Well, it has been that time of year again, and I was off following Steph and Annie's footsteps to the Shrewsbury Festival. This year, I was able to take no less than five instruments to the weekend, thanks to a lift from a friend.
It rained. It REALLY rained on the Monday and today, when I left. It was so damp my bodhran skin was almost unplayable, and all of my strings needed tuning several times a day. Nevertheless, I played for about four hours a day every day, in between seeing some great performances. I now have sore fingertips, and it's back to work tomorrow. Anyone else get there?
Last night's session even had a young girl clog dancing on a board...
Comments
My Favorite
My favorite music festival occurred 45 years ago this month at White Lake, NY (Woodstock). It was about 72 hours of non stop music, rain and mud. But there was some drugs. The marijuana smoke was so thick you could get high just from breathing the air. Some of the songs I heard included "White Rabbit" (long version), "How Have You Been," "Helpless Hoping," "Freedom" and "Purple Haze." And the "Star Spangle Banner" was awesome.
shalimar
Glad and sad
Glad you got some 'musicking' in, sorry that the weather was adverse.
I hope it was a good break.
In appreciation,
Julia
Weather and getting wet
I was away for the weekend camping in North Norfolk (Cley-next-the-sea). Monday dawned wet and cold so I packed up and rode home.
I listened to my iPod on the journey. One of my favorite tracks on my playlist is Jefferson Starship, 'Ride the Tiger'. Well, I was riding a 'Tiger', a Triumph Tiger 1050 Motorcycle.
Despite industrial strength waterproofs I was just wet by the time I got home some 165+ miles later.
Seeing the other post here about Woodstock and Jefferson Airplane made me smile.
Samantha
Tiger
That's not a real Tiger! Mine was a T110 with a Morgo four-plug head in a slimline featherbed...
Any banjo players there?
*grins*
Banjo players
Loads. Including me a few times (tenor banjo).
Banjo players
Loads. Including me a few times (tenor banjo).
Leonard Podolak...
Terrific - and very funny with it.
A great time
My first ever festival (at 70!), and it was a great experience.
Thanks to Steph, and to those regulars with whom I went, I was more-or-less prepared for the logistics, even for the rain and the unseasonably cold nights. I was not prepared to be blown away by the music, the beer, the buzz, the music, the friendliness, the beer, and the incredible organisation. And the beer, of course.
Many thanks to Steph for winding me up to the point of taking the plunge - even if she didn't know that she was doing so.
Now to re-read Someting to Declare, Ride On, and Riding Home, again. (And no that is not ungrammatical, I am going to re-read again!)
Thanks again Steph.
Xi
As I said...
I tried to capture the essence of the festival, one comment from my guest was repeated over and over again through the weekend: "There's no 'attitude', no nastiness, no aggression!"
The organisation is superb, the acts generally well-chosen and very diverse, the food and beer great, if a little pricey, but then that is a festival. People are there for the buzz and the music, not to be seen at a fashionable place. I played in all the Tuneworks sessions, which are practices for beginners and 'improvers', and each time we gathered a crowd around us who applauded. There are activities for children which involved either music-making or learning a new skill, such as lantern-making. Most of all, it is about music.
Nobody who has read my work can have missed how important that is for me. Making music is wonderful. Making music with other musicians is amazing. Doing so surrounded by waht seems like thousands of kindred spirits is almost beyond description.