I was away for a week at a hotel in Wales. Around the city there were a few ‘Irish’ pubs. I fancied playing a few tunes in one. I had to be a bit persistent and ask a second time if I could play until the recorded music was stopped.
After playing on set of reels a loud mouth who had been making a lot of noise in the corner came up and said to the staff ‘put the ‘juke box’ back on, this is depressing’. A lot of the other people in the pub thanked me and complemented the music including the girl running the bar. The music was put back on. The Dubliners were the exclusive choice, all selected behind the bar. This didn’t bother me to any great degree. I did consider asking the mouth why it was depressing but got the impression that he wouldn’t know. I would say the flute has a more soulful quality to it than some instruments, and some players have this aspect to their playing. Maybe some like this. I suspect it was more to do with ‘Irish’ music especially played solo being difficult for many to relate to. What was being played was mostly songs with only the odd instrumental being thrown in, and that is accompanied. Maybe less challenging for people. BTW I’m not saying anything against the Dubliners, I enjoy their music plenty.
So, you walked into a strange pub where nobody knew anything about you and asked to play in front of all the customers, solo? Man, that took guts! I wouldn’t even THINK about doing something like that over here (unless I was Matt Malloy, Kevin Crawford, etc)!
I used to sit by a lady at work who was always annoyed at the music I played. Classical, Classic Rock, Frank Sinatra, Norah Jones, Nickel Creek, Patsy Cline (a Goddess) Radio, CD’s. You name it, I played it, She didn’t like it. Finally, one day, I said to her, “So, what ALBUM DO YOU LIKE?” Everyone around could have fallen out of their chair. She said Alabama. The next day I played Alabama. She still didn’t like it. Wrong album.
She quit the job for other reasons. She’s still friends with the other folks. She’s happier now for other reasons. She also told us one day what her childhood was like. That helped make a lot of sense why the unit’s refrigerator was such an issue with her too.
It was afternoon and reasonably quite. I had already been chating to one of the customers, a friendly enough place. I know what you mean but moving outside your comfort zone can be good for you,not just in music. Once you’ve tried it a bit it gets easier.
Sounds like the wrong venue. It is certainly odd for a visitor from far away to go to a strange pub, and turn off the commercial music and start playing flute solos. I am half surprised someone didn’t punch you in the face.
Are there no open mics or similar in the town you were staying? You might have found a more receptive audience in a proper venue, and kept it short.
As to the question, folks in general like my music. I play mostly original tunes. Certainly, there is some “happy talk” in the positive comments. However, there is genuine feeling as well–I can feel it when I perform.
That’s what I was thinking. Especially so because he had to nag the staff to get them to turn the music off. It sounds to me like their failure to to shut off the music the first time he asked was a broad hint that his offer wasn’t welcome, but the bar staff didn’t want to be rude and turn him down flat.
A session in a pub is social activity - Musicians play together for their mutual enjoyment, and if the non-playing people in the pub enjoy the music as well, that’s a bonus. But the important point is that the ‘audience’ is optional. A session is just as much a session when there’s no one but musicians in the room. Conversely, a session is not a performance. The patrons aren’t there to be played at, and will resent being treated as a free, captive audience, which it looks very much that’s what Gorgeous Rex was trying to do.
A musician who walks in solo and starts playing unasked & alone is not engaging in any kind of social interaction. He’s wanking. That’s a clear breach of the (unwritten) ‘sessions are social’ rule. It’s no wonder that the regulars got him shut down at the earliest opportunity. I’d have done the same.
Wales. City. If it was Cardiff, I know it extremely well. What you did would have been considered just plain rude. I’d have to agree. You’d have been imposing your personal choice on everyone else in the pub. Why did you do that? I ask because I’m genuinely curious. It seems such a strange and arrogant thing to do. Not to say thoughtless and amazingly self-centred.
D’ya know, one of these days I’m going have to stop sitting on the fence.
Well I didn’t realise it was so offensive. Your points of view are well received and with the help of God I won’t sin again.
I think this was the first time I played solo in a bar, but have played with others in unarranged setups i.e. while travelling through areas. All we would have done is asked the landlord if they were ok with it. Normally we get a good response from most. I am not insensitive enough to keep playing if it’s not wanted. Mostly I’ve found most appreciate a bit of live music.
I reckon playing in a band might be different. But, even if I was doing that, whilst travelling, I would still ask the people in the pub as well as the landlord/landlady. After all, how do I know why they’ve gone to that particular pub? They may have gone for a bit of peace. Or for the telly. Or because they like the selections on the juke-box.
I wish some of the performers who truck onto the NYC subways would consider asking… God knows, sometimes I just want to be alone with my own thoughts (however depressing), mp3’s, book, or whatever. And some of the folk are really very good at what they do, but still… it’s imposing at best (and I know they’re just trying to make a buck or two!)
Arbo
Well, it was an ‘Irish’ pub and to be fair to the punters in Wales, you’d get a similar response in the majority of pubs in Ireland, itself. That is to say, that an appreciation of Irish Trad. is an acquired taste and your average regular would just think it’s hard work and all sounds the same anyway, so just turn back on the telly or whatever and feck off!
Funnily, I was playing in a regular session a couple of weeks ago and there seemed to be a larger group of punters than normal listening with appreciation or so I thought. My back was to the large widescreen TV which was turned on as normal but with no sound. There was tennis on and I assumed half thinking it was just highlights from the day at Wimbledon (it was well after 10pm). However, your man Murray was actually playing some five setter live - this became apparent to my tune fogged brain when the majority of the crowd suddenly upped and left when the match ended! They can’t have been too happy having to watch with no sound while we played away merrily a few feet away.
I had been given the OK but the barmaid had to serve a customer and said give me a minute. Agreed I should have left it at that. In all honesty most people seemed to have a positive responce and enjoyed it, at least from the other comments I got.
Yes I know. I know an excellent player who moved back to Sligo. They were a bit upset when they organised a session in their local pub, good music, and the people all moved to the other bar. At least it’s not as bad as the days when fiddles had to be hid under overcoats and players met in secret. And then there’s the excellent sessions where the players can hardy hear a thing. I’ve seen the same thing happen to at a four men and a dog gig. Even with the amplification Cathal Haden had to call out to the crowd ‘if ye don’t shut up we’re feckin off’ but hardly anyone could hear him. The crowd was almost exclusively Irish but only maybe 10% were trying to listen, the rest were just enjoying a late drink even if they had to struggle to make themselves heard,‘turn that feckin racket off’.
there may be a tradition of session music but that is not something that should be equated as the be all and end all of Irish tradition.
My understanding is that sessions (a group of players playing the same thing together) were intiated by immigrants as a way of ethnic socialising with a view to practising pieces to get the elementary melody and rhythms down (and not forget them). PRACTICE SESSIONS is what they were.
And thats precisely what they sound like and thats why most people, even of that culture, barely pay attention to them BECAUSE the true tradition is a SOLO one which enables (or allows) a deeper expression of the pieces through individualised melisma. (maybe that last word does not exist but what I mean is the tradition relies on melismatic treatment to invoke its ethos).
Now that SOLO invocation relies on a high degree of virtuosity for to obtain audience reception and until that is there one must play SOLO alone.
Don’t for a moment think that because you can play a jig “well” in unison at a session that you can now break off and call thyself a jig master or mistress in SOLO. The tradition demands and deserves more. Not really a regimental band trad.
Does take balls though.