A night of firsts...

[bcameron]

Last night The Skirmish played our first gig in over six months.  It was a Burns Supper night at good ol' O'Reilly's.  It was the first:

• Burns Supper I ever attended, or played at
• Rugby Club event I ever played
• time I ever wore a kilt in public.
• haggis I ever consumed!

And I call myself a Scottish-Canadian folksinger!  Geez.  OK, first, about the kilt.  I cheated in a most dirty lowdown but practical way, I wore it over green cords.  So sue me, it was minus 10 Fahrenheit and I'm a musician not a masochist.  Anyway I wore the damn kilt.  And I liked it.  Refused several demands to remove the pants.

I have always been wary of the rugby scene attached to most Irish pubs--not my cup of tea, I don't do sports bars and for my money football is the stupidest sport on earth and rugby is far too similar for my liking.  (I just don't enjoy getting beat up and it all flashes back to high school gym class).  But hey, they treated us well, dinner and drinks and generally complimentary applause.  Linda, an experienced rugby scene-maker, was a tad disappointed, apparently it was the politest most restrained rugby-club social event she ever attended.  (No male nudity for example although we did learn some interesting Gaelic phraseology and Burns' facility for filthy double entendre).

Two days before the show was my dad's birthday--born in Glasgow 95 years ago, no kidding!  He cashed his cheque back in 2001, but I felt his presence, he would have really enjoyed most of the evening, whiskey and conviviality and Gaelic instruction.

We don't have bookings yet for St Patricks Day, (falling inconveniently on a Tuesday this year) but we're looking and will probably be into the Ottawa pubs again...maybe O'Reilly's too.

www.myspace.com/theskirmish

some older recordings at
www.myspace.com/theseldomheard