I was just thinking after reading Conan's piece on the naming of tunes, how do you name a band? Do you go down the fun line like 'The bar stool bunji jumpers' or the more serious title linked to something Irish i.e. Altan, Deanta, De Danaan, Lunasa, etc. Has anyone noticed the number of bands that begin with 'D'
Here's a few
Deanta,De Danaan, Dervish, Danu, De Dubliners, De Fureys..
Would you be less respected if your band was called something silly or does matter not as long as the music's good?
You left out Divil the Bit! I used to play in a band called The Samsonelles. You won't have heard us, Mike. I told the story of how we got our name on this discussion (near the bottom) http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/585
I think it's funny, anyway.
I was also in a wee school band for a while called "Na Mafdhuí"
it doesn't actually mean anything to the uninitiated. The story behind it is slightly embarrassing. When I was a lad, it was common practice to shout "Get them aff ye" (as in knickers) to any good-looking girl in the vicinity of "the lads". This was abbreviated to "'maffye", and even spawned a whole vocabulary: a nice girl was a "maffye" whereas a not-so-aesthetically-pleasing girl was a "monye". I know, kids can be cruel. Anyway, to cut a long story short, we needed an Irish-sounding name for the group, and Na Mafdhuí was born!
Aargh, Conán! Be glad this a virtual session, or I'd have to throw my rosin (or at least a drink mat) at your head! *snort* "not-so-aesthetically-pleasing".
Why is it a pair of panties, but only one bra?
Actually, I know the answer to that question (I was a theatrical costume designer), but it's a funny one nonetheless. ;)
I knew I'd get into trouble over that one ;¬) Sorry Zina! I had to tell it how it was. I was only seventeen - the nearest I got to PC was asking a cop for directions.
And you're trying to tell me you still don't mentally shout this out when you see a good-looking girl, Conán? *grin* There's some good to the whole PC thing, I suppose. ;)
I see your fairly getting into the spirit of this site Michael, but I notice this 2nd offering of yours is a little shorter than the first! Whats up, got writers cramp?
I personally would steer a mile from the gaelic words, & leave them for their rightful owners, the gaelic speakers. I would also keep away from celticy words, I think they've had their day as well. I think that still leaves plenty of choice though.
My latest group, up here in North Antrim, has six of us playing Scottish & North Antrim music, singing Scottish songs & reciting North Antrim Rhymes in the broad Ulster Scots, which is more or less Lowland Scots, eg Burns. The name we have is 'Scad the Beggars', which is the local name for a local delicacy - Oatmeal fried in Bacon Fat - yum yum.
That name is probably in the same category as your own 'divilthebit', couthy, (sp.) & not too pretentious.
Sinking to Conan's level for a minute. Many years ago, in Aberdeen, four friends & I were looking for a name, & some bright spark came up with - 'Dick & the Fourskins'!
Sorry Zina - salt in the wound.
Before I go, the more observant amongst you will have noticed an apparent flaw in my logic, namely that my own nickname here is Gaelic. However, that wee birdy flits around the mountain tops of the Cairngorms, & I spent many years as an avid birdwatcher, helping to guard the Osprey nests up at Loch Garten on Speyside, for many summers too. Also, when I got married, to a musician of course, ( all the best people do - that right Michael ) we lived just outside Grantown on Spey, a rods cast from the Spey. Plus, if you cut me in half, you'll read SCOT, through & through, & proud of it, despite all my beloved Irish music. So I reckon I've earned the right.
Heard once of a rock band that called themselves Fated, and the drummer wasn't happy with that, so over pints several of us suggested a host of alternatives: Faded, Feted, and my favorite (offered by a better wordsmith than I), Fetid. ;o)
Would you be less respected if your band was called something silly? How about "The Beatles," "The Rolling Stones?" What's in a name? I have to go with "its the music that matters."
Class Conan, like that one! Aye Dick I think I burnt out the keyboard with that last effort but there may be more. Its a great site. You're geeting the hang of it yourself rightly. Of course its the music that counts but a cool name seems to help even though it may be a bit pretentious. I have to laugh at some of the US bands, ie Spirit of Erin, Erins Mystic Shore and all that shoi'! God forbid you be seen to raise your head above the parapet in Norn Iron!
The names of jigs, reels etc are a good start for getting a band name. Here in Riyadh I joined a band called "Folk Off" which broke up (people going back home). I was later a founder-member of a band called Folkus. We're still together but we started to hate puns on "folk" so we decided to look for something new. I proposed a number of Clare place names and one or two surnames. To my surprise and delight, my mates opted for a surname: Bohannon. So that's our latest incarnation. It has a good Irish ring to it and the additional advantage that drunken Scots might think it is Buchanan!
Naming bands for tunes seems to be a popular one, but it leads to lots of bands called Gan Ainm.
For about a year, I amused myself coming up with a new name for the band each time we played - the people who came out knew who was playing anyway, so the name was just something to put in the paper.
We were the Drunken Landladies, the Jameson's Gang, John Powers and Associates, the Lord Gordons, Jenny's Chickens, whatever came to mind. Eventually we settled on the Raspers, named for a tune that probably isn't even called The Rasper, but that's what it got called on the record I heard it on. It seems to work - distinctive, at any rate. People remember it much better than they did the name of my previous Irish effort, which was named (through no fault of my own) Daltas. People would forget that one in minutes.
Naming of bands
Naming of bands
I was just thinking after reading Conan's piece on the naming of tunes, how do you name a band? Do you go down the fun line like 'The bar stool bunji jumpers' or the more serious title linked to something Irish i.e. Altan, Deanta, De Danaan, Lunasa, etc. Has anyone noticed the number of bands that begin with 'D'
Here's a few
Deanta,De Danaan, Dervish, Danu, De Dubliners, De Fureys..
Would you be less respected if your band was called something silly or does matter not as long as the music's good?
# Posted on August 28th 2002 by divilthebit
Re: Naming of bands
You left out Divil the Bit! I used to play in a band called The Samsonelles. You won't have heard us, Mike. I told the story of how we got our name on this discussion (near the bottom)
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/585
I think it's funny, anyway.
I was also in a wee school band for a while called "Na Mafdhuí"
it doesn't actually mean anything to the uninitiated. The story behind it is slightly embarrassing. When I was a lad, it was common practice to shout "Get them aff ye" (as in knickers) to any good-looking girl in the vicinity of "the lads". This was abbreviated to "'maffye", and even spawned a whole vocabulary: a nice girl was a "maffye" whereas a not-so-aesthetically-pleasing girl was a "monye". I know, kids can be cruel. Anyway, to cut a long story short, we needed an Irish-sounding name for the group, and Na Mafdhuí was born!
# Posted on August 28th 2002 by Conán McDonnell
Re: Naming of bands
Aargh, Conán! Be glad this a virtual session, or I'd have to throw my rosin (or at least a drink mat) at your head! *snort* "not-so-aesthetically-pleasing".
Why is it a pair of panties, but only one bra?
Actually, I know the answer to that question (I was a theatrical costume designer), but it's a funny one nonetheless. ;)
Zina
# Posted on August 28th 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Naming of bands
I knew I'd get into trouble over that one ;¬) Sorry Zina! I had to tell it how it was. I was only seventeen - the nearest I got to PC was asking a cop for directions.
Conan
# Posted on August 28th 2002 by Conán McDonnell
Re: Naming of bands
And you're trying to tell me you still don't mentally shout this out when you see a good-looking girl, Conán? *grin* There's some good to the whole PC thing, I suppose. ;)
Zina
# Posted on August 28th 2002 by Zina Lee
Re: Naming of bands
friends of mine in santa cruz (calif) had a band for years called the the celtones.
and another called ursh murkins. it took me awhile to sort of that it meant 'irish americans'
sarah
# Posted on August 28th 2002 by eleyne
Re: Naming of bands
Dick here.
I see your fairly getting into the spirit of this site Michael, but I notice this 2nd offering of yours is a little shorter than the first! Whats up, got writers cramp?
I personally would steer a mile from the gaelic words, & leave them for their rightful owners, the gaelic speakers. I would also keep away from celticy words, I think they've had their day as well. I think that still leaves plenty of choice though.
My latest group, up here in North Antrim, has six of us playing Scottish & North Antrim music, singing Scottish songs & reciting North Antrim Rhymes in the broad Ulster Scots, which is more or less Lowland Scots, eg Burns. The name we have is 'Scad the Beggars', which is the local name for a local delicacy - Oatmeal fried in Bacon Fat - yum yum.
That name is probably in the same category as your own 'divilthebit', couthy, (sp.) & not too pretentious.
Sinking to Conan's level for a minute. Many years ago, in Aberdeen, four friends & I were looking for a name, & some bright spark came up with - 'Dick & the Fourskins'!
Sorry Zina - salt in the wound.
Before I go, the more observant amongst you will have noticed an apparent flaw in my logic, namely that my own nickname here is Gaelic. However, that wee birdy flits around the mountain tops of the Cairngorms, & I spent many years as an avid birdwatcher, helping to guard the Osprey nests up at Loch Garten on Speyside, for many summers too. Also, when I got married, to a musician of course, ( all the best people do - that right Michael ) we lived just outside Grantown on Spey, a rods cast from the Spey. Plus, if you cut me in half, you'll read SCOT, through & through, & proud of it, despite all my beloved Irish music. So I reckon I've earned the right.
# Posted on August 28th 2002 by Ptarmigan
Re: Naming of bands
Our band was called Carolan's Nigthmare... we were
# Posted on August 28th 2002 by Marc
Re: Naming of bands
Heard once of a rock band that called themselves Fated, and the drummer wasn't happy with that, so over pints several of us suggested a host of alternatives: Faded, Feted, and my favorite (offered by a better wordsmith than I), Fetid. ;o)
# Posted on August 28th 2002 by Will CPT
Re: Naming of bands
Would you be less respected if your band was called something silly? How about "The Beatles," "The Rolling Stones?" What's in a name? I have to go with "its the music that matters."
# Posted on August 28th 2002 by pearse
Re: Naming of bands
Class Conan, like that one! Aye Dick I think I burnt out the keyboard with that last effort but there may be more. Its a great site. You're geeting the hang of it yourself rightly. Of course its the music that counts but a cool name seems to help even though it may be a bit pretentious. I have to laugh at some of the US bands, ie Spirit of Erin, Erins Mystic Shore and all that shoi'! God forbid you be seen to raise your head above the parapet in Norn Iron!
# Posted on August 28th 2002 by divilthebit
Re: Naming of bands
The best one I heard was:
"The pigeons on the gate"
# Posted on August 28th 2002 by llig leahcim
Re: Naming of bands
The names of jigs, reels etc are a good start for getting a band name. Here in Riyadh I joined a band called "Folk Off" which broke up (people going back home). I was later a founder-member of a band called Folkus. We're still together but we started to hate puns on "folk" so we decided to look for something new. I proposed a number of Clare place names and one or two surnames. To my surprise and delight, my mates opted for a surname: Bohannon. So that's our latest incarnation. It has a good Irish ring to it and the additional advantage that drunken Scots might think it is Buchanan!
# Posted on August 29th 2002 by lukegarry
Re: Naming of bands
Naming bands for tunes seems to be a popular one, but it leads to lots of bands called Gan Ainm.
For about a year, I amused myself coming up with a new name for the band each time we played - the people who came out knew who was playing anyway, so the name was just something to put in the paper.
We were the Drunken Landladies, the Jameson's Gang, John Powers and Associates, the Lord Gordons, Jenny's Chickens, whatever came to mind. Eventually we settled on the Raspers, named for a tune that probably isn't even called The Rasper, but that's what it got called on the record I heard it on. It seems to work - distinctive, at any rate. People remember it much better than they did the name of my previous Irish effort, which was named (through no fault of my own) Daltas. People would forget that one in minutes.
# Posted on August 29th 2002 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Naming of bands
Then once you've sat around and thought of you're name, you can think of your album cover.
Just look at the table in front of you. All piled up with pints and ashtrays and the odd generation whistle. Perfect - not
# Posted on August 29th 2002 by llig leahcim