Hoot Etiquette

Subject: RE: Hoot Etiquette
From: wysiwyg
Date: 02 Sep 03 - 11:06 PM

Most people I know would have made the other choice!

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: Deckman
Date: 02 Sep 03 - 10:21 PM

"S" ... too funny!

On many occasions I have been assigned the duty. I well remember one fellow, a nice guy really, but he just had to play his out of tune and loud 12 string with everyone! I mean, with EVERYONE. After subtle hints and suggestions didn't work, I took him into the kitchen and tried to explain, gently, that his constant twanging away was getting on everyone's nerves. It was like talking to a brick wall. When we returned to the living room, within two songs, he was banging away again.

This time, I just walked over, took his guitar from his hands and said, "follow me." We walked into the bathroom, I shut the door, and told him, you're gonna do one of two things: "Put your guitar down for an hour or I'm going to lock you in here and you can play with yourself!"

He appologised and joined the hoot again, and was fine after that. Some guys are just slow learners! Bob

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: wysiwyg
Date: 02 Sep 03 - 09:45 PM

We employ a bean-eater to act as disciplinarian at our hoots. Proper hosters' hootiquette is to catch the eye of the designated discreet disciplinarian and nod him/her over to stand next to the ignoramus for a couple of tunes, till the-afore-mentioned ignoramus is motivated to case the instrument and go out for fresh air. On occasion the d.d.d. cannot attend so I have to do the job myself.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: Deckman
Date: 02 Sep 03 - 06:36 PM

This theme of hoot etiquette brings up another huge question: Who enforces the rules? One would assume that the person hosting the hoot is also the "bouncer." However, it's been my experience that this doesn't always work. I've been "burned" at many gatherings over the years where it would appear to be perfectly legimate for the hoot hoster to simply take an offending particpant out in the back yard and educate him. That sometimes happens, but not always. Any thoughts? CHEERS, Bob (nice to hear from you Rick)

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 02 Sep 03 - 06:14 PM

Understand from the git-go that if you have an opinion on this......

YOU'VE ALREADY LOST!!

because:

If you ask someone to get in tune, you get accused (behind yer back) of wanting people to be "PROFESSIONAL" (a very dirty word)

If you ask the really bad musicians NOT to play along, you get accused (behind your back) of being a snob (or twenty other similar words)

If you just go along with the standard flow, you start believing the old addage "Pete Seeger taught the world to sing....and should never be forgiven for it"!

If ya really wanna have fun playing, invite yer friends who are total blinkered folk nurds who follow the etiquette. Ya don't have to socialize with them!!! Ha ha!

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: Deckman
Date: 02 Sep 03 - 05:57 PM

It shall be permissable to hide the instrument of the most offensive player at the hoot. This is best done while he is out of the room. Bob

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: Deckman
Date: 02 Sep 03 - 05:38 PM

Don ... I think that started to happen to you Saturday night! Bob

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 02 Sep 03 - 05:27 PM

Don Firth: Hear, hear!!!!

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: Don Firth
Date: 02 Sep 03 - 05:20 PM

16. When an older singer who's been at it for many years and can play the guitar quite well for themselves, thank you very much, sets his or her instrument aside and begins to sing a Child ballad or any other song a capella, anyone who begins to accompany this singer with any instrument whatsoever shall have a wire cutter applied to his or her strings and will receive at least one dope-slap from everyone else who is present.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: Bill D
Date: 02 Sep 03 - 10:54 AM

hmmm...well, a bad, two-finger typist might have hit almost anything...

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: Amos
Date: 02 Sep 03 - 10:44 AM

Bill,

The tab key will activate the Submit button, in my experience.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: Bill D
Date: 02 Sep 03 - 10:08 AM

I did NOT hit 'submit! I didn't!

14. If the dead air at the end of a song exceeds 2.4 seconds, you may start another one, even if you recently sang 14 in a row...(If you have ever made a record or CD, you may decrease this to 1.6 seconds).

15. #14 does not apply if someone has a fascinating bit of 'historical' background to the song just sung.

15a. If this is the 27th time you have heard this fascinating bit of historical background, it is permissable to throw copies of that bluse book at them.

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: Bill D
Date: 02 Sep 03 - 09:58 AM

14.

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: Midchuck
Date: 02 Sep 03 - 09:44 AM

Too true. I didn't find out for many years that my kids knew all the words to "Charlotte the Harlot" when they were 10.

In the fall of her freshman year at college, my daughter was invited to a Rugby team dinner. They warned her that some off-color songs might be sung, and she shouldn't go if she was easily shocked.

She said she was shocked, by how many verses they left out, or had the lyrics to wrong. She said she spent all evening correcting them.

Peter.

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 02 Sep 03 - 09:01 AM

#6b - if you *should* sing 'roll you Leg Over' - don't let the children sing verses - as they will embarass the adults.

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: Rapparee
Date: 02 Sep 03 - 08:59 AM

13. If you can't get your instrument to fit into its case at the end of the evening, make sure that it's the proper case. Or that it's your instrument. Jumping and stamping on the instrument to make it fit isn't a Good Idea.

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: Deckman
Date: 02 Sep 03 - 06:08 AM

#12 ... While the sweetness of the thought is appreciated by everyone, at the conclusion of a particuliar romantic ballad, and you feel it necessary to charge across the room and give your lady a passionate kiss, make sure it is YOUR wife you are kissing. CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: GUEST,pdq
Date: 02 Sep 03 - 12:45 AM

I can sing "Cops of the World "after only one beer. It takes no coaxing at all to launch into "Love Me, I'm a Liberal", including the live intro "...one of the shadiest is the Liberal."

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: The O'Meara
Date: 01 Sep 03 - 11:28 PM

Too true. I didn't find out for many years that my kids knew all the words to "Charlotte the Harlot" when they were 10.

O'Meara

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Sep 03 - 11:17 PM

You can try to send the children to bed at what seems an appropriate time so you can start singing the "good" songs, but they WILL sit at the top of the stairs and listen to all of the singing late into the night!

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: GUEST,Claymore
Date: 01 Sep 03 - 11:12 PM

Call a tune that someone solo's on just as they leave the room to drain the lizard...

Use a bluegrass up-beat on your mando... during a jig.

And my personal implacable virulent malevolence goes to the bottom-feeding parlor quitar player who, when he realizes he can't keep up with the rhythm, plays the damned thing LOUDER.

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: Deckman
Date: 01 Sep 03 - 11:09 PM

#11 ... If at the end of a long and fatiguing hoot, you find that you cannot make your banjo fit into the accordian case, you may not, I repeat you MAY NOT invite the accordian player into the street to duke it out! Bob

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: Rapparee
Date: 01 Sep 03 - 10:40 PM

Well, let's see:

8. Don't force Republican's to join in "Cops of the World" until you get them drunk first.

9. When children are present and you sing "I'm a little teapot," be careful about what you point out is your "spout."

10. Beer is always in order.

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: Deckman
Date: 01 Sep 03 - 10:40 PM

Good grief Mary, that only took you three minutes! Bob

Subject: RE: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: mg
Date: 01 Sep 03 - 10:37 PM

take out your blue book and say turn to page 73 and wait until everyone has found page 73 and then wait some more.....

mg

Subject: BS: Hoot Etiquette
From: Deckman
Date: 01 Sep 03 - 10:34 PM

During last night's hoot, I observed that there really is a strict set of "rules" that prevail. I became so fascinated with the dynamics of the evening that I thought it would be educational to note some of these rules. This is NOT a complete list:

#1 ... You never pick up another person's guitar without asking permission. The same is true for his woman.

#2 ... If the song just sung was one that you REALLY wanted to sing first, you do not criticize his performance. You can, however, talk loudly through his next song.

#3 ... It is considered bad form to sing 19 songs in a row. However, it seems to be acceptable to sing 14 consecutive songs, unless there are other people in the room.

#4 ... If you are wearing the "Tune It Or Die" tee shirt, your guitar had better be in tune all night.

#5 ...If you insist on playing your plectrom banjo along with every song that is sung, you WILL be relegated to the accordian room. Remember - while it's true that accordians burn longer than banjos, it is also true that banjos DO burn.

#6 ... When children are still present, thirty eight verses of "Roll Your Leg Over The Man In The Moon" is NOT considered appropriate.

#7 ... When the cops come, the second time, it is not smart to sing "Go Down You Murders" at the top of your lungs.

Now Mudcatters, I'm sure that I missed a few of the "rules." So feel free to add to this all imortant list. CHEERS, Bob(deckman)Nelson