The first two jigs are familiar but I can't put names to them and maybe someone out there might be able to help. The third jig "The Spotted Dog" was written by fiddle player John McEvoy and is named after a great trad pub in Birmingham. I had heard rumours that this watering hole was under threat of closure which would be a great pity.
Another link: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=223192665
Thinking about it I'm sure I've been in this pub a few times, and was frequented by local 2nd generation Irish younger people. I never saw a session here, but thta doesn't mean there weren't any before the times I'd been in it.
Don't know the names of the other jigs btw.
I don't believe it KML listening to that rubbish on their Home page. This used to be an oasis of trad with the likes of Kevin Crawford, Joe Molloy and Michael Conneely frequenting the place back in the early eighties. If this is what it's come to, then I think John McEvoy should re-name his jig and we won't lose any sleep if it does actually close down!
Thanks Paddy for the speedy naming of the first jig which is a great tune.
The dots for Joe Derranne's jig are at http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/3321 along with some interesting comments on the tune's origins. Now I know why the tune was familiar as it was recorded by Michael Rooney and June McCormack on their Draiocht CD, a recording I possessed in the dim and distant past - must try and re-locate it.
Thanks Paddy for naming the second one; you must have a personal Archive in the front room!
Banner - I'm pretty sure it is the same pub, the more I think about it.
Strangely enough the Powerhouse in Islington London suffered the same fate and there used to be great sessions in there in the early 90s --- including the presence of Mick Conneely!
I visited the Spotted Dog a couple of years ago for music, only to find myself there in the wrong week! I'm sure the Naomh Padraig Ceili Band also played the jig a few years ago.
KML, I'm 99% sure that the Spotted Dog with the MySpace site is a different pub to the music one. I think they're about 300yds apart, which is admittedly a bit confusing!!
The music pub used to have great regular sessions when I was last there about 2 years ago. Can't imagine it could have died out.
When someone mentions 'The Spotted Dog' I always think of the one in Willesden, North London, which was also an Irish music house at one time. Is not the second jig a version of 'The Nightcap' ? I love the way the box player on this recording wakes up to 'give the nod' for a change of tune and then goes back to sleep. Very exciting.
Yeah, that's what I posted Free Reed. It is a version of the Nightcap which Matt Cunningham recorded in his first volume of dance music. I was thinking that too about 'giving the nod.' A lot of musicians (dare I say young ones) seem to just play with the head down for a whole set even if they started it off. I think communication between the tunes (i.e. nods, looks etc) is important to get a good set together in a session.
I was right yesterday about Clodagh Buckley playing with the Allow Céilí Band as watching today's Comhaltaslive clip at http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/comhaltaslive_248_3_allow_ceili_band/ you'll see her playing concertina on the gig-rig in Tullamore the night they won the All-Ireland.
I'm still waiting for information to clear up the mystery of the Spotted Dog but in the meantime this great clip of the Murphy family from Abbeyfeale got posted at http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/comhaltaslive_248_4_murphy_family/. Donal is more noted for his playing with "Four Men and a Dog" but his own family can definitely provide some mighty music. You well may ask what this has to do with Birmingham but back in the sixties Dan (Donal's father) was a familiar face on the trad music scene there and I remember him playing in a session at a Fleadh in King's Heath. Fortunately he decided to return home so that Birmingham's loss has become Abbeyfeale's gain!
Andy G got it right - it's a different Spotted Dog and this is the story I received this morning:
The Spotted Dog pub in Alcester Street, Digbeth is the traditional music pub in Birmingham which is under threat of loosing its music licence due to the opening of a new development near to it. The pub, (a popular music venue for many years), has there for a very long time before the new appartments accross the road from it. It is true that there is another spotted dog pub in the area, but this 2nd pub is not under any threat from new developments. Our Spotted Dog, is a very popular house for traditional music, as well as other genre. It is run by Anne and John Tighe, who were recently awarded a long service medallian by the local branch of Comhaltas. Shame on the City planners and the developers.
It's a pity the place is under threat and if anyone out there has any influence in Planning matters maybe you could have a word in the appropriate quarters.
The Spotted Dog
The Spotted Dog
Here's a great selection of jigs from today's Comhaltas clip at http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/comhaltaslive_248_2_padraig_king_jeremy_spenser/ played by three very talented young musicians - I'm fairly sure that Clodagh Buckley is a member of the All-Ireland title holding céilí band, the Allow from Cork.
The first two jigs are familiar but I can't put names to them and maybe someone out there might be able to help. The third jig "The Spotted Dog" was written by fiddle player John McEvoy and is named after a great trad pub in Birmingham. I had heard rumours that this watering hole was under threat of closure which would be a great pity.
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: The Spotted Dog
This one? If it's in Digbeth, a former Irish area, it may be:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=68191605
(A bit like going to the dentist if you ask me.)
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: The Spotted Dog
The first is Hardiman's Fancy (also called Joe Derrane's) and the second is on the tip of my tongue (that's not the title now!).
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by PaddyCmusic
Re: The Spotted Dog
Another link:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=223192665
Thinking about it I'm sure I've been in this pub a few times, and was frequented by local 2nd generation Irish younger people. I never saw a session here, but thta doesn't mean there weren't any before the times I'd been in it.
Don't know the names of the other jigs btw.
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: The Spotted Dog
Oh yeah, De Danann played the first one on the Star Spangled Molly
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: The Spotted Dog
I don't believe it KML listening to that rubbish on their Home page. This used to be an oasis of trad with the likes of Kevin Crawford, Joe Molloy and Michael Conneely frequenting the place back in the early eighties. If this is what it's come to, then I think John McEvoy should re-name his jig and we won't lose any sleep if it does actually close down!
Thanks Paddy for the speedy naming of the first jig which is a great tune.
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: The Spotted Dog
and the second is the nightcap
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by PaddyCmusic
Re: The Spotted Dog
The dots for Joe Derranne's jig are at http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/3321 along with some interesting comments on the tune's origins. Now I know why the tune was familiar as it was recorded by Michael Rooney and June McCormack on their Draiocht CD, a recording I possessed in the dim and distant past - must try and re-locate it.
Thanks Paddy for naming the second one; you must have a personal Archive in the front room!
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: The Spotted Dog
The B part of the Nightcap sounds like the A part of the Kilfenora #2 (Steamboat Quickstep) the way they're playing it.
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by Dow
Re: The Spotted Dog
Banner - I'm pretty sure it is the same pub, the more I think about it.
Strangely enough the Powerhouse in Islington London suffered the same fate and there used to be great sessions in there in the early 90s --- including the presence of Mick Conneely!
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: The Spotted Dog
I visited the Spotted Dog a couple of years ago for music, only to find myself there in the wrong week! I'm sure the Naomh Padraig Ceili Band also played the jig a few years ago.
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by slainte
Re: The Spotted Dog
KML, I'm 99% sure that the Spotted Dog with the MySpace site is a different pub to the music one. I think they're about 300yds apart, which is admittedly a bit confusing!!
The music pub used to have great regular sessions when I was last there about 2 years ago. Can't imagine it could have died out.
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by Andy G
Re: The Spotted Dog
I've got some friends in Brum who used to go there and I'll try and contact them to check this out.
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: The Spotted Dog
When someone mentions 'The Spotted Dog' I always think of the one in Willesden, North London, which was also an Irish music house at one time. Is not the second jig a version of 'The Nightcap' ? I love the way the box player on this recording wakes up to 'give the nod' for a change of tune and then goes back to sleep. Very exciting.
# Posted on March 27th 2008 by Free Reed
Re: The Spotted Dog
Yeah, that's what I posted Free Reed. It is a version of the Nightcap which Matt Cunningham recorded in his first volume of dance music. I was thinking that too about 'giving the nod.' A lot of musicians (dare I say young ones) seem to just play with the head down for a whole set even if they started it off. I think communication between the tunes (i.e. nods, looks etc) is important to get a good set together in a session.
# Posted on March 28th 2008 by PaddyCmusic
Re: The Spotted Dog
I was right yesterday about Clodagh Buckley playing with the Allow Céilí Band as watching today's Comhaltaslive clip at http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/comhaltaslive_248_3_allow_ceili_band/ you'll see her playing concertina on the gig-rig in Tullamore the night they won the All-Ireland.
# Posted on March 28th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: The Birmingham Connection
I'm still waiting for information to clear up the mystery of the Spotted Dog but in the meantime this great clip of the Murphy family from Abbeyfeale got posted at http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/comhaltaslive_248_4_murphy_family/. Donal is more noted for his playing with "Four Men and a Dog" but his own family can definitely provide some mighty music. You well may ask what this has to do with Birmingham but back in the sixties Dan (Donal's father) was a familiar face on the trad music scene there and I remember him playing in a session at a Fleadh in King's Heath. Fortunately he decided to return home so that Birmingham's loss has become Abbeyfeale's gain!
# Posted on March 29th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: The Spotted Dog
Andy G got it right - it's a different Spotted Dog and this is the story I received this morning:
The Spotted Dog pub in Alcester Street, Digbeth is the traditional music pub in Birmingham which is under threat of loosing its music licence due to the opening of a new development near to it. The pub, (a popular music venue for many years), has there for a very long time before the new appartments accross the road from it. It is true that there is another spotted dog pub in the area, but this 2nd pub is not under any threat from new developments. Our Spotted Dog, is a very popular house for traditional music, as well as other genre. It is run by Anne and John Tighe, who were recently awarded a long service medallian by the local branch of Comhaltas. Shame on the City planners and the developers.
It's a pity the place is under threat and if anyone out there has any influence in Planning matters maybe you could have a word in the appropriate quarters.
# Posted on March 29th 2008 by Bannerman