Mannie's Year so Far Part One
Well it must be time once more to let my fingers do the talking!
What a year it's been so far and my God it's gone so quickly.
The year started off for Sunas with a trip to Tassie, which was brilliant.
We caught up with old friends and made some new ones. Got to play at the Cygnet festival and were in awe of the great music and talent.
We ran into the ever impressive and all round lovely guy Mick Flannagan.
Well known around the folk scene with a voice that will stop you in your tracks
and stories that would put a smile on your face no matter how bad your day may have been.
Couple that with a memory bank of tunes he would play for you on his squeeze box.
It's a great thing to be thought of as a friend by this man. Cheers Mick.
Brian Owens, thank you for your bountiful hospitality and kind words. This man could blow air into a dead man
and get a tune out of him.
A big Sunas thanks must also go out to Roy, Dot and Peter who were so welcoming and were spreading the word around, we really enjoyed watching Peter and Roy smoke up those strings while playing in the big ten gallon hats. Great set guys.
Georgetown was next! What can I say that hasn't already been covered by our habitual blogger Sarah.
Georgetown was next! What can I say that hasn't already been covered by our habitual blogger Sarah.
We all loved that festival, I really felt like a part of something very special.
The Highlight of the festival was having Helen back up on stage with us, she never missed a beat.
She epitomises the soul of this band, with a heart the size of a small African country her arms are always open
to welcome you. Helen and Mark just eased into the great festival consuming alcohol the volume of a small African country (I just said that)
It was there that we ran into Kevin Doyle, a horse of a man! Like Mick Flannagan ,a lovable guy with a great talent.
Kevin runs the Goulburn, NSW Fleadh Nua Festival in June each year. So get your bad self down to one.
A big thanks must go out to the Pooleys who where just the best. They fed us, watered us and washed us! Oh no, I meant watched over us.
I don't think I laughed so much and so hard (Rum will do that to you every time) since Paul got that Luke Skywalker haircut.
We had a handful of friends who flew down for the festivals which made this trip all the more special for us and of course the trip wouldn't be complete
without the click click of Alan's camera. He even managed to capture Sarah's human side. Alan, your talent is showing.
Helen and Mark, we love ya. Thanks
Comments
Congratulations!
A huge Welcome to the World to Cian Anthony O'Malley, Dave and Karen's new son. Mannie is very upset that you didn't call him Mannie O'Malley as agreed, but that would be just plain unfair and would set the poor boy up for a life of ridicule and mandolin playing. And he has more hair too.
Congratulations guys! Hope to see you all soon.
Congratulations guys! Hope to see you all soon.
Recording, Autopsies and Half Bits...
Firstly, hello! This is my first ever blog (aren’t we all excited!) and I thought it was only fitting to talk about my first ever recording.
We got together on Tuesday night so that I could have a go at some of the fiddle parts for the upcoming (and apparently long awaited) CD. I went surprisingly well for a while before making some huge mistakes. Oh well… we can’t be perfect all the time. We had two other recording sessions and managed to get quite a bit done, despite many jokes about ‘Autopsy Wednesday’ at Sarah’s new work. This led to a recount of my early days of uni studying human biology, and my utter disgust when they placed a human leg on the table in front of us, and even more disturbingly the fact that there was only half of a bit that should definitely be whole! Mannie didn’t cope quite so well with this fact.
We got together on Tuesday night so that I could have a go at some of the fiddle parts for the upcoming (and apparently long awaited) CD. I went surprisingly well for a while before making some huge mistakes. Oh well… we can’t be perfect all the time. We had two other recording sessions and managed to get quite a bit done, despite many jokes about ‘Autopsy Wednesday’ at Sarah’s new work. This led to a recount of my early days of uni studying human biology, and my utter disgust when they placed a human leg on the table in front of us, and even more disturbingly the fact that there was only half of a bit that should definitely be whole! Mannie didn’t cope quite so well with this fact.
There’s not too much I can say after that. See you at the Meadowbrook on Friday :)
Tales from the Booth
Hello and welcome to another Sunas recording session, proudly brought to you by various knobbing, numerous caffeinated products and the letter 'M'. I'm in my element here, verbally taking the piss out of both boys. Hey, it's survival of the fittest in this band :) *ahem - serious now*
Bridget is in the recording booth for the very first time. Her only demands so far are fresh cut flowers & a custom built Mannie wardrobe (doesn't want much, eh!). Bridge's first take was almost flawless, save for the loud *thunk!* where her shoulder rest FELL OFF and spiked the track - gotta love that professionalism! Listening back, I honestly thought Bridge's opening fiddle sequence was someone singing. She sounds amazing. Holy Mother, she's finished her take for Beyond The Fields already! Smart caoi :)
Mannie's barking freckle has appeared several times complete with hysterical facial expressions. He looks like he's gonna give birth. We're into Cruel Sea naoi, and Bridge made the biggest most beautiful off-key fiddle blunder! Cue us: Woooaahhhay!! If you're gonna bugger it completely, do it LAOUD, dammit. And thus we shall take thine mickey, for we are Sunas, Masters of the Mock. This is the Nuala, signing off until next time . . . :)
Bridget is in the recording booth for the very first time. Her only demands so far are fresh cut flowers & a custom built Mannie wardrobe (doesn't want much, eh!). Bridge's first take was almost flawless, save for the loud *thunk!* where her shoulder rest FELL OFF and spiked the track - gotta love that professionalism! Listening back, I honestly thought Bridge's opening fiddle sequence was someone singing. She sounds amazing. Holy Mother, she's finished her take for Beyond The Fields already! Smart caoi :)
Mannie's barking freckle has appeared several times complete with hysterical facial expressions. He looks like he's gonna give birth. We're into Cruel Sea naoi, and Bridge made the biggest most beautiful off-key fiddle blunder! Cue us: Woooaahhhay!! If you're gonna bugger it completely, do it LAOUD, dammit. And thus we shall take thine mickey, for we are Sunas, Masters of the Mock. This is the Nuala, signing off until next time . . . :)
Blog-o-rama
Ok, this is gonna be a huge blog, but I have lots to say, so I order everyone to get comfy.
To update everyone since the last time I blogged, I'll start off with Kate Rusby. Her new album Awkward Annie is wonderful and incredibly melancholy (similar to Underneath the Stars), but not in the usual sense of Kate's style. She lost two close family members in the last few months of making this album, which has flavoured this album a little darker, understandably.
Musically speaking though, it's stunning. Kate's brother Joe provides backing vocals, and anyone who's heard my sister Hailze sing with me at past gigs will understand how sibling's voices just seem to *match*. So 'High on a Hill' is a definite favourite of mine for that reason, as is 'Planets'. Also the beautifully lilted story song 'The Old Man' and at Jennifer Saunders's request, Kate's cover of 'The Village Green Preservation Society'. I just love how Kate's brilliant Barnsley accent shapes the way she phrases her songs!
So now you've heard my two pence, I'd like to mention a few things about last Saturday's gig.
One: We've all arrived to set up as usual, and things are progressing as they normally do. I'm taking the piss out of the boys and instructing Bridget to avoid Paul when setting up, Mannie is anally soundchecking everyone down to the most minute of knobbing, and then Paul stops dead with an ashen panicky face, and simply says, 'Insert Expletive Here'.
Trust me when I tell you if Paul says something with that intensity then things have gone *drastically* up the creek.
No bodhran! Yes, he actually forgot his bodhran!! Could he gig without it? A quick check of the set list indelibly placed the bodhran in the Must-Have-For-Gigs column, so 40 minutes before we were due to begin I threw my car keys to Paul and ordered him to go home and get the bloody bodhran.
So, ten minutes before the gig is due to start and no Paul in sight, Mannie sits across from myself and Bridget with a set list, nervous, but sets a smile on his face and dictates what we'll start with.
For those who are interested, we started with Maid of the River into Maggie's Pancakes and then were halfway through Perfectly Comfortable, 15 minutes into the gig when Paul walks in bodhran in hand, with a very relieved and sheepish expression on his face! :) He also mumbled something along the lines of 'if you get a speeding ticket I'll pay it'.
!!!!! My poor car!
To update everyone since the last time I blogged, I'll start off with Kate Rusby. Her new album Awkward Annie is wonderful and incredibly melancholy (similar to Underneath the Stars), but not in the usual sense of Kate's style. She lost two close family members in the last few months of making this album, which has flavoured this album a little darker, understandably.
Musically speaking though, it's stunning. Kate's brother Joe provides backing vocals, and anyone who's heard my sister Hailze sing with me at past gigs will understand how sibling's voices just seem to *match*. So 'High on a Hill' is a definite favourite of mine for that reason, as is 'Planets'. Also the beautifully lilted story song 'The Old Man' and at Jennifer Saunders's request, Kate's cover of 'The Village Green Preservation Society'. I just love how Kate's brilliant Barnsley accent shapes the way she phrases her songs!
So now you've heard my two pence, I'd like to mention a few things about last Saturday's gig.
One: We've all arrived to set up as usual, and things are progressing as they normally do. I'm taking the piss out of the boys and instructing Bridget to avoid Paul when setting up, Mannie is anally soundchecking everyone down to the most minute of knobbing, and then Paul stops dead with an ashen panicky face, and simply says, 'Insert Expletive Here'.
Trust me when I tell you if Paul says something with that intensity then things have gone *drastically* up the creek.
No bodhran! Yes, he actually forgot his bodhran!! Could he gig without it? A quick check of the set list indelibly placed the bodhran in the Must-Have-For-Gigs column, so 40 minutes before we were due to begin I threw my car keys to Paul and ordered him to go home and get the bloody bodhran.
So, ten minutes before the gig is due to start and no Paul in sight, Mannie sits across from myself and Bridget with a set list, nervous, but sets a smile on his face and dictates what we'll start with.
For those who are interested, we started with Maid of the River into Maggie's Pancakes and then were halfway through Perfectly Comfortable, 15 minutes into the gig when Paul walks in bodhran in hand, with a very relieved and sheepish expression on his face! :) He also mumbled something along the lines of 'if you get a speeding ticket I'll pay it'.
!!!!! My poor car!
(Note from Paul: it moves okay once it gets a good head of steam up. It reminded me of the train from the end of Back to the Future III)
Two: Welcome back Ben! It's so good to see you back home :) Loved the frog-in-a-blender dancing, Mannie was laughing so hard he nearly coughed up his spleen! Welcome back also to Tony, Kimmi, Amber, Shane, John and Paula :)
Three (last one, but no less important!): I have to say a huge congratulations to Bridget, who has proved to be an invaluable asset to this band. Case in point: When we played Ready for the Storm. This song is always a crowd pleaser, and I love how the ending depends on a musical yet continous performance from our fiddle player. As we began layering the tune after Storm, The Gael, I once again lost myself in the music. Sometimes I come back to earth briefly after I finish my parts before disappearing again. This time I actually opened my eyes and looked at the audience.
I was absolutely *amazed*. The entire pub was stock still, their attention focused on Bridget, who was in her own melodic world, playing so beautifully. As Paul and Bridget finished playing, there was a beat of silence and then the audience went crazy. She did a brilliant job, I was so proud!
We played our gig on Sunday afternoon for Thomas Kenealy at the State Library, on the terrace. It was bloody hot, but the afternoon breeze was lovely and soothing. My wonderful sister Hailze was performing with us as well, I've really missed singing with her. The good part was that Tom liked us, so we breathed a sigh of relief after his lovely acknowledgement! A big hello and huge thank you to the lovely Sebastian Flynn who was our information source of the day (and thanks for the car park & letting us out at the end of the day!), and to John of the *delicious* catering - I can still taste those beautiful lemon lime tarts & apple fig crumbles. What an interesting unforgettable gig :)
So next up for us is Sharon Shannon tomorrow night! *happy dance* For me especially, because Mike McGoldrick, uber flute player is touring with her! And then our gig at the Meadowbrook Hotel this Friday 5th October, from 6 - 10pm. We look forward to seeing everyone there, your support is invaluable and greatly appreciated.
PS, this was something we had been talking about for ages but hadn't had a chance to do anything about until now, but we'll be releasing a monthly newsletter soon. The actual date hasn't been decided as of yet, but we'll keep you all posted.
Three (last one, but no less important!): I have to say a huge congratulations to Bridget, who has proved to be an invaluable asset to this band. Case in point: When we played Ready for the Storm. This song is always a crowd pleaser, and I love how the ending depends on a musical yet continous performance from our fiddle player. As we began layering the tune after Storm, The Gael, I once again lost myself in the music. Sometimes I come back to earth briefly after I finish my parts before disappearing again. This time I actually opened my eyes and looked at the audience.
I was absolutely *amazed*. The entire pub was stock still, their attention focused on Bridget, who was in her own melodic world, playing so beautifully. As Paul and Bridget finished playing, there was a beat of silence and then the audience went crazy. She did a brilliant job, I was so proud!
We played our gig on Sunday afternoon for Thomas Kenealy at the State Library, on the terrace. It was bloody hot, but the afternoon breeze was lovely and soothing. My wonderful sister Hailze was performing with us as well, I've really missed singing with her. The good part was that Tom liked us, so we breathed a sigh of relief after his lovely acknowledgement! A big hello and huge thank you to the lovely Sebastian Flynn who was our information source of the day (and thanks for the car park & letting us out at the end of the day!), and to John of the *delicious* catering - I can still taste those beautiful lemon lime tarts & apple fig crumbles. What an interesting unforgettable gig :)
So next up for us is Sharon Shannon tomorrow night! *happy dance* For me especially, because Mike McGoldrick, uber flute player is touring with her! And then our gig at the Meadowbrook Hotel this Friday 5th October, from 6 - 10pm. We look forward to seeing everyone there, your support is invaluable and greatly appreciated.
PS, this was something we had been talking about for ages but hadn't had a chance to do anything about until now, but we'll be releasing a monthly newsletter soon. The actual date hasn't been decided as of yet, but we'll keep you all posted.
Currently listening :
Kate Rusby - Live from Leeds
Release date: 29 June, 2004
Kate Rusby - Live from Leeds
Release date: 29 June, 2004
