Ceilidh Band wins Race Case

03 Jul 02 - 05:54 AM (#741262)
Subject: Ceilidh Band wins Race Case
From: Mikey joe

Ceilidh band wins race case
JOHN INNES

A CEILIDH band was refused payment because its musicians were told their music was not "Scottish enough".

The four-man group, Ceilidh On the Breinnh, featured two dance-callers with strong English accents, and its members believe that was the reason a hotel decided to slash its fee for a Hogmanay booking, rather than because they weren't good enough.

The group hit back by claiming they had been the victims of racism and sued. Now they have won their full £800 fee from the Bancar Hotel at Lonmay, Aberdeenshire.

Hotel officials had offered them just £300 for working Hogmanay, arguing that they had not played traditional ceilidh music.

Art Dickinson, the band's leader, said: "It was a terrible night for us. It truly was the gig from hell. It was the only time we have experienced anything like that.

"All four of us had absolutely no doubt that the motivation for the audience reaction was racism. They felt offended at English accents at their Hogmanay dance.

"I have been playing in ceilidh bands for 20 years and nothing like this has ever happened before."

The group won their claim at a lengthy hearing at Peterhead Sheriff Court, where Sheriff Malcolm Garden found in their favour.

Tina Gibbons, the Bancar Hotel manager, herself a Yorkshirewoman, said yesterday that the band had met with a hostile reaction from the crowd when they began performing.

She said: "We had to respond to the complaints made by our customers. Some left within the first half houCeilidh band wins race case

JOHN INNES

A CEILIDH band was refused payment because its musicians were told their music was not "Scottish enough".

The four-man group, Ceilidh On the Breinnh, featured two dance-callers with strong English accents, and its members believe that was the reason a hotel decided to slash its fee for a Hogmanay booking, rather than because they weren't good enough.

The group hit back by claiming they had been the victims of racism and sued. Now they have won their full £800 fee from the Bancar Hotel at Lonmay, Aberdeenshire.

Hotel officials had offered them just £300 for working Hogmanay, arguing that they had not played traditional ceilidh music.

Art Dickinson, the band's leader, said: "It was a terrible night for us. It truly was the gig from hell. It was the only time we have experienced anything like that.

"All four of us had absolutely no doubt that the motivation for the audience reaction was racism. They felt offended at English accents at their Hogmanay dance.

"I have been playing in ceilidh bands for 20 years and nothing like this has ever happened before."

The group won their claim at a lengthy hearing at Peterhead Sheriff Court, where Sheriff Malcolm Garden found in their favour.

Tina Gibbons, the Bancar Hotel manager, herself a Yorkshirewoman, said yesterday that the band had met with a hostile reaction from the crowd when they began performing.

She said: "We had to respond to the complaints made by our customers. Some left within the first half hour. People asked for their money back. But they have won their case and that is the end of the matter."

Asked for her reaction to the claim of racism, the hotelier said: "That is not something I want to get into."

r. People asked for their money back. But they have won their case and that is the end of the matter."

Asked for her reaction to the claim of racism, the hotelier said: "That is not something I want to get into."

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03 Jul 02 - 08:37 AM (#741343)
Subject: RE: Ceilidh Band wins Race Case
From: Mikey joe

sorry about the repeat. from todays Scotsman

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03 Jul 02 - 09:28 AM (#741377)
Subject: RE: Ceilidh Band wins Race Case
From: GUEST,IanB at work

The Times reports that they started with the Gay Gordons, Strip the Willow, Dashing White Sergeant, Eightsome Reel, and piped in the new year, as well!

But it didn't mention that the hotel owner was English, which adds a fascinating dimension.

- ian B

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03 Jul 02 - 09:31 AM (#741382)
Subject: RE: Ceilidh Band wins Race Case
From: GUEST

As far as I am aware, both English and Scottish are members of the same race...

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03 Jul 02 - 09:50 AM (#741393)
Subject: RE: Ceilidh Band wins Race Case
From: greg stephens

What's an fu Mj? Sounds a great insult and I want to know when to use it.

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03 Jul 02 - 09:54 AM (#741396)
Subject: RE: Ceilidh Band wins Race Case
From: GUEST,Mj

sorry Greg I meant to write fu*kwit but being the fu*kwit I am i messed it up.

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03 Jul 02 - 10:04 AM (#741407)
Subject: RE: Ceilidh Band wins Race Case
From: GUEST,IanB,at work

Hey, I'm not a real Guest, either!

This story about the ceilidh band reminds me that in the World Cup year of - oh, was it '78 or '82 that was the Ally's Army year? - I was playing in a cabaret band around Scotland. Every bloody night we played "we're on the road wi' Ally's Army!", and it was plainly obvious to everybody that one of the trio (me) had a broad London accent!!!!

-Ian B

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03 Jul 02 - 10:21 AM (#741417)
Subject: RE: Ceilidh Band wins Race Case
From: Mrrzy

Yes, and I have to join in with disliking the use of "racism" to mean other isms. Not Scottish enough is certainly an ism of some kind, but coming from the English racism isn't the word that springs to my mind. How about bigotry?

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04 Jul 02 - 02:16 AM (#741989)
Subject: RE: Ceilidh Band wins Race Case
From: GUEST,Sarah

Played in a band a long time ago where two members were Scottish and two (including me) were not. As most of the material at the time was Scots I remember being told by the Scots box player that we had to keep our mouths shut on stage so no-one would know that we were English. I have never forgotten this as it annoyed me so much. Who cares what you sound like as long as the music is good!

Cheers Sarah

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04 Jul 02 - 02:33 AM (#741990)
Subject: RE: Ceilidh Band wins Race Case
From: mooman

I find this particularly interesting as I played in a Scottish ceili band for several years. I am Irish by nationality but have a strong English accent having grown up in Sarf Lunnun. Most of our gigs were for the various Scottish and Caledonian societies and associations, clubs or dancers here in Belgium, including many Burn's Nights and Hogmanays but I never once came across anything like this!

I'm very glad they won their case but won't be playing at that particular hotel at any time in the future now I'm warned!

Regards,

mooman

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04 Jul 02 - 04:25 AM (#742009)
Subject: RE: Ceilidh Band wins Race Case
From: Mikey joe

I'm Irish living in Scotland. I'm delighted that they won their case and would certainly boycott this hotel in the future. Mrzzy I certainly would regard it as racism. I would regard the English as a different race to the Scots. Not inferior or superior just different. And IMHO if the band were discriminated on the basis they had English members then this is racism. They were not discriminated on the colour of their hair [bloody gingers!! ;-)]

Mj

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04 Jul 02 - 05:05 AM (#742017)
Subject: RE: Ceilidh Band wins Race Case
From: GUEST,Davetnova

What puzzles me is that this band had played at that hotel before and apparently went down a storm. The crowd on this night apparently wanted a White Heather Club band and the Manager seems to have tried to blame her mistake in booking the wrong (musically) type of band. I'd have wanted damages as well as my fee.

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