The Chieftains play
Saturday night I saw the Chieftains at the Surrey Fusion Festival. I would have gone just to say I'd seen them but, having seen some TV shows about The Chieftains, I knew I'd have a good time.
When I arrived after an hour's bus ride, The Halifax Wharf Rats were playing. They play at every Kilts Night but on the outdoor stage, they seemed to be even better than normal.
I grabbed some chicken and rice from the Phillipino tent, (it is a multicultural festival), which was very tasty.
I found it odd that at a concert for the most famous Celtic band in the world, (Paddy Maloney started The Chieftains 47 years ago), I was the only person I saw, outside of performers, wearing a kilt. (And received all the kilt flirts for the evening! Not two, or a few, or several, but ALL the flirts!)
The Chieftains show was amazing! It had all the appeal of Riverdance with the feel of a ceileigh. Aside from the Chieftains, (musical mastery, humour, and it looked like they were actually enjoying themselves), there was some great stepdancing, and some kids from a dance school doing Irish dancing who must surely remember the night for the rest of their lives.
There wasn't one part of the show that wasn't highly entertaining.
Near the start of the show, Paddy Maloney kicked a cameraman off the stage for blocking the view of the crowd. He asked him nicely the first two times, then got up and told him, "Get off the stage!"
John Lennon kicked Red Robinson off the stage when they played here in 1964. "Get off the fucking stage!"
16,000 people cheered when Chuck Berry stopped the show to let a young girl dance in the aisle when he played here in the eighties. "I said, let her dance!" (A security guard was making her sit down.)
Must be something in the water.
I didn't get to see The Beatles, but I saw Chuck Berry and B.B. King. And now I've seen The Chieftains. Three great performers with a lot of history.
I can remember each concert very clearly and they were three of the best concerts I've seen ... but The Chieftains put on the most entertaining show.
Somehow, The Chieftains made the concert personal. I'm trying to think of a way to describe what it felt like.
It was like a 12 year old, for the first time not being sent to bed on a Friday evening at his normal bedtime. He is sitting in a corner of the kitchen, drinking a root beer, watching the ceileigh, wide eyed, amazed at the talent, simultaneously feeling himself a spectator and part of it all.
And knowing that as much as he is enjoying the show, the real joy is is felt by the players.
The Chieftains didn't perform. They played. Like kids play ... just for fun. And it rubbed off on all the artists. And the audience.
A good band makes you want to hear them play. The Chieftains make you want to play.
When I arrived after an hour's bus ride, The Halifax Wharf Rats were playing. They play at every Kilts Night but on the outdoor stage, they seemed to be even better than normal.
I grabbed some chicken and rice from the Phillipino tent, (it is a multicultural festival), which was very tasty.
I found it odd that at a concert for the most famous Celtic band in the world, (Paddy Maloney started The Chieftains 47 years ago), I was the only person I saw, outside of performers, wearing a kilt. (And received all the kilt flirts for the evening! Not two, or a few, or several, but ALL the flirts!)
The Chieftains show was amazing! It had all the appeal of Riverdance with the feel of a ceileigh. Aside from the Chieftains, (musical mastery, humour, and it looked like they were actually enjoying themselves), there was some great stepdancing, and some kids from a dance school doing Irish dancing who must surely remember the night for the rest of their lives.
There wasn't one part of the show that wasn't highly entertaining.
Near the start of the show, Paddy Maloney kicked a cameraman off the stage for blocking the view of the crowd. He asked him nicely the first two times, then got up and told him, "Get off the stage!"
John Lennon kicked Red Robinson off the stage when they played here in 1964. "Get off the fucking stage!"
16,000 people cheered when Chuck Berry stopped the show to let a young girl dance in the aisle when he played here in the eighties. "I said, let her dance!" (A security guard was making her sit down.)
Must be something in the water.
I didn't get to see The Beatles, but I saw Chuck Berry and B.B. King. And now I've seen The Chieftains. Three great performers with a lot of history.
I can remember each concert very clearly and they were three of the best concerts I've seen ... but The Chieftains put on the most entertaining show.
Somehow, The Chieftains made the concert personal. I'm trying to think of a way to describe what it felt like.
It was like a 12 year old, for the first time not being sent to bed on a Friday evening at his normal bedtime. He is sitting in a corner of the kitchen, drinking a root beer, watching the ceileigh, wide eyed, amazed at the talent, simultaneously feeling himself a spectator and part of it all.
And knowing that as much as he is enjoying the show, the real joy is is felt by the players.
The Chieftains didn't perform. They played. Like kids play ... just for fun. And it rubbed off on all the artists. And the audience.
A good band makes you want to hear them play. The Chieftains make you want to play.
