Paddy's Day approaches!

Subject: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: Mr Happy
Date: 11 Mar 14 - 09:12 AM

Me & chums aka Mr Happy & the Gloom Band have been asked to do a local gig next Monday, which coincidentally is Paddy's Day.

Consequently need to prepare some popular, sing along oirish stuff.

At our sesh yesterday, I tried out MacNamara's Band, When Irish eyes are smiling & Toora Loora [That's an Irish lullaby] & well down well.

None of these are Irish songs, rather faux-Irish.

Anybody got more faux-Irish stuff?

Subject: RE: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 11 Mar 14 - 10:49 AM

If I understand you right, you want to the names of songs people are likely to know, so you are not conducting a silent singalong and feeling like an idiot.

Of course, much depends on the age of the group. People age 70 are going to know a lot of Irish songs. People age 10, who have spent much of their conscious lives playing computer games, are not.

Anyway, how about:

Danny Boy
Molly Malone (cockles and mussels)?
the band played on
My wild irish rose
sweet rosie o'grady
who threw the overalls in mistress murphy's chowder
morning is broken

Another source is church music

Be Thou My Vision,aka Lord of All Hopefulness
Anything using "The Star of the County Down" - yes, it's not really Irish, but so what
anything using the tune 'Nettleton'
Gather Us In - sounds Irish enough

Subject: RE: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: Mr Happy
Date: 11 Mar 14 - 12:10 PM

Leeneia,

Thanks, yes there's a good number of faux/fake 'oirish' stuff there.

I'm really looking for items which aren't Irish at all [at all!] so as to be consistent with the 'celebration' of the day of Patrick who also wasn't Irish.

Subject: RE: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 11 Mar 14 - 12:30 PM

We can do without the "oirish" bit..I can at least. If it is Irish or Irish American/Australian/Canadian whatever it still can be loved by anyone..and if it was written by Jews or Germans it is still OK. Just sing what people like and don't make fun of it or of them for liking it.

Subject: RE: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: Mr Happy
Date: 11 Mar 14 - 01:13 PM

Ok, no laughing or smiling

Subject: RE: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: GUEST,CS
Date: 11 Mar 14 - 02:28 PM

If you put on a faux oirish accent and do anything remotely 'folkish' and upbeat, with a bit of fiddle, it should be swiftly applauded as Irish folk music.

How about Dirty Old Town, a la the Dubliners?

Subject: RE: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Mar 14 - 03:16 PM

How about "The Wild Rover".....a good sing alog chorus:
It's no, nay never, ( clap 4x)
no nay never no more
will I play the wild rover,
no never, no more

Galway Bay...the Tommy Makem version
and anything with a good singing chorus

Subject: RE: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 11 Mar 14 - 10:02 PM

I'm American, and I named songs that are well-known here. If you're not American, you might need a different list.

Are you going to do some dance tunes, too? People like an exciting jig or reel, preferably with a sexy minor tonality.

Subject: RE: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 11 Mar 14 - 10:16 PM

i'm at the Britannia inn , poole.
nice to see any passing mudcatters.

Subject: RE: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: Mr Happy
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 06:35 AM

To all readers etc, let me make it clear that it's not my intention to poke fun at anyone, but instead of strictly sticking to actual Irish folksongs, which outside of the folkscene, scarcely anyone knows, I want to gather a number of pieces which are assumed to be or sound Irish, so that gen pub won't feel alienated & gain comfort from what's familiar & with which they can join in

Subject: RE: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: GUEST,dáithí
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 07:35 AM

I'll be playign 4 gigs over the weekend - one to a sit down paying audience and the others to a mixed bag of pub venues.the younger -and folk-unaware tend to like The Pogues, plus some sing along stuff you'd be surprised that they would know - Black Velvet Band, Athenry, Irish Rover, Dicey Riley, Belle of Belfast City, Ride On...

But they LOVE fast reels and the like.

Although they don't know the music, on Paddy's night they're looking for an Irish feel - so tend to like stuff they can clap, stamp and have a bit of a dance to.
D

Subject: RE: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: Mr Happy
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 09:15 AM

Dáithí,

Good luck with your gigs.

Our Paddy's thing's a little unusual 'cos its on during the day, not at night.

Details here:

Hi all.
For those who might not have heard, there is a special St Patricks Day session next Monday at the St Werburgh's Parish Centre on Brook Street, Chester

http://www.stwerburghchester.co.uk/more-about-st-werburgh's/parish-centre.aspx



Guinness is £2.50 per pint and Mr Happy has been learning some special songs for the occasion.

Starting time is 2.00 pm.


Let me know if you are coming and I will try to get the big room if there are loads of you.
Jim

Subject: RE: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 10:45 AM

Wiki the list of songs attributed to Percy French! --- Mountains of Mourne, Pride of Petravore, Phil the Fluter's Ball, Come Back Paddy Reilly ··· contd p 94!

~M~

Subject: RE: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: cooperman
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 11:07 AM

Does the Ballad of Lidl and Aldi qualify? It's ace.

Subject: RE: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: mally
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 01:53 PM

Whats on in Hull over Paddy's weekend?

    Mally

Subject: RE: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 03:54 PM

well its in the nature of things really. Christmas gigs aren't all about Christianity. wedding gigs aren't all about the sanctity of marriage.

in the end its all about the audience, and if you're lucky -its a little bit about you.

Subject: RE: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: Leadfingers
Date: 12 Mar 14 - 06:16 PM

First Paddy's in twenty odd years we DONT have a Gig ! Percy French is always popular , and it always surprises me how 'Irish' McColl and such are on Pddy's night ! LOL
And you can always confuse them and announce 'The Irish Rover' and then NOT sing the 'Wld' one

Subject: RE: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 13 Mar 14 - 10:29 AM

This is a nice thread. I enjoy talking to people who actually play and sing, rather than just argue.

Mr. Happy, you might be interested in a tune I am hoping to see posted here. It's called 'The Charm Bracelet,' and I crafted it by asking myself how 'Believe Me, if all these Endearing Young Charms' would have sounded if it had been a dance tune. I think an audience would enjoy singing the song and then hearing the jig.

Subject: RE: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Mar 14 - 07:59 PM

Some of my favourites because they surprised me the most as not being irish are:
Song For Ireland -Phil Colclough (English)
It's A Long Way From Clare To Here - Ralph McTell (English)
Erin go bragh - Scottish
And the millions of Ewan Maccoll Songs we all call Irish songs:
Dirty Old Town, Thirty Foot Trailer, Freeborn man, Go Move Shift

Subject: RE: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 13 Mar 14 - 09:15 PM

the late Dusty Springfield used to say - being Irish is just a state of mind.....

Subject: RE: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: GUEST,Dáithí
Date: 14 Mar 14 - 07:32 AM

Thhanks Mr Happy!
One of our gigs will be daytime in fact - we'll be playing intermittently from around 1pm til 5pm (dancers arriving around 4pm..yikes!)
The venue is an Irish themed pub with half an hour of Gone to the Dogs(our band)followed by half an hour of recorded music from a DJ, then us playing live again and so on.
(Manager hoping to attract those who will be attending mass later!!)
Dáithí

Subject: RE: Paddy's Day approaches!
From: cooperman
Date: 14 Mar 14 - 07:55 AM

Will you be inviting any of the fathers there just now (in Mrs Doyle accent!)