Fiddle Me This
What’s the most important element of trad culture? The session of course. So why do so many end in rancour?
Greg McAteer, 16 Apr 2012
Traditional music occupies an odd enclave, like Beirut in the mid-’80s. It’s hauntingly beautiful but siege-ridden. Some of its exponents are like that too, with a morbid capacity for isolationism and more splits than the Republican movement. Its central premise is the session. Like that bit in Where The Wild Things Are when one of the monsters says, ‘Let’s all sleep in a pile’, there’s a big idea at the heart of traditional music and that idea is that people can play together harmoniously. Then one of the monsters started lobbing stones and another went off in a huff. That doesn’t simply happen in the movies. Egos and harmonies don’t sleep in a big pile together. They’re very strange bedfellows, if you get the mixed metaphor. The fiddle-player thinks they shouldn’t allow bodhráns, the box-player reckons the fiddle-player is hogging the spotlight and everybody hates the singer. So – disharmony rules.
It takes a hell of a person to overcome those cosmic forces. It’s like watching someone trying to suck the universe in after the big bang. From time to time though, one of these mystical creatures gets thrown up by the universe and appears on the scene as if born fully formed from the head of Zeus. If you saw Jonny Tennant on TG4’s Glas Vegas, baiting Pairic Breatnach with a version of ‘My Lovely Horse’ sung as Gaeilge in the sean nós manner you’ll see where I’m coming from.
Cutting a swathe through the massed ranks of Irish dancing toddlers, he flabbergasted Breatnach (and neither Evelyn O’Rourke nor Ciara Newell looked as if they had too much of an inkling as to what he was driving at either) with a performance that was at once unreservedly silly, incredibly surreal and utterly convincing. With an anarchist’s innate understanding that confusion is one of the powerful weapons in the underdog’s arsenal and a shape-shifter’s ability to make himself appear something other than what he is, he bamboozled the judges one time too often but succeeded in pitching a hand grenade over the barbed wire fence and sending the forces of convention scattering.
Page 1/3 <Previous 1 2 3 Next>
Greg McAteer
Latest Articles by Greg McAteer
From an unlikely corner of the US comes some vintage down-home, old-timey folk music...
2013-05-13
She’s always followed her muse. But now folk star Sarah McQuaid is adding some intriguing new innovations to her live act.
2013-04-29
Bluegrass can be quick to judge those who push against received wisdom, which is why Pat McGarvey’s minimalist approach has proved so controversial.
2013-03-01
Drive-By Truckers man goes old school country on solo effort
2012-10-02
Addiction to narrative binds irish alt country gem
2012-09-13 - REVIEW
A truly mythic figure Doc Watson changed the face of roots music by cleaving faithfully to its most timeworn traditions.
2012-06-18 - Reports
Our summer has been well and truly ruined with two of our favourite festivals cancelled. Boo, and indeed, hiss.
2012-06-05 - Reports
Stripped-down and intimate the new record from Canadian country singer Rose Cousins is about as far from the bland Nashville sound as is possible.
2012-05-28 - Reports
From humble and unlikely beginnings – Nigel Kennedy was very nearly the first headliner – Baltimore Fiddle Fair has grown into one of the country’s most engaging trad events.
2012-05-23 - Reports
The closure of a number of venues in Dublin and Cork suggests that the recession is having a disastrous impact on rock’n’roll. So what is it that defines a great location for making music? And can you bottle it?
2012-02-27 - Reports
It all came right in the end – with the inevitability of a well-crafted novel, Derry was chosen to host the 2013 All-Ireland Fleadh. It almost didn’t happen though...
2012-02-13 - Reports
What better way to kick off the new year than with one of the country’s best trad festivals?
2012-01-30 - Reports
Your correspondent gives the inside line on the folk acts set to break huge in the year ahead.
2012-01-16 - Reports
Despite surviving on about five minutes sleep per night, new daddy Greg McAteer somehow also found time to lend his ears to the good, the bad and the ugly among 2011’s folk releases...
2012-01-04 - Reports
Christmas – a time of love, peace, universal brotherhood and, if you are listening to certain country and folk artists, unrestrained misery.
2011-12-05 - Reports
Had he not died tragically in the early seventies Gram Parsons would turn 65 this year. But his legacy lives on and he has transcended the relatively limited popularity he enjoyed in his lifetime.
2011-11-21 - Reports
After many decades traversing the highways and byways of Ireland and beyond, Christy Moore’s new record is still as relevant, thought-provoking and essential as any he’s made before.
2011-11-07 - Reports
The father of the blues turned 100 a few months back. So how come his anniversary passed almost unnoticed?
2011-10-24 - Reports
It’s bluegrass Jim but not as we know it. Ladies and gentleman, please be upstanding for the Southern Tenant Folk Union.
2011-10-11 - Reports
The Sands Family’s contribution to the Irish folk canon has been immense. Greg McAteer pays tribute...
2011-09-26 - Reports
In the midst of all this euphoria and excitement about the Electric Picnic, it falls on me to bring tidings of what you might well call the ‘Acoustic Picnic’.
2011-08-30 - Reports
Tadhg “Tiger” Cooke is back – and Ireland can’t get enough of him
2010-11-22 - Reports
It’s true: Crosby Stills and Nash are coming to Dublin.
2010-03-02 - Interview
A trip to Belfast is a reminder that sometimes a little gigging action up north can be just heavenly
2010-02-10 - Interview
The recession has had a terrible impact on Irish music – the question now is, when will things actually get better?
2009-12-09 - Reports
Jinx Lennon’s backing singer is spreading her solo wings, while some of Scandinavia’s most acclaimed folkies are bound for these shores.
2009-09-30 - Reports
When two of the most singular voices in trad came together for a major label album, the results were always going to be memorable.
2009-09-16 - Reports
Some of the best purveyors of folk music from the United States will shortly descend on Galway for the city’s annual Americana Festival.
2009-08-31 - Reports
If you prefer your festivals mud-free and folk infused, then read on...
2009-08-17 - Reports
One of Ireland’s top trad outfits is heading to Tennessee for a hook-up with a Grammy-winning bluegrass icon.
2009-08-10 - Reports
A great many of us lost the run of ourselves during the Celtic Tiger epoch – the trad community included. But now that the arse has fallen out of the economy, maybe it’s time musicians went back to their roots
2009-07-07 - Interview
One of the most influential trad bands of the past quarter century, De Dannan have set out on the comeback trail - and they’re kicking their resurrection off with a comeback show to remember.
2009-06-22 - Reports
Alternative country is mourning the death of former Wilco multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett. But will his estranged band-mates step in to finish his uncompleted masterpiece?
2009-06-11 - Reports
Folk fans who are too purist about the genre forget that it’s the flaws that make traditional music so wonderfully distinctive in the first place.
2009-04-24 - Reports
The annual orgy of Paddywhackery that is St Patrick’s Day has just passed – leaving our columnist fuming at the degrading cheesiness of it all.
2009-04-02 - Reports
He earned his name as leader of raggle-taggle folkies Hot House Flowers. But now Liam O Maonlai is swimming in far deeper musical waters.
2009-03-16 - Reports
A state-backed arts scheme yields surprisingly sublime results for trad devotees. Meanwhile, Paul Brady has a treat in store for fans.
2009-02-27 - News
....Or why folk ‘supergroup’ The Coastguards are the most exciting newcomers on the trad scene this year.
2009-02-24 - Reports
It was a bleak fortnight for Irish music with the loss of a beloved record store and one of our foremost folk acts.
2009-02-03 - Reports
The United States is a unique nation with a singular sense of its place in history and in the world. Little wonder it’s produced so much great music
2009-01-29 - Reports
...In which our correspondent embarks on an epic journey through Yuletides past and present.
2008-12-15 - Reports
The new album from Dual is a fascinating blend of Irish and Scottish folk traditions that raises as many questions as it provides answers.
2008-11-28 - Reports
Despite the pressure of being a pop icon, Enya has developed a signature sound that comes through in this album but in a fresh way, sticking to her musical principles.
2008-11-20 - REVIEW
A fine new disc from Scots exile Robin James Hurt leads this fortnight's parade.
2008-11-13 - Interview
At a time of financial tumult the Depression-tinged blues of Seasick Steve feels suddenly relevant once more.
2008-11-03 - Reports
The final curtain has fallen on festival season - but there's no reason to feel down. Folk thrills aplenty await in the weeks to come.
2008-09-15 - Reports
There's little talk of festival fatigue in Belfast where the Open House fest enters its tenth year with perhaps its strongest line-up yet.
2008-08-25 - News
He's been described as Australia's Bob Dylan but Paul Kelly, currently en route to Ireland, is too original a talent to pigeonhole.
2008-08-05 - News
As one of the most visually intriguing bands you’ll ever see, it seems only natural that Kila would get around to making a concert film.
2008-07-22 - Interview
Heckling the opening act at a Christy Moore gig can bring unforeseen consequences, as some punters found out recently.
2008-07-14 - Reports
It's been called the "Exploding Plastic Inevitable Turnip", but don't let that put you off: the Flat Lake Festival is rapidly becoming a highlight of the folk calendar.
2008-06-19 - Reports
Once a beacon for new talent, the Eurovision song contest has become dreary and predictable, which is why we shouldn't be too upset about the failure of Dustin and Dervish.
2008-06-16 - Reports
She's been something of a recluse lately but now Joan Baez is back with a world tour. And, judging by the demand for tickets, Ireland is thrilled.
2008-05-26 - Reports
Dingle's Philip King is back with another run of his acclaimed and super-intimate Full Set series.
2008-05-17 - News
Having made a splash in the US last time round, Guggenheim Grotto are back with a Beatles-tinged new record.
2008-04-29 - Reports
Having exiled herself to Cornwall, Sarah McQuaid is about to release the eagerly-awaited follow-up to her debut album.
2008-03-18 - Interview
Damien Dempsey's appearance at the recent Meteor Awards should whet appetites for his next project, a collection of old-time Dublin ballads.
2008-03-03 - Reports
Here's a good excuse for going out on a Monday night - a gig by hotly-tipped Toronto newcomers Enter The Haggis.
2008-02-18 - Reports
One of Ireland’s best-loved folk venues is back – and looking better than ever.
2008-02-13 - Reports
The world is a rapidly changing place. Will traditional music be able to keep pace?
2008-01-24 - Reports
The new album from Alison Krauss and Robert Plant (pictured) is one of the folk records of the year. As is Steve Earle’s remarkable ode to his adopted New York.
2007-12-06 - News
Far more than on any previous album, Cathy Jordan is at the forefront and she shreds the rulebook and pulls, from God knows where, the best vocal performances of her career.
2007-10-30 - REVIEW
He’s one of the world’s foremost interpreters of north African music. Now Justin Adams is back with a great new album.
2007-10-24 - News
Buena Vista Social Club put Cuban music on the map in the late 90s. Now they’re returning to Ireland to play a rare show.
2007-10-10 - News
Folk singer Garrett Wall’s decision to relocate to Barcelona has yielded arguably his finest record to date.
2007-10-01 - News
A Dublin seaside suburb welcomes the cream of the international music community for a celebration of the world’s most exciting sounds.
2007-09-04 - Reports
A new record confirms Kíla’s status as the P-Funk All-Stars of traditional Irish music.
2007-08-16 - News
From humble beginnings, the Open House Festival has become a highlight of the annual folk calendar.
2007-07-31 - News
Stepping outside her indie persona Broken Social Scene/Stars singer Amy Millan has released a fantastic bluegrass record.
2007-07-17 - News
Beneath its shocking veneer Edward Bond’s Saved has a sober message, says Eileen Walsh, star of a new production of the controversial ‘60s play.
2007-05-16 - Reports
Now in its tenth year, the Kilkenny Rhythm and Roots Festival continues to attract the finest trad and folk performers around.
2007-04-25 - News
Rough Magic is back with another barnstorming production, Don Carlos, a tale of deceit and corruption set in 16th century Spain. The play’s Rory Keenan explains why its gloomy message has a 21st century resonance.
2007-03-21 - Reports
What does the patent lack of enthusiasm about the choice of Dervish as Ireland’s Eurovision song contest representatives tells us about our attitude towards traditional music?
2007-03-13 - News
Child abuse is looked at in a different light in David Harrower’s controversial Blackbird, explains the play’s director Michael Barker-Caven.
2007-02-07 - Interview
Squeezing himself into the frost-caked shoes of polar explorer Tom Crean Aidan Dooley has crafted a chilly masterpiece with a heart of human warmth.
2007-01-24 - Interview
Moving Hearts were of the most provocative trad groups to emerge from Ireland, with songs that touched on fraught issues such as the northern troubles. Now they’re back for a much-anticipated reunion show. But will the band stay together in the long term?
2007-01-16 - Interview
Why is the thought of a trad group representing Ireland in the Eurovision too much for the media to get its head around?
2006-12-06 - News
A solo Jeff Tweedy show, a new Poozies retrospective, Christy appearing on Later With Jools, and Kila’s pre-Christmas shows: it’s a busy time in the folk world.
2006-11-22 - News
Bluegrass maestro Chris Thile is putting Nickel Creek on hold and setting out on the solo route.
2006-11-09 - News
Bap Kennedy is back in his native Belfast after a 20 year spell in London and Nashville.
2006-10-24 - News
Juliet Turner has a treat for fans. She’ll be debuting songs from her forthcoming album on her current tour.
2006-10-11 - News
The passing of Geoff Harden leaves a gulf at the heart of the trad scene.
2006-09-26 - News
Dundalk’s Spirit Store is one of the leading folk venues in the country. On evidence of its inaugural night, The Tall Poppy Club sees looks set to be the jewel in the crown. Also: Steve Earle and Billy Bragg, old dogs with new tricks.
2006-09-12 - News
While fans mourn the Seamus Ennis Centre, there’s a great line-up at the Kilkenny Arts Centre, and Damien Dempsey returns to Ireland.
2006-08-17 - News
Ronan O’Snodaigh’s team return with a haunting new album and a hectic tour.
2006-08-04 - News
Kris Kristofferson may have turned 70 but his songs are as youthful as ever
2006-07-20 - News
Rejoice! From Carlow to Castlebar to Athboy, it's festival time on the folk calendar.
2006-07-06 - Interview
The Streets of London concert will see old and new stars of the country and folk scene sharing a memorable bill
2006-06-22 - Interview
Sligo Live promises to be one of the highlights of the summer.
2006-06-13 - News
With a new album under he belt, Hazel O'Connor is returning to liv action.
2006-05-22 - News
hotpress.com
Blogs on hotpress.com
Additional Sites on hotpress.com
- The Music Show
- The Jagermeister Freezer Sessions
- Hot Press Rock Photo
- The Philip Lynott Exhibition
- The INEC Homegrown Sessions
- HTC One Hotpress Photojournalist
- Genre Free Compilation
- MIX 13: Music Industry Xplained
- Shoot To Thrill: Make a Hot Press Cinema Ad
- Other Voices
- Best of Ireland
- The Big Break
- Hot for 2013
- Josh Ritter
- Eoin Glackin
- Bitter Rocc
Contact Us
Hot Press,
13 Trinity Street,
Dublin 2.
Rep. Of Ireland
Tel: +353 (1) 241 1500
Email:info@hotpress.ie
Click here for more contact information.
Click here to find out more about Hot Press
Hot Press always welcomes feed back so if you've got something to tell us click here.
Advertise With Us
For more detail on how to advertise with Hot Press click here or call us on +353 (1) 241 1540
©Hot Press 2012. Why be a member? | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | About Us Jobs @ Hot Press