Just been to a play tonight called "The Session" set in a wee Belfast pub with a session going on. At one time the female US of A visitor waxs lyrically about the friendly musicians making music together.
The local Belfast man says, "That's only what you see. All sessions hide a mass of raging jealousies and hate among the musicians". His friend explains that during the session the musicians silently look at each other and entertain such thoughts as "why doesn't he/she learn to play that instrument before joining us" and "why does that bugger always speed up all the tunes".
Would this be accurate for your session?
P.S The play was very good and funny and the actor playing the barman was a brilliant singer.
Yeah, true, every time I am in sessions in Belfast I am filled with raging jealousy. Lovely tunes, lovely musicians, lovely pubs, lovely pints = jealousy.
When we come round to this subject (again) I am always thankful for the session I go to where there's never been any of that sort of hatred, jealousy, spite etc.
We play together because we're friends first, musicians second.
I feel sorry when I hear of people who feel forced to play with either total strangers or people they dislike - presumably because its the only session around, (or possibly because they have no friends who can play - or no friends at all).
All the people at my session are friends. It's like a sort of musical episode of Home and Away, except we have beer guts instead of tans, and most of us don't have Aussie accents, and none of us can surf.
I wish I could say our session was a seething mass of hidden passions, and a turgid mass of jealousy and hatred, because it all sounds quite exciting and interesting. But no, its just a bunch of mostly middle aged ordinary folks, with a few youngsters scattered among them, that occasionally get mildly irritated at each other, but who mostly just love to play music.
The author is Brian Moore. Although there is a well-known writer of the same name I think this is the Brian Moore who is a well-known folk singer and song writer from Belfast.
Haven't seen the play. but as a musician in Belfast I feel I want to correct this misleading impression. I do not recognise the description given here as remotely accurate
In my experience sessions in Belfast are of a good to great standard. Musicians by and large get on very well. There is a great deal of generosity and mutual respect. There are occasional dislikes. But nothing out of the ordinary. People are expected to get on with each other. Rudeness happens rarely, and is frowned upon when it does.
There are of course rivalries and dislikes. This happens because people are human. But there is an expectation that where there is difficulty people mange it in a responsible and adult way. There have been of course exceptions. But these have happened after repeated causes for offence.
And, for good measure, it should be remembered that Belfast is, undeniably, the best city for Irish music on the world
Firstly, Pingu , I am deeply saddened that you thought that I may have made this up and posted a "wind up" thread. Shame on you.
This Brian Moore is surely the singer, there are songs and tunes all the way through.
I presume it is very recent, one of the songs goes;
"The American Army is on its way,
John Wayne and his green beret,
We've come here to set you free,
And give you our democracy,
And kill you if you disagree,
Hip Hip Hooray".
I imagine it was written with the West Belfast festival in mind, loads of talk of racism, sectarianism, imperialism and all the rest.
I have never seen East Enders but one of the cast used to be Phil somebody's nutcase "flozzie" in that programme, I was informed.
Very well acted, good music, good songs, an enjoyable evening.
And to think Pingu doubted me.
Afterwards I went to the John Hewitt, and there was a session on, and you could feel the petty jealousies and hatred as soon as you walked in the door. And that was just directed at me.
There is a short series of a sitcom on at the moment, over here in the UK, written by and starring Ricky Gervaise, he of "The Office", called "Extras" Wearing one of my other hats, I can tell you it bears a fleeting resemblance to the real world of extras, but seriously exaggerated for the sake of dramatic effect - like for instance the main character gets to meet and talk with the star of whatever they are shooting, every week. Yeah, right.
Well, in my experience, Alan Davies said "Hullo", and Julia Sawalha asked "Is that all really your own hair ?", and one of the minor characters came over to ask if I was all right when I was having to spend a lot of time sitting by myself, ( this was all in 2 days on Jonathan Creek ) but that's about the best it gets.
I imagine the play is much the same; I suspect that, for the sake of dramatic effectiveness and intensity, things have been greatly exaggerated and compressed, like a years' incidents, to get all the laughs and the action into two hours, or whoever long it takes. This is what you have to do. Sounds like fun, though, I'd go along to see it.
Raymond Burr was incredibly nice to extras -- he'd sit and chat while they were lighting or whatever, real conversations, he was a stellar personality. Dick Van Dyke would sit in the green room for hours shooting the breeze with the extras, regaling them with stories of the earlier days. Super models were almost all uniformly standoffish, though they were nice enough when there was reason to talk to anyone.
I just went and found my 60th Anniversary issue of SAG's magazine, Screen Actor. Charter member George Golden tells a story about Clark Gable:
"I'll never forget what a great man Clark Gable was. I was working as an extra on an MGM movie. There were 150 extras on the ballroom set wearing tuxedos and tails and I'm standing next to Mr. Gable and Miss Lombard for the last scene of the day, but I can't keep my eyes off of my watch. I kept checking it, and suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It's Gable and he said, "Hey, son, why do you keep looking at your watch every few minutes?" I said, "Mr. Gable, in twelve minutes we go on quarter check and get paid more." He said, "You got it." He went out and screwed up his lines for twelve minutes on purpose so 150 extras could get more money."
Let me say here and now that this site must be frequented by those economial with the truth or sycophants. All those threads moaning about everything from Seamus Tansey to bodhans and then you all come on this thread as niceas can be.
Hypocites.
And Pol, the are all jealous of me at Clenaghans, especially Brendy.
More on real actors - Edward Tudor-Pole was really nice - we were shooting overnight for "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers" and he kept coming round to the extras to let us know what was happening and when we would next be needed, which was more than the AD was doing. ( Why was I there ? They needed a few hairy guys to show it was the '70's. ) Some stars are neutral, neither good nor bad, just doing their job,but I did get a big smile from Agelina Jolie on my first ever day, which made it all worth while. Assistant Directors vary from the pits to really pleasant individuals. Much like most people in the world outside.
Liked the Clark Gable story.
Suzanne Plechette was hilarious. She turned out to be a lot shorter than she looks on TV, but that sexy smokey whiskey voice was quite intact. I did a short scene with her, which was fun. The director led me over to her and introduced me to her before the scene. She shook my hand, smiled beatifically, leaned forward confidentially, and said, "One piece of advice: get between me and the camera and I'll rip your face off." She held the eye contact for one beat, and then broke into uproarious laughter.
However, I was extra careful of our lines to the camera, just in case.
Wasn't she in some movie with Steve McQueen. I don't remember much about it except she she came up out of the water. .... That's what I mean when I say "brain melt".
I played some Playford material for Paul Eddington once. He was very gracious. "My! that's really lively!"
Uh, let's see, Suzanne Plechette plays a murdering doctor, and I (all dressed up in a white nurse's uniform, which seemed to give the sound guy who put my mike box on under my chaste white slip some fumble-fingered trouble for some reason) inadvertently give her her chance to continue her spree by asking the whereabouts of Dr. Dick Van Dyke because his patient was going into cardio arrest, which is a totally unlikely way for any doctor to be notified of his patient's current status.
I also got to play a medical student in a group under Dr. Van Dyke's shepherding eye, in another episode -- he'd stuffed us all into an ambulance to see what it was like to be in the back of one going full speed, and we were all supposed to be getting violently motion sick. It turned out to be the little blip before the opening credits, and hardly anyone saw it.
The last mentioned episode, I see, was actually the first episode of the series, "Miracle Cure". For some reason, I didn't remember that. Another one of the actors on that episode (who was in the back with us), Chip Frye, who played a paramedic named Eddie on the series, actually was a paramedic, and I think it actually may have been his ambulance we were in.
The Suzanne Pleshette episode was actually a TV movie, A Twist of the Knife.
Wow, I'd forgotten all this stuff til I went and looked it back up.
We're so used to the shuttle going up and down, it's hardly even news anymore, which is why all NASA employees fear for their employment at all times.
Sorry, that was the Diagnosis Murder series with Dick Van Dyke, among others (Scott Baio, for one). Both Diagnosis Murder and the Raymond Burr series were filmed in Denver under Viacom for quite some time -- lots of us made our living for those years from just those series plus any industrials we landed.
Hidden Passions
Hidden Passions
Just been to a play tonight called "The Session" set in a wee Belfast pub with a session going on. At one time the female US of A visitor waxs lyrically about the friendly musicians making music together.
The local Belfast man says, "That's only what you see. All sessions hide a mass of raging jealousies and hate among the musicians". His friend explains that during the session the musicians silently look at each other and entertain such thoughts as "why doesn't he/she learn to play that instrument before joining us" and "why does that bugger always speed up all the tunes".
Would this be accurate for your session?
P.S The play was very good and funny and the actor playing the barman was a brilliant singer.
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by bodhran bliss
Re: Hidden Passions
I wouldn't know. Sessions tend to hide a mass of raging jealosies and hate among the musicians, so I tend to avoid them as a participant.
KFG
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by KFG
Re: Hidden Passions
Well, I don't *think* so, but I don't generally session with people who are hiding a mass of raging jealousies and hate. Or maybe I'm just oblivious.
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by Zina Lee
Oh...but...
insecurities, now, I've seen plenty of those!
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Hidden Passions
"I wouldn't know. Sessions tend to hide a mass of raging jealosies and hate among the musicians, so I tend to avoid them as a participant."
What do you do instead? Video them and play along at home in front of the TV?
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by Dr. Dow
Re: Hidden Passions
I like to watch.
KFG
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by KFG
Re: Hidden Passions
Oh. Okay...
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by Dr. Dow
Re: Hidden Passions
Sessions I go to tend to make people oblivious to all around them - so there is no place for hatred and jealousy.
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by Janek
Re: Hidden Passions
Yeah, true, every time I am in sessions in Belfast I am filled with raging jealousy. Lovely tunes, lovely musicians, lovely pubs, lovely pints = jealousy.
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by Jode
Re: Hidden Passions
When we come round to this subject (again) I am always thankful for the session I go to where there's never been any of that sort of hatred, jealousy, spite etc.
We play together because we're friends first, musicians second.
I feel sorry when I hear of people who feel forced to play with either total strangers or people they dislike - presumably because its the only session around, (or possibly because they have no friends who can play - or no friends at all).
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by showaddydadito
Re: Hidden Passions
All the people at my session are friends. It's like a sort of musical episode of Home and Away, except we have beer guts instead of tans, and most of us don't have Aussie accents, and none of us can surf.
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by Dr. Dow
Re: Hidden Passions
What's a 'friend'?
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by Ottery
Re: Hidden Passions
BB - come on then, who was the author, and are there any reviews or internet links for it?
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by Rudall the time
Re: Hidden Passions
(the play that is)
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by Rudall the time
Re: Hidden Passions
Someone you can be really nasty to and they'll still be nice to you.
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by Dr. Dow
Re: Hidden Passions
(a friend that is)
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by Dr. Dow
Re: Hidden Passions
Will you be my 'friend'?
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by Ottery
Re: Hidden Passions
Danny, check out the links on the Celtic Fusion thread, started on 1st August..
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by murfbox
Re: Hidden Passions
I wish I could say our session was a seething mass of hidden passions, and a turgid mass of jealousy and hatred, because it all sounds quite exciting and interesting. But no, its just a bunch of mostly middle aged ordinary folks, with a few youngsters scattered among them, that occasionally get mildly irritated at each other, but who mostly just love to play music.
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by AlBrown
Re: Hidden Passions
Bodhranbliss, who's the author of the play? How recent is it?
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by sts
Re: Hidden Passions
http://www.celticfusion.co.uk/proc.php?do=eventdetail&eid=123456789
The author is Brian Moore. Although there is a well-known writer of the same name I think this is the Brian Moore who is a well-known folk singer and song writer from Belfast.
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by Conán McDonnell
Re: Hidden Passions
Ohhh! By Brian Moore! I read and enjoyed his Lies of Silence. I didn't realise he'd died. Here's a bit about him:
http://www.robertfulford.com/BrianMoore.html
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by Rudall the time
Re: Hidden Passions
The one who died is the famous writer, not the one who wrote the play.
I thought Judith Hearne was very good; bit depressing though.
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by Conán McDonnell
Re: Hidden Passions
Black Robe, The Statement, Cold Heaven. All great reads. Sorry to hear he passed away.
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by grego
Re: Hidden Passions
Haven't seen the play. but as a musician in Belfast I feel I want to correct this misleading impression. I do not recognise the description given here as remotely accurate
In my experience sessions in Belfast are of a good to great standard. Musicians by and large get on very well. There is a great deal of generosity and mutual respect. There are occasional dislikes. But nothing out of the ordinary. People are expected to get on with each other. Rudeness happens rarely, and is frowned upon when it does.
There are of course rivalries and dislikes. This happens because people are human. But there is an expectation that where there is difficulty people mange it in a responsible and adult way. There have been of course exceptions. But these have happened after repeated causes for offence.
And, for good measure, it should be remembered that Belfast is, undeniably, the best city for Irish music on the world
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by Pól
Re: Hidden Passions
Firstly, Pingu , I am deeply saddened that you thought that I may have made this up and posted a "wind up" thread. Shame on you.
This Brian Moore is surely the singer, there are songs and tunes all the way through.
I presume it is very recent, one of the songs goes;
"The American Army is on its way,
John Wayne and his green beret,
We've come here to set you free,
And give you our democracy,
And kill you if you disagree,
Hip Hip Hooray".
I imagine it was written with the West Belfast festival in mind, loads of talk of racism, sectarianism, imperialism and all the rest.
I have never seen East Enders but one of the cast used to be Phil somebody's nutcase "flozzie" in that programme, I was informed.
Very well acted, good music, good songs, an enjoyable evening.
And to think Pingu doubted me.
Afterwards I went to the John Hewitt, and there was a session on, and you could feel the petty jealousies and hatred as soon as you walked in the door. And that was just directed at me.
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by bodhran bliss
Re: Hidden Passions
The session that was uppermost in my mind when i made my contribution was, in fact, the John Hewitt.
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by Pól
Re: Hidden Passions
What ARE you on about BB?
I never said anything of the sort (about doubting, winding up etc).
I didn't know anything about the singer, just the author (obviously Conán & I cross-posted at that point).
Just keep banging that goatskin, BB, there's a good lad.
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by Rudall the time
Re: Hidden Passions
Pingu, I taught Alaistair Campbell spin, not very successfully I must admit.
Or as our cross -Atlantic friends would say, "never kid a kidder".
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by bodhran bliss
Re: Hidden Passions
Is Dow lying on this thread or does s/he have a split personality...given all those things that are reaally annnoying...
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by carly
Re: Hidden Passions
Dow is definitely a split personality. He's sweet as pie until he gets some drinks down him, and then he's just slobberingly disgusting.
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Hidden Passions
There is a short series of a sitcom on at the moment, over here in the UK, written by and starring Ricky Gervaise, he of "The Office", called "Extras" Wearing one of my other hats, I can tell you it bears a fleeting resemblance to the real world of extras, but seriously exaggerated for the sake of dramatic effect - like for instance the main character gets to meet and talk with the star of whatever they are shooting, every week. Yeah, right.
Well, in my experience, Alan Davies said "Hullo", and Julia Sawalha asked "Is that all really your own hair ?", and one of the minor characters came over to ask if I was all right when I was having to spend a lot of time sitting by myself, ( this was all in 2 days on Jonathan Creek ) but that's about the best it gets.
I imagine the play is much the same; I suspect that, for the sake of dramatic effectiveness and intensity, things have been greatly exaggerated and compressed, like a years' incidents, to get all the laughs and the action into two hours, or whoever long it takes. This is what you have to do. Sounds like fun, though, I'd go along to see it.
# Posted on August 4th 2005 by Guernsey Pete
Brushes with (non ITM) the famous
Raymond Burr was incredibly nice to extras -- he'd sit and chat while they were lighting or whatever, real conversations, he was a stellar personality. Dick Van Dyke would sit in the green room for hours shooting the breeze with the extras, regaling them with stories of the earlier days. Super models were almost all uniformly standoffish, though they were nice enough when there was reason to talk to anyone.
I just went and found my 60th Anniversary issue of SAG's magazine, Screen Actor. Charter member George Golden tells a story about Clark Gable:
"I'll never forget what a great man Clark Gable was. I was working as an extra on an MGM movie. There were 150 extras on the ballroom set wearing tuxedos and tails and I'm standing next to Mr. Gable and Miss Lombard for the last scene of the day, but I can't keep my eyes off of my watch. I kept checking it, and suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It's Gable and he said, "Hey, son, why do you keep looking at your watch every few minutes?" I said, "Mr. Gable, in twelve minutes we go on quarter check and get paid more." He said, "You got it." He went out and screwed up his lines for twelve minutes on purpose so 150 extras could get more money."
# Posted on August 5th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Hidden Passions
Let me say here and now that this site must be frequented by those economial with the truth or sycophants. All those threads moaning about everything from Seamus Tansey to bodhans and then you all come on this thread as niceas can be.
Hypocites.
And Pol, the are all jealous of me at Clenaghans, especially Brendy.
# Posted on August 5th 2005 by bodhran bliss
Re: Hidden Passions
BB,
No, I am afraid that what I said above is true. My real life is, in the end.....sniff......sigh.......rather dull and boring.
# Posted on August 5th 2005 by AlBrown
Re: Hidden Passions
Read the thread after this one from Dow. Littered with petty jealousies and hatred.
# Posted on August 5th 2005 by bodhran bliss
Re: Hidden Passions
More on real actors - Edward Tudor-Pole was really nice - we were shooting overnight for "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers" and he kept coming round to the extras to let us know what was happening and when we would next be needed, which was more than the AD was doing. ( Why was I there ? They needed a few hairy guys to show it was the '70's. ) Some stars are neutral, neither good nor bad, just doing their job,but I did get a big smile from Agelina Jolie on my first ever day, which made it all worth while. Assistant Directors vary from the pits to really pleasant individuals. Much like most people in the world outside.
Liked the Clark Gable story.
# Posted on August 6th 2005 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Hidden Passions
Angelina Jolie. My fingers were shaking on the keyboard.
# Posted on August 6th 2005 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Hidden Passions
Suzanne Plechette was hilarious. She turned out to be a lot shorter than she looks on TV, but that sexy smokey whiskey voice was quite intact. I did a short scene with her, which was fun. The director led me over to her and introduced me to her before the scene. She shook my hand, smiled beatifically, leaned forward confidentially, and said, "One piece of advice: get between me and the camera and I'll rip your face off." She held the eye contact for one beat, and then broke into uproarious laughter.
However, I was extra careful of our lines to the camera, just in case.
# Posted on August 6th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Hidden Passions
O dear :-o
Wasn't she in some movie with Steve McQueen. I don't remember much about it except she she came up out of the water. .... That's what I mean when I say "brain melt".
I played some Playford material for Paul Eddington once. He was very gracious. "My! that's really lively!"
# Posted on August 9th 2005 by Owell Mabee
Re: Hidden Passions
OK Zina... what was the scene?
# Posted on August 9th 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Hidden Passions
Uh, let's see, Suzanne Plechette plays a murdering doctor, and I (all dressed up in a white nurse's uniform, which seemed to give the sound guy who put my mike box on under my chaste white slip some fumble-fingered trouble for some reason) inadvertently give her her chance to continue her spree by asking the whereabouts of Dr. Dick Van Dyke because his patient was going into cardio arrest, which is a totally unlikely way for any doctor to be notified of his patient's current status.
I also got to play a medical student in a group under Dr. Van Dyke's shepherding eye, in another episode -- he'd stuffed us all into an ambulance to see what it was like to be in the back of one going full speed, and we were all supposed to be getting violently motion sick. It turned out to be the little blip before the opening credits, and hardly anyone saw it.
# Posted on August 9th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Hidden Passions
The last mentioned episode, I see, was actually the first episode of the series, "Miracle Cure". For some reason, I didn't remember that. Another one of the actors on that episode (who was in the back with us), Chip Frye, who played a paramedic named Eddie on the series, actually was a paramedic, and I think it actually may have been his ambulance we were in.
The Suzanne Pleshette episode was actually a TV movie, A Twist of the Knife.
Wow, I'd forgotten all this stuff til I went and looked it back up.
# Posted on August 9th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Hidden Passions
What series?
# Posted on August 9th 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Hidden Passions
Hi Jack. Did you see the Space Shuttle land this morning?
# Posted on August 9th 2005 by Johnny Jay
Re: Hidden Passions
What Space Shuttle?
# Posted on August 9th 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Hidden Passions
The one that landed in California where you live.
# Posted on August 9th 2005 by Johnny Jay
Re: Hidden Passions
We're so used to the shuttle going up and down, it's hardly even news anymore, which is why all NASA employees fear for their employment at all times.
Sorry, that was the Diagnosis Murder series with Dick Van Dyke, among others (Scott Baio, for one). Both Diagnosis Murder and the Raymond Burr series were filmed in Denver under Viacom for quite some time -- lots of us made our living for those years from just those series plus any industrials we landed.
# Posted on August 9th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Hidden Passions
Which episodes do you appear in, Zina?
# Posted on August 9th 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Hidden Passions
Apollo 11 (first lading on the moon) and Viking 1 (first landing on Mars) both happened on my birthday.
# Posted on August 9th 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Hidden Passions
Um. "Miracle Cure" and "A Twist of the Knife". As above. Why?
# Posted on August 9th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Hidden Passions
Oh, I didn't see that.
# Posted on August 9th 2005 by Phantom Button