Well Christy, how are you ?
Finally managed to get back to the guestbook after a few weeks off it.
I’m just getting ready to make a trip to Dublin today. I’ve decided to go up to Some Neck Guitars after Declan Sinnott’s recommendation! Unfortunately there is few quality music stores around. Especially since Crowley’s closed down here in 2013.
Anyway, your Newstalk interview should provide a good listen for the journey up.
Haven’t made it too any gigs since Barrowlands due to the Leaving Cert. I’d say I’ll be missing the Marquee this year also. The first time missing yourself in the big tent since you started there. (10/11 ain’t bad!)
It looks like Arklow or Galway will be next night out, before the Enfield gig in September.
Looking forward to them. I’ll see ye soon!
Christy's reply
Crowleys used to be an essential part of every visit to Cork..always time for a chat, always bump into some other player or rapscallion or balladeer or classical violinist or jazz afficionado…all rootin together for some bit of gear…
I really like the Some Neck Shop myself (Aungier St Dublin) good vibe in their…I got two guitars there in the last year…good trade in too…got myself an Atkin guitar which I play all the time at home..it has not gigged yet..I find it very hard to leave my 35 year old Takamines…no matter what I tried over the years those old Taks just suit me for gigging…whether I’m lashing or picking my few chords the Taks do the trick for me…(but I would not recommend their more recent guitars, for me they last all cred when they moved into mass production)..
Hope your Leaving Cert went well..7 A’s no doubt..I scraped thru in 1963..5 passes, failed History & Geography, I think I might ask for a recount..see you next time you are around
Der
July 7, 2017 at 5:44 am
Location: "I get a call on the shortwave, Franky's in trouble downtown"
Highway Patrolman was written by Bruce and probably is his best folk song in my opinion. Some other great Bruce folk songs are: The Line, Black Cowboys, Cautious Man, + many more.
Christy's reply
hey Der..nice one…just heard 4 Bruce songs I never heard before…that is a some video for Highway Patrolman…thanks for the signpost
I just had a great weekend at a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, riding my Harley motorcycle through the rolling hillls with the tunes on shuffle, I heard Ride On (appropriate) and The Grey Lake of Loughrea, a blast from the past. Johnstown, PA was flooded in 1889 and more than 2000 souls perished. The event is noted in both Johnny Cash’s and Bruce Sprinsteen’s versions of the Highway Patrolman. Great stuff. Then we visited the site closeby where flight 93 went down in Shankstown on 9/11. Hard to grasp it all. Hope all’s well with you. Hopefully I’ll be back to visit before the year is out.
Christy's reply
your post reminds me of the time we went to Dreamland in Athy on Slicy’s (RIP) Honda 50…we called into The Rising Sun in Brownstown to refuel before Riding on to Bapty Maher’s in Athy for a final sup before going into The Hall to boogie the night away with Brendan Bowyer and The Royal Showband..myself and my Buddy shifted a couple of sisters from Ballylinan before we struck out for home across the Plains of Kildare….past Donnollys Hollow where the misfortunate Curragh Wrens once dwelt, past The Gibbet Rath where 350 rebels were slaughtered in 1798 having laid down their Pikes and surrendered to the English under General Dundas.
Capt John Gifford wrote in his journal
“my troops did not leave unavenged, they left 500 rebels rotting on The Curragh of Kildare where my own sweet daughters walked last Summer. We left The Curragh Plains strewn with the vile carcasses of the popish rebels.The accursed Town of Kildare reduced to ashes by our own hands”
Hi Christy
Seamus noone here.
It was my pleasure, sending We all are clowns to you. I wrote the song from a viewpoint that Life is one big circus, we are all the clowns in that circus. We put on a show for people to see ,but does that reflect how we really feel? Like everyone, I have had close friends who, One day, I might see them and they are OK. The next, I hear that they have taken their own lives. Many people have said to me , “No one knows what goes on in someone else’s mind”. That’s what put the line in the song there
” No-one sees the face behind the mask”
Christy's reply
I agree with you….it took me 30 years to understand the true nature of this work… basically I act the songs , just like an actor inhabits the words of the playwriter or screenwriter….makes no difference to me whether I wrote the song myself or whether its a John Spillane/Wally Page/Jimmy Mack/ Bob Dylan/Ewan MacColl song…I just get out there in front of the lamps and deliver the verses as best I can…sometimes acting the clown, sometimes remembering old wrongs and wounds,sometimes celebrating goals, re-living Festivals, recalling old Companeros…we wear many masks..but I always leave the mask in the van when I get home
Hi Christy,find out this weekend if I have made the team again,hope the trout will be kind to me,tying up a few flies ready for the outing,Nothing better than a day on the water,no mobiles just the ospreys and red kites keeping me company,Ride on Christy.
Hi Christy, and hope this finds you well.
Long time follower and first time poster.
Looking for any help you may be able to give me……Myself and the old man have seen you together about 30 times over the last 25 odd years, and his 60th is coming up in March……looking to bring him across the pond to the UK for a foreign gig if possible…….do you have anything lined up yet for next March on the mainland? would love a spin in the barrowlands if its on the cards 🙂
Keep her lit
JS
Christy's reply
Morra Joss,
There is talk of a return to Liverpool, Manchester, Yorkshire next April time but nothing definite yet..keep an eye on the gig page, sign up for newsletter..
good buzz that..bringin himself on an overseas jaunt… Barrowlands is usually every 18 months which would mean next Autumn if Mother Earth spares us all
Hello Christy,
Delighted to see you will be playing here in Killaloe next Saturday. I’m originally from Newbridge and learnt my trade from the great Henry Flanagan in the College in the 1980s. He opened my eyes to the beauty of harmony as a boy soprano. I know you also attribute your early appreciation of music and voice in part to his influence. Since then music has been an important part of my life, has opened many doors and brought me on many wonderful journeys. Your Ride On album was the first ‘record’ I got after I started on the tin whistle. Later came guitar, mandolin and now some banjo. This village is awash with music and I play with a group here, with many of your and Planxty’s numbers in our repertoire. You will be playing in the Lakeside Hotel, which is on the Ballina (Tipperary) side of the river. But only a stones-throw over the bridge to Clare. So no doubt, with tongue in cheek ‘It’s a Long Way ….‘ will be requested by the audience. Looking forward to the gig, keep up the good work.
Peter Murphy.
Christy's reply
Always get a lift when I see Henry Flanagan’s name….youthful memories come flooding back…he was the “biffer” to some, the “Coote” to many but also an inspiration to anyone fortunate enough listen…
its been thirty years or more since I last played in Killaloe/Ballina(gh)…a venue called Katie Daly’s..it was one of those Disco/Cabaret kinda places that sprung up in the eighties….played a lot of them in that era…while I do fondly remember venues from the earlier “Ballad-Lounge” era (like The Merriman in Scariff) I dont hold any great affection for the “discos venues” that followed…
I’ve never sung Ralph McTell’s “Clare to Here” but I hope to sing “The Bridge of Killaloe” come Saturday….
Sing On Peter…..
A busy weekend at the Seaview Sessions…on this coming Friday 7th July, MICK HANLY returns for his second visit…€15 at door
and the following night, Sat 8th July , a change of tac..the great GAVVIN POVEY & his band play a mix of New Orleans Boogie Woogie, Cajun,Rockabilly, Swing etc….Blue Suede Shoes optional.
all live upstairs at the Punchbowl Pub, Booterstown, opposite DART station
Thanks a mill..highlight for me last week was ‘The Lost Tribe of the Wicklow Mountains’
Christy's reply
One of our great song-writers, Mick and I first met way back when he was gigging with Michéal Ó Domhnaill in Munroe..they were a great duo and recorded a beautiful album 40 years ago and toured with Planxty
Later we worked together on the song “On The Blanket” and recorded it together with Moving Hearts in 1981…Mick joined the Band in 1982
Subsequently Mick wrote some chart-topping songs and later again worked with Jimmy Faulkner and Rusty Old Halo
should be a great night in the punchbowl
I was very happy to finally get ‘Lost Tribe’ into the set..hope to keep it there for the forseeable
Posted previous note in haste…meant to add what a great Doire team. Young Ben McKinless is a great keeper. Very disappointing result but their day will come! Revisited a cracking documentary Searching for Sugar Man
about American musician Sixto Rodriguez…if you haven’t watched it check it out.
Christy's reply
saw Sugar Man Movie… also got to see him live when he came to Vicar St
for many players in many counties, the day they get picked to play for their county, their day has come….what a great achievement, to run out on the pitch in ones county colours, be it Championship, League, O’Byrne Cup ( or the equivalent) Challenge match…family and friends on the terraces, hearts in mouths every time the ball comes near their loved one …..I can still recall the feeling when, as a small boy, I watched a neighbour run out on to Croke Park in a Leinster Final..such a burst of pride I felt in my chest
Ah Christy, I don’t blame you for deleting my post. You have been quite tolerant for many of my posts on your site. But as you say, you have heard your lot of the drunken sott.
But this is an important subject. It’s brilliant and the coupled music is brilliant as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNeOTOytEeA&t=0s
Christy's reply
Thanks for sharing this..
George Carlin summed it up best..that the earth will be fine, will continue to turn on its axis, long after we have removed ourselves …
I delete your drunken ramblings because they make me uneasy…its like looking into an old mirror, one that I somehow managed to put down 28 years ago…
Hi Christy been busy the last few months,trying to get into the welsh fly fishing team again,the Lions tour and a few jobs around the garden,Hoping For a gig soon if I can fit you in,Ride on,Geraint.
Christy's reply
Welcome back Ger…did you make it into the national team ?..I have often sat and watched skilled fly fishers…love to watch that line fly gentle across the River before settling unobtrusively on top of the water..I marvel at the skill, the deftness of touch, the wee flicks, controlling the lie of the fly, the silence , concentration, the peace and quiet as the sun goes down , as the fisher casts for supper,
I tried it as a boy on The River Liffey, I got tangled in the bushes,
reverted to watching our quiet fisherman, Johnny Gibson, coax trout onto his well concealed hook.. ( he also played right corner-back on our Moorefield Senior Team, he had a great pair of hands)
Hi Christy, Long Time love the music, Any sign of gigs around Gweedore maybe in the newly reopened Amharclann Gaoth Dobhar, Its a perfect spot for a nice wee gig it’s got plenty of big acts in for the summer such as Noel Duggan and Altan, It would be truely amazing to see you onstage there, regards Liam
Christy's reply
Hey Liam 1
Letterkenny is as far as I can get these days..the auld jalopey can just about cover 240 km but refuses to go the final 20..theres only one thing for it Liam..hope you have a good Summer up the beautiful NW …an álainn ar fad suas ansin
hi christy hope all is going well,,, looking forward to gig tonight…
any chance of hearing contender tonight
have you seen brendan gleson’s new film hamsted .. geting good reviews and feedback from people comeing out has been doing well.
adam
Christy's reply
Thats the solo tour done Adam, 9 gigs in all.
My son Andy joined me on stage for the Dun Laoghaire gigs which made them special for me.
Now its time to revert to the ensemble with Declan,Jim and Cathal. I intend to maintain the Solo work and not let it slip again. Its an entirely different work process for me. Since my first gig in 1966,I estimate that 60% of my gigs have been solo. There were a short few years with Planxty and with Moving Hearts….then the last 16 years with Declan joined lately by Jim Higgins and Cathal Hayden. There have been gigs with “The Trad Outfit” (Mairtín O’Connor, Sheamie O’Dowd plus Jim and Cathal) in recent years.. Back in the mid 70s there was a band with Jimmy Faulkner, Kevin Burke and Declan McNelis. There was another short-lived ensemble with my brother Barry (aka Luka), Jimmy Faulkner, Noel Hill, Tony Linnane, Gabriel McKeon. Along the way there were a other collaborations.
Its a truly wonderful experience to sit with other players and sing the songs. There have been nights when different ensembles have jelled,have made mesmeric,beautiful music that has carried us all away. Early Planxty in ’72-’73…early Moving Hearts in ’81-’82, with Jimmy Faulkner in Germany back in ’77, many magic moments with Declan since 2001,nights in De Barras Clonakilty, Barrowland, Vicar St (with Donal Lunny), Philharmonic Liverpool, Forum Kentish in Town,Marquee Cork, Mayflower Drumshambo, over the years standout memories include (not exclusively) The Meeting Place Dublin, Rakish Paddy’s Lanesboro, The Merriman Scariff, The Venue Strandhill, Pat Dowlings of Prosperous, ( I’ll stop here )
its such a contrast to step out alone before the lamps, to pick up the guitar and take that leap of faith…99% of the time the listeners float the boat, give the uplift, the energy, the encouragement all thats needed for the performance to continue, the act to be fulfilled…
only latterly have I realised that it is an act, every song an act in itself…old and new songs,stories,tunes,fables, cries,jokes,rhythms, rattles,whispers,roars,reflections all mixed together….some carefully rehearsed, others never-to-be-repeated-once-offs…
last nights interjecting bellower led me off on a tangent that really worked for me, Johnny Conners appeared from no where and really shook me up…
you asked for “The Contender” and I have never felt such tender version before… as poor Jack Doyle ‘went under’ in Jimmy MacCarthy’s heartbreaking ballad..
thats it for now Adam…. I’m gonna try and get a few more hours shut-eye,send up a few ZZZZs
Mr moore . I can only live in hope that one day i will see life the way you do. Or maybe my way . Song there some place do you know the chords :O) Mary manning must be so proud. Lets stick to our guns, We fought oppression for centuries . Lets help them fight it too :O) See ya along the road ill be in the crowd listening . Ill the the bald headed fella with a 10 yr old boy at my side with beautiful blue New Ross Irish eyes and a open ear .Of cause loads of questions after . That i will answer .
Love from Denaby , where the snow was once as black as coal.
Well Christy a step closer to JUSTICE FOR THE 96 for the past 28 years the innocent have been blamed whilst the guilty have been knighted. Former Chief Constables being charged with manslaughter and perverting the course of justice says it all. This is not just a victory for the 96 but for all working class people, one thing is for certain the establishment will not now be able to pin the blame for the Grenfill tragedy on the innocent victims (which probably would have been the case in the past) I know you are busy on the new songs but have you had a chance to tune into the new Jimmy McGovern series BROKEN (BBC1 9:00 on a Tuesday) if you get the chance it is well worth a look. Good luck with the recording etc looking forward to the new release and the next concert…
Christy's reply
yes John, a step closer perhaps but still a long way to go……the feet of the ruling elite will continue to drag, they may have expressed an intent to charge, lets see how willing they will be to follow thru..another 28 years !!…..
I’ve not yet plugged into Jimmy McG’s new series..hopefully catch up with it along the way…if only to see Sean Bean act the priest !! I’ve heard good feedback..watched “The Keepers” on netfix recently…hard going on many levels but still worth watching..lest we forget,lest we forget…. when Church,Police and State Legislature join forces they have the capacity to become a force of almost unimaginable evil….revealations continue to tumble out,will it ever end
But on we go, some days the Sun shines bright, there is music on the air, new spuds, strawberries, Kildare are in the Leinster Final, grandchildren singing and gurgling, gigs to ponder and play,
I have no time for Whiskey or Poitín i have time to listen ! Happy Arthurs day Sir. Listen to the music and snow flakes on the water ,close ya eyes and listen.
My family are from New Ross , coffin ships town . Thats why i too my youngest son to his roots. Not on a Honda 50. A FJR 1300 Mad back roads back there, But we got home alive. What a trip .
Christy's reply
Hank Wedell’s song “Listen” is beautiful to sing..yet it has slipped off the set list. I must try and restore it….it is a short song with a brief lyric but,for some some reason,I have difficulty in remembering the flow..time and time again I’ve stumbled when trying to sing it ….there are many lengthy wordy songs that are always remembered yet “Listen” has caught me out frequently..
Writing these few words suggests a reason…perhaps I become mesmerised and transfixed by Hank Wedell’s beautiful sonnet
“Listen to the whisper of Moonlight on the water
close your eyes and listen
Listen to the singing of a feather on the breeze
close your eyes and listen
Listen……………………….
Listen to the harmony of heartbeats in unison
close your eyes and listen
Listen to the rhythm of souls dancing round the stars
close your eyes and listen
Listen……………Listen……..
Listen to the ringing of distant bells calling
Listen to the flutter of an angels wings on high
Listen to the rapping and the clapping and the buzzing
Listen to the snow fall gently on the Mining Town
close your eyes and listen
close your eyes and listen
Listen to the whisper of moonlight on the water
Listen to the singing of a feather on the breeze
Listen to prayers of children to their blessed mother
Listen to the pleading of the faithfull to their father
Listen…………………. Hank Wedel
I love these ethereal lines where we are invited to look at the source of, almost unimaginable, sounds…..the whisper of moonlight,the singing of a feather,harmony of heartbeats, flutter of an Angels wings on high….
my favourite line is
“Listen to the snow fall gently on the mining town”
I love the silence of the scene it evokes, wherever it may be.. ( Hank told me once, I chose to forget !)
I dont need to believe everything here, the lines are simply too beautiful to matter, I fervently believe in the rights of others to believe
unless, of course, they are crusading
Having spent the last 30 minutes with Hank’s song, I am now determined to sing it tonight in Dun Laoghaire
Hey Christy. Ive seen snow as black as coal , we all have if we open our eyes My self and my young son saw you in new ross you cried at the last song . The time has come too part my love ! Alfie saw it . God love you man. Love from Denaby and all the Bently wrecking crew . Tony Capstick says the same. Ride on.
Christy's reply
I was double booked with Tony Capstick one night way back in
1969..’twas in West Hartlepool…we ended up lookin like a right pair of monkeys..lucky to get outa there alive we wuz…it was the night that Tony coined “Whisky is very good for removing warts..not from those drinking the whisky but from those they are looking at….
Well Christy, how are you ?
Finally managed to get back to the guestbook after a few weeks off it.
I’m just getting ready to make a trip to Dublin today. I’ve decided to go up to Some Neck Guitars after Declan Sinnott’s recommendation! Unfortunately there is few quality music stores around. Especially since Crowley’s closed down here in 2013.
Anyway, your Newstalk interview should provide a good listen for the journey up.
Haven’t made it too any gigs since Barrowlands due to the Leaving Cert. I’d say I’ll be missing the Marquee this year also. The first time missing yourself in the big tent since you started there. (10/11 ain’t bad!)
It looks like Arklow or Galway will be next night out, before the Enfield gig in September.
Looking forward to them. I’ll see ye soon!
Crowleys used to be an essential part of every visit to Cork..always time for a chat, always bump into some other player or rapscallion or balladeer or classical violinist or jazz afficionado…all rootin together for some bit of gear…
I really like the Some Neck Shop myself (Aungier St Dublin) good vibe in their…I got two guitars there in the last year…good trade in too…got myself an Atkin guitar which I play all the time at home..it has not gigged yet..I find it very hard to leave my 35 year old Takamines…no matter what I tried over the years those old Taks just suit me for gigging…whether I’m lashing or picking my few chords the Taks do the trick for me…(but I would not recommend their more recent guitars, for me they last all cred when they moved into mass production)..
Hope your Leaving Cert went well..7 A’s no doubt..I scraped thru in 1963..5 passes, failed History & Geography, I think I might ask for a recount..see you next time you are around
Highway Patrolman was written by Bruce and probably is his best folk song in my opinion. Some other great Bruce folk songs are: The Line, Black Cowboys, Cautious Man, + many more.
hey Der..nice one…just heard 4 Bruce songs I never heard before…that is a some video for Highway Patrolman…thanks for the signpost
I just had a great weekend at a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, riding my Harley motorcycle through the rolling hillls with the tunes on shuffle, I heard Ride On (appropriate) and The Grey Lake of Loughrea, a blast from the past. Johnstown, PA was flooded in 1889 and more than 2000 souls perished. The event is noted in both Johnny Cash’s and Bruce Sprinsteen’s versions of the Highway Patrolman. Great stuff. Then we visited the site closeby where flight 93 went down in Shankstown on 9/11. Hard to grasp it all. Hope all’s well with you. Hopefully I’ll be back to visit before the year is out.
your post reminds me of the time we went to Dreamland in Athy on Slicy’s (RIP) Honda 50…we called into The Rising Sun in Brownstown to refuel before Riding on to Bapty Maher’s in Athy for a final sup before going into The Hall to boogie the night away with Brendan Bowyer and The Royal Showband..myself and my Buddy shifted a couple of sisters from Ballylinan before we struck out for home across the Plains of Kildare….past Donnollys Hollow where the misfortunate Curragh Wrens once dwelt, past The Gibbet Rath where 350 rebels were slaughtered in 1798 having laid down their Pikes and surrendered to the English under General Dundas.
Capt John Gifford wrote in his journal
“my troops did not leave unavenged, they left 500 rebels rotting on The Curragh of Kildare where my own sweet daughters walked last Summer. We left The Curragh Plains strewn with the vile carcasses of the popish rebels.The accursed Town of Kildare reduced to ashes by our own hands”
Hi Christy
Seamus noone here.
It was my pleasure, sending We all are clowns to you. I wrote the song from a viewpoint that Life is one big circus, we are all the clowns in that circus. We put on a show for people to see ,but does that reflect how we really feel? Like everyone, I have had close friends who, One day, I might see them and they are OK. The next, I hear that they have taken their own lives. Many people have said to me , “No one knows what goes on in someone else’s mind”. That’s what put the line in the song there
” No-one sees the face behind the mask”
I agree with you….it took me 30 years to understand the true nature of this work… basically I act the songs , just like an actor inhabits the words of the playwriter or screenwriter….makes no difference to me whether I wrote the song myself or whether its a John Spillane/Wally Page/Jimmy Mack/ Bob Dylan/Ewan MacColl song…I just get out there in front of the lamps and deliver the verses as best I can…sometimes acting the clown, sometimes remembering old wrongs and wounds,sometimes celebrating goals, re-living Festivals, recalling old Companeros…we wear many masks..but I always leave the mask in the van when I get home
Hi Christy
Hope all is well
Seamus noone here. I would what you thought when I shared my song “We all are clowns?”
Thanks for sharing…….
Hi Christy,find out this weekend if I have made the team again,hope the trout will be kind to me,tying up a few flies ready for the outing,Nothing better than a day on the water,no mobiles just the ospreys and red kites keeping me company,Ride on Christy.
may your cast lie gently on the water
Hi Christy, and hope this finds you well.
Long time follower and first time poster.
Looking for any help you may be able to give me……Myself and the old man have seen you together about 30 times over the last 25 odd years, and his 60th is coming up in March……looking to bring him across the pond to the UK for a foreign gig if possible…….do you have anything lined up yet for next March on the mainland? would love a spin in the barrowlands if its on the cards 🙂
Keep her lit
JS
Morra Joss,
There is talk of a return to Liverpool, Manchester, Yorkshire next April time but nothing definite yet..keep an eye on the gig page, sign up for newsletter..
good buzz that..bringin himself on an overseas jaunt… Barrowlands is usually every 18 months which would mean next Autumn if Mother Earth spares us all
Hello Christy,
Delighted to see you will be playing here in Killaloe next Saturday. I’m originally from Newbridge and learnt my trade from the great Henry Flanagan in the College in the 1980s. He opened my eyes to the beauty of harmony as a boy soprano. I know you also attribute your early appreciation of music and voice in part to his influence. Since then music has been an important part of my life, has opened many doors and brought me on many wonderful journeys. Your Ride On album was the first ‘record’ I got after I started on the tin whistle. Later came guitar, mandolin and now some banjo. This village is awash with music and I play with a group here, with many of your and Planxty’s numbers in our repertoire. You will be playing in the Lakeside Hotel, which is on the Ballina (Tipperary) side of the river. But only a stones-throw over the bridge to Clare. So no doubt, with tongue in cheek ‘It’s a Long Way ….‘ will be requested by the audience. Looking forward to the gig, keep up the good work.
Peter Murphy.
Always get a lift when I see Henry Flanagan’s name….youthful memories come flooding back…he was the “biffer” to some, the “Coote” to many but also an inspiration to anyone fortunate enough listen…
its been thirty years or more since I last played in Killaloe/Ballina(gh)…a venue called Katie Daly’s..it was one of those Disco/Cabaret kinda places that sprung up in the eighties….played a lot of them in that era…while I do fondly remember venues from the earlier “Ballad-Lounge” era (like The Merriman in Scariff) I dont hold any great affection for the “discos venues” that followed…
I’ve never sung Ralph McTell’s “Clare to Here” but I hope to sing “The Bridge of Killaloe” come Saturday….
Sing On Peter…..
A busy weekend at the Seaview Sessions…on this coming Friday 7th July, MICK HANLY returns for his second visit…€15 at door
and the following night, Sat 8th July , a change of tac..the great GAVVIN POVEY & his band play a mix of New Orleans Boogie Woogie, Cajun,Rockabilly, Swing etc….Blue Suede Shoes optional.
all live upstairs at the Punchbowl Pub, Booterstown, opposite DART station
Thanks a mill..highlight for me last week was ‘The Lost Tribe of the Wicklow Mountains’
One of our great song-writers, Mick and I first met way back when he was gigging with Michéal Ó Domhnaill in Munroe..they were a great duo and recorded a beautiful album 40 years ago and toured with Planxty
Later we worked together on the song “On The Blanket” and recorded it together with Moving Hearts in 1981…Mick joined the Band in 1982
Subsequently Mick wrote some chart-topping songs and later again worked with Jimmy Faulkner and Rusty Old Halo
should be a great night in the punchbowl
I was very happy to finally get ‘Lost Tribe’ into the set..hope to keep it there for the forseeable
Posted previous note in haste…meant to add what a great Doire team. Young Ben McKinless is a great keeper. Very disappointing result but their day will come! Revisited a cracking documentary Searching for Sugar Man
about American musician Sixto Rodriguez…if you haven’t watched it check it out.
saw Sugar Man Movie… also got to see him live when he came to Vicar St
for many players in many counties, the day they get picked to play for their county, their day has come….what a great achievement, to run out on the pitch in ones county colours, be it Championship, League, O’Byrne Cup ( or the equivalent) Challenge match…family and friends on the terraces, hearts in mouths every time the ball comes near their loved one …..I can still recall the feeling when, as a small boy, I watched a neighbour run out on to Croke Park in a Leinster Final..such a burst of pride I felt in my chest
Ah Christy, I don’t blame you for deleting my post. You have been quite tolerant for many of my posts on your site. But as you say, you have heard your lot of the drunken sott.
But this is an important subject. It’s brilliant and the coupled music is brilliant as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNeOTOytEeA&t=0s
Thanks for sharing this..
George Carlin summed it up best..that the earth will be fine, will continue to turn on its axis, long after we have removed ourselves …
I delete your drunken ramblings because they make me uneasy…its like looking into an old mirror, one that I somehow managed to put down 28 years ago…
Hi Christy been busy the last few months,trying to get into the welsh fly fishing team again,the Lions tour and a few jobs around the garden,Hoping For a gig soon if I can fit you in,Ride on,Geraint.
Welcome back Ger…did you make it into the national team ?..I have often sat and watched skilled fly fishers…love to watch that line fly gentle across the River before settling unobtrusively on top of the water..I marvel at the skill, the deftness of touch, the wee flicks, controlling the lie of the fly, the silence , concentration, the peace and quiet as the sun goes down , as the fisher casts for supper,
I tried it as a boy on The River Liffey, I got tangled in the bushes,
reverted to watching our quiet fisherman, Johnny Gibson, coax trout onto his well concealed hook.. ( he also played right corner-back on our Moorefield Senior Team, he had a great pair of hands)
…at the mouth of the Foyle, bid farewell to the soil…
My Favorite.. Slainte Christy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ln9QnLaWrY
Hi Christy, Long Time love the music, Any sign of gigs around Gweedore maybe in the newly reopened Amharclann Gaoth Dobhar, Its a perfect spot for a nice wee gig it’s got plenty of big acts in for the summer such as Noel Duggan and Altan, It would be truely amazing to see you onstage there, regards Liam
Hey Liam 1
Letterkenny is as far as I can get these days..the auld jalopey can just about cover 240 km but refuses to go the final 20..theres only one thing for it Liam..hope you have a good Summer up the beautiful NW …an álainn ar fad suas ansin
hi christy hope all is going well,,, looking forward to gig tonight…
any chance of hearing contender tonight
have you seen brendan gleson’s new film hamsted .. geting good reviews and feedback from people comeing out has been doing well.
adam
Thats the solo tour done Adam, 9 gigs in all.
My son Andy joined me on stage for the Dun Laoghaire gigs which made them special for me.
Now its time to revert to the ensemble with Declan,Jim and Cathal. I intend to maintain the Solo work and not let it slip again. Its an entirely different work process for me. Since my first gig in 1966,I estimate that 60% of my gigs have been solo. There were a short few years with Planxty and with Moving Hearts….then the last 16 years with Declan joined lately by Jim Higgins and Cathal Hayden. There have been gigs with “The Trad Outfit” (Mairtín O’Connor, Sheamie O’Dowd plus Jim and Cathal) in recent years.. Back in the mid 70s there was a band with Jimmy Faulkner, Kevin Burke and Declan McNelis. There was another short-lived ensemble with my brother Barry (aka Luka), Jimmy Faulkner, Noel Hill, Tony Linnane, Gabriel McKeon. Along the way there were a other collaborations.
Its a truly wonderful experience to sit with other players and sing the songs. There have been nights when different ensembles have jelled,have made mesmeric,beautiful music that has carried us all away. Early Planxty in ’72-’73…early Moving Hearts in ’81-’82, with Jimmy Faulkner in Germany back in ’77, many magic moments with Declan since 2001,nights in De Barras Clonakilty, Barrowland, Vicar St (with Donal Lunny), Philharmonic Liverpool, Forum Kentish in Town,Marquee Cork, Mayflower Drumshambo, over the years standout memories include (not exclusively) The Meeting Place Dublin, Rakish Paddy’s Lanesboro, The Merriman Scariff, The Venue Strandhill, Pat Dowlings of Prosperous, ( I’ll stop here )
its such a contrast to step out alone before the lamps, to pick up the guitar and take that leap of faith…99% of the time the listeners float the boat, give the uplift, the energy, the encouragement all thats needed for the performance to continue, the act to be fulfilled…
only latterly have I realised that it is an act, every song an act in itself…old and new songs,stories,tunes,fables, cries,jokes,rhythms, rattles,whispers,roars,reflections all mixed together….some carefully rehearsed, others never-to-be-repeated-once-offs…
last nights interjecting bellower led me off on a tangent that really worked for me, Johnny Conners appeared from no where and really shook me up…
you asked for “The Contender” and I have never felt such tender version before… as poor Jack Doyle ‘went under’ in Jimmy MacCarthy’s heartbreaking ballad..
thats it for now Adam…. I’m gonna try and get a few more hours shut-eye,send up a few ZZZZs
Mr moore . I can only live in hope that one day i will see life the way you do. Or maybe my way . Song there some place do you know the chords :O) Mary manning must be so proud. Lets stick to our guns, We fought oppression for centuries . Lets help them fight it too :O) See ya along the road ill be in the crowd listening . Ill the the bald headed fella with a 10 yr old boy at my side with beautiful blue New Ross Irish eyes and a open ear .Of cause loads of questions after . That i will answer .
Love from Denaby , where the snow was once as black as coal.
Well Christy a step closer to JUSTICE FOR THE 96 for the past 28 years the innocent have been blamed whilst the guilty have been knighted. Former Chief Constables being charged with manslaughter and perverting the course of justice says it all. This is not just a victory for the 96 but for all working class people, one thing is for certain the establishment will not now be able to pin the blame for the Grenfill tragedy on the innocent victims (which probably would have been the case in the past) I know you are busy on the new songs but have you had a chance to tune into the new Jimmy McGovern series BROKEN (BBC1 9:00 on a Tuesday) if you get the chance it is well worth a look. Good luck with the recording etc looking forward to the new release and the next concert…
yes John, a step closer perhaps but still a long way to go……the feet of the ruling elite will continue to drag, they may have expressed an intent to charge, lets see how willing they will be to follow thru..another 28 years !!…..
I’ve not yet plugged into Jimmy McG’s new series..hopefully catch up with it along the way…if only to see Sean Bean act the priest !! I’ve heard good feedback..watched “The Keepers” on netfix recently…hard going on many levels but still worth watching..lest we forget,lest we forget…. when Church,Police and State Legislature join forces they have the capacity to become a force of almost unimaginable evil….revealations continue to tumble out,will it ever end
But on we go, some days the Sun shines bright, there is music on the air, new spuds, strawberries, Kildare are in the Leinster Final, grandchildren singing and gurgling, gigs to ponder and play,
I have no time for Whiskey or Poitín i have time to listen ! Happy Arthurs day Sir. Listen to the music and snow flakes on the water ,close ya eyes and listen.
My family are from New Ross , coffin ships town . Thats why i too my youngest son to his roots. Not on a Honda 50. A FJR 1300 Mad back roads back there, But we got home alive. What a trip .
Hank Wedell’s song “Listen” is beautiful to sing..yet it has slipped off the set list. I must try and restore it….it is a short song with a brief lyric but,for some some reason,I have difficulty in remembering the flow..time and time again I’ve stumbled when trying to sing it ….there are many lengthy wordy songs that are always remembered yet “Listen” has caught me out frequently..
Writing these few words suggests a reason…perhaps I become mesmerised and transfixed by Hank Wedell’s beautiful sonnet
“Listen to the whisper of Moonlight on the water
close your eyes and listen
Listen to the singing of a feather on the breeze
close your eyes and listen
Listen……………………….
Listen to the harmony of heartbeats in unison
close your eyes and listen
Listen to the rhythm of souls dancing round the stars
close your eyes and listen
Listen……………Listen……..
Listen to the ringing of distant bells calling
Listen to the flutter of an angels wings on high
Listen to the rapping and the clapping and the buzzing
Listen to the snow fall gently on the Mining Town
close your eyes and listen
close your eyes and listen
Listen to the whisper of moonlight on the water
Listen to the singing of a feather on the breeze
Listen to prayers of children to their blessed mother
Listen to the pleading of the faithfull to their father
Listen…………………. Hank Wedel
I love these ethereal lines where we are invited to look at the source of, almost unimaginable, sounds…..the whisper of moonlight,the singing of a feather,harmony of heartbeats, flutter of an Angels wings on high….
my favourite line is
“Listen to the snow fall gently on the mining town”
I love the silence of the scene it evokes, wherever it may be.. ( Hank told me once, I chose to forget !)
I dont need to believe everything here, the lines are simply too beautiful to matter, I fervently believe in the rights of others to believe
unless, of course, they are crusading
Having spent the last 30 minutes with Hank’s song, I am now determined to sing it tonight in Dun Laoghaire
Hey Christy. Ive seen snow as black as coal , we all have if we open our eyes My self and my young son saw you in new ross you cried at the last song . The time has come too part my love ! Alfie saw it . God love you man. Love from Denaby and all the Bently wrecking crew . Tony Capstick says the same. Ride on.
I was double booked with Tony Capstick one night way back in
1969..’twas in West Hartlepool…we ended up lookin like a right pair of monkeys..lucky to get outa there alive we wuz…it was the night that Tony coined “Whisky is very good for removing warts..not from those drinking the whisky but from those they are looking at….