I will be in Glasgow for a few days in mid-late August. Can anybody tell me about what the session scene is like these days over there. I used to go to the Babbity Bowster session occasionally when I lived there 10 years ago, which was usually alright. Is that still going on as usual? Someone was telling me the other day that Brendan McHugh (Jimmy’s son) runs a good Irish session at a bar called Sharkey’s over by the Citizen’s Theatre on Monday nights… What else is there?
I’ll be traveling with my flute & uilleann pipes… Will have to leave the smallpipes at home this time, unfortunately; am desperately trying to bone up on my Scottish repertoire on flute & uilleann pipes now…
The Uilliam in question is his surliness himself. If you turn up at that session with pipes you will be most welcome. (as long as you dodge the bodhran player (me ))
You might also try the Oran Mor session on Wednesday night - it runs from 9 o’clockish till around half past one in the morning, pipes are welcome there too.
Babbity Bowsters is still running. The Sharkey’s session is as well (to the best of my knowledge). The best Friday session is in the Ivory Hotel in the south side of Glasgow.
What Davy said… Sharkey’s is still running on a Monday night.
The sessions he mentioned at the Oran Mor on Wed and the Ivory on Fri are both very nice (mostly) Irish sessions. You’d be welcome at both. I play regularly at these so they are not too averse to pipers. You’ll get the odd Scottish tune at the Oran Mor depending on who shows up.
There are more Scottishy sessions at the Ben Nevis Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday nights. They will be more of the “modern” Scottish repertoire. Some good players there.
Babbity’s has a session Saturday afternoons. It gets LOUD in that pub but the session is nice.
There are evidently Sunday afternoon sessions in the Uisge but I don’t know anything about them as I have never been.
The Sunday sessions in the Uisge run from 6 till 12 SS, if you want to play tunes, you are best going early as the singer songwriter types with thier guitars take over after about 8. I used to go to it, but after listening to song after song that should have been sung to thier analysts instead of the session, I gave up and went to the session in the Auldhouse Arms instead.
[quote=“BigDavy”]The Sunday sessions in the Uisge run from 6 till 12 SS, if you want to play tunes, you are best going early as the singer songwriter types with thier guitars take over after about 8. I used to go to it, but after listening to song after song that should have been sung to thier analysts instead of the session, I gave up and went to the session in the Auldhouse Arms instead.
David[/quote]
“sung to their analysts instead of the session” love it.
Oh and, we hate pipers in the Oran Mor, we’ve just never wanted to be rude to emily
I’ll be getting into Glasgow on Wednesday the 19th and staying for a few days, plus back for one day on the 29th or 30th. Looks like there’ll be no shortage of sessions to go to… I’ll try to stave off the jetlag with lots of coffee and hit the Oran Mòr on Wednesday. It’s just down the road from where I’ll be staying.
I’ll have my flute with me as well if the uilleann piping lovefest gets to be a bit much for the locals…
I should add that Pitchforks are loved in the Oran Mor with a passion that knows no bounds (ask anyone).
You could maybe even get away with playing the puipes and still be held in affectionate regard.
If you are here from the 19th onwards you will likely miss Uilliam, as he will be in Ireland, I believe, (preparing for the All Ireland). Emily and I will likely turn up at the Oran Mor, so say hello . I likely won’t be at the Uisge on the Thursday, as I am off to the All Ireland as well.
Great thread, thanks
I’m going to be in Glasgow in September, as a session nooby are there any tunes I should be getting into my brain ready to join in with summat? (flute & whistle)
The evening entertainment in the Uisge on a Sunday is aweful…The Thursday one isnae great.(It depends who turns up)Although my name is on the flyer, I havnae anchored that one for maybe 18months or longer,muzt git ma name aff it.I will be in Eire frae 19th.visiting ma family.I will be back on the 26 maybe we could all meet up when ye hit toon on the 29/30 and have a pipe fest?
Uilliam
Hard to compile a list of tunes, especially as all these sessions play pretty different repertoires. However, we don’t like the Rambling Pitchfork but just haven’t told Chris yet, as we are being nice to him. Oh, wait…
Seriously, as a session newby you’re best showing up, saying hi, and hearing what they play and then going from there. Maybe recording a few sets of tunes as well. The only Glasgow session to my knowledge that does a tune list is the Glasgow Fiddle Workshop one at the Islay on Argyle St. on Mondays (or it used to be anyway). Very friendly, open session for session newbies. It’s kinda designed to introduce people to sessions in a warm and fuzzy way.
The Uisge is hit or miss, so if you’re after more or less guaranteed quality tunes on a Thursday, go to the Ben Nevis. To join them you need a fair few Scottish tunes and the ability to play them really fast, but either way there are some fantastic players in that pub.
If you are new to sessions then it is likely that many of the tunes you know will be session stand bys that many folk will know. I wouldn’t worry ovely much about particulr tunes to learn, it is very likely that someone in the session will know your tunes well enough to join in. Better to play tunes that you like and are comfortable with.
I’d heard that the Uisge on a thurday had got quite good again lately, but then it is probably a self fullfilling thing: a lot of folk turn up one night and it is jumping, then its a good night, no-one turns up and you don’t hear about it.
hven’t been in for two or three years myself: young famiuly, stick to one regular night out. That’s me er. I mean
It varies. I have had some good nights at the Uisge when a group of the Oran Mor crowd descended on it. Then it is very much like the Oran Mor (surprise, surprise). Also have been there when some of the St. James crowd appeared and those were also some great tunes. I’ve also wandered in when there are more rhythm players than melody players and then exited very quickly. Don’t tend to go to it that often, just when at a loose end on a Thurs night.
))
You’ll get the odd Scottish tune at the Oran Mor depending on who shows up.
“sung to their analysts instead of the session” love it.
er. I mean 