This space for hire
I can't think of a title at the moment. Perhaps as I'm writing this, one will come to me that dazzles my senses, brings about world peace, and forces me to delete this entire poxy opening. O, that this thing would come to pass.
I would much rather prefer writing this entry out via my clever LJ client; however, it's banjaxed somehow and carks it whenever I try to log in. That sentence is mostly in English, yes. Speaking of things mostly in English, I found this lot today. Sure, I'm the last to have heard of it, I know. It's amazing what people will do with words.
So, it's been my intent to write about Sprig's bit at the Plaza Pub erm...a handful of days ago. It was the 3rd, I think. This is what happens when I don't write it down immediately. The night went really well - especially well for a new venue. I'm always a bit nervous going into a new venue, and especially one with an established clientele. I've got the sense that we've got to win them over and, well, that fills me with an urge to climb into my bodhran case. Who wants to lay me bets that I'll fit?
In a few ways, the place reminded me of MacHenry's (part the second), although this place has been done up a bit more. Candles would be a pleasant addition, providing people don't use them to do each other a mischief. Perhaps we'll bring a few when we we're next there (which will likely be in mid January). At any rate, there's a large square of a bar at the centre of the place billiards to the left of that, and over to the right hand side are little table and chairs. The stage is smaller than the one at O'Dwyer's (and who can remember that place anymore?) and it's oddly shaped. So Candace and myself were on the floor before the stage, and Michael and Chris were looming slightly above and behind us on the stage. It made for an interesting dynamic.
Speaking of interesting dynamics...it isn't as though we filled the place and that I found odd. 'Cos it isn't odd, we've done it before, filled a place. Only that the people seated at the aforementioned little tables were reacting to us in much the way that festival audiences do. It's entirely different from a pub audience - festival audiences sit still and remain mostly quiet - whereas pub audiences carry on with the ol agus craic and if we entertain them whilst they're at that, more's the better. I'm used to pub audiences ignoring whatsoever any of us may say into our mics, which gives us a bit of an out if something unfortunate slips past the censors.
I've mentioned that we had rather a fine turn out, yes. amalleigh, turtliewings, unclesiko, (my kingdom for a bleeding working LJ client - argh, sez I), missingworlds, darthcynthia, cgronlund, my sister, erm.... and two other ones who I know have got LJs, only whose names I can't recall*. Shite. I'd a point in mind when I began this paragraph, and it's gone right out of my head. Whoosh. So... go raibh maith agat, a chairde. We fear the gnomes (there are always gnomes - always) less when we can look out on familiar faces.
There was one. slight. mishap, and at least I had the luck that it happened towards the middle of the third set - so we were nearly done for the night. Otherwise, it would have been a drag. Whilst thoroughly entrenched in a set of reels ('cos evidently it's much like trench warfare, right?), I moved my head in the Bad Way. This happens to me - I move my head in the Bad Way, and the world falls off at an angle. That isn't actually merely a whimsical way to describe my vertigo - I do literally perceive (for a second - but it's enough) everything being tilted or warped or moving or however my eyes decide to fuck with my odd wee brain. I'd been standing (rather stiffly as I'd soon discover) with my head tilted back a bit and my eyes shut - not the best of combinations. So, I opened my eyes, the world fell off to the left a bit, and I thought 'yargh'. Unless it's rather a nasty bout, I can shake it off quickly, and no-one's ever the wiser. Only I'd adopted a posture that I'd been warned against doing in all of my nigh unto twenty years of performing, hadn't I? As I shook my head to clear it, I unlocked my knees and down I went. I never stopped playing; however, I'm reasonably sure I was actually unconscious for about a millisecond.
I do know better, yes. And this is the last time (at least it bloody better had be) that I tell this story.
I spent the rest of the night trying to clear my head.
Ooh shite. It's late, and I really don't want to end this with 'she's no fun, she fell right over'.
So, grand night, all told and...we won the hearts of the usual clientele - hurrah that. And I'm keen to go back there.
I'll write about the rest of the month tomorrow. Perhaps. ;D
Slan go foill,
G.
* Right, youse, so if you forget where you were that night, then it was out with us. 'Cos otherwise I've likely worn out your names. ;)
I would much rather prefer writing this entry out via my clever LJ client; however, it's banjaxed somehow and carks it whenever I try to log in. That sentence is mostly in English, yes. Speaking of things mostly in English, I found this lot today. Sure, I'm the last to have heard of it, I know. It's amazing what people will do with words.
So, it's been my intent to write about Sprig's bit at the Plaza Pub erm...a handful of days ago. It was the 3rd, I think. This is what happens when I don't write it down immediately. The night went really well - especially well for a new venue. I'm always a bit nervous going into a new venue, and especially one with an established clientele. I've got the sense that we've got to win them over and, well, that fills me with an urge to climb into my bodhran case. Who wants to lay me bets that I'll fit?
In a few ways, the place reminded me of MacHenry's (part the second), although this place has been done up a bit more. Candles would be a pleasant addition, providing people don't use them to do each other a mischief. Perhaps we'll bring a few when we we're next there (which will likely be in mid January). At any rate, there's a large square of a bar at the centre of the place billiards to the left of that, and over to the right hand side are little table and chairs. The stage is smaller than the one at O'Dwyer's (and who can remember that place anymore?) and it's oddly shaped. So Candace and myself were on the floor before the stage, and Michael and Chris were looming slightly above and behind us on the stage. It made for an interesting dynamic.
Speaking of interesting dynamics...it isn't as though we filled the place and that I found odd. 'Cos it isn't odd, we've done it before, filled a place. Only that the people seated at the aforementioned little tables were reacting to us in much the way that festival audiences do. It's entirely different from a pub audience - festival audiences sit still and remain mostly quiet - whereas pub audiences carry on with the ol agus craic and if we entertain them whilst they're at that, more's the better. I'm used to pub audiences ignoring whatsoever any of us may say into our mics, which gives us a bit of an out if something unfortunate slips past the censors.
I've mentioned that we had rather a fine turn out, yes. amalleigh, turtliewings, unclesiko, (my kingdom for a bleeding working LJ client - argh, sez I), missingworlds, darthcynthia, cgronlund, my sister, erm.... and two other ones who I know have got LJs, only whose names I can't recall*. Shite. I'd a point in mind when I began this paragraph, and it's gone right out of my head. Whoosh. So... go raibh maith agat, a chairde. We fear the gnomes (there are always gnomes - always) less when we can look out on familiar faces.
There was one. slight. mishap, and at least I had the luck that it happened towards the middle of the third set - so we were nearly done for the night. Otherwise, it would have been a drag. Whilst thoroughly entrenched in a set of reels ('cos evidently it's much like trench warfare, right?), I moved my head in the Bad Way. This happens to me - I move my head in the Bad Way, and the world falls off at an angle. That isn't actually merely a whimsical way to describe my vertigo - I do literally perceive (for a second - but it's enough) everything being tilted or warped or moving or however my eyes decide to fuck with my odd wee brain. I'd been standing (rather stiffly as I'd soon discover) with my head tilted back a bit and my eyes shut - not the best of combinations. So, I opened my eyes, the world fell off to the left a bit, and I thought 'yargh'. Unless it's rather a nasty bout, I can shake it off quickly, and no-one's ever the wiser. Only I'd adopted a posture that I'd been warned against doing in all of my nigh unto twenty years of performing, hadn't I? As I shook my head to clear it, I unlocked my knees and down I went. I never stopped playing; however, I'm reasonably sure I was actually unconscious for about a millisecond.
I do know better, yes. And this is the last time (at least it bloody better had be) that I tell this story.
I spent the rest of the night trying to clear my head.
Ooh shite. It's late, and I really don't want to end this with 'she's no fun, she fell right over'.
So, grand night, all told and...we won the hearts of the usual clientele - hurrah that. And I'm keen to go back there.
I'll write about the rest of the month tomorrow. Perhaps. ;D
Slan go foill,
G.
* Right, youse, so if you forget where you were that night, then it was out with us. 'Cos otherwise I've likely worn out your names. ;)