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March 05 I discovered the worst sound in the worldOn Wednesday nights I have bagpipe practice at a hall in Newcombe and it was at practice last week that I found out that we had a gig with the Colac pipe band on Saturday and we had to meet at 11, which meant I had to take an hour off work and dash to Colac (where I had never been before) to play.
I got the time off without much hassel and on the day it seemed to be bloody hot, and I thought it was a clever idea to stay up half the night the night before so at 10 I was pretty tired but I attempted the dash regardless.
I ended up having to pull over by the side of the road for a short nap, but ten minutes of a power nap really made the difference and I got to the meeting point without much hassel.
Here in Geelong we have the Gala Day, which is a massive bloody march and is actually quite hard and we usually have at least one piper pull out during the event, but the Colac Karna parade is rather short by comparison so it was looking good, even though it was about 800 degrees celcius.
Ron couldn't make it to the gig so the Colac pipe major was in charge and he came up with a play list to keep us going the whole parade.
So at noon we lined up in our spot in the parade and we were looking pretty damn impressive. We had 13 pipers and a couple of drummers, so we had nice numbers and I got put on the outside rank since I was deemed a strong piper, which is always a plus in my books, especially since my pipes were playing nice and easy on the day.
We started the parade and belted out 'Green Hills of Tyrol' and 'The Battle's O'er' and went around the first turn.
Then for some unknown reason we just marched about 300 metres without playing a note. It was rather crap from my point of view. Who wants to go to a parade and watch a pipe band march with only a drum tap? Nobody I know. I took that time to wave to all the kids in the front rows, that was pretty good.
We then rounded the corner that had us on the main street and the pipe major started up with the first song he said we were meant to play, so we all started playing 'Bluebells of Scotland' and 'The Minstral Boy' and it all went well, out of the 13 pipers I think there was only one who didn't play, which is pretty decent.
After we played out those tunes we came to the area that was most congested with people by the side of the road and apparently the pipe major decided to change the play order and ordered 'Scotland the Brave' and 'The Badge of Scotland', but he doesn't have a strong voice and the order didn't even carry to four pipers away from him, and the result was the pipers closest to him playing 'Scotland the Brave' and 'The Badge of Scotland' and the other pipers playing 'Bonnie Galloway' and 'The Rowan Tree'. Both tunes are 4/4 timing so the drummers play a set beating to it and both tunes go for the same time, that was the biggest problem.
Since I don't play the 'Rowan Tree' I decided to sit this one out and march along without playing, and when I heard the sheer shitness of the sound of two different tunes being played at the same time I nearly vomitted. The pipe major didn't cancell the set, the drum major just kept marching and everyone except me was playing their hearts out without stopping and it was hideous.
After the march a few words were said, but I have never experienced a worse sound. And I listen to TISM.
We hung around in the heat for a while and played two more sets standing still and then we all went home. All up we were there for a couple of hours, and the place didn't look too bad, I wouldn't mind playing a few more gigs out in Colac. Apart from the hidous noise it was a really good playout.
Just wait until March 19th, for the Geelong Highland Gathering at Queen's Park. I expect to see you all there. February 05 Birthday bagpipingI'll own up to it now, bagpiping isn't the most thrilling topic of conversation for the tools in the non-piping community. Since I am indeed a piper, I quite enjoy talking about bagpipes and since this site is at least partially based around my bagpiping I can't think of a better place to tell everyone all about my great bagpiping.
Since it is now February and since it was also February on Friday it was time for me to start piping before the raffle at Irish Murphy's again, and I rushed there and arrived five minutes early just to find they were drawing the raffle six minutes earlier than usual, so, alas, I missed my gig.
For the benefit of the local piss heads, the guys in the corner egged me on until I got up and played after the raffle anyways.
After the first gig I met up with Nicole and had a meal. The Irish stew there is evil and will fill you up and then some. I love it.
After the meal Jibberish set up and started playing and there was a girl dancing like an absolute spastic, and from the first song. Every limb was constantly moving and no two limbs ever did the same movement, and strangely enough it was in time to the music. The best part was when John buggered up part of the lyrics of the song because even he was laughing at her. Classy.
Pete rocked up not long after the girl was politely escorted out of the pub by her boyfriend, presumably for ambarassment purposes. It was becoming more and more apparent that I would be going home early tonight and after Rach arrived the decision was reached to go back to Pete and Rach's and watch a DVD.
So the group got together and headed off with the exception of me. I had to go and get my pipes. I honestly tried to leave the pub, but they begged and pleaded for me to play some tunes. So I belted out a couple of quick tunes and went to leave and they physically blocked my way out and asked for more tunes.
In the end there were a couple of people dancing and even more tapping their feet to the beat. This went on until Pete came back in to see what was going on. To the crowds disappointment I left. To my disappointment nobody offered to buy me a beer.
That was the end of my bagpiping on Friday, but Saturday held even more piping for Geelong.
I was asked by Nancy at work to play happy birthday on the pipes for her sister's birthday and I agreed. So at 9:30 pm I was kilted up and at El Toro restaurant in town and I did a march through into the dining area playing happy birthday a few times and I presented a few gifts to her and then played happy birthday two more times so people could sing/yell along.
I then had to play a march on my way out of the place and did so successfully until some clown tried to lift up the back of my kilt, and then I started playing double time and left at a brisk pace, which got a few laughs.
That was all I was booked to do but the band for the night asked if I could do Long Way To The Top and I said I never had but I'll give it a go, and it was crap and a complete failure so I went home, but still, some other lady asked Nancy for my number so I could pipe at her wedding.
I am so famous. January 13 Stick this in your pipe.It's about time I gave you guys the piping news you've been dying for.
Firstly, the band is back in full swing. We had a joined practice with the Colac pipers on Wednesday and had a grand total of fourteen pipers belting out tunes and if the acoustics in the hall weren't shit it would have been quite impressive. Anyways, practice isn't the most exciting thing in the world and I wasn't feeling the best on the day so it was a bit of a standard event.
The following day had all the promises of the SBU (Special Bagpiper Unit), which is essentially a half dozen of the more experienced pipers in the band and me learning new tunes and other tricky stuff. I am about to start learning 'The Hellbound Train' with Neil and Andrew and I guess it is going to take more than a year to get the bloody thing anywhere near off the ground, but if it does get going it will be the most amazing thing you will ever hear.
For those of you who don't get to experience the pipes enough, make your way down to Partarlington on the 21st of this month to see Newtown Pipes and Drums' first playout for the year. We play this gig every year and it's good fun. We start at 12:00 and play while roving until 2:00 so I expect to see everyone there or there will be dire consequences.
The last bit of piping news is that I had my first training session with my apprentice. Apparently she doesn't like to be called my 'evil apprentice' but will gladly accept the title of 'good apprentice' even if I get another apprentice and title them evil and pit them in a fight to the death. Either way, I taught my first lesson and I rate it an 'S' for successfull. Meg is now on her way to playing scales both forwards and backwards. Simply put, as a teacher I kick some serious arse.
That's all the real bagpiping news this week. As always I will be at Irish Murphy's at 7:00 tonight with my trusty pipes in tow to belt out a tune or two for me faithful audience of the regular people who drink there regardless of my playing. October 18 Pooped from pipingSorry for the title. I am tired.
I had the Geelong Show to play at on Sunday. I can honestly say the gig would have been a greater personal success if I didn't go out drinking the night before. Not only did I piss away money that would have made life a lot easier, but I drank away all my sleeping time, and playing bagpipes while tired and drunk/hungover is not a skill I have mastered, although I will most likely keep trying.
I walked to the showgrounds and got there two hours early so I had a good old fashioned walk around the show ground until noon, which was the time we had to meet to tune up. At this stage I could not work out if I was drunk or hunover, either way, I was hating the sunlight. Warm up went OK, with the exception that none of my drones worked. Oh, my timing was out by a mile.
What I thought was going to be a one hour stint turned into a fairly bigger gig with LOTS of walking around. By the end of it my legs were in pain, my head was spinning and I was about ready to curl up under a tree and sleep, but instead I just went home.
One a less personal note, the gig was the second gig we shared with the Colac band this month and it went pretty good. We had a small crowd watching (and presumably listening too) for a lot of the time and there were only a few tunes that had someone sitting out. There was a lot of repeating tunes due to the fact that there aren't a lot of tunes that both Newtown and Colac play, but it was still good. Normally the same people don't hang around for the whole gig, so I would assume the new people wouldn't notice that we played some of the tunes earlier. I also imagine the average chop wouldn't recognise the same song twice after 20-30 minutes. October 14 Bunch of uncultured savages... yes, YOU!You will all be shocked and horrified to hear that something pissed me off. Well, that is a blatent lie. Things always piss me off, but this one especially since it can be stopped but there isn't too much I can do to stop it.
There was a sort of impromptu meeting at pipes this week were it seemed that the band looks like folding. What sucks about it is that it isn't from something like a huge debt and us having no money for insurance or venue rental or something REALLY essential, but moreso because we can't replace our numbers.
We have about 4 people willing to teach begginers. Of which two made it clear that they will probably not be involved for more than two years. They were both the drumming teachers, thereby giving a short amount of time to train a drum core up to fill numbers we don't have now or rely entirely on recruiting established drummers which is even harder to do.
In the pipe department we had our pipe major Ron who teaches for next to bloody nothing, but no one is showing up and I was getting the impression that he isn't willing to teach a plethora of new learners. It takes a fair bit of effort to train new pipers. It took me about two years to get to the point where I could teach myself ANY real tune with confidence and I still need to see Ron regularly to keep on track.
If any of you can count with any skill you will see that takes care of three people who are willing to teach, but I said there were four. The forth is me. Thats right. The newest person in the band to be able to play the full set of Great Highland Bagpipes and apart from Frank (one year my junior and still learning basics) the most junior piper by nearly twenty years.
Why isn't anyone else willing to teach anyone? We all sit around and say 'Geez, it's pretty bad that we can't replace our own numbers. Well it was good while it lasted' instead of doing something about it. I have given out about 300 fliers this year and brought a total of two learners along. Of those two, none attend practice and seem to have been a waste of effort. But I have spoken to one of them recently and they are still keen to learn so I know have permission to teach basics as long as they come to Ron every now and then to make sure I am teaching them right.
I am just really pissed that no one is doing anything. There's nothing I can do about the drummers but I'll be fucked if I won't do anything I can to get the pipe core going (even if I have to do it single handed).
There are too many people out there with Scottish (or at least Celtic) heritage who take no interest. Have some pride you mugs! Come learn the pipes, or even the drums if you feel so inclined to hit things.
Lessons are dirt cheap and learner equiptment will cost no more than $40. I think $36 was the last price I heard quoted. Try to start learning the guitar for that cheap.
Learn the pipes so I can stop whinging.
Learn the pipes so you can have an excuse to make load noises in the name of music.
Learn the pipes so you can walk down the streets making loud noise in a kilt and not get arrested.
Learn the pipes so you can come to band practice and have a good laugh while increasing your musical skills. Learn the pipes so you can continue a proud Celtic tradition.
Learn the pipes so you can have the privalidge of being able to hear the pipes in 50 years.
Learn the pipes so you can give something back to the community.
I had zero musical knowledge or abilty (and some will argue that I still don't... bastards). I have played in front of hundreds of people as a soloist and as a group and I am only in my third year of picking up the instrument.
It is not hard to learn, but no one is willing.
I may consider going mad on starting a one man bagpipe rampage.
LEARN THE PIPES YOU LAZY BUMS!
As a footnote I think it is worth pointing out that I am not mad at anyone so much as being annoyed at the fact that no one is taking an interest. It would be a true shame if one of the oldest pipe bands in Geelong folded due to lack of interest. October 09 A lot of hot airI told you that there would be an increase in the amount of piping news sent forth from this site and for once I was telling the truth.
I played my normal stint at the pub with a few minor exceptions this week.
I was meant to play a tune for Gary, who in turn was meant to wear his kilt, which in turn was meant to prompt me to wear my kilt. Sure enough I arrived kilted up and Gary was wearing pants. Typical, but it wasn't too bad, kilts are very comfortable.
I did have another special request for the night. The regulars who hang out at the corner of the bar (this gourp includes Rod who regularly threatens to slash the bag open) asked if I could start playing again when Tim started calling the raffle... so I did. It resulted in Timmy trying to yell over the top of the pipes until he gave up. That was the point in time that I decided to stop playing. The guys at the corner of the bar requested that I do it again next week with the addition of starting up for a third time when Tim thinks I have stopped after I already interrrupted him once. If this continues in such a pattern I imagine there aren't going to be many raffles and/or pipe gigs after a dozen weeks.
After the raffle a bunch of English guys asked for a few more tunes so I played for a bit more and they gave me $15. I told them they didn't have to pay, but they insisted so I happily took their money.
The excess playing resulted in my name being taken for a gig to play for some Scottish dancers in the comming weeks. I need to talk to the guy next week to sort it out a bit more, but it looks like I will get a bit more cash in my sporran just for playing the pipes. Easy money.
I had to play at the Geelong College fair this morning and it was tough work. The reed in my chanter was hard as a rock and my drones cut out on every tune, but I battled on, and right now the only thing I can do is play the pipes as much as possible to wear the new reed in.
There wasn't much noteworthy that happened in todays gig except that it was our first combined gig with the Colac pipe band since the highland gathering. The fat and skinny of the event was that we got rained on and played for about half an hour and then went home. Nothing thrilling, just a piss easy gig with a bloody hard reed.
That's all there is in regards of piping news. I have the Geelong Show next Sunday so expect another thrilling update after that. September 09 Pipes A-Hoy!Last night I had the job of piping for a bunch of grade twos from my old primary school.
Jack's mum signed me up for the job since the kids are doing the theme of 'Celt Fest' for their anual school performance.
This essentially meant I had to go to one rehearsal and one dress rehearsal and the actual gig. Easy enough.
The first rehearsal went pretty good. I gave blood the day before so I wasn't at top form since it iritated me arm a little, but it was all good.
The dress rehearsal was a different matter. I took a day off uni to go to it and despite the fact that when I checked my pipes right before I went on stage they decided to break themselves just as I needed to play. So the kids never got to do a full practice with the piper, which is a bit awkward since they wanted me to play some marching tunes at about 4 times the speed I normally play them at, which is a bit hard to do.
Well, on the night I went on stage and Christ almighty, there were about 500-600 people there. Thats heaps. I'm not a solo performer either. I normally have a whole band to hide behind, but there was no backing out now.
I was terrible. So many mistakes, and I couldn't pause for a second to get back on track. I simply went back to the bigging of the first song when I buggered up. Funnily enough, Jack seemed to be the only person who noticed this. Funnily enough, Jack is one of the biggest anti-pipers I know.
Anyway, I gave all the kids high fives one the way out and sat back and stayed to the end of the night. March 23 Pipe dayI was helping Martina move house earlier in the week and I heard some bagpipes coming from down the road, so I dashed out and ran down the street until I found where they were coming from and then quickly drove home and got my pipes, but by the time I got back they had stopped, so I didn't want to go bashing on the door to ask to see the resident piper, so I just went back to Mart's place. I was around at Mart's again on monday and I managed to catch up with the piper. We had a quick chat and I learnt that her name was Brooke and she played in Geelong RSL pipes and drums, and we arranged to have a bit of a jam. I rocked up there today to find that not only is Brooke a piper, but her brother is also a piper and her dad just starting on the chanter. So Brooke, her brother (whose name escapes me) and I had a play for about half an hour. It was pretty good. I had to head out to the hall for my proper practice but not many people had showed up, so Ron and I went over all the tunes I was learning and then started on Auld Lang Syne, which doesn't seem that hard and it probably won't be too long before I get it up and running. Not much else happened today. |
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