Sitting here musing on this 'n' that an old memory just planted itself in my consciousness. I thought I'd share it with you.
In 1980 there was a festival of Irish music in London, similar to today's Return to Camden Town. The climax was a concert at the RAH with De Danann and Planxty. I went with a young lady, Sue.
De Danann, I recall, knocked me bandy with a fabulous reel called The Lobster. Planxty were good too, although Andy Irvine sang As I Roved Out very badly out of tune.
We were sitting in the cheap seats soaking up a fantastic atmosphere; the music was great and the Albert Hall, where I hadn’t been before, was great. About halfway through Planxty’s set a bloke ran up onto the stage between songs and started shouting. It was hard to make out exactly what he was saying, with the combination of less than perfect PA and Northern Irish accent, although I made out a bit about wanting to draw our attention to what was happening in the H Blocks (you know, in the Maze Prison). As he was talking the guy at the mixing desk turned his mike off. He didn’t realise at first, and continued talking. Of course, no sound issued forth, and several people in the audience began laughing. I didn’t. I was developing an unpleasant feeling. When he realised he’d been cut off in his prime he ran to another mike and started off again. Again he was cut off. By now, we could hear chanting: H Blocks H Blocks H Blocks. Right at the top of the auditorium, leaning over the railing, were several more men. It’s the IRA, I thought, they could drop hand grenades on us. Large sections of the audience were jeering at them. I thought, no, don’t make them angry. Anyway, in the end the bloke left the stage and disappeared, as did his friends.
Perhaps they thought that, as lovers of Irish music, we might be more sympathetic to their cause. Anyway, they didn’t kill us. That was quite a night. And it got better, too. Good ol' Sue: a little excitement works wonders!
It doesn't only have to be a less than perfect pa at the RAH causing incoherence - the acoustics, even after the installation of the flying saucers in the ceiling, are notoriously bad - it's that domed roof sending everything back down again, and focused, that does it. I was at a concert there, and staff were louding shouting "Programme", but the acoustics transferred this into "Chiballock" - strange but true !
Sir Thomas Beecham said that any young composer complaining that his works weren't heard enough should hire the RAH for one performance, at which every note he wrote could be clearly heard three times !
And where is that young lady now, we ask ?
A year or three later I was at the same venue for one of the "Concert for Europe" series, folk night, stars Steeleye Span. Just before they came on an announcer stepped up to the microphone and announced that we were honoured by the prescence of the Prime Minister, Mr. Edward Heath.
Well..........you know how the folk movement of the 60s was dead keen on left-wing politics........he got a roasting. I laughed. My girlfriend was horrified that people should be so disrespectful of the PM, but I say he puts himself up there, he's got to be prepared to take it.
what ever happened to free speech, it was neither the time or the place for such words of wisdom from the provos maybe they should have hijacked a live news bulliten in the streets of london and that may have had the desired affect but musicians and music lovers are like rugby fans they sit on the middle of the fence when it comes to politics and they would have been wasting their time unless it was a live broadcast of course
A couple of years ago I went to see Christy Moore with Declan Sinnott and Donal Lunny in Kentish Town. There was a drunk guy (unkempt, long hair) there drinking from a hip flask shouting 'up the Rah'. It was.... embarrassing. Christy Moore was not gigging much at the time - I think there were rumours of stage-fright problems as well as the fact that it was a big gig which makes anyone febrile - and at one point he caught his eye and said, his voice dripping with sarcasm and dislike, 'oh yeah'.
Anyway the guy didn't shut up & pushed it too far when 'Lisdoonvarna' started (like a screaming child, the shouts [heckles? mantras?] were tactical, not always the same frequency, and were mixed up with 'Up Ireland's just to make people think they misheard him). Christy Moore stopped, turned to the security men, & got him kicked out. Everyone cheered. He went onto a bunch of different songs, then sequed back to Lisdoonvarna which got an extra big cheer.
.... Poor old Edward Heath! I'm card-carrying Labour (no sniggers please) but think he was a political giant - bringing the UK into Europe was a great achievement. There are other spectrums besides left-right where you can be one of the good guys. I'm sure he suffered Steeleye Span as much as the fans suffered him.
This is not the forum for discussion about our politics. If you want to have that discussion go elsewhe. These are fundamentlly important points. But I live this. I love where I live. But I do not need to discuss
I agree Pol. My story wasn't about politics, but about an ... interesting evening twenty-five years ago.
Actually, there's more. About three years ago I saw De Danann play in Rochester Cathedral. During the mid-session interval I went looking for the boys. Their dressing room was the crypt! I emerged out of the shadows clutching my 1980 programme. I went up to a rather startled Frankie and asked him if remembered this, showing him the programme. 'God yes' he said, and we chatted for ten minutes or so about that night. Although De Danann had already been on he knew exactly what had happened. He called Alec over, the only other member from those days, and they both signed the programme. It's now in a box in the loft.
That reminds me of the time the Loyalists threatened to target Belfast session pubs as legitimate targets - until Derek Bell, I think it was, came on the radio & told them to wise up for fecks sake & didn't they realise that there were probably more Prods than Catholics playing traditional music around Belfast & that the music had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with politics!
I get this kind of crap all the time when im out playing pubs I have just grown immune to it now and realise these are just "gulible sympathysers" or as we joke about them "bar room terrorists" because if you put a gun in their hands and put them on the front line they would run a bleeding mile and lay a cable in their pants
Top 10 Requests so far from these feckless gobsheens are
1, Sean South
2, Kevin Barry
3, Joe McDonnell
4, James Connolly
5, Michael Collins
6, Celtic Symphony
7, Broad Black Brimmer
8, Merry Ploughboy
9, Boys of the Old Brigade
10, Fields of Athenrye
The really sad part of this is that its been the same requests for the past 20+ years and its even more sad when you get these teenage 3rd generation part time plastic upstarts who couldn't even tell you the names of the 6 counties in the province because quite frankly they know f**k all apart from what they have listened to in their dad's or grandad's wolfetones greatest hits collection which has nothing to do with traditional sessions, folk music or songs.
You cant mix right wing, fanatic celtic supporting, wolfetones fans with bearded tweed jacket left wing folkies it just doesn't work and it never will, how would a bunch of singing celtic fans feel if Ronnie Drew walked in heckling about the starving millions as opposed to the small mindedness of sectarian violence ? a little ashamed maybe ???
I think what he means is the 6 which are still under British jurisdiction. May I refer back to the original - MR. GORDS. In Belfast at that time and in many other places throughout the world, it was common for supporters, many of whom were relatives of those in the H-Blocks in Long Kesh, to voice their plight. On many occasions, it was the wrong place at the wrong time, but the bigger the venue, the bigger the message.
Christy Moore whom I have seen and heard on many occasions, is one of my favoutites, particularly with those of the original Planxty. However, he will be the first to admit that he was quite a volitile character at that time with a short fuse and a classic grasp of sarcasm but always, despite his impatience with some fans, a sound Geal and a great musician.
May I just refer to the hand grenade thing. I'm quite sure your fear was well founded and very real, but the history of the last 35 years would suggest that this was not, nor would ever be a tactic employed. Perhaps it may have been a little more prudent to have thought the whole thing out before baring your soul to this medium, which you will agree if you are a regular, can on occasions, devour the innocent. In anycase, please dispose of my ramblings in your recycle bin if you feel offended and I will completely understand.
I'm not offended at all. I was in my early twenties at the time, coming originally from Woolwich. My fears at the time were, as you suggest, genuine, although now, much later, they were perhaps unrealistic.
I'm not sure more prudence was necessary. I related a true story which may have proved interesting to some. I described my feelings at the time. I made/make no judgement. It was not a political statement, more a human interest story from a quarter of a century ago.
Planxty, The Royal Albert Hall and the IRA
Planxty, The Royal Albert Hall and the IRA
Sitting here musing on this 'n' that an old memory just planted itself in my consciousness. I thought I'd share it with you.
In 1980 there was a festival of Irish music in London, similar to today's Return to Camden Town. The climax was a concert at the RAH with De Danann and Planxty. I went with a young lady, Sue.
De Danann, I recall, knocked me bandy with a fabulous reel called The Lobster. Planxty were good too, although Andy Irvine sang As I Roved Out very badly out of tune.
We were sitting in the cheap seats soaking up a fantastic atmosphere; the music was great and the Albert Hall, where I hadn’t been before, was great. About halfway through Planxty’s set a bloke ran up onto the stage between songs and started shouting. It was hard to make out exactly what he was saying, with the combination of less than perfect PA and Northern Irish accent, although I made out a bit about wanting to draw our attention to what was happening in the H Blocks (you know, in the Maze Prison). As he was talking the guy at the mixing desk turned his mike off. He didn’t realise at first, and continued talking. Of course, no sound issued forth, and several people in the audience began laughing. I didn’t. I was developing an unpleasant feeling. When he realised he’d been cut off in his prime he ran to another mike and started off again. Again he was cut off. By now, we could hear chanting: H Blocks H Blocks H Blocks. Right at the top of the auditorium, leaning over the railing, were several more men. It’s the IRA, I thought, they could drop hand grenades on us. Large sections of the audience were jeering at them. I thought, no, don’t make them angry. Anyway, in the end the bloke left the stage and disappeared, as did his friends.
Perhaps they thought that, as lovers of Irish music, we might be more sympathetic to their cause. Anyway, they didn’t kill us. That was quite a night. And it got better, too. Good ol' Sue: a little excitement works wonders!
Were any other Sessioneers there that night?
# Posted on December 1st 2005 by Gords
Re: Planxty, The Royal Albert Hall and the IRA
Great story, Gord. LOL.
# Posted on December 1st 2005 by cathrynb
Re: Planxty, The Royal Albert Hall and the IRA
It doesn't only have to be a less than perfect pa at the RAH causing incoherence - the acoustics, even after the installation of the flying saucers in the ceiling, are notoriously bad - it's that domed roof sending everything back down again, and focused, that does it. I was at a concert there, and staff were louding shouting "Programme", but the acoustics transferred this into "Chiballock" - strange but true !
Sir Thomas Beecham said that any young composer complaining that his works weren't heard enough should hire the RAH for one performance, at which every note he wrote could be clearly heard three times !
And where is that young lady now, we ask ?
A year or three later I was at the same venue for one of the "Concert for Europe" series, folk night, stars Steeleye Span. Just before they came on an announcer stepped up to the microphone and announced that we were honoured by the prescence of the Prime Minister, Mr. Edward Heath.
Well..........you know how the folk movement of the 60s was dead keen on left-wing politics........he got a roasting. I laughed. My girlfriend was horrified that people should be so disrespectful of the PM, but I say he puts himself up there, he's got to be prepared to take it.
# Posted on December 1st 2005 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Planxty, The Royal Albert Hall and the IRA
what ever happened to free speech, it was neither the time or the place for such words of wisdom from the provos maybe they should have hijacked a live news bulliten in the streets of london and that may have had the desired affect but musicians and music lovers are like rugby fans they sit on the middle of the fence when it comes to politics and they would have been wasting their time unless it was a live broadcast of course
# Posted on December 1st 2005 by Ripthecalico
Re: Planxty, The Royal Albert Hall and the IRA
A couple of years ago I went to see Christy Moore with Declan Sinnott and Donal Lunny in Kentish Town. There was a drunk guy (unkempt, long hair) there drinking from a hip flask shouting 'up the Rah'. It was.... embarrassing. Christy Moore was not gigging much at the time - I think there were rumours of stage-fright problems as well as the fact that it was a big gig which makes anyone febrile - and at one point he caught his eye and said, his voice dripping with sarcasm and dislike, 'oh yeah'.
Anyway the guy didn't shut up & pushed it too far when 'Lisdoonvarna' started (like a screaming child, the shouts [heckles? mantras?] were tactical, not always the same frequency, and were mixed up with 'Up Ireland's just to make people think they misheard him). Christy Moore stopped, turned to the security men, & got him kicked out. Everyone cheered. He went onto a bunch of different songs, then sequed back to Lisdoonvarna which got an extra big cheer.
.... Poor old Edward Heath! I'm card-carrying Labour (no sniggers please) but think he was a political giant - bringing the UK into Europe was a great achievement. There are other spectrums besides left-right where you can be one of the good guys. I'm sure he suffered Steeleye Span as much as the fans suffered him.
# Posted on December 2nd 2005 by S1obhan
Re: Planxty, The Royal Albert Hall and the IRA
Even segued. Which, to boot, I used think was pronounced saiged.
# Posted on December 2nd 2005 by S1obhan
Re: Planxty, The Royal Albert Hall and the IRA
This is not the forum for discussion about our politics. If you want to have that discussion go elsewhe. These are fundamentlly important points. But I live this. I love where I live. But I do not need to discuss
# Posted on December 2nd 2005 by Pól
Re: Planxty, The Royal Albert Hall and the IRA
"this here" is how it should have finished. Drunken fingers
# Posted on December 2nd 2005 by Pól
Re: Planxty, The Royal Albert Hall and the IRA
I agree Pol. My story wasn't about politics, but about an ... interesting evening twenty-five years ago.
Actually, there's more. About three years ago I saw De Danann play in Rochester Cathedral. During the mid-session interval I went looking for the boys. Their dressing room was the crypt! I emerged out of the shadows clutching my 1980 programme. I went up to a rather startled Frankie and asked him if remembered this, showing him the programme. 'God yes' he said, and we chatted for ten minutes or so about that night. Although De Danann had already been on he knew exactly what had happened. He called Alec over, the only other member from those days, and they both signed the programme. It's now in a box in the loft.
# Posted on December 2nd 2005 by Gords
Re: Planxty, The Royal Albert Hall and the IRA
That reminds me of the time the Loyalists threatened to target Belfast session pubs as legitimate targets - until Derek Bell, I think it was, came on the radio & told them to wise up for fecks sake & didn't they realise that there were probably more Prods than Catholics playing traditional music around Belfast & that the music had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with politics!
# Posted on December 2nd 2005 by Ptarmigan
Re: Planxty, The Royal Albert Hall and the IRA
I get this kind of crap all the time when im out playing pubs I have just grown immune to it now and realise these are just "gulible sympathysers" or as we joke about them "bar room terrorists" because if you put a gun in their hands and put them on the front line they would run a bleeding mile and lay a cable in their pants
Top 10 Requests so far from these feckless gobsheens are
1, Sean South
2, Kevin Barry
3, Joe McDonnell
4, James Connolly
5, Michael Collins
6, Celtic Symphony
7, Broad Black Brimmer
8, Merry Ploughboy
9, Boys of the Old Brigade
10, Fields of Athenrye
The really sad part of this is that its been the same requests for the past 20+ years and its even more sad when you get these teenage 3rd generation part time plastic upstarts who couldn't even tell you the names of the 6 counties in the province because quite frankly they know f**k all apart from what they have listened to in their dad's or grandad's wolfetones greatest hits collection which has nothing to do with traditional sessions, folk music or songs.
You cant mix right wing, fanatic celtic supporting, wolfetones fans with bearded tweed jacket left wing folkies it just doesn't work and it never will, how would a bunch of singing celtic fans feel if Ronnie Drew walked in heckling about the starving millions as opposed to the small mindedness of sectarian violence ? a little ashamed maybe ???
# Posted on December 2nd 2005 by Ripthecalico
Re: Planxty, The Royal Albert Hall and the IRA
Here here!
# Posted on December 2nd 2005 by Kess
Re: Planxty, The Royal Albert Hall and the IRA
"Six counties in the province" ?!
There are nine.
# Posted on December 2nd 2005 by Pól
Re: Planxty, The Royal Albert Hall and the IRA
I know there is but i meant in the uk part the one they all let off steam about they couldnt even name 6 how on earth would they know 9
# Posted on December 3rd 2005 by Ripthecalico
Re: Planxty, The Royal Albert Hall and the IRA
"UK part"
?
There isn't a UK part
# Posted on December 4th 2005 by Pól
Re: Planxty, The Royal Albert Hall and the IRA
I think what he means is the 6 which are still under British jurisdiction. May I refer back to the original - MR. GORDS. In Belfast at that time and in many other places throughout the world, it was common for supporters, many of whom were relatives of those in the H-Blocks in Long Kesh, to voice their plight. On many occasions, it was the wrong place at the wrong time, but the bigger the venue, the bigger the message.
Christy Moore whom I have seen and heard on many occasions, is one of my favoutites, particularly with those of the original Planxty. However, he will be the first to admit that he was quite a volitile character at that time with a short fuse and a classic grasp of sarcasm but always, despite his impatience with some fans, a sound Geal and a great musician.
May I just refer to the hand grenade thing. I'm quite sure your fear was well founded and very real, but the history of the last 35 years would suggest that this was not, nor would ever be a tactic employed. Perhaps it may have been a little more prudent to have thought the whole thing out before baring your soul to this medium, which you will agree if you are a regular, can on occasions, devour the innocent. In anycase, please dispose of my ramblings in your recycle bin if you feel offended and I will completely understand.
Kind regards,
Is mise
Tony Friel
Qld.
# Posted on December 5th 2005 by friel
Re: Planxty, The Royal Albert Hall and the IRA
I'm not offended at all. I was in my early twenties at the time, coming originally from Woolwich. My fears at the time were, as you suggest, genuine, although now, much later, they were perhaps unrealistic.
I'm not sure more prudence was necessary. I related a true story which may have proved interesting to some. I described my feelings at the time. I made/make no judgement. It was not a political statement, more a human interest story from a quarter of a century ago.
# Posted on December 5th 2005 by Gords
Re: Planxty, The Royal Albert Hall and the IRA
Well said and point taken.
Is mise
Tony Friel
# Posted on December 5th 2005 by friel