Years ago, during the festival in Lorient, I was in a disco crowded with people dancing gavottes, I think. The one that is danced by people chained by their little fingers, if that makes sense.
I've heard the "trad disco" mentioned a couple of times. Would someone take a second and describe? Whatever it looks/sounds like is more than my imagination can muster I'm sure. Thanks.
Basically there's this DJ who, instead of playing Sugababes and Soulja Boy and Madonna, plays Shooglenifty and Beoga and Flook. Does what all DJs do - you know, cranks the bass RIGHT up and blends one track into another and so on. All the fun of a normal disco, but with good tunes!
YAY!
Oh yeah, I can't come next year either. Term starts at the beginning of August, my sweet, with a four-week placement either in Wales, Malaysia, India, Tanzania or Palestine. Maybe I'll start a Trisco wherever I am.
Because Ennis Trad disco - a friend did one at a festival in Australia - out in the Victorian bush (in a hall though obviously) Strobe lights and the whole bit - it was hilariously funny, but really good too, everyone danced the night away. Great craic.
Discos suck! DJs suck! Because they take work away from musicians. 2 people, a PA, and maybe some lights... In many places they are completely replacing the live music scene. I don't care if they play trad, They're sucking the life out of the live music venues. Put your iPod on shuffle, what's the difference? Oh yeah, if you can dance you might get laid
Um - I'm really sorry to point this out to you gw and burst your bubble of wisdom. But - you do realise that playing CDs of Trad musicians - ie - buying them and then playing them gives money to said musicians, alot of whom are trying to make a money in a very tough way. So - yes - I like a good trad disco, to be honest I'd rather hear trad played really well on cd than some complete hacks slaughtering the music live. But I guess it just boils down to taste. PS - where the hell do you live? There is not one pub in australia that would ever consider having a trad disco.....in fact most pubs bar like 10 dont even know what trad is.
bb Cruella de vil-
I think that the musicians gw was referring to are the small time musicians who do not have a CD out. He does have a point though. DJs have almost completely replaced live entertainment at weddings, dances, and parties. That's the case in the US at least. In my opinion I'd much rather have a real person playing music at my wedding.
I do understand what you are talking about. However the guy who does the trad disco here - *is* a traditional musician (in fact a deadly fiddle player) first and a DJ at the trad disco for a laugh. Also we dont have the luxury that you guys have of hearing local musicians playing trad - unless its ourselves of course...and I can hear that any day. The last trad band to come out was here around 8 months ago - and the one before around 8 months before that.
So basically - the people who do trad discos here are in fact trad musicians, so noone loses really. I would love to go and hear people playing trad, but there is hardly any.
When I got married we had a dj - I wasnt going to make my friends miss out on my wedding by forcing them to play a gig, we made him play trad - so it was a trad disco, it was great craic - and all the musicians had a laugh - there was also a session in the other room - best of both worlds and everyone was happy.
I really dont see the problem in a trad disco. Fact is - sometimes some people dont feel like playing tunes - but feel like listening to tunes and socialising....I love a good trad disco.
PS - I have been to the US and have seen that you guys have a massive scene - Ireland, England and US all have thriving trad scenes. Australia is way behind in that sense - there just isnt that many people playing.
"Um - I'm really sorry to point this out to you gw and burst your bubble of wisdom. But - you do realise that playing CDs of Trad musicians - ie - buying them and then playing them gives money to said musicians, alot of whom are trying to make a money in a very tough way...."
Really?!? My "bubble of wisdom" has been selling recorded music for quite some time. Apparently you're unaware of the current reality of recorded music sales--other than perhaps the latest "flavor of the month" Pop "sensation" being promoted like the latest fashion wear by the corporate music machine. Bottom line, no one is making cake off of their CD sales. To survive, bands need to play live. Period. The DJ scene is eroding away at the live music scene. What started off as Techno, House or Hip Hop has started to splinter into different genres. In the broader picture I see that as a big problem for bands like mine who's venues are the smaller halls and clubs...
That said, your "trad disco" wedding sounds like it was a lot of fun. But I have a question: would you really have had to "force" your friends to play your wedding? When our drummer got married a while back he played in 2 of the three bands that played his reception. After playing 2 sets, he and his wife danced their butts off while the last band was playing... The point is, most of the musicians I know would prefer to be playing. And all would no doubt prefer live to DJed music at their special occasion.
'Really?!? My "bubble of wisdom" has been selling recorded music for quite some time. Apparently you're unaware of the current reality of recorded music sales--other than perhaps the latest "flavor of the month" Pop "sensation" being promoted like the latest fashion wear by the corporate music machine. Bottom line, no one is making cake off of their CD sales. To survive, bands need to play live. Period"
Yes - so do you want to come and do a gig here? Sydney Australia - see you soon gw??? Of course. Cant wait as I said -we dont get much here, so any one is welcome, when can I say??
It wasnt about forcing my friends to play trad - as I said there was a session there if they wanted to join in,if not they could hang at the trad disco.Most of my friends love to play - but not all the time. Amazingly they have lives. At my wedding we let loose and had a great time not playing tunes but listening to tunesl, I'd be interested to hear your friends who'd rather play tunes sounds, I'm guessing I wouldnt be impressed!!!?????
yeah they can play like mozart and stuff and you can't even play the kesh beebs you saddo hack with your stupid baby screaming in my ear giving me a headache [dow posting as bb]
Um Dow - seem to remember that you danced the night away at said trad disco, Question is - why dont you prefer to play tunes, You are lame -and some sort of half musician - you dont want to play the whole time when your best friends are getting married - you want to socialise and hang out. What is wrong with you!!!!
PS am totally unaware of current record music sales -which is why I am giving up my job and become full time professional trad musician. Cant wait looking forward to my 5 bucks.
Hmmm. I wasn't trying to insult you Cruella, but apparently you are trying to insult me... Whatever. Didn't work.
Australia... PBS-FM 106.7 in Melbourne has kindly given us quite a bit of airtime. The show is called "What the Folk" and the host is Susi Lanagan (Thanks Susi!):
We would love to play in Australia--but there's 8 of us. Book us some decent venues and a festival spot that pays well so we don't have to go out of pocket and we're there. I promise we won't disappoint!
Whether or not you would be impressed by our music would obviously depend on your taste. If you like a malange of styles that include Ska, Eastern European Gypsy, Zydeco, Cajun, TexMex, Polka, Surf and even a bit of bent out Irish diddly you just might like what we have to offer. We're a very good live band (IMHO, of course), and probably like nothing you've ever heard before coming from one band.
BTW, our drummer is the man! And the bands at his wedding were exceptional by any but the most narrow standards. As far as I know, however, only the fiddle player in the first band plays Irish Trad. So if all you are capable of listening to is Irish trad, you would have been s**t out of luck.
So there you go Cruella, click on my handle and go visit out MySpace page and web site. Then get us booked in Sydney. After we play, I'll buy you a beer or two. Then after our second gig you can buy a round for the band because you'll want to...
Wasnt trying to insult really - just annoyed that you dont get that we dont have live trad over here. As Ive said on other threads recently I love all kinds of music bar country - Ska included. I was just acutually pointing out that alot of my friends play and live trad -but sometimes like a trad disco. There may be 8 of you - but this is my point, apparently 4 is too much to come to oz....
Like I said, I have nothing against DJs or Trisko or whatever. If it works for the situation and people are happy and having a good time, how could it be bad? But as a musician in a working band I'm in competition for gigs with DJs... DJs have the right to work too, but they make their money off the musician's product. They didn't put together the group, arrange the music, rehearse rehearse rehearse, gig gig gig, and then foot the bill for the recording sessions, the mixing down, the mastering and the duplication--not to mention the CD artwork (which is a whole extra project). On and on... Being in a working band is a business, and I'm talking economics here. The gigs are the fun part...
Anyway, there's no bad or good entity in this discussion it's just the trend these days. Live music is my preference, obviamente
"Being in a working band is a business, and I'm talking economics here." (gw).
Good point, imo.
There seem to be excellent trad musicians out there who find a way to make it their life (IF that is the goal, and for many it just isn't. Plenty of trad musicians are very happy to just enjoy their art at sessions, etc., and just have another day job for a few decades.)
This trad group just keeps evolving. They did a gig at the National Folk Festival in Australia a few years back, called it an "English Dance" in one of the huge auditoriums. Unbelievably powerful trad performance on stage which you could just sit and watch - or - partake in the "progressive barn dance" type format like the three hundred or more people on the dance floor were doing.
Their website seems to suggest they are travelling the world constantly now playing an eclectic range of performances to a variety of audiences, and probably making a huge living out of it - while they are young enough to do so.
Probably not dissimilar to the Lunasa formula in a way.
I guess they don't want to stick with the lovely day jobs. Too much to be said on this topic, but for me, "trad" groups like this seem to make the point.
"Rather than the contest suggested by its title, this hell-raising encounter between two street-style musical troupes, from down south and Down Under, proves to be more a meeting of merrily madcap minds. Part concert, part mini-circus, it amply lives up to its opening promise of 'loads of happy tunes', with the odd interlude of juggling, comedy routines and contortionism adding further sparkle. With the two acts joined by Fremantle's John Reed and English folk heroine Eliza Carthy, the total line-up numbers a tent-quaking 12 playing fiddles, horns, melodeon, bass, cittern and a battery of percussion. The musical mix ranges far and wide, the Chipolata side contributing frisky folk melodies and cajun tunes, Honky Trash chipping in scorching blasts of funk, jazz and soul. They have been working together for a while, since meeting on a Chipolatas tour of Australia, as is clear from the tight, confident fusion of their respective styles. The sound nonetheless retains a raw-edged, rootsy energy that has most of the crowd on its feet by the end, even though it is only teatime." (Sue Wilson)
Not sure what your point is Duijera. Vaudeville is the solution? I've been there. I was a respectable juggler in my past life--meaning good enough to be a street performer, good enough to do stage shows (and play an instrument--though not at the same time as moving objects through space). Maybe the circus theme thing is newish down under. It's pretty much over here in the good ol' USofA. Been over for quite a while. Pity because I love juggling and circus arts in general.
I guess there's a few points, gw, people will no doubt derive their own points.
To me, it just points up that it seems indeed very difficult to "make a living" from "trad" music (as in tunes alone), without changing the format somehow, to what a general audience might want. As has been said elsewhere I think, the vast majority of the general community might have no clue about what 'trad' music actually is.
I think the point (to me anyway), is that 'trad' can 'work' in, as you say a 'business' sense, but it probably has to be 'packaged' in a format that is appealing to a general audience.
Chipolatas seems to have done exactly that. As apparently accomplished 'trad' musicians, it would be interesting to hear how they feel personally about how they have had to package this, but I guess making a good living out of what they like to do will be part of the equation for them.
I love juggling, but musicians shouldn't have to be able to juggle to make a go of it. THAT SUCKS! I'm sure Chipolatas is cool as hell, but what they're doing is certainly not a new paradigm for being a successful musician. Let's ask our resident Will about that--hey Will, what you think??
I think it sucks having to go the juggling too, gw. Personally I wouldn't go to see the chipolatas to see the juggling, and I know it's not a new paradigm, didn't say it was. It seems to be a paradigm that works Big Time in the hands of this particular group from all appearances (if we're talking about making a living from "trad".)
Trad's a big part of their repertoire (depending on what market gig they are going to do, in my understanding). They tailor their gigs to suite a particular slice of the market. To that extent, they are making a Very Nice Living through including trad - whatever proportion.
I guess they are 'juggling' a whole lot of different forms, including trad and making it work for them financially. They might make the same living even if they didn't have trad in there, but maybe they would be doing the same range of gigs.
As you say, a band is a business, you're talking economics - yes, and you're also talking marketing.
Trisco!
Trisco!
= "Trad" + "Disco"
Anyone ever been to one? I have.
# Posted on July 4th 2008 by Joe CSS
Re: Trisco!
Years ago, during the festival in Lorient, I was in a disco crowded with people dancing gavottes, I think. The one that is danced by people chained by their little fingers, if that makes sense.
# Posted on July 4th 2008 by Ramiro
Re: Trisco!
yes was at the one at the ennis trad fest, great craic. had one at our family weddings as well. always goes down well.
# Posted on July 4th 2008 by S.Doherty
Re: Trisco!
Why isn't it called a 'Dad'?
# Posted on July 4th 2008 by granama
Re: Trisco!
What about "Crisco"- Cajun + Disco!
# Posted on July 4th 2008 by rob_handel
Re: Trisco!
I've heard the "trad disco" mentioned a couple of times. Would someone take a second and describe? Whatever it looks/sounds like is more than my imagination can muster I'm sure. Thanks.
# Posted on July 4th 2008 by lawhistle
Re: Trisco!
Disceili(dh)...
# Posted on July 4th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: Trisco!
Rock & Ceili(dh)...
# Posted on July 4th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: Trisco!
Little finger linking = Breton.
I've never been to a trisco but would love to go if I was invited *simpers*
# Posted on July 4th 2008 by mehitabel23
Re: Trisco!
Basically there's this DJ who, instead of playing Sugababes and Soulja Boy and Madonna, plays Shooglenifty and Beoga and Flook. Does what all DJs do - you know, cranks the bass RIGHT up and blends one track into another and so on. All the fun of a normal disco, but with good tunes!
# Posted on July 4th 2008 by Joe CSS
Re: Trisco!
Mehi - we should get Folkworks to do one next year!
# Posted on July 4th 2008 by Joe CSS
Re: Trisco!
YAY!
Oh yeah, I can't come next year either. Term starts at the beginning of August, my sweet, with a four-week placement either in Wales, Malaysia, India, Tanzania or Palestine. Maybe I'll start a Trisco wherever I am.
# Posted on July 4th 2008 by mehitabel23
Re: Trisco!
Which will probably be wales.
# Posted on July 4th 2008 by mehitabel23
Re: Trisco!
Because Ennis Trad disco - a friend did one at a festival in Australia - out in the Victorian bush (in a hall though obviously) Strobe lights and the whole bit - it was hilariously funny, but really good too, everyone danced the night away. Great craic.
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
Disco sucks!
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by gw
Re: Trisco!
But its a disco that plays trad, so its cool.
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
Discos suck! DJs suck! Because they take work away from musicians. 2 people, a PA, and maybe some lights... In many places they are completely replacing the live music scene. I don't care if they play trad, They're sucking the life out of the live music venues. Put your iPod on shuffle, what's the difference? Oh yeah, if you can dance you might get laid
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by gw
Re: Trisco!
Um - I'm really sorry to point this out to you gw and burst your bubble of wisdom. But - you do realise that playing CDs of Trad musicians - ie - buying them and then playing them gives money to said musicians, alot of whom are trying to make a money in a very tough way. So - yes - I like a good trad disco, to be honest I'd rather hear trad played really well on cd than some complete hacks slaughtering the music live. But I guess it just boils down to taste. PS - where the hell do you live? There is not one pub in australia that would ever consider having a trad disco.....in fact most pubs bar like 10 dont even know what trad is.
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
bb Cruella de vil-
I think that the musicians gw was referring to are the small time musicians who do not have a CD out. He does have a point though. DJs have almost completely replaced live entertainment at weddings, dances, and parties. That's the case in the US at least. In my opinion I'd much rather have a real person playing music at my wedding.
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by rob_handel
Re: Trisco!
I do understand what you are talking about. However the guy who does the trad disco here - *is* a traditional musician (in fact a deadly fiddle player) first and a DJ at the trad disco for a laugh. Also we dont have the luxury that you guys have of hearing local musicians playing trad - unless its ourselves of course...and I can hear that any day. The last trad band to come out was here around 8 months ago - and the one before around 8 months before that.
So basically - the people who do trad discos here are in fact trad musicians, so noone loses really. I would love to go and hear people playing trad, but there is hardly any.
When I got married we had a dj - I wasnt going to make my friends miss out on my wedding by forcing them to play a gig, we made him play trad - so it was a trad disco, it was great craic - and all the musicians had a laugh - there was also a session in the other room - best of both worlds and everyone was happy.
I really dont see the problem in a trad disco. Fact is - sometimes some people dont feel like playing tunes - but feel like listening to tunes and socialising....I love a good trad disco.
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
PS - I have been to the US and have seen that you guys have a massive scene - Ireland, England and US all have thriving trad scenes. Australia is way behind in that sense - there just isnt that many people playing.
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
Trisco! ~ Trad Disco! ~ sounds like an Irish dance class...
I see no harm either, but live is always best, including with other genres...
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: Trisco!
I'll be the DJ Joe
DJFozzie on the decks
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by D.J.F.
Re: Trisco!
"Um - I'm really sorry to point this out to you gw and burst your bubble of wisdom. But - you do realise that playing CDs of Trad musicians - ie - buying them and then playing them gives money to said musicians, alot of whom are trying to make a money in a very tough way...."
Really?!? My "bubble of wisdom" has been selling recorded music for quite some time. Apparently you're unaware of the current reality of recorded music sales--other than perhaps the latest "flavor of the month" Pop "sensation" being promoted like the latest fashion wear by the corporate music machine. Bottom line, no one is making cake off of their CD sales. To survive, bands need to play live. Period. The DJ scene is eroding away at the live music scene. What started off as Techno, House or Hip Hop has started to splinter into different genres. In the broader picture I see that as a big problem for bands like mine who's venues are the smaller halls and clubs...
That said, your "trad disco" wedding sounds like it was a lot of fun. But I have a question: would you really have had to "force" your friends to play your wedding? When our drummer got married a while back he played in 2 of the three bands that played his reception. After playing 2 sets, he and his wife danced their butts off while the last band was playing... The point is, most of the musicians I know would prefer to be playing. And all would no doubt prefer live to DJed music at their special occasion.
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by gw
Re: Trisco!
My daddy is a DJ!!! Enough dissin!
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by mehitabel23
Re: Trisco!
I'm not dissin' DJs mehit. I'm just saying I prefer live to Memorex
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by gw
Re: Trisco!
"Is it Live or is it Memorex?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32X8sFAlDZM
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by gw
Re: Trisco!
'Really?!? My "bubble of wisdom" has been selling recorded music for quite some time. Apparently you're unaware of the current reality of recorded music sales--other than perhaps the latest "flavor of the month" Pop "sensation" being promoted like the latest fashion wear by the corporate music machine. Bottom line, no one is making cake off of their CD sales. To survive, bands need to play live. Period"
Yes - so do you want to come and do a gig here? Sydney Australia - see you soon gw??? Of course. Cant wait as I said -we dont get much here, so any one is welcome, when can I say??
It wasnt about forcing my friends to play trad - as I said there was a session there if they wanted to join in,if not they could hang at the trad disco.Most of my friends love to play - but not all the time. Amazingly they have lives. At my wedding we let loose and had a great time not playing tunes but listening to tunesl, I'd be interested to hear your friends who'd rather play tunes sounds, I'm guessing I wouldnt be impressed!!!?????
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
yeah they can play like mozart and stuff and you can't even play the kesh beebs you saddo hack with your stupid baby screaming in my ear giving me a headache [dow posting as bb]
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
Um Dow - seem to remember that you danced the night away at said trad disco, Question is - why dont you prefer to play tunes, You are lame -and some sort of half musician - you dont want to play the whole time when your best friends are getting married - you want to socialise and hang out. What is wrong with you!!!!
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
Ooohhh Oooh - love the flavour of the month pop sensation - they are my favourite!
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
the people who played at beebs' wedding would have kicked ur ar8e and all of ur mates wha'evastop this baby screaming ow my head
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
above post from dow who cant be bothered to sign in as himself *DOW*
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
PS am totally unaware of current record music sales -which is why I am giving up my job and become full time professional trad musician. Cant wait looking forward to my 5 bucks.
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
AS DOW-shut up baby
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
oo my god beebs seriously im so trashned im gonna die
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
this website is very amusing when ur trashed
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
maybe i should get sleepn its 8,30am
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
zeens and john u bITCHES ANSWEr ur sky;pe
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
All dow by the way -he says *HELLO* david alcock -you are cool. I think so to
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
too.......
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
your babay hqas so pooed. i can smellit
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
Dow again
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
Hmmm. I wasn't trying to insult you Cruella, but apparently you are trying to insult me... Whatever. Didn't work.
Australia... PBS-FM 106.7 in Melbourne has kindly given us quite a bit of airtime. The show is called "What the Folk" and the host is Susi Lanagan (Thanks Susi!):
http://www.pbsfm.org.au/Documents.asp?ID=616&Title=What+the+Folk!
We would love to play in Australia--but there's 8 of us. Book us some decent venues and a festival spot that pays well so we don't have to go out of pocket and we're there. I promise we won't disappoint!
Whether or not you would be impressed by our music would obviously depend on your taste. If you like a malange of styles that include Ska, Eastern European Gypsy, Zydeco, Cajun, TexMex, Polka, Surf and even a bit of bent out Irish diddly you just might like what we have to offer. We're a very good live band (IMHO, of course), and probably like nothing you've ever heard before coming from one band.
BTW, our drummer is the man! And the bands at his wedding were exceptional by any but the most narrow standards. As far as I know, however, only the fiddle player in the first band plays Irish Trad. So if all you are capable of listening to is Irish trad, you would have been s**t out of luck.
So there you go Cruella, click on my handle and go visit out MySpace page and web site. Then get us booked in Sydney. After we play, I'll buy you a beer or two. Then after our second gig you can buy a round for the band because you'll want to...
Peace...
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by gw
Re: Trisco!
Wasnt trying to insult really - just annoyed that you dont get that we dont have live trad over here. As Ive said on other threads recently I love all kinds of music bar country - Ska included. I was just acutually pointing out that alot of my friends play and live trad -but sometimes like a trad disco. There may be 8 of you - but this is my point, apparently 4 is too much to come to oz....
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by bb
Re: Trisco!
Like I said, I have nothing against DJs or Trisko or whatever. If it works for the situation and people are happy and having a good time, how could it be bad? But as a musician in a working band I'm in competition for gigs with DJs... DJs have the right to work too, but they make their money off the musician's product. They didn't put together the group, arrange the music, rehearse rehearse rehearse, gig gig gig, and then foot the bill for the recording sessions, the mixing down, the mastering and the duplication--not to mention the CD artwork (which is a whole extra project). On and on... Being in a working band is a business, and I'm talking economics here. The gigs are the fun part...
Anyway, there's no bad or good entity in this discussion it's just the trend these days. Live music is my preference, obviamente
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by gw
Re: Trisco!
...... I can't believe bb "Cruella de Vil" just made 16 consecutive posts.... It must be a record...
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by Joe CSS
Re: Trisco!
And, apparently Dow was at the wedding--Trisco dancing. Turncoat
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by gw
Re: Trisco!
"Being in a working band is a business, and I'm talking economics here." (gw).
Good point, imo.
There seem to be excellent trad musicians out there who find a way to make it their life (IF that is the goal, and for many it just isn't. Plenty of trad musicians are very happy to just enjoy their art at sessions, etc., and just have another day job for a few decades.)
This trad group just keeps evolving. They did a gig at the National Folk Festival in Australia a few years back, called it an "English Dance" in one of the huge auditoriums. Unbelievably powerful trad performance on stage which you could just sit and watch - or - partake in the "progressive barn dance" type format like the three hundred or more people on the dance floor were doing.
Their website seems to suggest they are travelling the world constantly now playing an eclectic range of performances to a variety of audiences, and probably making a huge living out of it - while they are young enough to do so.
Probably not dissimilar to the Lunasa formula in a way.
I guess they don't want to stick with the lovely day jobs. Too much to be said on this topic, but for me, "trad" groups like this seem to make the point.
http://www.chipolatas.com/flash/index.php?page=home
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: Trisco!
Nice review from the site:
http://www.chipolatas.com/flash/index.php?page=home
"Rather than the contest suggested by its title, this hell-raising encounter between two street-style musical troupes, from down south and Down Under, proves to be more a meeting of merrily madcap minds. Part concert, part mini-circus, it amply lives up to its opening promise of 'loads of happy tunes', with the odd interlude of juggling, comedy routines and contortionism adding further sparkle. With the two acts joined by Fremantle's John Reed and English folk heroine Eliza Carthy, the total line-up numbers a tent-quaking 12 playing fiddles, horns, melodeon, bass, cittern and a battery of percussion. The musical mix ranges far and wide, the Chipolata side contributing frisky folk melodies and cajun tunes, Honky Trash chipping in scorching blasts of funk, jazz and soul. They have been working together for a while, since meeting on a Chipolatas tour of Australia, as is clear from the tight, confident fusion of their respective styles. The sound nonetheless retains a raw-edged, rootsy energy that has most of the crowd on its feet by the end, even though it is only teatime." (Sue Wilson)
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: Trisco!
Not sure what your point is Duijera. Vaudeville is the solution? I've been there. I was a respectable juggler in my past life--meaning good enough to be a street performer, good enough to do stage shows (and play an instrument--though not at the same time as moving objects through space). Maybe the circus theme thing is newish down under. It's pretty much over here in the good ol' USofA. Been over for quite a while. Pity because I love juggling and circus arts in general.
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by gw
Re: Trisco!
I guess there's a few points, gw, people will no doubt derive their own points.
To me, it just points up that it seems indeed very difficult to "make a living" from "trad" music (as in tunes alone), without changing the format somehow, to what a general audience might want. As has been said elsewhere I think, the vast majority of the general community might have no clue about what 'trad' music actually is.
I think the point (to me anyway), is that 'trad' can 'work' in, as you say a 'business' sense, but it probably has to be 'packaged' in a format that is appealing to a general audience.
Chipolatas seems to have done exactly that. As apparently accomplished 'trad' musicians, it would be interesting to hear how they feel personally about how they have had to package this, but I guess making a good living out of what they like to do will be part of the equation for them.
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: Trisco!
I love juggling, but musicians shouldn't have to be able to juggle to make a go of it. THAT SUCKS! I'm sure Chipolatas is cool as hell, but what they're doing is certainly not a new paradigm for being a successful musician. Let's ask our resident Will about that--hey Will, what you think??
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by gw
Re: Trisco!
I think it sucks having to go the juggling too, gw. Personally I wouldn't go to see the chipolatas to see the juggling, and I know it's not a new paradigm, didn't say it was. It seems to be a paradigm that works Big Time in the hands of this particular group from all appearances (if we're talking about making a living from "trad".)
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: Trisco!
But they're NOT making a living from trad. They're just including trad as part of the schtick. It's the altogetherputem that makes their bank.
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by gw
Re: Trisco!
Trad's a big part of their repertoire (depending on what market gig they are going to do, in my understanding). They tailor their gigs to suite a particular slice of the market. To that extent, they are making a Very Nice Living through including trad - whatever proportion.
I guess they are 'juggling' a whole lot of different forms, including trad and making it work for them financially. They might make the same living even if they didn't have trad in there, but maybe they would be doing the same range of gigs.
As you say, a band is a business, you're talking economics - yes, and you're also talking marketing.
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: Trisco!
wouldN'T be doing the same range of gigs, that is.
# Posted on July 6th 2008 by Duijera Dubh