For years now I have been going to Tionol’s and piping gatherings. I have also been in correspondence with other pipers and the piping community at large. The problem is that I have never met a piper that I didn’t like. Pipers are a great bunch and that is their weakness.
That said, I think what we need is some meanness and excitement to liven thing up.
I propose starting an underground “Pit piping” movement. Like the Pit Bull contests, It takes place in a small arena that seats around 200 into which is placed two pipers. They play until one of them either yields or drops dead. No holds barred, everything goes; jigs, reels, hornpipes, eye gouging and biting is permissible, but no cursing. Southern pipers can chew tobacco and spit in the opponents eye Winner get $5,000 dollars and a new set of Quinn/Koehler pipes.
I suggest the first fight be between Paddy Keenan and Seamus Ennis, I know Seamus is dead but his recordings could give Keenan a good run.
I can see it now, the crowds, the tickets, uniforms, cheer leaders. Hot dogs, beer and Joseph Smith hawking reeds at his reed stand. Wow!
A long time ago I used to play highland pipes in a rock band and there was this place doing a four week summer rock band show (Saturdays and Sundays) that the band I played with was invited to perform in. The music hall wanted me to play every night though, to start the show.
I would start playing the pipes from the back and walk through the crowds on my way to the stage. Well the crowd liked to act like it was a mosh pit (where the guys would body slam each other). Well they thought it would be fun to body slam the piper on the first night. It made playing rather tricky and I had to turn a few times to keep people away from my chanter. But it was a fun challenge to be able to keep playing the tunes while this went on.
At the end of the first nights show the management asked if it was okay that the people were playing mosh pit with me. I said it was alright as long as they did not come toward the front of me because I did not want the chanter broken. In the remaining concerts they continued to body slam me and the pipes survived the experience.
