Hello,
While out for a few rambling pints last Thursday night, I decided to call into Cruises for "one" and to hear a few tunes. SHOCK, HORROR!! As I walked through the door, my first impression was "HMMMM, Good Crowd" but as I made my way to the bar, I discovered a one-man band!!! He was fully amplified and although he was a good guitar player and sang cover versions from U2 to Bob Dylan to Neil Young well, I wondered where the "Trad Session" was. I met a local musician over the weekend who was supposed to play there on Thursday night but the pub cancelled the session at the last minute....?
I spoke to some tourists that were there and they told me when they asked where they would find a session, they were told to go to Cruises "Traditional" Bar.
I know there are sessions there once or twice a week but it's not the pub it used to be with its 7-nights a week sessions and it's famous Sunday morning tunes.
AND....... a couple of weeks ago, a good piper friend of mine (who had his pipes with him!) stopped in the doorway of the pub to light a cigarette while on his way to his own gig and was refused admission by a doorman.....? The doorman told him there was no session that night and wouldn't let him in (not that he wanted to go in but that's not the point).
You're joking... right? Geeezzzz... this can't be true. I remember when I was there in November 04 the Thursday night session got canceled for the first time. Everyone thought it was a flook. Maybe it was a bad omen.
Maybe it's not enough of a draw during the off-season. Or there was a dispute about money. Sh1t happens.
Lots of irish people loathe traditional music, too; maybe the offseason crowd is more of a rock, country, and pop music crowd. I feel sorry for them, but it's their loss.
I bet when there's touri$t dollar$ to be had in a few weeks the sessions will be back.
"The Phantom Button" is wrong. I was in the pub on a thursday night 3 years ago in summer, and it was a one-man show as Seanie describes. I believe Siobhan Peoples and Murty Ryan still play on Friday nights though.
I notice the trad music environment in major cities of Ireland is getting worse these years. I'd rather head for England for quality Irish music sessions in quiet pubs.
Funny you should mention that, Goosey, because about 4 or 5 years ago, about the time of their first CD, Paddy and Brigid - the Japanese couple (concertina, flute and harp) famous in Clare and beyond - gave an interview in which "Paddy" said that in ten years´time, the centre of Irish music would be in Tokyo.
That´s how I heard it and I don´t know if he was misquoted or if the remark was taken out of context, but quite a few local musicians cooled off towards them after that remark.
However, it´s certainly food for thought and indicative of the internationalisation of Irish music and the marketable commodity it has become.
I agree it must be the end of the world if things change.
Btw, there's are some perfectly good sessions on a Thursday night in Ennis, a particularly good one is within spitting of distance of the abovementioned traumatising establishment.
As for Paddy's remark. I think we call those kind of remarks "jokes".
'"Paddy" said that in ten years´time, the centre of Irish music would be in Tokyo.' That's true in a sense. There are an amazing number of people playing Irish music just in Tokyo. Some of them are seriously good, and we have loads of dancers too. Many well-known Irish musicians regularly visit Japan for gigs and workshops. At the moment Pat O'Connor and Eoghan O'Sullivan are touring in this country. I'll hopefully see them in a couple of days.
I actually don't have many music friends in Tokyo. That's mainly because I live a bit far from Tokyo and can't allow myself many sessions there. But I'm happy with the fortnightly session I've been regularly attending. I heard the scene in Osaka is really brilliant, but I'm afraid I don't know anything about what's going on there. It might be a better place for Irish music than Ennis.
Jaysus Sean, had you nothin' better to be at than talkin’ to feckin’ tourists? I thought it was just locals' ears that you withered with your moaning! How many mouthfuls of your first pint had you taken before you came out with your usual "This is sh*t man."? Is this one man band thing just an Irish phenomenon? Maybe it's the new "Irish music"!!
Slainte, I didn't mean to say it was a joke in the sense of "that's a joke, you can never be any good out there". I've met lots of Japanese musicians playing Irish music, some of them extremely lovely players.
I just meant that the remark was taken way too seriously and that to get offended at it, if indeed anyone did, would be a bit petty in my view.
Not sure you were reading me that way, but just in case.
""The Phantom Button" is wrong. I was in the pub on a thursday night 3 years ago in summer"
Uh, Siante... I don't think I was "wrong,"I know what I saw in November 04. I think the difference might be that you were there during the summer. I've never been in Ireland in the summer. I hear it's quite different though with mic'd sessions and tourists running rampant being entertained in ways that are dormant during the off-season when I’m usually there. In November of that year I was in Ennis for 3 weeks and there was a session at Cruise’s every Thursday except the last one that was canceled and created a bit of a stir while I was there. I’m not wrong about this.
No... I don't doubt Siante saw what he saw 3 years ago in the summer, but I'm not "wrong" about what I saw there in Nov 04 either. That's my point, it's not an argument.
I can map the center of Irish music, but it's a Venn diagram of seven overlapping ovals. The very center of the overlapping bits is a bench in one corner of Pepper's in Feakle....
Well, Phantom, you're wrong because the thursday night session didn't get cancelled *for the first time* in Nov. 2004. And I was in Ennis in early June just before many tourists flood into there.
The buzz around Ennis was that it was "for the first time." I don't know what they meant, maybe that it was the first time during that time of year... or that year... but that's what they were saying. Evidentially a session had been going regularly on Thursday nights there until then. Early June is not winter by the way... I believe it's considered tourist season by then.
whoosis, please map the center of Irish music, preferably using Google Earth, to show the bench, so we can all zoom in on it. I don't know these Venn diagrams.
1st year maths? Really? Gee, here in the states Venn diagrams are part of pre-natal school. They shine a PowerPoint presentation onto the uterine wall. Of course it's just a small part of an introductory course on the geomtry of Phi.
i too was in cruise's in november '04, as well as in july '05. there were indeed thursday seisiuns afoot in there, and excellent thursday trad in ciaran's as well, tho that one was indeed miked, in july, at least. but still great.
however, at some point since, there has been a prior thread here or on irtrad (memory is sketchy about where & exactly when) to the effect that cruise's either canceled all trad, or most of its, trad, or some such. i distinctly recall a flap being described in which musicians skedded for the remaining lone night walked in solidarity with those skedded for the cancled night. or some such.
If there's one consolation...it's the building of "The King's pub" directly accross the road!! There's a mighty session every sunday afternoon with Carmal O' Dea and Kevin Ryan! The toilets are much cleaner and the pint far safer! Out of principal, alot of the local musicians don't go into Cruises at all......
Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
Hello,
While out for a few rambling pints last Thursday night, I decided to call into Cruises for "one" and to hear a few tunes. SHOCK, HORROR!! As I walked through the door, my first impression was "HMMMM, Good Crowd" but as I made my way to the bar, I discovered a one-man band!!! He was fully amplified and although he was a good guitar player and sang cover versions from U2 to Bob Dylan to Neil Young well, I wondered where the "Trad Session" was. I met a local musician over the weekend who was supposed to play there on Thursday night but the pub cancelled the session at the last minute....?
I spoke to some tourists that were there and they told me when they asked where they would find a session, they were told to go to Cruises "Traditional" Bar.
I know there are sessions there once or twice a week but it's not the pub it used to be with its 7-nights a week sessions and it's famous Sunday morning tunes.
AND....... a couple of weeks ago, a good piper friend of mine (who had his pipes with him!) stopped in the doorway of the pub to light a cigarette while on his way to his own gig and was refused admission by a doorman.....? The doorman told him there was no session that night and wouldn't let him in (not that he wanted to go in but that's not the point).
What's the world coming to???
Seanie.....
# Posted on April 19th 2006 by seaniemcg
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
You're joking... right? Geeezzzz... this can't be true. I remember when I was there in November 04 the Thursday night session got canceled for the first time. Everyone thought it was a flook. Maybe it was a bad omen.
# Posted on April 19th 2006 by Phantom Button
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
Maybe it's not enough of a draw during the off-season. Or there was a dispute about money. Sh1t happens.
Lots of irish people loathe traditional music, too; maybe the offseason crowd is more of a rock, country, and pop music crowd. I feel sorry for them, but it's their loss.
I bet when there's touri$t dollar$ to be had in a few weeks the sessions will be back.
# Posted on April 19th 2006 by Hanley
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
Did anyone notice the disappearance of the Lisheen in Galway? I did. It's a disco, for Gawd's sake.
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by windybaer
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
I can't remember if it was too far away from Ennis, but, you can say, we'll always have Doolin.
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by jorge o'lochlainn
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
"The Phantom Button" is wrong. I was in the pub on a thursday night 3 years ago in summer, and it was a one-man show as Seanie describes. I believe Siobhan Peoples and Murty Ryan still play on Friday nights though.
I notice the trad music environment in major cities of Ireland is getting worse these years. I'd rather head for England for quality Irish music sessions in quiet pubs.
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by slainte
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
HAHA
Jesus Slainte,
you come out with some classics you know that?
Nevertheless I'm heading to Japan for the summer, know of any good sessions in Osaka that will beat the English ones????
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by Hugo Chavez
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
Funny you should mention that, Goosey, because about 4 or 5 years ago, about the time of their first CD, Paddy and Brigid - the Japanese couple (concertina, flute and harp) famous in Clare and beyond - gave an interview in which "Paddy" said that in ten years´time, the centre of Irish music would be in Tokyo.
That´s how I heard it and I don´t know if he was misquoted or if the remark was taken out of context, but quite a few local musicians cooled off towards them after that remark.
However, it´s certainly food for thought and indicative of the internationalisation of Irish music and the marketable commodity it has become.
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by murfbox
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
Ye - I heard that too.
I agree it was taken out of context.
I have alot of good friends from Japan that are seriously good players. They seem to work very hard at the music.
I doubt anywhere but Ireland could be the centre of Irish music!
Not Japan, England, Scotland or anywhere else....
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by Hugo Chavez
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
I agree it must be the end of the world if things change.
Btw, there's are some perfectly good sessions on a Thursday night in Ennis, a particularly good one is within spitting of distance of the abovementioned traumatising establishment.
As for Paddy's remark. I think we call those kind of remarks "jokes".
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by SL*
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
'"Paddy" said that in ten years´time, the centre of Irish music would be in Tokyo.' That's true in a sense. There are an amazing number of people playing Irish music just in Tokyo. Some of them are seriously good, and we have loads of dancers too. Many well-known Irish musicians regularly visit Japan for gigs and workshops. At the moment Pat O'Connor and Eoghan O'Sullivan are touring in this country. I'll hopefully see them in a couple of days.
I actually don't have many music friends in Tokyo. That's mainly because I live a bit far from Tokyo and can't allow myself many sessions there. But I'm happy with the fortnightly session I've been regularly attending. I heard the scene in Osaka is really brilliant, but I'm afraid I don't know anything about what's going on there. It might be a better place for Irish music than Ennis.
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by slainte
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
Jaysus Sean, had you nothin' better to be at than talkin’ to feckin’ tourists? I thought it was just locals' ears that you withered with your moaning! How many mouthfuls of your first pint had you taken before you came out with your usual "This is sh*t man."? Is this one man band thing just an Irish phenomenon? Maybe it's the new "Irish music"!!
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by John McCartin
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
Slainte, I didn't mean to say it was a joke in the sense of "that's a joke, you can never be any good out there". I've met lots of Japanese musicians playing Irish music, some of them extremely lovely players.
I just meant that the remark was taken way too seriously and that to get offended at it, if indeed anyone did, would be a bit petty in my view.
Not sure you were reading me that way, but just in case.
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by SL*
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
Well, maybe it's one of many centres.
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by slainte
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
""The Phantom Button" is wrong. I was in the pub on a thursday night 3 years ago in summer"
Uh, Siante... I don't think I was "wrong,"I know what I saw in November 04. I think the difference might be that you were there during the summer. I've never been in Ireland in the summer. I hear it's quite different though with mic'd sessions and tourists running rampant being entertained in ways that are dormant during the off-season when I’m usually there. In November of that year I was in Ennis for 3 weeks and there was a session at Cruise’s every Thursday except the last one that was canceled and created a bit of a stir while I was there. I’m not wrong about this.
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by Phantom Button
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
Are we having an argument about who played in Cruise's three years ago?
Seriously?
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by SL*
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
No... I don't doubt Siante saw what he saw 3 years ago in the summer, but I'm not "wrong" about what I saw there in Nov 04 either. That's my point, it's not an argument.
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by Phantom Button
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
Don't push that phantom's button!
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by AlBrown
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
I can map the center of Irish music, but it's a Venn diagram of seven overlapping ovals. The very center of the overlapping bits is a bench in one corner of Pepper's in Feakle....
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by Will CPT
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
hahahahaha
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by Phantom Button
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
Yea, Will... it's the bench right below the sign that reads, "Only one bodhrán at a time please."
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by Phantom Button
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
Well, Phantom, you're wrong because the thursday night session didn't get cancelled *for the first time* in Nov. 2004. And I was in Ennis in early June just before many tourists flood into there.
Anyway, who's Siante?
(Good night, folks!)
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by slainte
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
The buzz around Ennis was that it was "for the first time." I don't know what they meant, maybe that it was the first time during that time of year... or that year... but that's what they were saying. Evidentially a session had been going regularly on Thursday nights there until then. Early June is not winter by the way... I believe it's considered tourist season by then.
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by Phantom Button
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
I'm just relieved to hear that it's not tourist season all the year round there...
# Posted on April 20th 2006 by kris
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
whoosis, please map the center of Irish music, preferably using Google Earth, to show the bench, so we can all zoom in on it. I don't know these Venn diagrams.
# Posted on April 21st 2006 by carolsviolin
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
Here, Carol... I found a photo of the bench. http://www.gannetschool.it/tour0332.jpg
# Posted on April 21st 2006 by Phantom Button
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
LOL, are those *Heiniken* cans on the table?!?!?!
# Posted on April 21st 2006 by Will CPT
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
Carol, the best I can do is this example of a Venn diagram: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.angelfire.com/mo/ktw/venn/venn.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.angelfire.com/mo/ktw/venn/&h=679&w=668&sz=30&tbnid=6MnkVVfk8FgJ:&tbnh=137&tbnw=134&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dvenn%2Bdiagrams%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D&start=1&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=1
Come to think of it, that's pretty close to a map of the center of Irish music....
# Posted on April 21st 2006 by Will CPT
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
Oh yeah, Venn diagrams...takes me back. I remember them from 1st year maths. I was maybe 12 or 13 then. That was fun. But they can be seriously used in real maths, as for example an illustrator for Schrodinger Equation variants:
http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/archive/00001449/01/The%20Quantum%20Mechanical%20Time%20Reversal%20Operator.doc
# Posted on April 21st 2006 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
1st year maths? Really? Gee, here in the states Venn diagrams are part of pre-natal school. They shine a PowerPoint presentation onto the uterine wall. Of course it's just a small part of an introductory course on the geomtry of Phi.
# Posted on April 21st 2006 by Will CPT
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
Seanie was it Blackie that was stopped? sure hes a troublemaker!
# Posted on April 21st 2006 by flanum
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
i too was in cruise's in november '04, as well as in july '05. there were indeed thursday seisiuns afoot in there, and excellent thursday trad in ciaran's as well, tho that one was indeed miked, in july, at least. but still great.
however, at some point since, there has been a prior thread here or on irtrad (memory is sketchy about where & exactly when) to the effect that cruise's either canceled all trad, or most of its, trad, or some such. i distinctly recall a flap being described in which musicians skedded for the remaining lone night walked in solidarity with those skedded for the cancled night. or some such.
# Posted on April 22nd 2006 by ceemonster
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
Wow, if this is true it could have global implications -- think of all the websites that will have to be updated for starters.
# Posted on April 22nd 2006 by Phantom Button
Re: Cruises "Trad" bar, Ennis....What the ???
If there's one consolation...it's the building of "The King's pub" directly accross the road!! There's a mighty session every sunday afternoon with Carmal O' Dea and Kevin Ryan! The toilets are much cleaner and the pint far safer! Out of principal, alot of the local musicians don't go into Cruises at all......
# Posted on April 24th 2006 by downey