Resident band, the Celtic Rangers, aka The South London Bodhran Ensemble, meet here on Friday nights to provide education to lesser mortals such as fiddle, box and flute players.
The teacher/student ratio is very high, with approximately three bodhrans, two singers and four guitarist per tunesmith, thus our learning curve is very steep.
There is, unfortunately for our didactic process, too many gaps between lessons, allowing the unruly element amongst our ranks to be disobedient, and actually play tunes unaccompanied! This could in future lead to severe problems and our masters might give up on us and it could degenerate into a commoner garden normal session.
Let's hope that this will be resolved shortly and everyone will be provided with a bodhran or egg as they enter the pub, and frisked for possession of the offending instruments. Also there's far too much beer being consumed. At least so I heard...I don't recall that particular problem....
I don't believe I'd be particularly welcome at this particular bash (you may have seen the contretenmps in the mudcat cafe ... mindless diddling by p*****c p*****s, indeed! Don't get me started ...).
However ... there's a more ITM-oriented session ... small but beautifully formed ... well, formed ... well, quasi-formed ... well, bit of a "getting there" ... event at the same venue on Wednesday nights.
Could do with a man of your calibre to come along and give us a hand! (And while you're at it you might try to persuade Catherine and Billy ... they seem a bit reluctant based on past experience ... but things have moved on a bit since Christmas.) If I don't see you there I'll catch up with you in the Hollydale or the Woodman one of these nights.
Aidan - quite the contrary, you would be welcome, being in the camp of the tunesmiths. As it turned out, myself and bigdave had a lot of fun knocking out tune after tune, and knocking back pint after pint, illegally so. The plethora of percussionists eventually petered out, so it was fine. I'll try and get down on a Wednesday, but I could be close to getting a red card for three sessions in a week!
I've just emailed Catherine and told her to keep me updated as to progress. I've already got into the black books of the Anchor crowd who've accused me of not attending to their needs and hogging their session with my diddling. (I think if you've got to take twenty minutes to decide what song you're going to sing in an improbable key then you've got to be prepared for someone to fill the vacuum ...)
Sounds like the tunesmiths got the better deal on Friday night anyway!
By the way ... your mention of shaky eggs above leads me to ask. Have you ever sat on one of those buggers and hatched it? I did ... on the basis that I might produce a shaky chicken. I'm a veggie myself but the missus was starving and - it being a Sunday Tescos had already closed. But to no avail. All that emerged was a rainstick!
Still could be worse. A mate of mine hatched one and out popped one of those brush-shafts in a welly boot with beer tops hammered in!
Attendance may be very light tonight ... a one-off public meeting is to be held in Lewisham Irish Centre, Catford to protest at Lewisham Council's removal of funding and myself and Diarmuid (singer and drums) will be there instead. There promises to be an impromptu session after the meeting, which may well be interesting!
Having recently become the latest victim of the ongoing witch-hunt to root out unbelievers in the practice of waiting a 20-minute turn to sing out of tune and murder a song, but believes in the dark art of playing sets of reels, jigs and so on, on a musical instrument, I would stongly recommend any other such unbeliever to totally avoid the Friday night gathering at this pub.See the following:
From yesterday, ie Wednesday 9th April 03, or thereabouts, for 28 days, ie Wed 7th May 03 at the earliest, this session will be subject to the 2 in a bar rule, presumably strictly - for comments please refer to discussion thread: http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/1567
We suspect someone cliped the pub to Lewisham council, who have levied a charge to the governor, of £1200 and a 28-day moratorium on any 'session' of more than two people. We, the session regulars, are prepared to put up with that, knowing that, thereafter, there will be session heaven - and legal!
To recap, The Duke Of Edinburgh, Lee High Road, SE12 - which hosts a small, low-key (and hence highly enjoyable!) Wednesday night session, was recently visited by the local council's "entertainment police", as a result of which the landlord has just forked out a considerable sum in order to continue running sessions! (He didn't have to ... most publicans would have simply cancelled the session, but thankfully Michael, the man in question is made of sterner stuff!)
His application is in its final stages and he'll soon "be legal". So, as a gesture of our thanks for his support, we're trying to get as many musicians as possible along to the regular Wednesday night session on Wednesday 21st May. There'll likely be the usual "For He's A Jolly Good Fellow" antics in addition to some belting tunes and hopefully allconcerned will have a great night out!
Kick-off 9.30ish.
Any London "thesession" regulars like to join us? You'd be made very welcome.
Quite a few of the regular posters to this site are regulars (or semi-regulars) at the Duke of Edinburgh session, so you may be able to put faces to familiar names!
If anyone got as curious as to click on the link to the Mudcat thread and found it deleted, there are several good reasons why the Mudcat webmaster saw fit to bin it.
Apart from slagging off me personally, and Aidan and others by implication, the whole thing degenerated into a swearing and slagging match, which neither myself nor AC were party to. Such was the base level of debate that it led some small minded person to grass the pub up to the local authority, thus requiring the landlord to fork out, hence we have the present situation.
well,let's just say i was a trifle miffed to be going out the door when there were still pints being served after he had said that's it.particularly when i was in the mood!
... and to people who hadn't been playing half the night! Yeah, when I found out that was the case, and heard his excuses, I called him a f@ck!n @rs£#ol£, and left (not that I was fightin' drunk or anything, with only one pint inside me). So I may not even be allowed back in!
I wasn't in the mood for any more booze, but was hacked off regardless ....
I thought about this in the cold light of day and came to the same conclusion that I did the preceding evening - i.e. if the barman tells the regular session-players that the bar's shut and then serves up drink to other ones, who arrived late in the evening and who were a half-soused rabble, then what does that tell us about the respect the bar has for the musicians?
As this pub now has new management, they want a session back on and will be on Tuesday nights from now on. I will no doubt make my way down there at some point and report back.
Well, I had a look in tonight. Good place to go if, as a standard level sessionista, you want to be a big fish in a little pond. That's not really my game, but the folks were a friendly bunch, albeit more disposed to slow airs and waltzes. Also would be good for learneristas.
Just got back from the Duke. K and S were there, it had been a while since I played with them and Sheila's getting very good on the penny whistle. John came up alone and another chap came in who did a few songs.
We were all delighted to see Malcolm who helped keep it upbeat. We're hoping to see him on the forthcoming Friday session at the Holly Tree
It seems to be up and down with this pub, but there just aren't enough people turning up to play at present - it may be because it's summer but it does look a bit moribund. I suggest you call and find out whether there are other people there before going. The best bet is to go as a group of 4 or 5, then there's your session. It's becoming a headache ensuring a minimum of people for the summer, there is a similar problem with the Blythe. We've wisely taken a break from Shillelah's for the summer (resuming 2nd week of September) and a week off from the Holly Tree, in fairness to those musicians straying into south London for a visit, we should warn them in advance.
Cath ... I've spoken to Ken and told him I'll turn up tomoroow night (Tuesday 17th). They have had very few people turn up during early August but the guvnor's keen to keep the momentum up. If you can make it, then come along. (PS, Ken kind of hinted that he'd be pleased if there was less singing and a bit more tunes. He and She are much more interested in the choons!)
Has all the makings of a good session. Some of the dead wood (sorry for bluntness, but it's a fact) that congregated at the previous Tuesday session have decided that they're overcommitted and can't make the new Sunday session. Which means that the wheezy, cheesy "music hall" tunes don't get an airing. A few learners in evidence and not necessarily a bad thing; they are learners and they are making progress and they know what they don't know and tend to butt out of the stuff they don't, keeping an ear open. Very string-orientated, though; the session could do with some reeds or whistles to round the sound out a bit. All in all, a good night's crack. I'll be back, for sure.
All musicians welcome. Number of musician varies between 1 and 6, so there are no limits.
The pub landlord seems very keen on getting people to come and play, so don't hold back.
Nearest railway station is Lee, but it's only a 5 minutes bus ride from either Blackheath or Lewisham.
"Number of musician varies between 1 and 6, so there are no limits."
Except the minimum of 1 and the maximum of 6.
(Sorry Cath, couldn't resist!)
Best to give the nights when there's only 1 musician a wide berth - that musician might be the resident bodhrani, recorder-player and atonal singer, bless him!
Seriously, Sunday at the Duke is pretty much the most informal session I've ever been to and if you're able to take the rough with the smooth, it can be a laugh! (There's certainly no pressure!)
Sorry for taking a mile when offered an inch, Cath! See you this evening at the Blythe ...
Sheila and Ken were asked to run the session in the afternoon rather than evening but it was not possible for them. As they're the centre of gravity of the session, it looks like the end of that one. Check before you go there.
Egg & Spoon Heaven
Resident band, the Celtic Rangers, aka The South London Bodhran Ensemble, meet here on Friday nights to provide education to lesser mortals such as fiddle, box and flute players.
The teacher/student ratio is very high, with approximately three bodhrans, two singers and four guitarist per tunesmith, thus our learning curve is very steep.
There is, unfortunately for our didactic process, too many gaps between lessons, allowing the unruly element amongst our ranks to be disobedient, and actually play tunes unaccompanied! This could in future lead to severe problems and our masters might give up on us and it could degenerate into a commoner garden normal session.
Let's hope that this will be resolved shortly and everyone will be provided with a bodhran or egg as they enter the pub, and frisked for possession of the offending instruments. Also there's far too much beer being consumed. At least so I heard...I don't recall that particular problem....
# Posted on February 2nd 2003 by danny flute whistle box
Danny, a mhic ...
I don't believe I'd be particularly welcome at this particular bash (you may have seen the contretenmps in the mudcat cafe ... mindless diddling by p*****c p*****s, indeed! Don't get me started ...).
However ... there's a more ITM-oriented session ... small but beautifully formed ... well, formed ... well, quasi-formed ... well, bit of a "getting there" ... event at the same venue on Wednesday nights.
Could do with a man of your calibre to come along and give us a hand! (And while you're at it you might try to persuade Catherine and Billy ... they seem a bit reluctant based on past experience ... but things have moved on a bit since Christmas.) If I don't see you there I'll catch up with you in the Hollydale or the Woodman one of these nights.
Slán.
# Posted on February 3rd 2003 by Aidan Crossey
Aidan - quite the contrary, you would be welcome, being in the camp of the tunesmiths. As it turned out, myself and bigdave had a lot of fun knocking out tune after tune, and knocking back pint after pint, illegally so. The plethora of percussionists eventually petered out, so it was fine. I'll try and get down on a Wednesday, but I could be close to getting a red card for three sessions in a week!
# Posted on February 3rd 2003 by danny flute whistle box
I've just emailed Catherine and told her to keep me updated as to progress. I've already got into the black books of the Anchor crowd who've accused me of not attending to their needs and hogging their session with my diddling. (I think if you've got to take twenty minutes to decide what song you're going to sing in an improbable key then you've got to be prepared for someone to fill the vacuum ...)
Sounds like the tunesmiths got the better deal on Friday night anyway!
By the way ... your mention of shaky eggs above leads me to ask. Have you ever sat on one of those buggers and hatched it? I did ... on the basis that I might produce a shaky chicken. I'm a veggie myself but the missus was starving and - it being a Sunday Tescos had already closed. But to no avail. All that emerged was a rainstick!
Still could be worse. A mate of mine hatched one and out popped one of those brush-shafts in a welly boot with beer tops hammered in!
# Posted on February 4th 2003 by Aidan Crossey
WEDNESDAY NOW
WEDNESDAY NOW
WEDNESDAY NOW
WEDNESDAY NOW
WEDNESDAY NOW
WEDNESDAY NOW
WEDNESDAY NOW
# Posted on February 18th 2003 by danny flute whistle box
Wednesday 5th March
Attendance may be very light tonight ... a one-off public meeting is to be held in Lewisham Irish Centre, Catford to protest at Lewisham Council's removal of funding and myself and Diarmuid (singer and drums) will be there instead. There promises to be an impromptu session after the meeting, which may well be interesting!
# Posted on February 27th 2003 by Aidan Crossey
Having recently become the latest victim of the ongoing witch-hunt to root out unbelievers in the practice of waiting a 20-minute turn to sing out of tune and murder a song, but believes in the dark art of playing sets of reels, jigs and so on, on a musical instrument, I would stongly recommend any other such unbeliever to totally avoid the Friday night gathering at this pub.See the following:
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=56024&messages=66
# Posted on March 20th 2003 by danny flute whistle box
From yesterday, ie Wednesday 9th April 03, or thereabouts, for 28 days, ie Wed 7th May 03 at the earliest, this session will be subject to the 2 in a bar rule, presumably strictly - for comments please refer to discussion thread:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/1567
We suspect someone cliped the pub to Lewisham council, who have levied a charge to the governor, of £1200 and a 28-day moratorium on any 'session' of more than two people. We, the session regulars, are prepared to put up with that, knowing that, thereafter, there will be session heaven - and legal!
# Posted on April 10th 2003 by danny flute whistle box
Special one-off - all sessioneers welcome!!!
See Danny's comments above.
To recap, The Duke Of Edinburgh, Lee High Road, SE12 - which hosts a small, low-key (and hence highly enjoyable!) Wednesday night session, was recently visited by the local council's "entertainment police", as a result of which the landlord has just forked out a considerable sum in order to continue running sessions! (He didn't have to ... most publicans would have simply cancelled the session, but thankfully Michael, the man in question is made of sterner stuff!)
His application is in its final stages and he'll soon "be legal". So, as a gesture of our thanks for his support, we're trying to get as many musicians as possible along to the regular Wednesday night session on Wednesday 21st May. There'll likely be the usual "For He's A Jolly Good Fellow" antics in addition to some belting tunes and hopefully allconcerned will have a great night out!
Kick-off 9.30ish.
Any London "thesession" regulars like to join us? You'd be made very welcome.
Quite a few of the regular posters to this site are regulars (or semi-regulars) at the Duke of Edinburgh session, so you may be able to put faces to familiar names!
# Posted on May 8th 2003 by Aidan Crossey
Deleted Mudcat Thread
If anyone got as curious as to click on the link to the Mudcat thread and found it deleted, there are several good reasons why the Mudcat webmaster saw fit to bin it.
Apart from slagging off me personally, and Aidan and others by implication, the whole thing degenerated into a swearing and slagging match, which neither myself nor AC were party to. Such was the base level of debate that it led some small minded person to grass the pub up to the local authority, thus requiring the landlord to fork out, hence we have the present situation.
So let's move on and Give It Shtick!!!!!
Roll on 21st May!!!!!!!
# Posted on May 9th 2003 by danny flute whistle box
No nay never no more...
best wishes to all who will continue to frequent the wednesday session here but that's it for me.
slán
# Posted on September 3rd 2003 by biggus dave
No nay never no more
How come, bigdave?
# Posted on September 3rd 2003 by nastyweegirl
well,let's just say i was a trifle miffed to be going out the door when there were still pints being served after he had said that's it.particularly when i was in the mood!
# Posted on September 4th 2003 by biggus dave
... and to people who hadn't been playing half the night! Yeah, when I found out that was the case, and heard his excuses, I called him a f@ck!n @rs£#ol£, and left (not that I was fightin' drunk or anything, with only one pint inside me). So I may not even be allowed back in!
# Posted on September 4th 2003 by nastyweegirl
Shabby stuff
I wasn't in the mood for any more booze, but was hacked off regardless ....
I thought about this in the cold light of day and came to the same conclusion that I did the preceding evening - i.e. if the barman tells the regular session-players that the bar's shut and then serves up drink to other ones, who arrived late in the evening and who were a half-soused rabble, then what does that tell us about the respect the bar has for the musicians?
I'll not be back, either.
# Posted on September 7th 2003 by Aidan Crossey
NOW ON TUESDAY NIGHTS!!!!!
As this pub now has new management, they want a session back on and will be on Tuesday nights from now on. I will no doubt make my way down there at some point and report back.
# Posted on May 9th 2004 by danny flute whistle box
The chooky embra
Well, I had a look in tonight. Good place to go if, as a standard level sessionista, you want to be a big fish in a little pond. That's not really my game, but the folks were a friendly bunch, albeit more disposed to slow airs and waltzes. Also would be good for learneristas.
# Posted on May 18th 2004 by danny flute whistle box
Good one today
Just got back from the Duke. K and S were there, it had been a while since I played with them and Sheila's getting very good on the penny whistle. John came up alone and another chap came in who did a few songs.
We were all delighted to see Malcolm who helped keep it upbeat. We're hoping to see him on the forthcoming Friday session at the Holly Tree
# Posted on June 15th 2004 by Cath
Duke of Edinburgh fading
It seems to be up and down with this pub, but there just aren't enough people turning up to play at present - it may be because it's summer but it does look a bit moribund. I suggest you call and find out whether there are other people there before going. The best bet is to go as a group of 4 or 5, then there's your session. It's becoming a headache ensuring a minimum of people for the summer, there is a similar problem with the Blythe. We've wisely taken a break from Shillelah's for the summer (resuming 2nd week of September) and a week off from the Holly Tree, in fairness to those musicians straying into south London for a visit, we should warn them in advance.
# Posted on August 14th 2004 by Cath
Tomorrow night
Cath ... I've spoken to Ken and told him I'll turn up tomoroow night (Tuesday 17th). They have had very few people turn up during early August but the guvnor's keen to keep the momentum up. If you can make it, then come along. (PS, Ken kind of hinted that he'd be pleased if there was less singing and a bit more tunes. He and She are much more interested in the choons!)
# Posted on August 16th 2004 by Aidan Crossey
Duke
Ok, I'll come up, I know Ken and Sheila are always genuinely happy to see me and you, so if for nothing else, I'm happy to make the effort.
# Posted on August 16th 2004 by Cath
Update on duke
pretty moribund I'm afraid - some of us try half heartedly to keep it going, but the pub's just not very good
# Posted on December 22nd 2004 by Cath
A new start?
The Duke's trying out a new SUNDAY night session. From around 8.30. I'll pop along tonight to see what the crack's like.
# Posted on January 9th 2005 by Aidan Crossey
Sundays at the Duke
Has all the makings of a good session. Some of the dead wood (sorry for bluntness, but it's a fact) that congregated at the previous Tuesday session have decided that they're overcommitted and can't make the new Sunday session. Which means that the wheezy, cheesy "music hall" tunes don't get an airing. A few learners in evidence and not necessarily a bad thing; they are learners and they are making progress and they know what they don't know and tend to butt out of the stuff they don't, keeping an ear open. Very string-orientated, though; the session could do with some reeds or whistles to round the sound out a bit. All in all, a good night's crack. I'll be back, for sure.
# Posted on January 10th 2005 by Aidan Crossey
Duke
All musicians welcome. Number of musician varies between 1 and 6, so there are no limits.
The pub landlord seems very keen on getting people to come and play, so don't hold back.
Nearest railway station is Lee, but it's only a 5 minutes bus ride from either Blackheath or Lewisham.
# Posted on January 27th 2005 by Cath
"Number of musician varies between 1 and 6, so there are no limits."
Except the minimum of 1 and the maximum of 6.
(Sorry Cath, couldn't resist!)
Best to give the nights when there's only 1 musician a wide berth - that musician might be the resident bodhrani, recorder-player and atonal singer, bless him!
Seriously, Sunday at the Duke is pretty much the most informal session I've ever been to and if you're able to take the rough with the smooth, it can be a laugh! (There's certainly no pressure!)
Sorry for taking a mile when offered an inch, Cath! See you this evening at the Blythe ...
# Posted on January 27th 2005 by Aidan Crossey
ha ha ha nice one aidan!!!hope you are all having fun at the blythe tonight,couldn't make it but will be there sat.see you soon
# Posted on January 27th 2005 by billy
Duke of Edinburgh last gasp I think
Sheila and Ken were asked to run the session in the afternoon rather than evening but it was not possible for them. As they're the centre of gravity of the session, it looks like the end of that one. Check before you go there.
# Posted on December 18th 2005 by Cath
Duke of E
Dead
# Posted on June 6th 2006 by Cath
FINISHED
FINISHED....as far as I know.
# Posted on June 22nd 2007 by danny flute whistle box