New poster here. I listen to a lot of Celtic music these days - gave up on loud rock ‘n’ roll after 35 years and gave my electric guitars to my grandson. It’s now acoustic guitars for me.
Tonight I’m going to see Old Blind Dogs for the third time. I know they’re Scottish and this is an Irish music board but they’re great none the less (and I have both Irish and Scottish lineage so it’s all good for me).
At any rate - glad I found this board.
Well, I’m glad you found it too! 
I heard Old Blind Dogs a few years ago. One of them (can’t remember the individual members) sang this song by Robert Burns:
1795
Type: Song
Tune: For a’ that.
Is there for honest Poverty
That hings his head, an’ a’ that;
The coward slave-we pass him by,
We dare be poor for a’ that!
For a’ that, an’ a’ that.
Our toils obscure an’ a’ that,
The rank is but the guinea’s stamp,
The Man’s the gowd for a’ that.
What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin grey, an’ a that;
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine;
A Man’s a Man for a’ that:
For a’ that, and a’ that,
Their tinsel show, an’ a’ that;
The honest man, tho’ e’er sae poor,
Is king o’ men for a’ that.
Ye see yon birkie, ca’d a lord,
Wha struts, an’ stares, an’ a’ that;
Tho’ hundreds worship at his word,
He’s but a coof for a’ that:
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
His ribband, star, an’ a’ that:
The man o’ independent mind
He looks an’ laughs at a’ that.
A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an’ a’ that;
But an honest man’s abon his might,
Gude faith, he maunna fa’ that!
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
Their dignities an’ a’ that;
The pith o’ sense, an’ pride o’ worth,
Are higher rank than a’ that.
Then let us pray that come it may,
(As come it will for a’ that,)
That Sense and Worth, o’er a’ the earth,
Shall bear the gree, an’ a’ that.
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
It’s coming yet for a’ that,
That Man to Man, the world o’er,
Shall brothers be for a’ that.
I had never heard it before, not being very knowledgeable in this area obviously, and it just seemed like such a wonderful song. And the singing of it seemed so good too. It really made quite an impression on me.
Have a great time at the concert. If they come back to this area, I would sure go see them again.
“Well, I’m glad you found it too! I heard Old Blind Dogs a few years ago. One of them (can’t remember the individual members) sang this song by Robert Burns: A Man’s A Man For A’ That”
Yes - that would have been Jim Malcolm who left OBD this summer. I’m interested in hearing how they’re going to sound now.
If you can find “Five Hand Reel”, Dick Gaughan’s group from the mid 70s, it WILL bring shivers!! I count myself fortunate that I bought that vinyl way back when. I wish they could resolve the ownership issues and reissue that record onto CD. Thanks for typing out the lyrics.
When Scotland’s Parliment re-opened, I believe someone sang that song and it brought the house down.
I just copied and pasted the words from the website you get to if you click on the title. I’m glad you enjoyed it, but I don’t want you to think I typed out the words 
. I’ll have to keep my ears open for the Dick Gaughan version.
The OBD show was great. The band worked well as a 4 piece. Without Jim Malcolm their sound was closer to the older Ian Benzie era sound. The opening band, Beolach, was from Cape Breton. They, too, were great - dual fiddles, a piper, keyboardist, and guitarist.
Welcome! Hope you have a good hall nearby. Despite knowing it’s true, intellectually, it never ceases to amaze me how much talent is out on the folk circuit, compared to the corporate pop world. Tickets are cheaper, too. We got to see Patrick Street, finally, this year. Long in the tooth but still a great collaboration.
It’s interesting, tho, that yougave up yer electric stuff. I got rid of all my gear years and years ago, when i was in music school. Now, at 50, I have two sons who are wild about early rock and especially surf. My 14-yr old is nuts for instrumental surf guitar only. We got him a Strat and have been shopping for a tube amp. I wish I never sold my Fender Concert… I am actually getting interested in getting an eelectric for myself, even though I was turned off by it for so long. We saw Dick Dale at a local club last month and it was definitely the most exciting rock show I have ever seen.
Musical currents and interests swirl around..
OBD was at St. Anselm college which had a nice size auditorium for this show. I was third row center. I had a good opportunity to speak with the guys after the show and tell them how much I enjoyed it. OBD with Jim Malcolm was always great and I appreciated what he brought to the band but OBD really shined as a four piece unit on their own. I don’t know about Patrick Street - I’ll have to check him out.
It’s interesting, tho, that yougave up yer electric stuff. I got rid of all my gear years and years ago, when i was in music school. Now, at 50, I have two sons who are wild about early rock and especially surf. My 14-yr old is nuts for instrumental surf guitar only. We got him a Strat and have been shopping for a tube amp. I wish I never sold my Fender Concert… I am actually getting interested in getting an eelectric for myself, even though I was turned off by it for so long. We saw Dick Dale at a local club last month and it was definitely the most exciting rock show I have ever seen. Musical currents and interests swirl around..
I gave my electrics to my grandson who’s into metal. The acoustic instruments in Celtic music are far more interesting to me. For instance - when I first saw Altan I was shocked to see they had no bass player and wondered how it would work. Of course, it worked fine. Same with Gaelic Storm, same with OBD (they only used bass on one song). Nothing against the bass but instruments like the acoustic guitar, pipes, fiddles, bouzouki, djembe, bodrum, etc. have voicings all their own. BTW - I understand about the Fender amp - I had a Blues Deluxe tube in tweed - beautiful but weighed a ton - my back doesn’t take it anymore. And Dick Dale is definitely one of the great guitar slingers of all time.
Heheh. Patrick Street is actually a group of four guys. I remember reading, years ago, an interview with Andy Irvine in which he clearly rued the day they chose that name. On one occasion they got to their hotel somewhere in the US when they were on tour, only to find that one room had been booked for all of them in the name of “Mr P. Street.” 