Thank you for a wonderful gig at Oxford. The spires were dreaming and the towerswere made of pure ivory. We had not been to the venue before and the sound was excellent from where we were. Thank you for Musgrave. The set was beautifully poised and appointed. Lingo Politico was hysterical. I have a cat called Mikey but I am giving serious thought to renaming him Satan. So bravo and take another curtsey for last night and the dedication to the never ending tour. Have a good time in Birmingham and a jolly journey back home. X x
Christy's reply
Into the last furlong as we gallop gaily along the motorways of this great country..certainly great for this troupe of wandering minstrels in our caravan.. …perhaps not so for many of us struggling to understand the strange ways the world is spinning…
for two hours each night we lose ourselves in verse, melody, fun and sadness with those who, like you and Mick, travel to be part of our wee cocoon….
this morning we walked the Thames bank again, trying to dodge headphoned crazy cyclists we also encountering more sensistive souls who ring gentle bells to announce their approach….scullers batin up and down the river dreaming of blues, alkies with rotweilers wondering miserably about their next cans, dons in deep deep contemplation just wondering, me and Jimmy Higgins getting aired up before tonights fun in Birmingham….gotta get the pants ironed, the shirt mangled, tyres checked, satnav loaded, get tonights gig done before heading North by Northwest towards Holyhead, onto the SS Ulysses bound for Dublin
thanks to all you listeners who made this trip such a joyful one….keep coming back Anuk ….and buck the fegrudgers
Great show in Oxford last night Christy. Saw you all in Salthill a couple of years back. Loved “I hate politician’s” but who wouldn’t.
Christy's reply
everyone out to Salthill for the crack and for the porter
Bookies layin odds on 2 flies walkin up the wall shur
there’s Folk and Trad. they’re Disco mad,Karaoke and set dances
people who’ve seen better days lookin to take their chances
Ruby hould her back, give her a smack and Hup! she’ll go
….from ” The Ballad of Ruby Walsh”
Copyright Control( Dylan/Lennon/McCartney/ Senator Donie Cassidy)
A pure, full blown Welsh tour, now that would be something! Perhaps play the Big Cwtch Festival, http://www.thebigcwtch.com
Always a special relationship between our people Christy and a healthy rivalry when it comes to the odd shaped ball ??
Stay healthy and spreading the word.
Give Shane all our love from Wales, wishing that special man all the best ❤️
Christy's reply
your post reminds me of Ray Gravell….last time we met was before an Ireland/Wales game at Lansdowne Road…he was commentating for BBC.. we walked the pitch a few hours before the game ….he was a good mate tho we seldom met
After years of listening to your music and wanting to see you in concert, our chance came and, and my wife and I were at Swansea on Monday. Thank you – and Declan, Jim and the whole of your crew – for such an incredible mix of passion, power, energy, emotion and talent. We came away buzzing with excitement.
We were in Wicklow in August, when one of our daughters was married in an open air ceremony with the mountains as a backdrop. The bridegroom’s sister sang ‘Black is the Colour’ as the bride and I walked up the ‘aisle’ – straw on the ground because of rain that amazingly gave way to sunshine just before the ceremony.
When she and her now husband lived in England and went back to his home in Ireland, they would always sing along to your singing as they drove from the ferry down to Waterford to stay with his parents. It captured the spirit of Ireland for them.
Your music is very special to them, as it is to us, and I wanted to refer to it in the father of the bride speech ( the only other musician I mentioned was Dylan!). So I quoted from The Voyage, because it so beautifully describes them, inviting all the guests to repeat after me. It was a lovely moment.
Which brings us back to Monday. Your including The Voyage was a very special moment for us, and you sing it better than I say it!
We have seen the best of contemporary folk singers in many different settings – McTell, Show of Hands, Roy Bailey, Bellowhead, Kate Rusby, The Watersons – to name some of the top ones, but they could all learn about performance from your show on Monday. You breathed new fresh power into familiar songs we have known for decades, and made new ones ( I Hate Politicians) immediate favourites! The days are a little dark here at the moment. You brought some bright light for a couple of hours on Monday. Thank you.
Christy's reply
Hey Rich, hope the light still lingers, thanks for sharing your story ..you mention some good pals of mine there…Mike,Lal and Norma Waterson, Ralph McTell and Roy Bailey….we all learn from each other as we travel along the road…. Mike taught me some great songs, Ralph helped me buy my first “proper” guitar back in 1967…I learned “Burning Times” from the wonderful singing of Roy Bailey…..The Watersons are among my favourite groups of all my time listening…keep coming back Rich…
All the best for your show tomorrow night in Birmingham. A couple of years ago you played a brilliant show at the Warwick Arts Centre Coventry and I requested and you sang for my wife Jenny Nancy Spain – a recording of yours she was playing at home almost every day. She still plays it along with another of your songs she has discovered Bright Blue Rose. Both are great. We will be at the Symphony Hall this Thursday, the acoustics there are excellent and we are looking forward immensely to the concert. As you said last time in a reply to my message ” Nancy comes out when the moon is bright and the stars are shining” I have no doubt the moon will shine tomorrow evening.
Thank you for a great show last night at the Brangwyn Hall in Swansea. You have lost none of your power or your charm and you let us leave with some questions in our mind and a smile on our face 🙂 Special shout out to Decland who played like a God last night. Hope your Grandson still has the little Dragon from last year in Cardiff.
Come back soon you Giants!
Christy's reply
The Dragon still smiles down upon him..thank you….
Must say I took an instant shine to that Brangwyn Hall…..even at soundcheck it had a good feel to it..then when you listeners gathered the scene was set….all we had to do was get out there in front of the lamps and do what we love to do…..
I think it must be time to consider a Welsh Tour…I’ve never done one…a specific, concentrated, no holds barred, pure Welsh Tour…. after all, we are closest neighbours…. were I climb to the very top of my rusty TV aerial I could probably glimpse the shed in Holyhead
Hello Christy,
Thank you for ‘The Voyage’ last Sunday night in Sheffield. Patsy with a beaming smile all the way back home to Donny, though there were tears during the song. She has spoken of little else these past two days. Spoilt rotten, she is. I’ve told her no more serenading when next you visit these parts.
Wonderful night and more moments to cherish. Thank you.
Hey Christy,
I’m Thomas, a 21 year old from England and a huge fan of your music. I’m writing to say a huge thank you, not just for me but on behalf of my mother.
My mum is a huge fan of your music as well! Nearly 4 years ago now she was booked to see one of your gigs in Oxford, but sadly just before she had a very serious stroke, she was lucky to pull through. She was left with aphasia which is a speaking and communicating difficulty. When she was lying in the hospital bed after the stroke she couldn’t talk, and she couldn’t recognise my brother and I. But out of nowhere she began to sing “ride on” perfectly! She used to sing your songs to my brother and I as kids and it was the first sign that my mum was still there!
It was an incredible moment for all of the family, and exceptionally emotional as you can imagine. It was the first steps on the road to recovery, but what beautiful steps they where.
To this day she has now recorded her first album with her boyfriend who also suffered a stroke, both exceptional musicians, and you won’t be surprised to hear that ride on is on the album and is also to thank for my mum meeting her boyfriend.
Sorry for the long message, but there is no real way to express how much of a large impact your music has had on our lives!
My mum Sarah Gray is no exceptionally excited to be able to enjoy your concert this weekend in Oxford for the second time since her stroke. She’s exceptionally excited and really just one of your biggest fans.
Thank you,
Thomas Gray
Christy's reply
music has pulled many of through difficult times,myself included…..happy to read your story and that of Sarah…hope we all have a good time tomorrow night
Hi Christy, thank you for a wonderful evening in Sheffield on Sunday night. My family have been to see you on a couple of occasions now, my dad first saw you in Athlone when I was very small. Now at 31, I have the same love of your music as he does! We’ve listened to you as a family for a long time. Your voice and music is amazing and you will remain in our play list for many years to come!
Thanks Christy for a great night at the Brangwyn Hall in Swansea. The two Martins from Denmark really enjoyed and it made their night when you gave them a mention. Hope you enjoyed your time in Swansea – come back soon.
Christy's reply
twas our pleasure to serenade you and your Danish guests in Brangwyn Hall..Thank you Jim Fox…..
3 of us attended the Concert in Manchester on Friday (7th Oct) wife, me and 14 yr old daughter. It was our 16th Wedding anniversary and my daughter had decided she wasn’t going to enjoy it. Not only did she enjoy it she was one of the noisy ones demanding an encore at the end! Great night, fabulous set of tunes. Saw Christy in Bristol last year and have been a fan since Planxty days and it’s all getting better and better like a good wine. Loved ‘I hate Politicians’. Come to our Folk Club in Selsey Christy; there’s a pint waiting for you!
Christy's reply
hey you Casey clan….I’ll have to check out Selsey…..”Lingo Politico” will be recorded as soon as we get home and unpack the bags
Christy Declan & Jimmy we jjust wanted to thank you fot your excellent performance at the Brangwyn Hall Swansea last night it was a truly memorable night and we appriciate you not only playing our two special songs Motherland & The Voyage but taking time out to send us a reply Thank You please come back to Wales next year we will be there XX
Christy's reply
I really liked that Room last night…lovely acoustics and such a welcoming audience….not always easy to come out on a Monday night and I thank all of you who did….we travelled on to Oxford after the gig last night still buzzing from our Swansea experience…I hope to return some day
Dear Christy,
I was introduced to your music by my best friend when I was about 15 (40 now), living near Stuttgart (yes!) and I heard Ordinary Man on non-stop repeat at the time.
But last Friday in Manchester was actually the first time I could see you live – and what already blew me away on your recordings (I love the ‘Lily’ album btw) took me to another level. The sound of your voice, Declan’s guitar and Jim’s Bodhran in that Bridgewater Hall were just stunning. We’ve been singing ‘The Voyage’ all Sunday, working out harmonies. So beautiful! Thank you for being such a musical inspiration!
In Manchester, John was so kind to take the time to speak to me after the concert and, hoping you received the ‘Marble Town’ CD, maybe you had the chance to listen to our version of ‘Ride on’ – or maybe even to some of our self-penned stuff – it would be the greatest honour. When we were playing at DeBarra’s and the Tin Pub this summer I almost felt being in your footsteps – a massive smile on my face…
Thank you again for influencing my musical life so greatly and for an unforgettable concert evening in Manchester
Karen
Christy's reply
Dear Karen,
out on the road here in the UK it was good to read about De Barras in Clonakilty and The Tin Pub in Ahakista…yes, John delivered your CD which I will take back home with me…..I recieve very many recordings from other singers and I listen to them in the order of their arrival ….Marble Town will take its place on the list of “songs to hear” ….(I’m still on 2015 cd’s)…..but I will catch up….Thank you for sharing
Wally Page plays this coming Friday 14th, in The Annesley House pub, North Strand…with Johnny Mulhearn and band…all the hits…about 9.30pm start…Hup the Waldo !!
Christy's reply
“16 Fishermen Raving, out on the Town on E
16 Peacocks leave their nest and go flying into mystery
16 Jolly Ravers each one carrying his own cawl (caul?)
they believe it will keep death away when they face the angry squall”
Go hear Wally Page…Irelands most underrated singer and songwriter….He dont come out too often but when he does he shakes the joint, he rattles cages, he soothes frayed nerves, carries us from happy to sad and back again and all stops in between….
When I was 18 I left my country Germany for a vacation in Ireland – that was 1985! I’ve been hitchhiking through the country, meeting many nice people, drinking lots of Guinness … I had the time of my life and I will never forget these weeks.
When I got to Dingle (I think it was Dingle), someone told me about a musician who would be in town the other day and I stayed an extra day to listen to his music. This was when I first heard you and your songs and I am addicted to them ever since.
Meanwhile, I am almost 50 and living in the US since a couple of years. My youngest daughter is 12 and I have recently played your music to her in the car. She loves your songs (in her words “I’m obsessed!”)! So now we are driving and singing Nacy Spain, City of Chicago, etc together with you! You should hear us 🙂
It’s also a great opportunity for me to explain my daughter about Ireland and it’s history – at least the things that I have learned during my visits.
Your songs make us laugh (Lisdonvarna, The Reel in the Flickering Light, Don’t forget your shovel …) and cry (Ordinary man, Missing You, Everybody knew …). You are one for the greatest musicians I’ve ever heard, your songs are so full of power and emotion, so compact and colorful, beautiful and imaginary … they are good for heart and soul and I think I will listen to your music until I die. Thank you for all your songs and I hope you will play in California one day, so we can come and see&hear you live in concert (again)!
Barbara
Christy's reply
Hey Barbara,
thank you for sharing your journey from Germany to Dingle to California…happy to know that the songs have travelled with you…..my own journey began when I heard The Clancy Brothers back in 1961..then in 1962 I heard Liam Clancy singing “The Streets of Bunclody” …I turned my back on Elvis and Buddy and have been on this journey ever since….best wishes to you and yours…its unlikely I will make it back to CA….I took the advice of Spike Milligan when asked about his cure for travel sickness..” stand under a tree”
Hi Christy we are just leaving for your gig in Swansea tonight i was just wondering if you would be able to squeeze Motherland or The Voyage into your setlist as they are very special tracks for us Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your wonderful music Richard & Karen XX
Christy's reply
R & K…..here in the dressing room in Swansea as the songsters gather round …its a lovely room, big and spacious, with good acoustics and a sense of history, ghosts and spirits lingering around, we had a good sound check and finished off the last of the Bara Brith baked for us up in Bangor 3 nights ago…
Great concert last night in Sheffield as yours always are. Thanks for singing Nancy Spain for me and the family – still my favourite. First saw you in 1969/70 at a folk club in Wakefield when we won Paddy on the Road in a raffle – much to the consternation of the locals! Still a prized possession.
Christy's reply
keep comin back Clive.always good to hear from the Tinker clan…I recall the buzz of having that first LP at my early gigs..it was a feather in the cap back then for a travelling troubadour to have an album….kinda kudos attached..these days the guitar gets purchased monday and the album gets recorded tuesday..back then recording studios were huge buildings owned and controlled by recording companies….these days its an iPhone,one song and away we go…its good that the means of recording are now available to all but…..
Looking forward to seeing you again in Swansea tonight. I have a couple of friends coming over from Denmark (both called Martin) especially for tonight’s gig. Would be great if you could give them a shout. See you later.
Great concert in Sheffield last night. Has set me up for the week – thanks very much to the three of you. Come back soon and best wishes for the rest of the tour
edmund
Christy's reply
thank you Edmund….we travelled on to Oxford last night….still feeling the warmth of our South Yorkshire audience…it felt very cosy in that great big room last night…Yorkshire is such a vast region and so varied in every way…York to Sheffield,Halifax to Hull and a thousand places in between…I’ve played from Beverley to Todmorden, from Penistone to Thirsk, and loved every precious moment (Hope they are all in Yorkshire as I burst out in affection !)
Thank you for a wonderful gig at Oxford. The spires were dreaming and the towerswere made of pure ivory. We had not been to the venue before and the sound was excellent from where we were. Thank you for Musgrave. The set was beautifully poised and appointed. Lingo Politico was hysterical. I have a cat called Mikey but I am giving serious thought to renaming him Satan. So bravo and take another curtsey for last night and the dedication to the never ending tour. Have a good time in Birmingham and a jolly journey back home. X x
Into the last furlong as we gallop gaily along the motorways of this great country..certainly great for this troupe of wandering minstrels in our caravan.. …perhaps not so for many of us struggling to understand the strange ways the world is spinning…
for two hours each night we lose ourselves in verse, melody, fun and sadness with those who, like you and Mick, travel to be part of our wee cocoon….
this morning we walked the Thames bank again, trying to dodge headphoned crazy cyclists we also encountering more sensistive souls who ring gentle bells to announce their approach….scullers batin up and down the river dreaming of blues, alkies with rotweilers wondering miserably about their next cans, dons in deep deep contemplation just wondering, me and Jimmy Higgins getting aired up before tonights fun in Birmingham….gotta get the pants ironed, the shirt mangled, tyres checked, satnav loaded, get tonights gig done before heading North by Northwest towards Holyhead, onto the SS Ulysses bound for Dublin
thanks to all you listeners who made this trip such a joyful one….keep coming back Anuk ….and buck the fegrudgers
Great show in Oxford last night Christy. Saw you all in Salthill a couple of years back. Loved “I hate politician’s” but who wouldn’t.
everyone out to Salthill for the crack and for the porter
Bookies layin odds on 2 flies walkin up the wall shur
there’s Folk and Trad. they’re Disco mad,Karaoke and set dances
people who’ve seen better days lookin to take their chances
Ruby hould her back, give her a smack and Hup! she’ll go
….from ” The Ballad of Ruby Walsh”
Copyright Control( Dylan/Lennon/McCartney/ Senator Donie Cassidy)
Christy,
See you in Ennis in February!
-Johnny G in NYC
if we’re still madly adrift in the dark
A pure, full blown Welsh tour, now that would be something! Perhaps play the Big Cwtch Festival, http://www.thebigcwtch.com
Always a special relationship between our people Christy and a healthy rivalry when it comes to the odd shaped ball ??
Stay healthy and spreading the word.
Give Shane all our love from Wales, wishing that special man all the best ❤️
your post reminds me of Ray Gravell….last time we met was before an Ireland/Wales game at Lansdowne Road…he was commentating for BBC.. we walked the pitch a few hours before the game ….he was a good mate tho we seldom met
After years of listening to your music and wanting to see you in concert, our chance came and, and my wife and I were at Swansea on Monday. Thank you – and Declan, Jim and the whole of your crew – for such an incredible mix of passion, power, energy, emotion and talent. We came away buzzing with excitement.
We were in Wicklow in August, when one of our daughters was married in an open air ceremony with the mountains as a backdrop. The bridegroom’s sister sang ‘Black is the Colour’ as the bride and I walked up the ‘aisle’ – straw on the ground because of rain that amazingly gave way to sunshine just before the ceremony.
When she and her now husband lived in England and went back to his home in Ireland, they would always sing along to your singing as they drove from the ferry down to Waterford to stay with his parents. It captured the spirit of Ireland for them.
Your music is very special to them, as it is to us, and I wanted to refer to it in the father of the bride speech ( the only other musician I mentioned was Dylan!). So I quoted from The Voyage, because it so beautifully describes them, inviting all the guests to repeat after me. It was a lovely moment.
Which brings us back to Monday. Your including The Voyage was a very special moment for us, and you sing it better than I say it!
We have seen the best of contemporary folk singers in many different settings – McTell, Show of Hands, Roy Bailey, Bellowhead, Kate Rusby, The Watersons – to name some of the top ones, but they could all learn about performance from your show on Monday. You breathed new fresh power into familiar songs we have known for decades, and made new ones ( I Hate Politicians) immediate favourites! The days are a little dark here at the moment. You brought some bright light for a couple of hours on Monday. Thank you.
Hey Rich, hope the light still lingers, thanks for sharing your story ..you mention some good pals of mine there…Mike,Lal and Norma Waterson, Ralph McTell and Roy Bailey….we all learn from each other as we travel along the road…. Mike taught me some great songs, Ralph helped me buy my first “proper” guitar back in 1967…I learned “Burning Times” from the wonderful singing of Roy Bailey…..The Watersons are among my favourite groups of all my time listening…keep coming back Rich…
All the best for your show tomorrow night in Birmingham. A couple of years ago you played a brilliant show at the Warwick Arts Centre Coventry and I requested and you sang for my wife Jenny Nancy Spain – a recording of yours she was playing at home almost every day. She still plays it along with another of your songs she has discovered Bright Blue Rose. Both are great. We will be at the Symphony Hall this Thursday, the acoustics there are excellent and we are looking forward immensely to the concert. As you said last time in a reply to my message ” Nancy comes out when the moon is bright and the stars are shining” I have no doubt the moon will shine tomorrow evening.
nearly there now …
Thank you for a great show last night at the Brangwyn Hall in Swansea. You have lost none of your power or your charm and you let us leave with some questions in our mind and a smile on our face 🙂 Special shout out to Decland who played like a God last night. Hope your Grandson still has the little Dragon from last year in Cardiff.
Come back soon you Giants!
The Dragon still smiles down upon him..thank you….
Must say I took an instant shine to that Brangwyn Hall…..even at soundcheck it had a good feel to it..then when you listeners gathered the scene was set….all we had to do was get out there in front of the lamps and do what we love to do…..
I think it must be time to consider a Welsh Tour…I’ve never done one…a specific, concentrated, no holds barred, pure Welsh Tour…. after all, we are closest neighbours…. were I climb to the very top of my rusty TV aerial I could probably glimpse the shed in Holyhead
Hello Christy,
Thank you for ‘The Voyage’ last Sunday night in Sheffield. Patsy with a beaming smile all the way back home to Donny, though there were tears during the song. She has spoken of little else these past two days. Spoilt rotten, she is. I’ve told her no more serenading when next you visit these parts.
Wonderful night and more moments to cherish. Thank you.
a pleasure
Hey Christy,
I’m Thomas, a 21 year old from England and a huge fan of your music. I’m writing to say a huge thank you, not just for me but on behalf of my mother.
My mum is a huge fan of your music as well! Nearly 4 years ago now she was booked to see one of your gigs in Oxford, but sadly just before she had a very serious stroke, she was lucky to pull through. She was left with aphasia which is a speaking and communicating difficulty. When she was lying in the hospital bed after the stroke she couldn’t talk, and she couldn’t recognise my brother and I. But out of nowhere she began to sing “ride on” perfectly! She used to sing your songs to my brother and I as kids and it was the first sign that my mum was still there!
It was an incredible moment for all of the family, and exceptionally emotional as you can imagine. It was the first steps on the road to recovery, but what beautiful steps they where.
To this day she has now recorded her first album with her boyfriend who also suffered a stroke, both exceptional musicians, and you won’t be surprised to hear that ride on is on the album and is also to thank for my mum meeting her boyfriend.
Sorry for the long message, but there is no real way to express how much of a large impact your music has had on our lives!
My mum Sarah Gray is no exceptionally excited to be able to enjoy your concert this weekend in Oxford for the second time since her stroke. She’s exceptionally excited and really just one of your biggest fans.
Thank you,
Thomas Gray
music has pulled many of through difficult times,myself included…..happy to read your story and that of Sarah…hope we all have a good time tomorrow night
Hi Christy, thank you for a wonderful evening in Sheffield on Sunday night. My family have been to see you on a couple of occasions now, my dad first saw you in Athlone when I was very small. Now at 31, I have the same love of your music as he does! We’ve listened to you as a family for a long time. Your voice and music is amazing and you will remain in our play list for many years to come!
Thanks Caragh….
Thanks Christy for a great night at the Brangwyn Hall in Swansea. The two Martins from Denmark really enjoyed and it made their night when you gave them a mention. Hope you enjoyed your time in Swansea – come back soon.
twas our pleasure to serenade you and your Danish guests in Brangwyn Hall..Thank you Jim Fox…..
3 of us attended the Concert in Manchester on Friday (7th Oct) wife, me and 14 yr old daughter. It was our 16th Wedding anniversary and my daughter had decided she wasn’t going to enjoy it. Not only did she enjoy it she was one of the noisy ones demanding an encore at the end! Great night, fabulous set of tunes. Saw Christy in Bristol last year and have been a fan since Planxty days and it’s all getting better and better like a good wine. Loved ‘I hate Politicians’. Come to our Folk Club in Selsey Christy; there’s a pint waiting for you!
hey you Casey clan….I’ll have to check out Selsey…..”Lingo Politico” will be recorded as soon as we get home and unpack the bags
Christy Declan & Jimmy we jjust wanted to thank you fot your excellent performance at the Brangwyn Hall Swansea last night it was a truly memorable night and we appriciate you not only playing our two special songs Motherland & The Voyage but taking time out to send us a reply Thank You please come back to Wales next year we will be there XX
I really liked that Room last night…lovely acoustics and such a welcoming audience….not always easy to come out on a Monday night and I thank all of you who did….we travelled on to Oxford after the gig last night still buzzing from our Swansea experience…I hope to return some day
Dear Christy,
I was introduced to your music by my best friend when I was about 15 (40 now), living near Stuttgart (yes!) and I heard Ordinary Man on non-stop repeat at the time.
But last Friday in Manchester was actually the first time I could see you live – and what already blew me away on your recordings (I love the ‘Lily’ album btw) took me to another level. The sound of your voice, Declan’s guitar and Jim’s Bodhran in that Bridgewater Hall were just stunning. We’ve been singing ‘The Voyage’ all Sunday, working out harmonies. So beautiful! Thank you for being such a musical inspiration!
In Manchester, John was so kind to take the time to speak to me after the concert and, hoping you received the ‘Marble Town’ CD, maybe you had the chance to listen to our version of ‘Ride on’ – or maybe even to some of our self-penned stuff – it would be the greatest honour. When we were playing at DeBarra’s and the Tin Pub this summer I almost felt being in your footsteps – a massive smile on my face…
Thank you again for influencing my musical life so greatly and for an unforgettable concert evening in Manchester
Karen
Dear Karen,
out on the road here in the UK it was good to read about De Barras in Clonakilty and The Tin Pub in Ahakista…yes, John delivered your CD which I will take back home with me…..I recieve very many recordings from other singers and I listen to them in the order of their arrival ….Marble Town will take its place on the list of “songs to hear” ….(I’m still on 2015 cd’s)…..but I will catch up….Thank you for sharing
Wally Page plays this coming Friday 14th, in The Annesley House pub, North Strand…with Johnny Mulhearn and band…all the hits…about 9.30pm start…Hup the Waldo !!
“16 Fishermen Raving, out on the Town on E
16 Peacocks leave their nest and go flying into mystery
16 Jolly Ravers each one carrying his own cawl (caul?)
they believe it will keep death away when they face the angry squall”
Go hear Wally Page…Irelands most underrated singer and songwriter….He dont come out too often but when he does he shakes the joint, he rattles cages, he soothes frayed nerves, carries us from happy to sad and back again and all stops in between….
Hi Christy,
When I was 18 I left my country Germany for a vacation in Ireland – that was 1985! I’ve been hitchhiking through the country, meeting many nice people, drinking lots of Guinness … I had the time of my life and I will never forget these weeks.
When I got to Dingle (I think it was Dingle), someone told me about a musician who would be in town the other day and I stayed an extra day to listen to his music. This was when I first heard you and your songs and I am addicted to them ever since.
Meanwhile, I am almost 50 and living in the US since a couple of years. My youngest daughter is 12 and I have recently played your music to her in the car. She loves your songs (in her words “I’m obsessed!”)! So now we are driving and singing Nacy Spain, City of Chicago, etc together with you! You should hear us 🙂
It’s also a great opportunity for me to explain my daughter about Ireland and it’s history – at least the things that I have learned during my visits.
Your songs make us laugh (Lisdonvarna, The Reel in the Flickering Light, Don’t forget your shovel …) and cry (Ordinary man, Missing You, Everybody knew …). You are one for the greatest musicians I’ve ever heard, your songs are so full of power and emotion, so compact and colorful, beautiful and imaginary … they are good for heart and soul and I think I will listen to your music until I die. Thank you for all your songs and I hope you will play in California one day, so we can come and see&hear you live in concert (again)!
Barbara
Hey Barbara,
thank you for sharing your journey from Germany to Dingle to California…happy to know that the songs have travelled with you…..my own journey began when I heard The Clancy Brothers back in 1961..then in 1962 I heard Liam Clancy singing “The Streets of Bunclody” …I turned my back on Elvis and Buddy and have been on this journey ever since….best wishes to you and yours…its unlikely I will make it back to CA….I took the advice of Spike Milligan when asked about his cure for travel sickness..” stand under a tree”
Hi Christy we are just leaving for your gig in Swansea tonight i was just wondering if you would be able to squeeze Motherland or The Voyage into your setlist as they are very special tracks for us Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your wonderful music Richard & Karen XX
R & K…..here in the dressing room in Swansea as the songsters gather round …its a lovely room, big and spacious, with good acoustics and a sense of history, ghosts and spirits lingering around, we had a good sound check and finished off the last of the Bara Brith baked for us up in Bangor 3 nights ago…
Great concert last night in Sheffield as yours always are. Thanks for singing Nancy Spain for me and the family – still my favourite. First saw you in 1969/70 at a folk club in Wakefield when we won Paddy on the Road in a raffle – much to the consternation of the locals! Still a prized possession.
keep comin back Clive.always good to hear from the Tinker clan…I recall the buzz of having that first LP at my early gigs..it was a feather in the cap back then for a travelling troubadour to have an album….kinda kudos attached..these days the guitar gets purchased monday and the album gets recorded tuesday..back then recording studios were huge buildings owned and controlled by recording companies….these days its an iPhone,one song and away we go…its good that the means of recording are now available to all but…..
Looking forward to seeing you again in Swansea tonight. I have a couple of friends coming over from Denmark (both called Martin) especially for tonight’s gig. Would be great if you could give them a shout. See you later.
Great concert in Sheffield last night. Has set me up for the week – thanks very much to the three of you. Come back soon and best wishes for the rest of the tour
edmund
thank you Edmund….we travelled on to Oxford last night….still feeling the warmth of our South Yorkshire audience…it felt very cosy in that great big room last night…Yorkshire is such a vast region and so varied in every way…York to Sheffield,Halifax to Hull and a thousand places in between…I’ve played from Beverley to Todmorden, from Penistone to Thirsk, and loved every precious moment (Hope they are all in Yorkshire as I burst out in affection !)