted on November 8th 2003 by kuec
Re: Naming your bands.
It's all very well naming your band after a tune, and sometimes it works, like the Boys of the Lough (sounds just quaintly Irish, and they are all "boys"), Whiskey Before Breakfast (not a name you'd forget in a hurry) The London Lasses (self explanatory, but not exactly inspired -- especially now they've got Pete in and it's "TLL's and Pete Quinn" - just sounds clumsy -- if I were them I'd change the name completely. Just start again. Nice guy, though, is Pete. And a neat FIDDLE player!)
Anyway, it's kinda subconsciously based on the assumption that your "virtual" audience knows the titles of some of the popular tunes around - when, in reality, although This Stuff goes in and out of fashion of being fairly popular among the chattering classes, and clinking glasses, most of the casual listeners wouldn't know The Dogs Among the Bushes if it bit them on the arse.
And there's the assumption that the tune title is god-given and sacrosanctly precious. Imagine calling your band Boiled Goat's Milk (#884 in O'Neill's 1850).
Notwithstanding such considerations, there are some great and grand tune titles - "The Wheels of the World" for one, but I don't think it sounds very catching as a band name.
In conclusion, I would instinctively shy away from using a tune title as a name, for the aforementioned, but also it's a cop-out from trying to unleash your imagination. But, as there are some lovely titles I wouldn't rule it out.
Couldn't people be rather more adventurist and name a band after a popular poem instead?
Eg's:
Stop All The Clocks - Auden
I Remember, I Remember - Hood
The Glory of the Garden - Kipling
Everyone Sang - Sassoon
....and, though he possibly doesn't deserve it, but pax vobiscum, as we approach Armistice Day,
The Pied Piper - Browning.
Danny.
# Posted on November 8th 2003 by Rudall the time
Re: Naming your bands.
Danny, I can hear it now:
Lass" "What was the name of that band we saw last week?"
Lad: "I don't remember."
Lass: "No that's not quite it...."
# Posted on November 8th 2003 by Will Harmon
Re: Naming your bands.
Isnt Patrick St a place in Cork where the lads all met? Something along the lines of that anyways.
I like the name 'The London Lasses' -I think is catchy!
# Posted on November 9th 2003 by bb
Re: Naming your bands.
Ha, ha, Will! Reminds me of this one that was tacked on the end of a music group e-mail broadcast recently:
Child: "Hey Dad, I got an assignment here where I have to name some bands from the 70s. Can you remember any?". Dad: "Yes." Child: "Who?". Dad: "Well, that didn't take long, you're all done then."
# Posted on November 9th 2003 by Tish
Re: Naming your bands.
Lol Tish!
Bridie, I thought Patrick Street was in Dublin, but I'm just a Yank....
# Posted on November 9th 2003 by Will Harmon
Re: Naming your bands.
I once played with an "Ital-Irish" band called The Lilting Haddock
# Posted on November 10th 2003 by Joe Quinn
Re: Naming your bands.
I was recently asked to put a band together for a "Barn Dance" in Dorset. We had to think of a name and thought that "The Far Corfe Ramblers" might do the trick - "Corfe" being an abbreviation of Corfe Mullen - the scene of many a fine session!
Apparently the organisers weren't too keen with this play on words - so we went out with the far less offensive title of "The Cubic Pears"
What a night!!!
# Posted on November 10th 2003 by mikemcdaid
Re: Naming your bands.
Well, the "Cubic Pears" certainly is original. Not like anything I would ever think of!
-Max
# Posted on November 10th 2003 by Max Becher
Re: Naming your bands.
Is Sráid Pádraig i Bhaile Atha Cliath...
Patric Street is in Dublin..
An Ó Mhaoldhomhnaigh
# Posted on November 17th 2003 by Pádraig
Re: Naming your bands.
But there is one in Cork as well
# Posted on November 17th 2003 by bb
Re: Naming your bands.
The Lilting Haddock, guitar and voice
# Posted on August 13th 2005 by kirlino