First visit to Sandy Bell's

Subject: First visit to Sandy Bell's
From: Northerner
Date: 16 Apr 06 - 11:33 AM

Just come back from a short weekend in Edinburgh. Very good indeed.

Travelled up to Edinburgh on Friday and spent Friday evening in Sandy Bell's bar. This is a famous folk pub in Edinburgh. They have live music every night from local musicians. There's about 6-7 of them.   One young man playing fiddle was particularly good. There were about 3 other fiddlers. Playing with them were a guitarist, a bodhran player and a whistle/clarinet player. I asked if they minded my joining them and played along on my eggs (shakers).

Next day there was the storytelling workshop on props run by Ewan MacVicar. I brought along with me the topsy turvy doll that I had picked up in a charity shop. Ewan was quite interested to see it and we had quite a decent chat. His wife is also very friendly.

In the evening I went along to the ceilidh that he was hosting. There were some excellent singers! Donald Smith was also there and we had a little chat too. Both Donald and Ewan are very supportive storytellers. Donald is currently Director of the Scottish Storytelling Centre.

Apart from that I pottered up and down along the Royal Mile, Princes Street, and the Princes Street Gardens. The spring flowers are in full bloom now.

Very enjoyable weekend.

Subject: RE: First visit to Sandy Bell's
From: GUEST,Jack Campin
Date: 17 Apr 06 - 11:15 AM

The whistle/clarinet player was me (recorders, not whistles - I hardly ever play the whistle now).

The session I usually go to there is Sunday afternoon, when it's a lot quieter so we can try more musically ambitious things. Yesterday there was somebody with a trombone - on the Friday night he wouldn't have had the space to extend it. I had a cobza (Romanian folk lute) with me on Friday, but there was simply nowhere to put it, so it stayed in its bag. The place can sometimes feel like a victim of its own success.

Subject: RE: First visit to Sandy Bell's
From: Northerner
Date: 17 Apr 06 - 03:33 PM

Hello Jack! You're absolutely right - you were playing a green recorder (if I remember correctly), not a whistle. Please accept my apologies. I wasn't thinking too clearly maybe; am still recovering from a recent bereavement. Managed to get on the wrong train on my travels plus attempted to leave a cafe without paying my bill.

I was surfing the Net after I came back, for Sandy Bell's, and came across your website. Hey, I thought, that gentleman looks very familiar - I was sitting next to him at Sandy Bell's. I noticed that you came from Nitten. I know Nitten too! My grandparents and my aunt lived there. My mother was born nearby in Easthouses. I was actually christened there. My father and sister were born in Edinburgh. I have a distant cousin, Barbara Stirling, who still lives there.

I was up for the weekend. I am learning how to be a storyteller. We don't have any storytellers in Middlesbrough so I pack a little case occasionally and go away (Newcastle or Edinburgh generally) for a couple of days to a festival or workshop. This time I was attending a workshop run by Ewan MacVicar.

I'm also a singer. I'm not sure whether I'd want to sing at Sandy Bell's - there is quite a lot of background noise. If you know somewhere in the Edinburgh area where they like floorsingers I'd be very pleased to hear about it. I aim to be up a few more times. Thank you.

It was a pleasure playing with you.

Diane

Subject: RE: First visit to Sandy Bell's
From: Northerner
Date: 17 Apr 06 - 03:58 PM

Oops! Ewan's surname is McVicar not MacVicar.

Subject: RE: First visit to Sandy Bell's
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Apr 06 - 04:13 PM

Subject: RE: First visit to Sandy Bell's
From: GUEST,Jack Campin
Date: 17 Apr 06 - 04:19 PM

Aaargh - it's too easy to create an empty message here.

We often have singers on Sunday afternoons at Bell's. People try at the Antiquary in Stockbridge on Thursday nights but it can be very noisy. You get absolute rapt silence at Stagg's in Musselburgh (first Monday night of the month) since we use a back room and there aren't usually many non-musicians there.

I've hardly ever heard a storyteller do anything at an instrumental/singing session. Stories would have to be short for it to work, but I don't see why not.

Subject: RE: First visit to Sandy Bell's
From: Northerner
Date: 17 Apr 06 - 04:36 PM

Thank you Jack. I'll make a note of those details. Not sure when I'll be up next. I's certainly like to come and try telling a story at the Guid Crack Club (think that's what it's called) - that's at the Waverley. The storytellers in Edinburgh at the Scottish Storytelling Centre have heard me tell stories but have not heard me sing yet. I used to sing when I was younger but stopped when I had a serious illness (recovered thanks to surgery). Restarted singing in January. When I come up again I will be looking for one or two folk clubs/pubs to visit at the same time.

My stories last for about the length of 2 songs. Or at least that is what I'm aiming for. There isn't a storytelling circle in Middlesbrough so I use the local folk clubs instead as a venue for my stories.

I am also developing as a musician but that's slow work. I am having guitar lessons but that goes at a very, very slow pace. I also play the djembe - I am in a local drumming circle - we go aout and play gigs.

Subject: RE: First visit to Sandy Bell's
From: Maryrrf
Date: 17 Apr 06 - 04:47 PM

You could try booking a spot at the Wee Folk Club in Edinburgh. It's small (as its name implies) but very friendly and meets once a week. Last time I checked they were at The Royal Oak which is not far from the Royal Mile.

Subject: RE: First visit to Sandy Bell's
From: Northerner
Date: 17 Apr 06 - 04:52 PM

Thank you Mary. But do they use amateur's? I visited them early this month but the two acts on were not amateur - they were booked acts. There was the main act and a support act. I'm at amateur level at the moment. The quality of my singing is good - I simply don't have a large enough repertoire yet.

Subject: RE: First visit to Sandy Bell's
From: Maryrrf
Date: 17 Apr 06 - 05:28 PM

Well, I was there a couple of years ago and they had two floor singers who came on before the main act. I'm not sure if they were professionals or not (come to think of it I think one was, not sure about the other). But it wouldn't hurt to give Paddy Ehbort a call or drop him an e-mail (I think they have a website but am at work and can't research it - try a google)explaining your situation - and maybe make a simple demo to send out. If you're only doing one or two songs it wouldn't matter how big your repertoire was, as long as you sang those couple of songs well.

Subject: RE: First visit to Sandy Bell's
From: Northerner
Date: 17 Apr 06 - 05:52 PM

Thank you Mary. I'm not yet at the demo stage, however. For the clubs that I go to in my own area floor singers just turn up and ask the MC if they can sing. That system works well, apart from the times when there are too many singers.

I'll invesigate nearer the time when I'm coming up again.

Subject: RE: First visit to Sandy Bell's
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Apr 06 - 06:21 PM

Northerner, when you're in Edinburgh are you still a Northerner? or do you mean a Northern English woman?

Subject: RE: First visit to Sandy Bell's
From: Northerner
Date: 17 Apr 06 - 06:26 PM

I'm still a Northerner! I never ever call myself English. My parents were both Scots!

Subject: RE: First visit to Sandy Bell's
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 18 Apr 06 - 12:04 PM

I found Sandy Bells on my second visit to Edinburgh - The first time I went I was too knackered from my visit to T in the Park at Kinross to look for any more music!

Fabulous place for music and a wee dram:-)

I am still a Northerner when I visit btw - Just not as Northern as I usualy am. I am English as well even though my Dad is Polish and my mother 1/2 Welsh. My favourite music does lean towards that from North of the border though - As does my favourite tipple!

I hope to visit again soon.

Cheers

Dt

Subject: RE: First visit to Sandy Bell's
From: Northerner
Date: 18 Apr 06 - 12:20 PM

Hi Dave! Sandy Bell's obviously has a lot of visitors. Did you get to the Royal Oak also? Another good folk pub.