Members unichord Posted September 28, 2005 Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 Been playing a bunch of them lately. Basically bars that are built in Ireland, disassembled and shipped - then re-assembled in Chicago. GREAT places - lots of fun. Lots of singing along by the audience. Any song suggestions? I'm a bit new to the Irish pub scene.......the only thing I know about the Irish are that most of my family are Irish Cops in Chicago..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JBJ Posted September 28, 2005 Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 Originally posted by unichord Been playing a bunch of them lately. Basically bars that are built in Ireland, disassembled and shipped - then re-assembled in Chicago. do you actually believe that? most irish pubs are as irish as walkabout is like an aussie pub. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members unichord Posted September 28, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 Beats me. That's what they said. They ARE different than a typical club.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JBJ Posted September 28, 2005 Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 people say alot of things, looking at it rationally, what's more likely: they bought a premises or built one and turned it into an irish pub.... or....................................... they bought an actual irish pub, took it apart, shipped it to the US and rebuilt it there....... seriously man. but I'm intriguied as to how it differs from other irish pubs:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members srsfallriver Posted September 28, 2005 Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 There are very similar places in Boston and Providence (and throughout New England). I've played a few. Irish songs don't really go over. What you need are pop/folk songs that the crowd can join in with. Sweet Caroline always worked well. Brown Eyed Girl worked too. I never tried it, but I'd bet that Unicorn tune would work great in an Irish bar. Basically anything fun that can include the drunkards! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members brassic Posted September 28, 2005 Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 Where I'm from (crappy town in Pennsylvania) most of the Irish* in the area consider anything off the Committments soundtrack to be good "Irish" drinking songs. I'm not kidding. *mostly 3rd-generation Irish-Americans who've never left PA, let alone been anywhere near Ireland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Edward Posted September 28, 2005 Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 Originally posted by JBJ do you actually believe that? most irish pubs are as irish as walkabout is like an aussie pub. Most "Irish" Americans are "Irish" because their grandmother ate a potato once. I just wish they'd be as keen to throw money at me as so many of them were to give it to those bastards Noraid for so long... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Edward Posted September 28, 2005 Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 Originally posted by brassic Where I'm from (crappy town in Pennsylvania) most of the Irish* in the area consider anything off the Committments soundtrack to be good "Irish" drinking songs. I'm not kidding. *mostly 3rd-generation Irish-Americans who've never left PA, let alone been anywhere near Ireland. You ever tried Waxy O'Connors, off leicester Square? Hell, couple friends of mine insisted we go their some years ago when i was new in London. A "round" consisting a double Bushmills and one of those ghastly American bottled beers (Miller or some similar piss) was around Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members brassic Posted September 28, 2005 Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 Originally posted by Edward You ever tried Waxy O'Connors, off leicester Square? Oh sweet Jesus. Yes. Judging by the decor, apparently the Irish all live in caves too - the top floor has this weird crypt/mine shaft theme going on. What the hell is that all about? I thought it was cool when I first arrived in London - in 1994, as a student, when any place that I could drink in was automatically considered cool because I was not yet 21, I hasten to add. I wound up in there again a couple of years ago on one of those ill-conceived boozy lunches gone awry (which saw me wind up at the Borderline at about 2am, down on my knees, playing air guitar to "Paradise City" by Guns'n'Roses, but that's another story). Why oh why does it exist? And don't get me started on O'Neill's... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zookie Posted September 28, 2005 Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 I was basically raised in pubs around Boston and NYC. I graduated over time from the booth to the stool to the stage. American pubs are a study in self-deception. The patrons will tell you of their "Irishness" and then insult you when you play an Irish song. For many of these places, if you show up with an acoustic guitar, you'll be regarded by the crowd as a traditional performer. Doesn't matter if you only play Green Day covers. My advice is to check out a given venue and ask the booking person what's expected. There are a small number of places that do make pretenses to keeping the music of a particular time and place (One of the most appreciative audiences I've ever played for was in a pub in Cincinnati, Ohio this past summer). However, if you're already getting gigs without knowing a lot of Paddy Reilly or Saw Doctors songs, then you're fitting in with what that venue wants. If you want to donkey it up for a song or two, I'd suggest learning something like "Whiskey in the Jar". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cassius Posted September 28, 2005 Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 Originally posted by unichord Been playing a bunch of them lately. Basically bars that are built in Ireland, disassembled and shipped - then re-assembled in Chicago. Ahahahah. At least it sounds like you got the mick taken out of you by a true irishman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RupertB Posted September 28, 2005 Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 Outfitting American "Irish" pubs with "authentic" Irish nick-nacks & decorations has become a huge business. Yes, we love our illusions here. I play a couple of Irish-style pubs but mostly doing acoustic rock & pop material. Occasionally, we'll get a request and knock down "The Wild Rover" or "Seven Drunken Nights" but that doesn't happen often. Lace curtains = Irish Pub. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members unichord Posted September 28, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 Well, here's one of them. http://www.peggykinnanes.com/ The owner's family ran pubs in Ireland for years and helped him get this one going in the states. Funny you should mention the Commitments - out sets are similar at times - and yes - they did go over well..... I'm not pretending to be something we're not - but if there are specific songs that are recommended - we'll learn them. It was strange playing there - we were setup in a hallway basically - facing a wall about 10 ' away.......We could only see a small part of the audience - most were in the other rooms....but they seemed to have a good time. Alot more singing along than I normally see. Hence the question. Besides the lace, I noticed the places are broken up into different "rooms" that are connected by a long bar. Lots of stained and etched glass - many dividers and booths. As you might expect - an irish menu - and imported beers. Very different from the typical american sportsbar/dive.....but I like it too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Locke Posted September 28, 2005 Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 Originally posted by Edward Most "Irish" Americans are "Irish" because their grandmother ate a potato once. Anyhow, "Laura" by Flogging Molly is pretty cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members unichord Posted September 28, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 Originally posted by Cassius Ahahahah. At least it sounds like you got the mick taken out of you by a true irishman. :D Quite possible! but - check this out: http://www.peggykinnanes.com/page.asp?issue=108 "Like many other fine Irish pubs, the walls of Peggy Kinnane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jackcheez Posted September 28, 2005 Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 A great Irish song is The Moonshiner. I'm a rambler, I'm a gamblerI'm a long way from homeAnd if you don't like me then leave me alone.I'll eat when I'm hungryI'll drink when I'm dryAnd if moonshine don't kill me I'll live till I die. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Edward Posted September 28, 2005 Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 Originally posted by brassic , down on my knees, playing air guitar to "Paradise City" by Guns'n'Roses, but that's another story). sounds like a wild night! Why oh why does it exist? And don't get me started on O'Neill's... Oh hell, yeah.... O'Neills, more plastic paddys than St Patrick's Day Parade in NYC..... AND they killed the WAG club to extend one of those.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Edward Posted September 28, 2005 Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 Originally posted by zookie Saw Doctors *Everybody* loves I Useta Love Her I was in one of their videos once... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zookie Posted September 28, 2005 Members Share Posted September 28, 2005 Originally posted by Edward *Everybody* loves I Useta Love Her I was in one of their videos once... I went to see them on their first tour here in the States. They had tons of energy and were lots of fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Edward Posted September 29, 2005 Members Share Posted September 29, 2005 Originally posted by zookie I went to see them on their first tour here in the States. They had tons of energy and were lots of fun. One of the best live acts around. I've not seen them since i moved to London, unfortunately - they're doing a gig here on 10 December, but i already said I'd go to a friend's birthday party....damn! Kinda hoping the party gets moved.... One of the best gigs i saw them do was an open air in Belfast, bout 1996, I think, and they had Sean O'Neill and euh.....the Undertones' Bassp layer, blanking on the name.... join them onstange for Teenage Kicks.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members spdolan Posted September 29, 2005 Members Share Posted September 29, 2005 Here in upstate NY I play with an Irish Folk band called Dooneen.We have 3 guitars, a female lead vocalist, and a bluegrass 'animal' who plays mandolin, dobro, and banjo depending on what the song calls for. We gig sporadically throughout the year, but concentrate mostly on the month of March, for obvious reasons. We have great crowds, who really get into singing along with the favorites (If I play Danny Boy one more time this year I'm gonna shoot somebody). The trick is to play the Wolfetones, the Chieftains, some Christy Moore tunes - theres a niche of people out there that loves the Irish folk songs. I've had as good of an experience playing the same material in a crappy converted college swinehole as in the fanciest old skool Irish pubs around. Bottom line, the venue does not make the gig. The material and presentation thereof makes it happen. Brown-Eyed Girl (hell, Van is Irish), Wild Nights, and throw in a little Dylan they know (You Aint Goin nowhere is a good one) and even the younguns will sing with you. The Unicorn, incidentally, is a staple of our show. And it goes over real big. Dolan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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