I saw it yesterday. I don't want to be too mean, but it was the sort of thing that gets "folk music" and bodhrans a bad name. Many of the players seemed to find even Davy Davy Knick Knack a bit beyond them. As far as I could hear, only the accordion player was able to carry the music along. We only had to look at the bodhran (old traditional English drum, as we all know) player's body movement to know what to expect: (bop, er bob bop, ... bang).
The filming was perhaps the best bit about it - perhaps a further edit would be able to show us a better side of it.
And one more thing: when I started to tell my wife about it, but before I got to any details, her reaction was : "Oh, musical ambushes - sooo the year before last."
But I will be interested to see a final version.
I am afraid I was thinking along similar lines. These ambush things all went downhill after Antwerp Central station. What made that one so fun was the element of surprise, the quality of the execution of the idea and the clash between activity and location. What I saw here was about as special as a large group of buskers in a city centre street on a saturday afternoon. Nothing unusual or special. Mind you, it looked people were enjoying themselves and all that and fair play but I can''t really see what the fuss is about.
Yeah, OK, the playing was dreaful. But the tune didn't help. I had the thing running in my head for about 20 mins after watching it, driving me feckin bonkers. I had to go and listen to some feckin ABBA to get shot of it.
There's some pretty rough critics in this discusion! Considering it's their first mission, I think it's a great success. Evenmore that i'm pretty aware of what I'm talking about: I organized and co-organized all the missions of the Commando Trad. We're getting better everytime and we learned a lot from every missions. Just look at the difference between mission1 and mission 4, it's a pretty big step. So, everybody has the rignt to his or her opinion but please, take in consideration that the're gonna get better with time and the most important, they're doing it with very good intentions.
and I am not going to repeat them here. I don't think the critics are particularly harsh here. I think there was no vision about what to achieve with the Liverpool thing. it's just a few people setting up and playing two tunes. There's nothing flash mob or ambush like about it. That's fine, they're having fun and may they do it many times more and have a great time while they're doing it.
Well, people seemed to like it, that's what counts, isn't it? I couldn't get through the entrance of the off-time tambourine, myself, but it's a good idea, even if it is "so year before last"
(an odd comment for a music whose tunes are mostly "so century before last"...)
A good starting point. Plenty of room to grow. Have the complainers every tried to organize something like this? If not perhaps they have no right to complain too much....
I don't like those tunes either, but they got folks involved and plenty of apparently spontaneous dancing was happening. What's to complain about??
As maybe the first to offer a negative criticism, I wanted to add an extra comment or two with the benefit of more thought.
Of course it is great that amateurs make music, that they do it in public and that everybody has fun. And it's particulary good that they do it without feeling that they have to be seasoned professionals. That's what amateur music should be about. Hats off, indeed, to all those players, and more so if they do it again.
Yes, I've done the same myself, yes, my playing was bad, and because everybody had fun I feel no need to apologise. Nor should the players in the clip, imho.
Where it jangles my taste is the way it is presented with an "arty" opening screen and the "Folk Ambush" title. You expect (or hope for) something with a bit more colour and drama. It was just a bunch of players, mostly not very skilled, having fun in the street. Nothing wrong with that, but no need to dress it up and lead us to expect a real production.
Perhaps I'm a bit too sensitive, having recently had to endure a couple of well-advertised musical evenings dressed up in good venues as being speciall opportunites to hear something classy. Both turned out to be self-promotions by people who could not keep in tune or in time. If they had said "Hey, we are amateurs, but come and listen anyway if you like" it would have been fine.
In short: no, I don't want to complain about what happened, and I would like to praise the players for getting out there and doing it. Just let's not have it sold as something it isn't.
Liverpool Folk Ambush
Liverpool Folk Ambush
They did it. English Trad. Good on you folks!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2MbB6LHo0w&feature=share
# Posted on October 31st 2010 by pennhorse
Re: Liverpool Folk Ambush
Well done!
Congratulations from Celtic Guerrillas Vancouver.
# Posted on October 31st 2010 by oldstrings
Re: Liverpool Folk Ambush
Great stuff.
# Posted on October 31st 2010 by gam
Re: Liverpool Folk Ambush
the link doesn't work....
# Posted on October 31st 2010 by Nikita Pfister
Re: Liverpool Folk Ambush
"This video has been removed by the user."
# Posted on October 31st 2010 by ElaineT
Re: Liverpool Folk Ambush
They pulled the video so they can work on the final version, to be posted later.
# Posted on November 1st 2010 by pennhorse
Re: Liverpool Folk Ambush
I saw it yesterday. I don't want to be too mean, but it was the sort of thing that gets "folk music" and bodhrans a bad name. Many of the players seemed to find even Davy Davy Knick Knack a bit beyond them. As far as I could hear, only the accordion player was able to carry the music along. We only had to look at the bodhran (old traditional English drum, as we all know) player's body movement to know what to expect: (bop, er bob bop, ... bang).
The filming was perhaps the best bit about it - perhaps a further edit would be able to show us a better side of it.
And one more thing: when I started to tell my wife about it, but before I got to any details, her reaction was : "Oh, musical ambushes - sooo the year before last."
But I will be interested to see a final version.
# Posted on November 1st 2010 by Alex Wilding
Re: Liverpool Folk Ambush
I am afraid I was thinking along similar lines. These ambush things all went downhill after Antwerp Central station. What made that one so fun was the element of surprise, the quality of the execution of the idea and the clash between activity and location. What I saw here was about as special as a large group of buskers in a city centre street on a saturday afternoon. Nothing unusual or special. Mind you, it looked people were enjoying themselves and all that and fair play but I can''t really see what the fuss is about.
# Posted on November 1st 2010 by Prof. Prlwytzkofski
Re: Liverpool Folk Ambush
Yeah, OK, the playing was dreaful. But the tune didn't help. I had the thing running in my head for about 20 mins after watching it, driving me feckin bonkers. I had to go and listen to some feckin ABBA to get shot of it.
# Posted on November 1st 2010 by ...
Re: Liverpool Folk Ambush
It's back ....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQDDUtW5x4I
# Posted on November 1st 2010 by SunnySoCal
Re: Liverpool Folk Ambush
There's some pretty rough critics in this discusion! Considering it's their first mission, I think it's a great success. Evenmore that i'm pretty aware of what I'm talking about: I organized and co-organized all the missions of the Commando Trad. We're getting better everytime and we learned a lot from every missions. Just look at the difference between mission1 and mission 4, it's a pretty big step. So, everybody has the rignt to his or her opinion but please, take in consideration that the're gonna get better with time and the most important, they're doing it with very good intentions.
# Posted on November 1st 2010 by commandotrad
Re: Liverpool Folk Ambush
I posted some comments to a similar thread here:
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=132846&messages=39
and I am not going to repeat them here. I don't think the critics are particularly harsh here. I think there was no vision about what to achieve with the Liverpool thing. it's just a few people setting up and playing two tunes. There's nothing flash mob or ambush like about it. That's fine, they're having fun and may they do it many times more and have a great time while they're doing it.
# Posted on November 1st 2010 by Prof. Prlwytzkofski
Re: Liverpool Folk Ambush
Spontaneous, unexpected musical joy in a busy public marketplace?
No criticism here.
# Posted on November 2nd 2010 by gravelwalks
Re: Liverpool Folk Ambush
Well, people seemed to like it, that's what counts, isn't it? I couldn't get through the entrance of the off-time tambourine, myself, but it's a good idea, even if it is "so year before last"
(an odd comment for a music whose tunes are mostly "so century before last"...)
# Posted on November 2nd 2010 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Liverpool Folk Ambush
A good starting point. Plenty of room to grow. Have the complainers every tried to organize something like this? If not perhaps they have no right to complain too much....
I don't like those tunes either, but they got folks involved and plenty of apparently spontaneous dancing was happening. What's to complain about??
# Posted on November 2nd 2010 by cboody
Re: Liverpool Folk Ambush
As maybe the first to offer a negative criticism, I wanted to add an extra comment or two with the benefit of more thought.
Of course it is great that amateurs make music, that they do it in public and that everybody has fun. And it's particulary good that they do it without feeling that they have to be seasoned professionals. That's what amateur music should be about. Hats off, indeed, to all those players, and more so if they do it again.
Yes, I've done the same myself, yes, my playing was bad, and because everybody had fun I feel no need to apologise. Nor should the players in the clip, imho.
Where it jangles my taste is the way it is presented with an "arty" opening screen and the "Folk Ambush" title. You expect (or hope for) something with a bit more colour and drama. It was just a bunch of players, mostly not very skilled, having fun in the street. Nothing wrong with that, but no need to dress it up and lead us to expect a real production.
Perhaps I'm a bit too sensitive, having recently had to endure a couple of well-advertised musical evenings dressed up in good venues as being speciall opportunites to hear something classy. Both turned out to be self-promotions by people who could not keep in tune or in time. If they had said "Hey, we are amateurs, but come and listen anyway if you like" it would have been fine.
In short: no, I don't want to complain about what happened, and I would like to praise the players for getting out there and doing it. Just let's not have it sold as something it isn't.
# Posted on November 2nd 2010 by Alex Wilding