Long, long ago, in a session or singaround (might even have been a concert), the usual foot-stampers,hand-clappers, spoons-players, bones players and bodhran wannabes playing their beer mugs were all present. Then someone made the following announcement," The next song/tune is in 7/4 (or something equally odd)- don't try to accompany it 'cos you'll end up spastic!".....talk about rhythmic frustration.....
What irritates me in sessions? Guitarists (yes,I know I'm one). Those of an irish/celtic music persuasion all seem to be frustrated heavy metal guitarists. This is fine when confined to their groups, but two or more often don't quite gel together. On top of this they haven't mastered the art of playing quietly when necessary and actually listening to tunes they don't know. There is also the clique status of many sessions, again mostly irish, where the current irish 'top ten' will be fiddled,banjoed and bodhraned at breakneck speed and where all attempts to play anything other than the 'hits' are mercilessly and arrogantly ignored and steamrollered into silence.

Don