Ireland Sessions
Reports on live Irish music sessions. Mp3s and photos of live Irish music to be found here!
Irish Session rules
Since the first day I started Irelandlogue I have been blogging about Irish music sessions.
At least twice a week I attend a live Irish music session and post an mp3 and photo from the session. Regular readers of Irelandlogue.com will be familiar with The Shack, Sean’s Sunday session, Brideswell, Flannery’s, Shine’s, The Green Olive, The Bounty and even Bar Metro.
If you’re visiting the Irish midlands you should definitely stop in to The Brideswell Session for trad on a Thursday and stick the head into Flannery’s to hear some songs on a Friday. Between those, you should get a picture of what a real Irish session is like.
Most of the sessions I attend are traditional Irish music sessions, although most will allow bluegrass and popular music for the occasional song. The Shack is the exception, being an almost entirely modern music session.
For the unindoctrinated, here are some basic rules for attending an Irish music session:
Date: September 20th, 2007 |
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Sean's Bar Sunday session
It was a very ill-advised course of action Saturday night.
Let’s just leave it to say that it involved my participation in a stag night and then a gig somewhere in town that migrated from behind the microphones into the back smoking area until it was so late the publican threatened to leave us locked in ’til morning if we didn’t get a move on.
Nevertheless I was up at the crack of noon Sunday and, showered and fed, made my way down to Sean’s Bar where I was expected as session guitarist.
Date: September 17th, 2007 |
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Sean's Sunday session
It will be the last session with beans for a coupla weeks in Sean’s Bar, the oldest pub in Ireland.
I pulled out the trusty point-and-shoot (which is dying a slow death) and began to curse when it refused to even turn on. Before chucking it in the bin I had the presence of mind to check the battery compartment . . . which was empty, because I had put it on to charge so it might be ready for the session.
The best laid plans, folks.
Date: September 12th, 2007 |
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Shack Session
I didn’t bring the camera this week . . . actually, I did bring the camera, I just neglected to remember its battery sitting in the charger back at home. In any case, you’ll have to make due with a sketch of some of the play
ers there (left).
I arrived quite late this week, despite intentions to head out early. Obligations of posting photos of the munchkin for family back in the bay area took precedence.
Date: August 29th, 2007 |
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The Shack Session
Last night was The Shack Sesssion. Last night was Tuesday. Coincidence?
I think not.
I had spent the earlier fragments of the evening consuming an absurdly large portion of spaghetti (wifey’s Sicilian bologneseeeeee . . . mmmmmmmmm) and was looking forward to the walk to allow stomach contents to settle. Walking with what feels like an inflating brick inside one’s abdomen is quite uncomfortable. I was just across the bridge when the sheriff and deputy pulled up and my laziness got the better of my good intentions. *sigh* At least I know what to blame these love handles on.
The evening we had a first: the deputy had brought along an electric keyboard. Normally ours is an acoustic session. It must be said the keys were kept at a sensitive volume and provided a very different sound to things like this version of riders on the storm.
Date: August 22nd, 2007 |
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Shack Session
Winter has finally shown herself. We had some lovely warm weather all the way up until Monday night when there was a sudden turn in the air - a crispness that wasn’t there the day before.
Maybe it was the chill, maybe it was the rain, but the Shack was fairly quiet even though I arrived later than usual.
Ze germanz were there chatting with friends when I arrived and, within a few minutes, the sheriff, pads and a couple of friends joined us around the table. The novelty of the evening was a ukulele I plucked from the wall at the front of the pub. While I’ve no idea how it should be tuned, I managed to get it to imitate a guitar tuning and pads got to jamming straight away (pictured left).
Date: September 19th, 2007 |
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Shack Session
It was an usual session this week. For starters, wifey volunteered to join me on the evening. Secondly, a number of her co-workers joined us as well, including bawn, a very able performer.
A number of the usual crew were in attendance, including ze germanz and the sheriff. Jbanjo and a bodhran player I’d never seen before (who seemed a bit surprised at the complete lack of trad at the session) completed a fairly large turnout around the aul table.
Date: September 13th, 2007 |
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Sean's Bar Sunday session
This Sunday’s session was another lively one with deep sea banjo joining damsel, the bean, myself and fiddler around the table.
Damsel was in fine form, as evidenced in this lunasa-flavoured whistle tune.
Myself, I was a bit nervous about the gig for Sarah Ryan with Mundy later that evening. I had been recruited as stage manager for the event and so scampered a bit early to assist with set-up.
I didn’t leave too early though, I stayed long enough to …
Date: September 4th, 2007 |
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Sean's Bar Sunday session
It was the session that wouldn’t end.
The Ambering Moonees played their normal set filled with lovely little trad numbers like this one and only the obligatory amount of messing about. Yours truly was, of course, very well-behaved throughout and never rose to inventing purile songs about the effects of hangovers.
As the session finished up a generous patron purchased your favourite blogger a pint of porter.
Well, what was I to do?
Date: August 28th, 2007 |
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Sean's Bar Sunday session
It’s so good to have Las Lunas Ambarinos back and in good form at the Sunday session in Sean’s Bar.
This Sunday was a subdued affair with angel and the bean flanked by yours truly, ze germanz and a kimono-clad whistle player.
Angel sang a lovely version of The Last Call for Ellis Island. At one point wifey and the munchkin arrived and some little fingers got ahold of one of the whistles on the table. It was only a couple of minutes’ observation time before munchkin discovered the trick of BLOWING into the whistle.
Date: August 21st, 2007 |
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