The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #130729 Message #2946268
Posted By: treewind
16-Jul-10 - 01:05 PM
Thread Name: A- Ceilidh a new genre?
Subject: RE: A- Ceilidh a new genre?
Let's not forget that one of the prototype bands of what became the E-ceilidh movement was Flowers and Frolics, and they used to play unamplified, even at the Sidmouth Late Night Extra. (I know this, I was there) They gave up on playing acoustically, because they just kept breaking melodeons. They were my one of my favourite bands, and I loved the sound they made and the way that could be so loud purely acoustically.
I agree that a huge band wouldn't be best to dance to because they would make a mush of sound without the required crispness of rhythm. Actually 20 players wouldn't be all that much louder than four or five, and certainly nowhere near the levels that you'd get with even moderate use of PA.
I like small bands though. I've done perfectly good village hall gigs with
melodeon and piano
and with melodeon, concertina and Sousaphone
No percussion, but amplified enough to be heard comfortably at the back of the hall.