watch episode of geantrai last night and it's the final straw. A program from Tigh Hughes without Johnny Connolly? Ok, there may be some argument for 'padding' out a program in an area that doesn't have a load of great musicians, but in Spiddal?!?! Se mo laoch saw fit to do an entire program on him, but geantrai didn't see fit to invite him to play one set on a program filmed in a pub he plays in every week?
And what do we get instead? Hibernan Crapsody. Mullet man and his merry band of thieves. Would Mullane even be playing the melodeon if it wasn't the the resurgence in the instrument created by Johnny? I doubt it.
So for me it's the final straw. I have melted down all my edison wax cylinders, fashioned them into a rudimentary sword, and will now fall on it. Irish music is dead. Trazz has won. All is lost.
yea go on skip and do us all a favour.....And the reason why johnny connolly wasnt there cause he was too busy playing the same tunes over and over again down at the oireachtas in cork.......up the rapsody!!!
Herr Canlon, I think you may need help if watching a tele program makes you commit suicide.
Perhaps you should turn the box off and get out more.
Oh, I've just thought, you might be dead already.
Oh well.
I hope it was quick, painless and didn't leave too much mess for others to clear up after you.
Oh dude, it's OK, don't be drastic now. It's just TV. I'm pretty sure it has an "Off" switch. If they sold you a set without one, I'd take it back to the shop ASAP.
I heard Tigh Hughes was closed for a wee bit. Glad to see it's open again (assuming that the Geantrai shoot was a recent thing).
@ cg.f : someone should start a competition to see how many times the Sally Gardens and the Sligo Maid have been played in any one place over the years.
Hey Fish, nicely put. Or, as we say in the dirt-biking world, "escape the cushions...".
BTW, how's the mando playing coming? I think that my fingers are just too plain big for that skinny little neck. Maybe it's time to start looking for a 'zouk. Or switching the guitar to DADGAD.
Tom, the mando playing is coming along OK. I'm learning tunes but speed is another thing altogether! I'm learning to improvise a bit as well since the folks I session with are pretty much all blues & American folk players. I know zip for blues so I just chase the melody. Sometimes it works, sometimes I just stop and let them play.
I've got a new teacher for guitar and I'm having my Martin tuned up. The action was huge around the 12th fret making it tough to play. I haven't touched my bodhran in a long time. It isn't tunable and is about as tight as a paper sack in winter.
That was nearly a cracker sfp. Anyway - trad is dead, long live the trazz. At least we can look back fondly on the days were two people could play simple tunes together without one of them electrosaxatrumpets interfering with every single bit of music written, well no, played by ear of course - not written. Would everyone who plays in the old way, either at home or in public, whether some of the time or all of the time please stop it and adhere to the new order.
heh. I see in the other thread about the Kane sisters that they actually played a......oh my god - I can barely bring myself to say it .....a scottish tune. Shock horror!!
You want to count yourself lucky to have such a programme to complain about! I wish we did this side of the Sea! All we get are sneers from the knowalls in charge of the TV programming for being a minority, with the occasional flash of trad on a regional programme if we're very, very lucky. Something like geantrai is an unrealisable dream in England. Bless you lucky people!
I hear you Ebor and shoddy. Here's a conversation that pretty much tells the story of my life:
Me: I play the flute and whistles.
Person who asked me what instruments I play: Oh yeah, I used to play the flute when I was in middle school. It was so boring. What's a whistle?
Me: No, no, I play the Irish flute, it's much different than a silver concert flute and made for traditional Irish music, and other styles of the "Celtic" genre as well. Whistles are other traditional Irish instruments played like this *feigns whistle-playing position* with a different sound than a flute.
Person: Oh, you mean a recorder? And cool, so you can play, like, Great Big Sea and stuff? Ooo oo, can you play the Lord of the Rings theme?
I've had kids show up with electric guitars and practice amps for one of my sessions thinking it was "open mike night" and leave with a sneer on their face. I tell 'em "No, it's an open session. Get your acoustic and come join us."
They say "Oh you mean a jam session?" I say.... " *sigh* Ummm.. kinda, yeah."
But I guess that's how what was supposed to be a trad session turned into a blues session. It's still fun though.
Somewhere in this town is a husband and wife who are into trad. The husband is a pipe maker and his wife plays box. If anyone knows who that is, tell them to E-MAIL ME!!! lol (or at least go to the pub and look me up)
I don't like this new series of Geantraí myself. I don't enjoy watching it, simple as. But, rather than continue to do so and make it an unbreakable obsession, I've decided to stop watching. I haven't watched the last 2 or 3 episodes. I much prefer listening to Áine Hensey's "Late Session" radio programme at the same time on Sunday nights. So, for anyone who feels the same way about the new Geantraí series as I do: Do yourselves a favour and take a leaf out of my book, problem solved. Nobody harmed. Its only other peoples' minds led astray (those who still watch Geantraí that is.)
*Sorry, my final sentence was just me being cheeky. I wasn't being serious, just like stirring about...haha
Hey, Fish: I understand your pain. I don't run a session myself, but I have friends that are very capable musicians in their particular genres who ask me what I'm doing lately, and when I tell them that I'm playing in the local sessions, they want to show up, thinking that it's some kind of blues/rock/jazz/bluegrass jam session thingee. I was the same way when I first started, despite admonitions from friends that "you need to know the tunes". I discourage the jammers from showing up, except maybe to listen and chat, of course.
shoddy.. and Tasia: Instead of, erm, looking down your noses and "preaching to the choir" and whining here about the untutored masses, did you try to educate these folks? They wouldn't be asking questions of you if they didn't want to learn something...
My Esteemed Doctor Shoddy Fiddler: I certainly didn't intend any offense, and I sincerely hope that none was taken. I suppose that I'm pretty lucky, really, there's a close-to-world-class session that happens on Sunday evenings only a few minutes from my home (and they keep asking me to come back, despite my crappy guitar playing), and a few other ones within an hour's drive on other evenings. Maybe you should try to round up a few recruits and get something going yourself, is all...
Peace,
Tom
World class eh? When will we develop a football-league system?
I just started a list, but it got very complex and political very quickly. Perhaps easier to begin at the top and the bottom and get an expert to fill in the middling ground.
Sir Shoddy: I understand. If you weren't halfway around the globe, I'd show up and punch along and try to get somethng happening. BTW, how's the job/economy situation there? It's getting worse & worse by the day here around Deeetroit, Michigan, USA, and I may need to head for greener pastures...sigh...
Don'tcha just love the music, though?
tomw,
Salutary lesson number 1 - If you don't want to feel worse than you do when things are grim in the U.S. (or anywhere else for that matter), don't ask how things are in Australia, is my suggestion. (It is never as bad as almost anywhere else in the world - not to be nationalistic in any way, it just is the case.)
Things are particular bad in the States and I'm afraid they are going to get a lot worse, I don't think we have seen even the start of this yet. The commentary in the media there by those who know what they're talking about is uniformly bad unfortunately - *and* you're still caught in the middle of a hugely expensive war that you can't get out of, if things weren't bad enough.
Australia has suffered a downturn, but it is nothing like the catastrophe that is unfolding in the States and now Britain.
Personally, I think you're absolutely right to be thinking about greener pastures, I would be too if I was living there.
Good luck with the decision. Wishing you a Happier New Year.
...and by the way, if you were George Bush, would you want anything to really blow up economically in your last few weeks as President, or would you rather it be delayed unitl the next guy's watch?
Hold on for an exciting ride.
Hey DD: WOAH!...That was more of a rhetorical question that I presented: I've got teenaged children, and a home, extended family/friends, and cats that I simply can't abandon right now. But I'm thinking about my future.
I seem to recall now that you lost your paying gig a few weeks ago. I was and still am seriously sorry to hear that; I've been there. Too many times recently, it seems.
I'm not going to touch the political stuff; suffice it to say that I'm as disgusted as the rest of us about Georgie's shennagians.
How IS the weather there? I spent some time outdoors today splitting firewood and clearing stuff up in preparation for the next snowstorm. Poor me, I have the leisure to do stuff like that. So, anyway, my adrenaline's kinda cranked up and I'm feeling feisty...
...but ain't it great to get out and play some tunes with your mates?
Take care, buddy, and a Happier New Year to you, too.
Tom
Hey Tom,
The weather's brilliant...every day is subtlely different from the last, but they're mostly all different versions of sunshine.
It's actually nice to see the rain for a change.
Hey DD:
I haven't looked up your speciric location, but I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying the local weather. Around here, we sometimes get these beautiful, bright, very cold January days where the snow is glistening off of everything, and I just want to get out and play around in it (cold weather is great for splitting firewood; the colder, the better).
I must have confused you with someone else regarding my comment about your "paying gig". Sorry...
T
Tom (response to a couple posts back):
Yep I've tried educating, but to no avail, and I don't look down my nose at these people; they're usually my own friends and family! *double sigh* (my generalized conversation that I typed out was not intended to have a snotty tone from my end; more of a rueful resignation). I have tried to gather others for a session and have succeeded in recruiting two musicians for once-a-week sessions, but that's about it. Must try harder I suppose!
It really saddens me to think that shoddy fiddle player is running into these problems in the big smoke in Oz ... if that is the case there, just imagine what it is like here in the bush ...
I was swatting flies in a queque at the airport on Sunday. Now you'd beee think that they'd be able to keep the blighters outta the terminal building, hey! We were all doing it. Swat swat! I was seeing a friend off on the annual exodis south ... it seemed everyone had the same idea at the same time ... get outta the summer heat quick. Anyway, there was this family in front a good ways with what looked like a small banjo and a guitar in cases with their luggage ... Anyway, to cut a long story short I again queued for a cuppa coffee ... and blow me down before I even got me coffeee my friend's plane had boarded and flippin' gone!!!! ... sheeze! ... but behind me in the que was the father of the family with the instruments ... I got talking about taking instruments into the cabin as handluggage and he didn't seem to know they could have ... how daft. They put them in the baggage hold!!!! Anyway, I was explaining how last year they had allowed me to take two fiddles in two cases as handluggage into the cabin ... and he was intrigued that I should call my fiddles fiddles and not violins. He reconned it implied something wider than straight classical. So goes to show! What? I'm not exactly sure ... but something I guess.
I for one have really enjoyed the Geantrai I have watched on the TG4 archives ... but then, if in Sydney there is no real Trad to be had ... there most certainly isn't here ... except the wealth of it that come via thesess, YouTube, websites, etc etc etc. Tons of it to be had for the looking on the internet. Its just time consuming to chase and find
Last rant fer 2008! See ya next year. Have a good one. Cheers
Hey Clear,
that mightn't have been a banjo in that banjo case...might have been a machine gun to get rid of the flies!! There's plenty up there I hear. (Ah, just kidding everyone, don't get the wrong idea about Central Oz). I think.
We've had heaps of rain ... everything is green! ... grass and weeds sprouting everywhere ... my friend was worried that she wouldn't recognise the place when she flies back in in three weeks time (she is so used to the red) ... there's above ground water in the claypans ... the flies are really bad ... never seen them like this in the last nearly six years. Tee hee ... that family was probably carrying a couple of gianormous fly swats, hey! Tee hee.
Back to Geantraí for a mo- well, we may be lucky to have something that good, but, sadly, it does seem to have lost its way of late.
Given its trad title, I don't imagine the original concept was for a roadshow showcasing international showbiz names.
What next?- country music, presented by Daniel O'Donnell?
In trying to appeal to a wider public, it is in danger of losing its core audience. Time to rethink and refocus- particularly on respected grass-roots musicians, truly representative of the area the show is coming from.
So, less glitz, please- all is not lost- just keep it real.
Yeah, talk about pedestals - as one young shop assistant in Ennis told me last time I was there, that's a statue of Daniel O'Donnell up the top of that pole in the main square in Ennis.
Why can't they put a trad player up on one of them as well - a statue of one anyway.
The point, P-K, that I was trying to make above, I think, before getting sidetracked by the flies and the rain a bit (sorry ), was that I really appreciate the Trad I do get here ... I'm not about to turn my nose up and be tooooooooo critical of programs like Geantrai. I'm thankful to get it here at all ... and heavens, I have no idea who should or shouldn't be on it, so I'm definitely fringe audience. Not placed to be critical.
...and don't be turnin' your nose up when there's lots of flies about either, Clear...or they'll give you a frightful bout of sneezin', I can tell you.
Skip Canlon, if you must kill yourself, could you at least leave your Edison wax cylinders behind so the rest of us can listen to them?
We will need to make arrangements for a proper memorial service with lots of live music (as opposed to dead music). Of course, dead music could also be "spirited" and lively.
Now that I have watched a few of the episodes of Geantrai which I found on YouTube, I understand the comments about this program which I have been reading on this web site. However, I haven't seen the episode which upset Skip so much.
And, in conclusion (to quote one of the most infamous politicians to come from Arkansas),I refuse to comment on today's local weather here.
Just saw this episode so now I know what all the fuss was about. As someone who lives in Spiddal and used to go to Hughes a lot before it closed (the show was shot before it closed) I must say I agree with skip about the lack of representation from musicians who actually play there. Nothing against the musicians featured but there is such talent around the Spiddal area that could have been used and would have better represented Hughes pub.
Frankie Gavin is at least ok in this context as he used to play in Hughes' every week years ago, but not one musician who has played regularly in Hughes in recent years was represented on the programme. Surely there's something wrong with this when you consider all the great musicians and singers who played there regularly until it closed.
Also, what is it about the sound on Geantrai, it's really badly mixed, has the sound engineer got their ears painted on?!!
I had a similar experience just before Christmas. I was playing in a carol service in a large local church which was being recorded for transmission on a local radio station on Christmas Eve. There was about a dozen of us in the orchestra and each player was close-miked. The choir had about 8 mics covering it. The live sound of choir, orchestra and congregation in that large church was magnificent. The broadcast was a disappointment - reduced reverberation and far too much detail from the orchestra, and the balance was wrong.
In contrast, two weeks previously the same line-up gave a public carol concert in Bristol Cathedral (which has a 4 second reverberation). Our conductor arranged for a private recording to be done for distribution on CD to the choir and orchestra. That recording was made with just a Zoom H4 on a stand about 10 yards up the nave in front of the performers, and succeeded in giving a faithful rendering of the sound in the cathedral as the choir, orchestra and congregation heard it. That, I think, is the sort of sound that should have been broadcast.
I think the mistake the local radio sound engineers made on the second occasion with their large number of microphones was to treat the performers as if they were in a small recording studio instead of taking advantage of the natural acoustics of a large building. Where did they get their training, I wonder?
I've been told that when the BBC broadcast concerts from a large hall they use (or used to use) a minimum number of microphones - 2 or 3 high over the orchestra, 1 for the soloist, and 1 high over the audience. The result going out on air was pretty close to what you would have heard live in the hall.
geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
watch episode of geantrai last night and it's the final straw. A program from Tigh Hughes without Johnny Connolly? Ok, there may be some argument for 'padding' out a program in an area that doesn't have a load of great musicians, but in Spiddal?!?! Se mo laoch saw fit to do an entire program on him, but geantrai didn't see fit to invite him to play one set on a program filmed in a pub he plays in every week?
And what do we get instead? Hibernan Crapsody. Mullet man and his merry band of thieves. Would Mullane even be playing the melodeon if it wasn't the the resurgence in the instrument created by Johnny? I doubt it.
So for me it's the final straw. I have melted down all my edison wax cylinders, fashioned them into a rudimentary sword, and will now fall on it. Irish music is dead. Trazz has won. All is lost.
hasta la vista.
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by skip canlon
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Watch out for the cravat, waistcoat and blue guitar coming to a venue near you.
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by concertinaplayer
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Oh please just give it a rest, Skip. Your schtick is becoming tiresome.
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by AlBrown
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
yea go on skip and do us all a favour.....And the reason why johnny connolly wasnt there cause he was too busy playing the same tunes over and over again down at the oireachtas in cork.......up the rapsody!!!
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by mise
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Herr Canlon, I think you may need help if watching a tele program makes you commit suicide.
Perhaps you should turn the box off and get out more.
Oh, I've just thought, you might be dead already.
Oh well.
I hope it was quick, painless and didn't leave too much mess for others to clear up after you.
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by Krick Stahlschwanz
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Oh dude, it's OK, don't be drastic now. It's just TV. I'm pretty sure it has an "Off" switch. If they sold you a set without one, I'd take it back to the shop ASAP.
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
I heard Tigh Hughes was closed for a wee bit. Glad to see it's open again (assuming that the Geantrai shoot was a recent thing).
@ cg.f : someone should start a competition to see how many times the Sally Gardens and the Sligo Maid have been played in any one place over the years.
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by Patkiwi
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Best Geantraí program in a long long time
Skip, you'd want to go to a doctor and get those ears seen to if you haven't already done us all a favour and thrown yourself on that sword!
Jonathan
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by Jonathan Roche
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Have a drop or two and go play some tunes.
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by Fishmonger
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
are we talking about the geantrai with frankie gavin? i agree... best geantrai in a long time.
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by daiv
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Hey Fish, nicely put. Or, as we say in the dirt-biking world, "escape the cushions...".
BTW, how's the mando playing coming? I think that my fingers are just too plain big for that skinny little neck. Maybe it's time to start looking for a 'zouk. Or switching the guitar to DADGAD.
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by tomw
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Well, I was checking out the show. In fairness it's Johnny Óg keeping his dad's seat warm for him.
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by Patkiwi
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
OK, I take that back. It's Damian Mullane.
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by Patkiwi
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
"...Hibernan Crapsody. Mullet man..." - now you've got me curious. Can I view this online?
Gimmee a link, somebody...
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by tomw
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Tom, the mando playing is coming along OK. I'm learning tunes but speed is another thing altogether! I'm learning to improvise a bit as well since the folks I session with are pretty much all blues & American folk players. I know zip for blues so I just chase the melody. Sometimes it works, sometimes I just stop and let them play.
I've got a new teacher for guitar and I'm having my Martin tuned up. The action was huge around the 12th fret making it tough to play. I haven't touched my bodhran in a long time. It isn't tunable and is about as tight as a paper sack in winter.
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by Fishmonger
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Here:
http://www.tg4.tv/
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by Feargal French
Skip Canlon
You're right on there.
Johnny Connolly is great!
But I'd agree with the others.
Sell your TV & go find some live music.
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by Ben Steen
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
"Trazz has won" - skip
haahaa you're funny sometimes.
wwooohooooo - trazz has won and crushed traditional irish music into an mass of dead trad on the floor..... wtf?
Johnny Connolly is indeed fantastic - he is also a lovely open friendly non bitchy bigot. Which makes him even nicer.
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by bb
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
and *not* a bigot obviously - ie - a sound person and great musician.
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by bb
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
That was nearly a cracker sfp. Anyway - trad is dead, long live the trazz. At least we can look back fondly on the days were two people could play simple tunes together without one of them electrosaxatrumpets interfering with every single bit of music written, well no, played by ear of course - not written. Would everyone who plays in the old way, either at home or in public, whether some of the time or all of the time please stop it and adhere to the new order.
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by bogman
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
heh. I see in the other thread about the Kane sisters that they actually played a......oh my god - I can barely bring myself to say it .....a scottish tune. Shock horror!!
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by bb
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
You want to count yourself lucky to have such a programme to complain about! I wish we did this side of the Sea! All we get are sneers from the knowalls in charge of the TV programming for being a minority, with the occasional flash of trad on a regional programme if we're very, very lucky. Something like geantrai is an unrealisable dream in England. Bless you lucky people!
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by Ebor_fiddler
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Same as in Australia- not a thing on trad - most people dont even know what it is.
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by bb
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
I hear you Ebor and shoddy. Here's a conversation that pretty much tells the story of my life:
Me: I play the flute and whistles.
Person who asked me what instruments I play: Oh yeah, I used to play the flute when I was in middle school. It was so boring. What's a whistle?
Me: No, no, I play the Irish flute, it's much different than a silver concert flute and made for traditional Irish music, and other styles of the "Celtic" genre as well. Whistles are other traditional Irish instruments played like this *feigns whistle-playing position* with a different sound than a flute.
Person: Oh, you mean a recorder? And cool, so you can play, like, Great Big Sea and stuff? Ooo oo, can you play the Lord of the Rings theme?
Me: *sigh* Nevermind.
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by Glass of Beer
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
or the classic
'oh - you mean like river dance'
# Posted on December 29th 2008 by bb
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Yes, that too *shudder*.
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by Glass of Beer
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
I've had kids show up with electric guitars and practice amps for one of my sessions thinking it was "open mike night" and leave with a sneer on their face. I tell 'em "No, it's an open session. Get your acoustic and come join us."
They say "Oh you mean a jam session?" I say.... " *sigh* Ummm.. kinda, yeah."
But I guess that's how what was supposed to be a trad session turned into a blues session. It's still fun though.
Somewhere in this town is a husband and wife who are into trad. The husband is a pipe maker and his wife plays box. If anyone knows who that is, tell them to E-MAIL ME!!! lol (or at least go to the pub and look me up)
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by Fishmonger
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
I don't like this new series of Geantraí myself. I don't enjoy watching it, simple as. But, rather than continue to do so and make it an unbreakable obsession, I've decided to stop watching. I haven't watched the last 2 or 3 episodes. I much prefer listening to Áine Hensey's "Late Session" radio programme at the same time on Sunday nights. So, for anyone who feels the same way about the new Geantraí series as I do: Do yourselves a favour and take a leaf out of my book, problem solved. Nobody harmed. Its only other peoples' minds led astray (those who still watch Geantraí that is.)
*Sorry, my final sentence was just me being cheeky. I wasn't being serious, just like stirring about...haha
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by 52Paddy
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Hey, Fish: I understand your pain. I don't run a session myself, but I have friends that are very capable musicians in their particular genres who ask me what I'm doing lately, and when I tell them that I'm playing in the local sessions, they want to show up, thinking that it's some kind of blues/rock/jazz/bluegrass jam session thingee. I was the same way when I first started, despite admonitions from friends that "you need to know the tunes". I discourage the jammers from showing up, except maybe to listen and chat, of course.
shoddy.. and Tasia: Instead of, erm, looking down your noses and "preaching to the choir" and whining here about the untutored masses, did you try to educate these folks? They wouldn't be asking questions of you if they didn't want to learn something...
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by tomw
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
I wasn't looking down my nose, just pointing out that trad is very rare here.
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by bb
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
My Esteemed Doctor Shoddy Fiddler: I certainly didn't intend any offense, and I sincerely hope that none was taken. I suppose that I'm pretty lucky, really, there's a close-to-world-class session that happens on Sunday evenings only a few minutes from my home (and they keep asking me to come back, despite my crappy guitar playing), and a few other ones within an hour's drive on other evenings. Maybe you should try to round up a few recruits and get something going yourself, is all...
Peace,
Tom
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by tomw
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
World class eh? When will we develop a football-league system?
I just started a list, but it got very complex and political very quickly. Perhaps easier to begin at the top and the bottom and get an expert to fill in the middling ground.
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by Pomme de Terre
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
I've tried doing that tom - but its hard when no one turns up. There is just no one around at the moment. No offense taken
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by bb
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Sir Shoddy: I understand. If you weren't halfway around the globe, I'd show up and punch along and try to get somethng happening. BTW, how's the job/economy situation there? It's getting worse & worse by the day here around Deeetroit, Michigan, USA, and I may need to head for greener pastures...sigh...
Don'tcha just love the music, though?
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by tomw
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
tomw,
Salutary lesson number 1 - If you don't want to feel worse than you do when things are grim in the U.S. (or anywhere else for that matter), don't ask how things are in Australia, is my suggestion. (It is never as bad as almost anywhere else in the world - not to be nationalistic in any way, it just is the case.)
Things are particular bad in the States and I'm afraid they are going to get a lot worse, I don't think we have seen even the start of this yet. The commentary in the media there by those who know what they're talking about is uniformly bad unfortunately - *and* you're still caught in the middle of a hugely expensive war that you can't get out of, if things weren't bad enough.
Australia has suffered a downturn, but it is nothing like the catastrophe that is unfolding in the States and now Britain.
Personally, I think you're absolutely right to be thinking about greener pastures, I would be too if I was living there.
Good luck with the decision. Wishing you a Happier New Year.
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
...and by the way, if you were George Bush, would you want anything to really blow up economically in your last few weeks as President, or would you rather it be delayed unitl the next guy's watch?
Hold on for an exciting ride.
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
...would you like to ask us how the weather is instead?
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Hey DD: WOAH!...That was more of a rhetorical question that I presented: I've got teenaged children, and a home, extended family/friends, and cats that I simply can't abandon right now. But I'm thinking about my future.
I seem to recall now that you lost your paying gig a few weeks ago. I was and still am seriously sorry to hear that; I've been there. Too many times recently, it seems.
I'm not going to touch the political stuff; suffice it to say that I'm as disgusted as the rest of us about Georgie's shennagians.
How IS the weather there? I spent some time outdoors today splitting firewood and clearing stuff up in preparation for the next snowstorm. Poor me, I have the leisure to do stuff like that. So, anyway, my adrenaline's kinda cranked up and I'm feeling feisty...
...but ain't it great to get out and play some tunes with your mates?
Take care, buddy, and a Happier New Year to you, too.
Tom
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by tomw
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Hey Tom,
The weather's brilliant...every day is subtlely different from the last, but they're mostly all different versions of sunshine.
It's actually nice to see the rain for a change.
What's with the paying gig? You've lost me there.
Good luck with the greener pastures.
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Hey DD:
I haven't looked up your speciric location, but I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying the local weather. Around here, we sometimes get these beautiful, bright, very cold January days where the snow is glistening off of everything, and I just want to get out and play around in it (cold weather is great for splitting firewood; the colder, the better).
I must have confused you with someone else regarding my comment about your "paying gig". Sorry...
T
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by tomw
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Tom (response to a couple posts back):
Yep I've tried educating, but to no avail, and I don't look down my nose at these people; they're usually my own friends and family! *double sigh* (my generalized conversation that I typed out was not intended to have a snotty tone from my end; more of a rueful resignation). I have tried to gather others for a session and have succeeded in recruiting two musicians for once-a-week sessions, but that's about it. Must try harder I suppose!
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by Glass of Beer
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
It really saddens me to think that shoddy fiddle player is running into these problems in the big smoke in Oz ... if that is the case there, just imagine what it is like here in the bush ...
I was swatting flies in a queque at the airport on Sunday. Now you'd beee think that they'd be able to keep the blighters outta the terminal building, hey! We were all doing it. Swat swat! I was seeing a friend off on the annual exodis south ... it seemed everyone had the same idea at the same time ... get outta the summer heat quick. Anyway, there was this family in front a good ways with what looked like a small banjo and a guitar in cases with their luggage ... Anyway, to cut a long story short I again queued for a cuppa coffee ... and blow me down before I even got me coffeee my friend's plane had boarded and flippin' gone!!!! ... sheeze! ... but behind me in the que was the father of the family with the instruments ... I got talking about taking instruments into the cabin as handluggage and he didn't seem to know they could have ... how daft. They put them in the baggage hold!!!! Anyway, I was explaining how last year they had allowed me to take two fiddles in two cases as handluggage into the cabin ... and he was intrigued that I should call my fiddles fiddles and not violins. He reconned it implied something wider than straight classical. So goes to show! What? I'm not exactly sure ... but something I guess.
I for one have really enjoyed the Geantrai I have watched on the TG4 archives ... but then, if in Sydney there is no real Trad to be had ... there most certainly isn't here ... except the wealth of it that come via thesess, YouTube, websites, etc etc etc. Tons of it to be had for the looking on the internet. Its just time consuming to chase and find
Last rant fer 2008! See ya next year. Have a good one. Cheers
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by Clear Drops
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Hey Clear,
that mightn't have been a banjo in that banjo case...might have been a machine gun to get rid of the flies!! There's plenty up there I hear. (Ah, just kidding everyone, don't get the wrong idea about Central Oz). I think.
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
We've had heaps of rain ... everything is green! ... grass and weeds sprouting everywhere ... my friend was worried that she wouldn't recognise the place when she flies back in in three weeks time (she is so used to the red) ... there's above ground water in the claypans ... the flies are really bad ... never seen them like this in the last nearly six years. Tee hee ... that family was probably carrying a couple of gianormous fly swats, hey! Tee hee.
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by Clear Drops
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
... oh and you aught to see the Sturt Desert Peas ... everywhere and beautiful!
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by Clear Drops
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Back to Geantraí for a mo- well, we may be lucky to have something that good, but, sadly, it does seem to have lost its way of late.
Given its trad title, I don't imagine the original concept was for a roadshow showcasing international showbiz names.
What next?- country music, presented by Daniel O'Donnell?
In trying to appeal to a wider public, it is in danger of losing its core audience. Time to rethink and refocus- particularly on respected grass-roots musicians, truly representative of the area the show is coming from.
So, less glitz, please- all is not lost- just keep it real.
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by Here Lyeth
;)
" . . . should people laugh at your playing, don't worry- it's normal, it's geantraí..."
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by Ben Steen
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Yeah, talk about pedestals - as one young shop assistant in Ennis told me last time I was there, that's a statue of Daniel O'Donnell up the top of that pole in the main square in Ennis.
Why can't they put a trad player up on one of them as well - a statue of one anyway.
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Duijera Dubh, Have a look here.
Séamus Ennis The Uillean piper - Musician Statues on Waymarking.com
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by pipewatcher
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Got a link, pipe?
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
i thought it was a link... just type the whole line into a search it's the actual page address or whatever.
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by pipewatcher
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
The point, P-K, that I was trying to make above, I think, before getting sidetracked by the flies and the rain a bit (sorry
), was that I really appreciate the Trad I do get here ... I'm not about to turn my nose up and be tooooooooo critical of programs like Geantrai. I'm thankful to get it here at all ... and heavens, I have no idea who should or shouldn't be on it, so I'm definitely fringe audience. Not placed to be critical.
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by Clear Drops
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
...and don't be turnin' your nose up when there's lots of flies about either, Clear...or they'll give you a frightful bout of sneezin', I can tell you.
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM346N
Seamus Ennis link. Very fitting tribute.
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
How'd you do that??
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by pipewatcher
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
G'bye
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by Henk Bos
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Go to the site, copy the link at the top of the page and paste it here, or wherever.
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
duijera dubh -
i thik the young shop assistant in ennis mean Daniel O'Connell , 'The Home Ruler'. see here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_O'Connell
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by fiddleruairi
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Ha ha, thank cluck for that, I mean....Daniel O' Donnell....maybe a park bench with a plaque in Donegal but a whole statue in Ennis????
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by bogman
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Skip Canlon, if you must kill yourself, could you at least leave your Edison wax cylinders behind so the rest of us can listen to them?
We will need to make arrangements for a proper memorial service with lots of live music (as opposed to dead music). Of course, dead music could also be "spirited" and lively.
Now that I have watched a few of the episodes of Geantrai which I found on YouTube, I understand the comments about this program which I have been reading on this web site. However, I haven't seen the episode which upset Skip so much.
And, in conclusion (to quote one of the most infamous politicians to come from Arkansas),I refuse to comment on today's local weather here.
# Posted on December 30th 2008 by fauxcelt
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
Just saw this episode so now I know what all the fuss was about. As someone who lives in Spiddal and used to go to Hughes a lot before it closed (the show was shot before it closed) I must say I agree with skip about the lack of representation from musicians who actually play there. Nothing against the musicians featured but there is such talent around the Spiddal area that could have been used and would have better represented Hughes pub.
Frankie Gavin is at least ok in this context as he used to play in Hughes' every week years ago, but not one musician who has played regularly in Hughes in recent years was represented on the programme. Surely there's something wrong with this when you consider all the great musicians and singers who played there regularly until it closed.
Also, what is it about the sound on Geantrai, it's really badly mixed, has the sound engineer got their ears painted on?!!
# Posted on January 6th 2009 by The Tune Composer
Re: geantrai is so bad i'm going to kill myself
"the sound .... it's really badly mixed"
I had a similar experience just before Christmas. I was playing in a carol service in a large local church which was being recorded for transmission on a local radio station on Christmas Eve. There was about a dozen of us in the orchestra and each player was close-miked. The choir had about 8 mics covering it. The live sound of choir, orchestra and congregation in that large church was magnificent. The broadcast was a disappointment - reduced reverberation and far too much detail from the orchestra, and the balance was wrong.
In contrast, two weeks previously the same line-up gave a public carol concert in Bristol Cathedral (which has a 4 second reverberation). Our conductor arranged for a private recording to be done for distribution on CD to the choir and orchestra. That recording was made with just a Zoom H4 on a stand about 10 yards up the nave in front of the performers, and succeeded in giving a faithful rendering of the sound in the cathedral as the choir, orchestra and congregation heard it. That, I think, is the sort of sound that should have been broadcast.
I think the mistake the local radio sound engineers made on the second occasion with their large number of microphones was to treat the performers as if they were in a small recording studio instead of taking advantage of the natural acoustics of a large building. Where did they get their training, I wonder?
I've been told that when the BBC broadcast concerts from a large hall they use (or used to use) a minimum number of microphones - 2 or 3 high over the orchestra, 1 for the soloist, and 1 high over the audience. The result going out on air was pretty close to what you would have heard live in the hall.
# Posted on January 6th 2009 by Trevor Jennings