A few moments....

[LeeAnn]

I can't recall most, and some will remain quiet...but below are a few highlights or lowlights that I could recall this morning:




Sky Harbor Airport—Checking in to leave, everyone was there except Mark & Mary. We waited outside as long as we possibly could before heading inside to check in. We checked in and lingered in the American Airlines area nervously pacing, wondering, ringing….almost time to head to the gate for boarding and still no Mark & Mary. Just as we all collectively decided they were adults and could get themselves to Chicago for our connecting flight, I had inspiration to ask the check in lady if they were checked in already since they were on our same tickets---they did, in fact they were way earlier than the rest of us and already at the gate. Huge sigh of relief.

Mark at Security checkpoints---nearly every security checkpoint we went through, Mark was tagged because of all the carry on stuff he had. Evidently, sax’s, flutes, whistles, harmonica’s etc. can look very suspicious in an x-ray. Poor Mark was undressed and frisked and had his bags rifled at every turn.

Poor Steve dropped his laptop during one security checkpoint and cracked the edge of the plastic. All was well though when he powered it up and it still worked fine.

Liam’s legs set off the security alarm at one airport—forgot which but they practically undressed him in public before discovering all the scars from his surgery and bought the fact that it was all the metal in his legs.

Caravaning 4 tiny cars packed with 12 extremely tired people out of Dublin Airport was a trip. From my point of view in the rear view mirror, Mark was the most amusing. He was so intent of sticking right on the arse of our car—he’d run lights, drive over medians or whatever it took to stay there and not lose us. Jenny came up with a very funny analogy of each of our driving habits at the end of the trip after 2 weeks of following each other.

Arriving at our local pub (the silver granite) for a welcome pint before everyone headed off to their respective homes the morning of arrival----only to learn it was so early (we had no concept of time at that point) they weren’t officially open yet. They let us in and served us anyway. So yes, pints of Guinness and Cider at 10 in the morning was a classic way of celebrating a safe arrival.

Arriving after a nap in Dublin city Centre the first day for balconyTV shoot was one thing—but climbing up 10 flights of stairs carrying amps and instruments was another. Was fun in retrospect after we all got our breath back.


After assuring a friend we didn’t need to bring our bass amp or drum kit down from Kilkenny to Clonmel for the contest, we arrived to learn there was no bass amp or drums supplied (even after telling us they would be supplied.) The sound man ran out to find us a bass amp and could only find a snare drum. So poor Roy had one drum and had them rig a mic on the floor so he could stomp his foot near it to make it sound like a kick drum.

Chinese take-a-way for 12 in the backstage green room at the Clonmel theatre was oddly normal.

We almost drove away from Clonmel without Judy. It was when we were all in our cars, backing out of the car park that someone suddenly asked---where’s Judy? Fitz owned up that he forgot to tell us she stopped to run to the loo.


I have a fuzzy memory of 5 of us huddled around my laptop in our hotel room in Kilkenny listening to the streamed broadcast of the lads on the radio.

Sound check in Kilkenny---lasted 5 hours which screwed up a ton of sightseeing time and frazzled what little patience most of us had. Much of the gear was broken or blown so we whittled it down, tried, retried and finally ended up doing the show with a single working speaker.

Patricia saved the night in Kilkenny by dressing in her shortest skirt and collecting donations at the door. She did such a great job we had enough to pay for the broken PA system rental and had a little left over.

MAYO

The drive to Mayo was pretty uneventful—the highlights, stopping every other town for someone (namless) to pee and driving through a massive hail storm after dark on the most twisted roads of the drive. At the point, all we could do is laugh as we plowed through the single lane road at 5 mph on a layer of sleet on the ground. (pictures of a sleet covered car is in on the blog in one of the slideshows).

Day by day, one by one—it was evident when we reached Mayo that each band member and members of our entourage were coming down with the same strep throat type illness. At one point both Tim and Mark totally lost their voices.
LeeAnn’s supply of Mexican Amoxicillin became the most sought after item of the entire trip.

Mary’s experience with an Irish clothes washer wasn’t so successful. She had to do hers first, on the first night since they were heading off to a hotel the next day. Watching her wring the water out of each piece before placing them on the radiators to dry was almost sad. By day 3, the rest of us figured out how to manipulate the evil washer to include a spin cycle.

Morning 2 in Mayo—got up to light the fire and realized Mary (who had been sleeping in the living room but since left for her hotel with Mark) had burned not only half our supply of turf, but all our kindling, fire starting wood and nearly everything she could get her hands on. Kent cut up some cardboard and burned some paper trash to try to get the fire going that morning---needless to say, our first stop that day was to replenish the fire starting supply.

Watching the locals eyeball us as 15 of us burst through the door of a small country pub in Louisburg with instruments—was surreal. They remained quietly whispering and peering our way up until the first note was played in our fireside session—then we became their best friends and they actually turned off the radio & telly. A few locals joined in and the rest is a blur of Guinness, singing and camera flashes. GREAT night!

Trying to tip toe to the tea kettle in the mornings was rough considering 3 people were actually sleeping in the kitchen.

Snore talk actually replaced the usual morning fare as the days wore on. Instead of planning the days itinerary, who snored, who kept who awake at night became the usual over breakfast conversation.

Leixlip

First night in the Courtyard hotel—I was out on the patio having a smoke and a woman approached me, this is basically how the conversation went:

Woman: So you’re with the band
Me: yes
woman: They sound great, what a fun band
me: thanks
woman: They have the best backing tracks I’ve heard
me: there are no backing tracks
woman: wtf??!!!
Me: we don’t use backing tracks—it’s all live and being played.
Woman: no fookin’way! They’re actually playing that stuff??!
Me: yes
Woman: I don’t believe it, nobody can play that well live.
Me: (smile) go watch them again.

Later that night, same woman, same patio

Woman: if I hadn’t heard it with my own ears, I wouldn’t believe it. WTF you lot doing playing in pubs??!


Second night: Courtyard hotel, crowd grew—many repeat customers
Same patio, different person

Young lad: brilliant band, I rang my mates to come see them.
Me: thanks, we appreciate that.

Third Leixlip gig—Middle shop (Filled the empty pub with repeat customers)
Smoking patio, prior to starting

Lady: I heard you’s were brilliant so I came to see for myself
Man: I heard the same.
Sceptical man: I heard there weren’t any backing tracks, I had to see for myself.
Me: thanks for the support, right no backing tracks.

Later same patio

Sceptical man: wow.
Lady: when you coming back?
Guy on phone: get yer fuckin’ arse down here, this band is off the scale brilliant.


Conversation with the Manager and friend that booked us in Leixlip after the last gig:

Manager: I want to bring you back, can you give me dates?
Mick (booker friend): that might happen.
Manager: I doubt I can afford them at their regular price
Me: We’ll work something out
Mick: I got them at a deal, they normally play “stadiums” in the states
Me: I wouldn’t say stadiums…..
Louis: Big stages
Mick: really big, yeah.
Me: (head nod) ((I couldn’t disagree with them in front of the manager))



We were huge in Leixlip……

[phnxrising71]

Oh man... the visual images I have of this is "fooking" hysterical!

All hail the short skirt and the impact it has on drunken pub-goers!!!!

But seriously....what a blast and I could not have been more proud of you all...it blew me away the response we got while there!!!!!
_________________
Non Sum Qualis Erum.....

I am not what I used to be.

[bella]

LMAO>...this was HILARIOUS....I could picture most all of it in my mind...lol

[FlogginMcMurray]

[Ann]

Hey Leeann, the patio conversations are sooooo funny. All I heard in Leixlip over and over on all 3 nights was the very old Dublin saying of "Bleedin' Deadly" lol

[bella]

LOL @ bleedin' deadly...


LOL...I LIKE that......

[LeeAnn]

Hard to say the crowds favorite song....different gigs produced different results. I would say overall--the couple songs that always got the best response were Summer in Dublin & Sword of Light--both of which were treats as they aren't widely covered anymore and everyone over there knows them. There was one night though that Whiskey in the Jar brought the house down. Oh and Canon always got that slack jawed, wow look--followed by an approving uproar.

Our songs were extremely well received too--we even got requests for a few of them.

[Kent&Jenny]

Just too add a couple of our highlights:

Going into the pub in Louisburgh and getting a somewhat cool reception from the locals. Then seeing them turn 180 degrees after you all had played for awhile.

The Kilmainham Jail tour.

Waiting in the rain for the Garda parked in front of the Middle Shop pub to leave so we could sneak back in after closing.

Getting to experience a Palmerston delicacy........the famous Chip Roll.

Being able to have a visual of the places mentioned in some of our favorite songs.


Kent

[judy]

Here are my highlights:

The "short cut" leaving Kilkenny to get to Mayo. The road just kept getting narrower and the sheep poop got deeper.

The Pre-Raphaelite paintings on the roof timbers of the Kilkenny Castle gallery. Oh what I wouldn't give for 3 hours and a ladder!

Kent getting out of the car to eat his humongous sandwich beside a hunger memorial in Mayo.

Liam's Mom. I can't wait until I'm her age and can say whatever I want, which she does with alacrity.

The Garda horses near Temple Bar.

Mary not being able to get out of the living room because Kent and Jenny's cots were blocking the door between the living room and the kitchen. (Ahem - too early in the morning to remember that there was another door from the front hall?)

The shared bottles of Benylin.

Everyone, from the Gaelic-speaking bearded country man in Louisburg to a 19 year old at the Leixlip gig, was more familiar with the American election than most Americans! The Balcony TV guys even had an election party and showed us footage.

Packing cans of Bullmer's Cider in my shoes so they'd fit into my suitcase.

And, of course, there was the night that Ann could not get her key to work in our hotel room. . .

[LeeAnn]

The "short cut" how could I forget!!! Mind you it was a regular road that traveled over a mountain pass that turned into a small road, that turned into a muddy cow path with grass growing in the middle. Somehow....it led to another main road which ended up being the one we wanted.
The story behind this was funnier to us in the lead car....we knew we took a wrong turn somewhere but there was no way to turn around so Liam suggested since they were all following us that all we had to do was keep driving ...thus giving the impression that it was a "scenic" shortcut and we knew all along where we were going.
Roy actually said at one point in the trip (after many many wrong turns) "somehow it all just keeps magically working out to be where we want to be and those behind us don't know the difference anyway".

[Mary M]

Wow, it's hard to choose particular highlights...it was all wonderful. Westport was my favorite place (Kilkenny a close second). I enjoyed the drives (yes, even though I was traveling with Mark. See LeeAnn's aforementioned description of Mark's driving; it's spot-on. Note that only Fitz was willing to ride with us after that first day...).

Most of all--I loved the company. I had a great time getting to know the people I usually only see at the shows. Liam and LeeAnn's friends in Ireland and from England were good fun. Bernard and Jenny were fabulous hosts; I can't wait until they come to Arizona (still working to get Ann and Spoon over as well).

The locals were good fun as well. When I missed the rubbish bin at the post office, a woman standing nearby commented, "You wouldn't be on my team!" And I got a marriage proposal from a local in Leixlip...I don't think he knew I was about 15 years older than he was. I had to break his heart and tell him I'm already taken : )

Judy, you brought back Bulmer's? I am SO jealous...I didn't try. I was afraid it would explode in my luggage. And given my return trip ordeal, it was probably better that I didn't tempt fate (plus, that happened to a friend of mine...her husband put beer in HER luggage...and it exploded).

My dog ate the Irish cream truffles I brought back...

[LeeAnn]

To be fair, Mark & Mary's car along with Steve & Patricia's were nearly always stuffed full of luggage and instruments in the back seat. We had 12 people at the start and 11 thereafter with tons of luggage & instruments in 4 tiny cars so we had to put it somewhere. It really had nothing to do with Mark's driving

[judy]

Yessir, this was one of the few times I've appreciated having big feet! I usually complain about having to go around the block to turn around. . . I couldn't find room in my luggage for anything extra, but the cans of Bulmers fit perfectly into my clogs and hiking shoes. I then wrapped the shoes in plastic bags in the event of explosion, and voila! No leakage either. Wish I could say the same for my shampoo.

[Liam]

There's a lesson in life there Judy .
Booze is safer than shampoo .
I ment to ask you if they made the trip .

Liam .