The Prince of Wales is one of the best real ale pubs in Aberdeen and has won awards.
On a sunday night there's a session from 9pm until 12.
it's quite popular, full of characters, with quite some variety.
This session is getting pretty dire sometimes due to the preponderance of bad singers and players. Many good musicians deliberately boycott this session.
The pub has changed hands to a Dundee owner but the session remains the same: that is every Sunday night, 8.30pm until 12.
In the last few months this session has become very popular and reknowned. Last Sunday musicians were actually standing on chairs while playing! Songs sometimes get a bit bawdy and the whole atmosphere decends into a drunken state of enjoyment. The standard is still variable depending on who comes. There are some beginners and about five bodhran players!. It doesn't reach the high musical standards of the Blue Lamp and Globe sessions but it makes up for it in sheer enjoyment, hgh energy and raunchiness. Lots of young people and players enjoy this session.
The popularity of this session creates a problem for musicians finding somewhere to sit. So please come early!
On Sunday an excellent fiddler from London said he had been recommended the Prince of Wales Session by a musician at a session in Kendal in Cumbria! So it's reputation and infamy is spreading far and wide!
Niels
Bald Jim the incomprehensible singer from Troon has reportedly been banned from the pub for arguing with the bar staff, although it's not clear yet how long the ban is for. He now enters a growing list of legendary musicians to be banned from the pub.
This piece of news may be warmly welcomed by some musicians who have been put off by his lack of rhythm, bad bodhran playing and his home made songs about terrorism. Occoassionally he was known to sing good folk songs like Banks of Sicily (which was done exceptionally well by Ian Benzie of (Ex) Old Blind Dogs) but the strange musical timings always managed to fox even the cleverest of musicians.
Last Sunday's session was another record attendance and turned out quite entertaining. Getting a seat seems to be the problem nowadays sometimes, so get there early about 8.30pm.
Nice to see a wide range of instruments and ages turning out (although sometimes we seem to manage about 7 bodhrans playing at once). Keep coming!
Sensational news Niels.
You must have been listening more closely than me. I thought his songs were about working on the rigs.
I don't suppose the Lampie ever banned anyone so we'll probably see more of him now.
If they could just get rid of that East Anglian box player ....
Niels, everyone at the prince of wales. I was the guy playing accordion last week at the session. (I hope you don't mean me Brendan!) I'd just like to say that was one of the best sessions I ever been to. You have a really good craic going down there and I really enjoyed myself. Can't wait to get back up there in a few months time. Say hi to everyone for me, it was great meeting you all!
We had a Kiwi, a brilliant guitarist/singer visiting from Edinburgh accompanying another lively and energetic evening at the Prince last night with Davy doing his delightful North East ballads, with lots of Shetland and Scottish fiddle music. At one point the musicians suddenly all stood up and danced to the Can Can while continuing to play much to the enjoyment of the regular growing audience.
Unfortunately some of us missed the round table being overturned and glasses broken last week. Never a dull moment at the Prince!
Dan, haste ye back as they say up here!
POW Aberdeen sunday night session
The Prince of Wales is one of the best real ale pubs in Aberdeen and has won awards.
On a sunday night there's a session from 9pm until 12.
it's quite popular, full of characters, with quite some variety.
# Posted on August 7th 2003 by Niels
Prince of Wales Session
This session is getting pretty dire sometimes due to the preponderance of bad singers and players. Many good musicians deliberately boycott this session.
# Posted on November 9th 2004 by Niels
Prince of Wales Session
This session is up and down.
Last Sunday it was up when some Orkney fiddlers and some good local musicians showed up.
Well there you go. Sessions are totally unpredictable!
# Posted on November 25th 2004 by Niels
Niels, you need to tell us whether it's going to be a good one before not after
# Posted on December 13th 2004 by Bren
Session
Brendan,
Havn't learnt how to predict the future yet!
Although I have learnt that some musicians have a little sleep before they go out to Blue Lamp Session which didn't get going until 11.00 last night.
Anyway unpredictability is part of the joy of sessions!
Niels
# Posted on December 21st 2004 by Niels
Prince of Wales Session update
Dear Session lovers,
The pub has changed hands to a Dundee owner but the session remains the same: that is every Sunday night, 8.30pm until 12.
In the last few months this session has become very popular and reknowned. Last Sunday musicians were actually standing on chairs while playing! Songs sometimes get a bit bawdy and the whole atmosphere decends into a drunken state of enjoyment. The standard is still variable depending on who comes. There are some beginners and about five bodhran players!. It doesn't reach the high musical standards of the Blue Lamp and Globe sessions but it makes up for it in sheer enjoyment, hgh energy and raunchiness. Lots of young people and players enjoy this session.
The popularity of this session creates a problem for musicians finding somewhere to sit. So please come early!
On Sunday an excellent fiddler from London said he had been recommended the Prince of Wales Session by a musician at a session in Kendal in Cumbria! So it's reputation and infamy is spreading far and wide!
Niels
# Posted on February 28th 2006 by Niels
Prince of Wales Session update
Dear Session Lovers,
STOP PRESS NEWS:
Bald Jim the incomprehensible singer from Troon has reportedly been banned from the pub for arguing with the bar staff, although it's not clear yet how long the ban is for. He now enters a growing list of legendary musicians to be banned from the pub.
This piece of news may be warmly welcomed by some musicians who have been put off by his lack of rhythm, bad bodhran playing and his home made songs about terrorism. Occoassionally he was known to sing good folk songs like Banks of Sicily (which was done exceptionally well by Ian Benzie of (Ex) Old Blind Dogs) but the strange musical timings always managed to fox even the cleverest of musicians.
Last Sunday's session was another record attendance and turned out quite entertaining. Getting a seat seems to be the problem nowadays sometimes, so get there early about 8.30pm.
Nice to see a wide range of instruments and ages turning out (although sometimes we seem to manage about 7 bodhrans playing at once). Keep coming!
Niels
# Posted on August 23rd 2006 by Niels
Sensational news Niels.
You must have been listening more closely than me. I thought his songs were about working on the rigs.
I don't suppose the Lampie ever banned anyone so we'll probably see more of him now.
If they could just get rid of that East Anglian box player ....
# Posted on August 25th 2006 by Bren
East Anglian Box players
Brendan,
I don't know who you mean!
Niels
# Posted on August 25th 2006 by Niels
Hi everyone
Niels, everyone at the prince of wales. I was the guy playing accordion last week at the session. (I hope you don't mean me Brendan!) I'd just like to say that was one of the best sessions I ever been to. You have a really good craic going down there and I really enjoyed myself. Can't wait to get back up there in a few months time. Say hi to everyone for me, it was great meeting you all!
# Posted on August 26th 2006 by Daniel Gott
Haven't been for there a good few weeks Daniel, I'm down under just now. Post a note when you're coming back up
# Posted on August 27th 2006 by Bren
Last night
We had a Kiwi, a brilliant guitarist/singer visiting from Edinburgh accompanying another lively and energetic evening at the Prince last night with Davy doing his delightful North East ballads, with lots of Shetland and Scottish fiddle music. At one point the musicians suddenly all stood up and danced to the Can Can while continuing to play much to the enjoyment of the regular growing audience.
Unfortunately some of us missed the round table being overturned and glasses broken last week. Never a dull moment at the Prince!
Dan, haste ye back as they say up here!
# Posted on September 4th 2006 by Niels
Session CD
There have been some recording sessions to get some of the lovely songs down for posterity. So watch this space.
# Posted on February 13th 2007 by Niels