Played at a session the other day, at which a dog was in attendance -- a big, friendly chocolate Lab who periodically walked around greeting everyone, at least four or five times each.
I was in the middle of singing a song when at one point I happened to look down, and here was this open-mouthed, happy smiling Lab face gazing up at me.
You just try to maintain your composure (not to mention pitch) after you've seen that...
At my local session there is sometimes a canary in the kitchen at the back . It is unseen but has been known to join in loudly & melodiously when a singer sings a tune to everyone's smiling amusement.
I was playing a latin gig during Carnival season (Brazillian Mardi Gras)when somebody in the club started bransishing a "pistola" and firing off shots.
I dived behind the piano with the percussionist and started looking for the back door to the place.
Heaven's teeth, sts, you've brought back some memories.
There was a pub up in Hornsey (North London) which tried to run a regular session, but the landlady was unable to persuade her somewhat vicious and very recalcitrant Alsatian from abandoning its favourite resting place at the very centre of the long lounge seat which the musicians were supposed to occupy. It always surprised me that nobody came up with a new tune called 'Skirt the Dog' (though Bobby Casey would probably have composed a better title).
I can also recall another pub, in Donegal, where a collie-cross, owned by the landlord, would attempt to sing along when anyone played a slow air, but that's another story.
Norfolk terriers are notorious for a kind of snotty, smug unwillingness to maybe fer chrissake try to be decent and at least pretend to tolerate human music making.
Gwendolyn, a Norfolk bitch who occasionally stops in, has made strides in that direction, even once tossing away her cigarette early just so she could return to lean in the doorway and listen—without a smirk!—to old Tim warble the final lines of 'Taim i mo Shui'.
A collie dog sat at the from of a small stage in a village hall I played in once, it farted badly through a set of reels and the draught from the door wafted the aroma directly at us. I wrote this wee tune called to commemorate the occasion
fauxcelt: No, she was very polite. She also declined, fortunately, to try and convince me to play a game of "Fetch" using my guitar. (Insert joke here)
Floss the Tethers: I shudder to think what would happen if our neighbor's un-neutered adult Boston Terrier were to attend a session. Said terrier sometimes get a little, um, "romantic" and tries to express himself in a manner I'm sure does not need elaboration. All I can say is, you've seldom seen a face so consumed by pure lust. Eeeww.
I saw one once at a country pub drinking Guinness from a saucer that its owner had put down for it. As long as you don't feed the mutt cheese and onion sandwiches as well ...
Oh, granama, my grandfather would regularly pour the dregs of his Guinness into the dog's bowl (it was a spaniel). He claimed that it made its coat glossier. If you've never seen a dog stagger, well ...
At a session at someone's house, the hostess (who plays several instruments) started playing her soprano recorder and her cat seemed to just absolutely love the sound of the recorder because he started purring and rubbing against her legs.
In Orkney or Shetland the dog materialising in front of a musician would be a seal, and would be his unacknowledged son come to request his inheritance, or something of the kind.
(Judging by ballads, etc., this seems to happen quite a lot up there.)
When I got my first melodeon, we had a part-collie who howled dismally whenever I played it. To be honest, the family and quite a few sessioneers did the same.
If you take a look on the left side, there is a dog underneath the musician with the whistle. The tail is visible under the guitar player and the shadow of the head is visible in the back on the left.
fauxcelt - Both dog and people were howling at me rather than with me - I don't believe the dog was trying to howl in tune. But somewhere I seem to remember playing when a dog did seem to be trying to sing along; can't recall clear details.
My most dramatic musical impact on the animal kingdom was when, practising outside on the flute, I blew a long note - to warm it up, I suppose. A herd of cows nearby bolted away to the far end of a long field. I blew another long note, and blow me, they came belting all the way back up again! I left them in peace after that.
Many years ago at The Carts Bog .a pub way up in the wild north pennines ,there was a landlords' dog that would bark and growl only at Bodhran players even if they forgot their drum and was known to run off with their sticks/beaters/tappers given a chance.
spooky
When John "The Tae" gallagher used to play in Nancy's Bar in Ardara, the proprieter Margaret McHugh, had a dog called Guinness. He was normally very quiet but every time John struck up a tune called Postman's Knock, Guinness went berserk, howling and yapping. Eventually John got wise to this and ensured the dog wasn't in the bar before he started. Occasionally it would be lying unnoticed under someone's chair and would have to be forcibly evicted when the howling began.
If you are ever in the bar look for its photo. There are a couple of John as well
dave and flutey - where's The Carts Bog? It's not in the dales I frequent.
Your details divulge that you live in Newcastle. As I understand it, the Geordies all go up to Allendale, leaving Weardale to the Makems and Teesdale to the Smoggies. I don't really know the Allendales: is The Carts Bog tucked away in West Allen or somewhere?
The dog is obviously a guardian of tradition, which in these parts doesn't include the bodhran. Or else he is bred from a line of dogs trained to give the alarm at the approaching hooves of reivers.
granama, I can assure you that my dog will slurp up all the Guinness he can get, or any other beer, for that matter. In fact we named him Guinness before we knew of this predilection for porter, because of his colour and nationality.
While playing at an outdoor community event, however, a woman brought over her small dog, knowing full well it would howl and scream when the accordion started up. When people gathered around, they seemed to think the woman deserved some kind of sympathy.
There was a grey parrot that lived in a pub we did a sunday afternoon session in, whenever the jigs and reels got going he used to grip the sides of the cage and dance to the music.
One sunday and accordian player joined us and things were going well untill he decided he wanted to try out a newly learned tune.... every time he tried to start he fluffed it up . all was quiet as we politely listened for this new tune , after the third or fourth time the parrot probably fed up with teh silence and bum notes climbed to the top of the cage nearest the player and muttered "W***ker"! .. had the whole pub in fits
Nicholas, thank you for the funny story about the cows and your flute practicing. Animals (both two-legged and four-legged) don't howl at me unless I am stupid enough to try to sing.
Trying to keep from laughing
Trying to keep from laughing
Played at a session the other day, at which a dog was in attendance -- a big, friendly chocolate Lab who periodically walked around greeting everyone, at least four or five times each.
I was in the middle of singing a song when at one point I happened to look down, and here was this open-mouthed, happy smiling Lab face gazing up at me.
You just try to maintain your composure (not to mention pitch) after you've seen that...
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by sts
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At my local session there is sometimes a canary in the kitchen at the back . It is unseen but has been known to join in loudly & melodiously when a singer sings a tune to everyone's smiling amusement.
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by yhaalhouse
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
I was playing a latin gig during Carnival season (Brazillian Mardi Gras)when somebody in the club started bransishing a "pistola" and firing off shots.
I dived behind the piano with the percussionist and started looking for the back door to the place.
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by Nate Ryan
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
Did the dog try to help you sing by howling?
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by fauxcelt
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
Farting dogs are the bane of many a session I've played at. Talk about "Nyah!"
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by grego
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
Heaven's teeth, sts, you've brought back some memories.
There was a pub up in Hornsey (North London) which tried to run a regular session, but the landlady was unable to persuade her somewhat vicious and very recalcitrant Alsatian from abandoning its favourite resting place at the very centre of the long lounge seat which the musicians were supposed to occupy. It always surprised me that nobody came up with a new tune called 'Skirt the Dog' (though Bobby Casey would probably have composed a better title).
I can also recall another pub, in Donegal, where a collie-cross, owned by the landlord, would attempt to sing along when anyone played a slow air, but that's another story.
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by Floss the Tethers
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
Norfolk terriers are notorious for a kind of snotty, smug unwillingness to maybe fer chrissake try to be decent and at least pretend to tolerate human music making.
Gwendolyn, a Norfolk bitch who occasionally stops in, has made strides in that direction, even once tossing away her cigarette early just so she could return to lean in the doorway and listen—without a smirk!—to old Tim warble the final lines of 'Taim i mo Shui'.
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by NEW Pure Drop® Ear Canal Oil
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
A collie dog sat at the from of a small stage in a village hall I played in once, it farted badly through a set of reels and the draught from the door wafted the aroma directly at us. I wrote this wee tune called to commemorate the occasion
X:1
T:The Prevailing Wind
M:2/4
R:Polka
K:G
GD GD/G/|Be de/f/|gd ed|gG AB|GD GD/G/|Be dg/f/|ed gB|AG Gz:||
g2 g>f|ed Bg/f/|ed BA|Bd d2|g>a gg/f/|ed Bg/f/|ed gB|AG G2|
g2 b>a|ge db/a/|gG BA|Bd de/f/|g2 ba/g/|ed Bg/f/|ed gB|AG G2||
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by Bogman
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
fauxcelt: No, she was very polite. She also declined, fortunately, to try and convince me to play a game of "Fetch" using my guitar. (Insert joke here)
Floss the Tethers: I shudder to think what would happen if our neighbor's un-neutered adult Boston Terrier were to attend a session. Said terrier sometimes get a little, um, "romantic" and tries to express himself in a manner I'm sure does not need elaboration. All I can say is, you've seldom seen a face so consumed by pure lust. Eeeww.
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by sts
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
"Farting dogs are the bane of many a session I've played at."
At least dogs don't drink Guinness.
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by ragaman
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
I saw one once at a country pub drinking Guinness from a saucer that its owner had put down for it. As long as you don't feed the mutt cheese and onion sandwiches as well ...
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by lazyhound
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
Oh, granama, my grandfather would regularly pour the dregs of his Guinness into the dog's bowl (it was a spaniel). He claimed that it made its coat glossier. If you've never seen a dog stagger, well ...
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by Floss the Tethers
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
At a session at someone's house, the hostess (who plays several instruments) started playing her soprano recorder and her cat seemed to just absolutely love the sound of the recorder because he started purring and rubbing against her legs.
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by fauxcelt
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
In Orkney or Shetland the dog materialising in front of a musician would be a seal, and would be his unacknowledged son come to request his inheritance, or something of the kind.
(Judging by ballads, etc., this seems to happen quite a lot up there.)
When I got my first melodeon, we had a part-collie who howled dismally whenever I played it. To be honest, the family and quite a few sessioneers did the same.
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by nicholas
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
Nicholas, did the dog or anyone else try to howl in tune with you?
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by fauxcelt
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
Have you ever seen the Picasso painting "The Three Musicians?"
http://www.artquotes.net/masters/picasso/pablo_musicians1921.htm
If you take a look on the left side, there is a dog underneath the musician with the whistle. The tail is visible under the guitar player and the shadow of the head is visible in the back on the left.
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by grumblingoldwoman
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
fauxcelt - Both dog and people were howling at me rather than with me - I don't believe the dog was trying to howl in tune. But somewhere I seem to remember playing when a dog did seem to be trying to sing along; can't recall clear details.
My most dramatic musical impact on the animal kingdom was when, practising outside on the flute, I blew a long note - to warm it up, I suppose. A herd of cows nearby bolted away to the far end of a long field. I blew another long note, and blow me, they came belting all the way back up again! I left them in peace after that.
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by nicholas
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
Many years ago at The Carts Bog .a pub way up in the wild north pennines ,there was a landlords' dog that would bark and growl only at Bodhran players even if they forgot their drum and was known to run off with their sticks/beaters/tappers given a chance.
spooky
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by bazouki dave and the real tooty flutey
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
Dave, you've got to find that dog so we can breed it!
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
When John "The Tae" gallagher used to play in Nancy's Bar in Ardara, the proprieter Margaret McHugh, had a dog called Guinness. He was normally very quiet but every time John struck up a tune called Postman's Knock, Guinness went berserk, howling and yapping. Eventually John got wise to this and ensured the dog wasn't in the bar before he started. Occasionally it would be lying unnoticed under someone's chair and would have to be forcibly evicted when the howling began.
If you are ever in the bar look for its photo. There are a couple of John as well
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by deeor
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
Ditto re that dog. This clip made me laugh earlier - the expressions are priceless... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKC8OK_jYP0 - nice playing too.
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by mutatis mutandis
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
dave and flutey - where's The Carts Bog? It's not in the dales I frequent.
Your details divulge that you live in Newcastle. As I understand it, the Geordies all go up to Allendale, leaving Weardale to the Makems and Teesdale to the Smoggies. I don't really know the Allendales: is The Carts Bog tucked away in West Allen or somewhere?
The dog is obviously a guardian of tradition, which in these parts doesn't include the bodhran. Or else he is bred from a line of dogs trained to give the alarm at the approaching hooves of reivers.
# Posted on June 17th 2008 by nicholas
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
granama, I can assure you that my dog will slurp up all the Guinness he can get, or any other beer, for that matter. In fact we named him Guinness before we knew of this predilection for porter, because of his colour and nationality.
While playing at an outdoor community event, however, a woman brought over her small dog, knowing full well it would howl and scream when the accordion started up. When people gathered around, they seemed to think the woman deserved some kind of sympathy.
# Posted on June 18th 2008 by oldstrings
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
Wouldn't it be funny if the dog was a female named Payback?
Then you tell people; Payback is a bitch. ;0)
# Posted on June 18th 2008 by Ray Mariani
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
There was a grey parrot that lived in a pub we did a sunday afternoon session in, whenever the jigs and reels got going he used to grip the sides of the cage and dance to the music.
One sunday and accordian player joined us and things were going well untill he decided he wanted to try out a newly learned tune.... every time he tried to start he fluffed it up . all was quiet as we politely listened for this new tune , after the third or fourth time the parrot probably fed up with teh silence and bum notes climbed to the top of the cage nearest the player and muttered "W***ker"! .. had the whole pub in fits
# Posted on June 18th 2008 by pencross
Re: Trying to keep from laughing
Nicholas, thank you for the funny story about the cows and your flute practicing. Animals (both two-legged and four-legged) don't howl at me unless I am stupid enough to try to sing.
# Posted on June 18th 2008 by fauxcelt