Thanks for the Colter Wall……just heard him tonight for the first time…. straightaway learned something from his playing that I’m going to get into …..he is 50 years younger and I’m happy to learn from him
Christy, I was listening to your music & “I’m missing you” came on…
It must have been the atmosphere or my state of mind but it brought an appreciation of melancholy to me…
Just me & the 2 dogs were out the back watching bird & butterflies & floating in the songs..
Please don’t elope with Camilla…I’m sure you could do better
Regards
Danny Harris
Hello Christy,
Well I think it’s a fine achievement and demonstrated beautifully in that picture of you and Brendan Kennelly chatting on a Dublin Street.
Back to the digs for a spruce up while waiting for the rosie.
In tie and shirt he was trying to flirt
They tried to cut the Spanish look but they look so untidy.
Or maybe best of all
Never trust a man who, when left alone with a tea cosy, doesn’t try it on…
Billy Connolly.
There’s something very reassuring about a an who looks like he’s dressed in a selection of things that were there when he woke up. I’m not joking.
Christy, reference the Elvis Costello/awards debate.
If good people only did good things and bad people only did bad things the world would be a lot simpler. Unfortunatly sometimes good people do bad things for the right reason and bad people do good things for the wrong reason .As if life wasnt complicated enougth.
40 years ago, The Sunday World Newspaper,(Irelands biggest selling newspaper,) voted me the worst dressed man in Ireland…an accolade I still adhere to and seek to emulate with every passing year
Christy i heard a radio presenter lamely phoning in today to R4 to complain his sleep was disturbed by mating fox noises and his financial times had been peed on by one.
Delighted to hear that The Handsome Family’s song Peace in the Valley may finally be coming true.
Lovely song
Rory
Christy's reply
I still cherish the memory of hearing The Handsomes …driving thru the village of Leap, County Cork we saw a sign in Connolloy’s window….
Live tonight !
from USA !
The Handsome Family !
what a treat it was….there will be peace in the valley once again…when George Carlin’s prediction comes through
Ye nearly blew it last weekend…if ever there was a game of two halves
if i recall this was a very late trip, 24 hrs before last few single tickets we took 2 seats booked the flight and were lucky with good seats in the end and a great night ,,,,
not sure were you are on yellowstone series, came across this band while watching worth a listen shane smith and the saints
them lads is quare hawks..dragging all their gear up the mountain….they are tight and make a lovely bit of noise..
hope all well with you Adam…your recent gig shots have been very good..thanks for the care you take and for sharing the fruits of your labour.. we must get another crew shot..its been a good few years since you snapped the team
Hi, Christy et al
I imagine some accepting an award from the monarch do so with varying degrees of ambivalence, and some.right motives. If one were involved in UK charitable aid, it could be good. If recipient were involved in transnational relief, it could introduce them to sympathetic people able to quickly remove obstacles, and who would take your call when not doing same for registered arms dealers. Also gets invited to exclusive orgies, if you’re into that.
For some reason, when I use random play, the only CM the Amazon algo sends me is title track of Flying Into Mystery. Not the same with your brother, and others.
Christy's reply
I’ll have to get on to Jeff and give him a right good bollocking…
I must confess that I almost got an OBE myself (one behind the ear)
Thanks Rebecca
That’s the one ya big legend ya.
Elvis Costello had a great run of albums
from the late seventies up until the Spike album in 1989.
Goodbye cruel world was the only dip in form.
Lost track of him from the nineties on.
Didn’t even know that he took the wee medal.
But then so did Van the Man, Kenny Daglish,
Bill Shankly, Billy Connolly, Ray Davies amongst others.
He never voted tory, played sun city or did an add
for a Paddy Power. And he supports Liverpool.
So I’ll hold on to my E.C. albums for now.
Just don’t play them as much.
Take Care
Bourkey
Cheers christy, wise words as always.
His early stuff was awesome indeed.
As for you getting a gong, well i’d put my house on that never happening and not just because you were 90 miles from dublin, but i think decky and camilla and the flaggons of cider mean that ship has sailed.
Thanks
Rory
Christy's reply
I reckon I’m still in with a chance…..if Camilla thinks back to the acoustic tent in Glastonbury anything could happen….I hear Sammy Wilson is gone GAA mad
Bourkey if you want any Declan McManus info stuff give me a shout.
I was a ginormous fan, used to buy 2 copies of all albums ( for when i wore one out) and bought every single too, many rareities also…..went to many, many of his gigs starting in Carlisle market hall as a wide eyed 17yo an event that still ranks as one of my very favourite gigs over 44 years.
However began to fall out of love when his fancy hats stage of life began and jazz seemed to replace his new wave style, but the last , (dreadful for me) straw was accepting the mbe from a government and royal family that i believed he had always railed against ‘tramp the dirt down’ and ‘pills and soap’ etc etc .
So i cannot bring myself to play his once wonderful music any more.
I realise it might be seen as petty, ill informed or unfair as one could come across, but the mbe just broke me.
All those fabulous old records, cds etc been looking for a good charity ever since.
Rory
Ps not sure if charlie drove the chinnook onto the H on the day EC collected his gong.
Christy's reply
its a tough one…..we all live with varying degrees of love, respect and devotion ( plus other emotions) towards our parents… who knows what the circumstance might have been at the time…..no matter what or why , nothing lessens the power of some of his earlier work…its anger and protest still pulses on…..similar as with any great artist…would we ignore a brilliant try if the outhalf who scored it turned out to be an overbearing right wing twat ? I dont know myself….we’ve had some great sports people over here who turned out to be reactionary buffoons but we carried them shoulder high when we could ….the list of musicians who have accepted empire awards is quite long..most acceptances not surprising……Harry Crosbie accepted an OBE.no surprise there…Sir Elton, Rod, Mick, Van, all predictable recipients ..that said,here is no way I’m gonna give away my Daniel cassettes….did Flatley never get one?…I’m starting a movement today….a HBE for Michael ..Hoofer of British Empire…and in case you are wondering..I wont be turning mine down when it arrives…even if it means Hawick for-going its Box Set (1964-2004)
Hi Christy.. reading your post about the machine heads, I could feel your frustration..your on the spot handling and performance of Sweet Thames was top class regardless.. It led me down a burrow of reading one of your chats from 2012, and mention of Gerry Divers ‘Speech Project’ which is fascinating…ended up listening to some of the music of Margaret Barry.. ‘Come back Paddy Reilly’ and ‘The Blarney Stone’..mighty stuff..
Christy's reply
“Can anybody tell me where the Blarney Roses grow
some say down in Mitchelstown, more say in Mayo”
I heard the late Maeve Mulvaney sing this after Bodenstown in the early 60s…she followed on the “The Flower of Sweet Finae”
I’m doing okay here. Getting funerals, wakes and will readings set up. Lots of support around me. I’d hoped we’d have my Dad for much longer. I was just getting to know him properly, as an adult. He was a lovely man.
Hey Christy, I’ve been a long time follower and lover of your music, since the first time I heard Good Ship Kangaroo as a teenager. Was lucky enough to see you a couple of times in Australia and am hoping to catch one of your gigs when my wife & I make our first trip to your beautiful country in Sept/Oct this year. Cheers. Alistair.
Christy's reply
Alastair….hope your trip goes well…we like to welcome our long haul listeners
Hi Rebecca,
Could you use your superpower and add the LP version of
Any Kings Shilling by Elvis Costello to the Guestbook.
It’s from the Spike album
Featuring Derek Bell on harp, Davy Spillane on pipes,
also Donal Lunny, Frankie Gavin, Steve Wickham
and The Christy man on Bodhran
Magical stuff from 1987
The album also features Tramp the dirt down.
Minded of this song after watching
the C4 documentary on The 1984 strike
She inspired some great songs did the witch
Thanks
Bourkey
Good am, the 8th Feb 2012 was indeed a special night, I had never before seen such a collection of Folk Legends, there are several great clips on Youtube. For a few years now we have the RTE Folk Awards, on 27th Feb people will gather in Vicar St to see the nominees and winners for 2024. A week or so after the Sold Out CM gig for Gaza. Beir bua agus beannacht. H
Christy's reply
John’s post below re “Morcambe Bay” reminds me of another BBC moment…. Declan Sinnott and I were invited to perform on Sunday Morning Andrew Marr Politics programme on BBC TV in London… we arrived in good time and did our run through..shortly afterwards there came a man of authority to our dressing room telling us that “Morecambe Bay” was not considered suitable for a BBC Political programme…. to my shame I agreed to do “Sweet Thames Flow Softly”…to this very moment I regret that decision….to add insult when we returned to the set..(it was a live show) my guitar was totally detuned..not in the usual slightly-out-tune way that happens all the time.. but in a purposeful way…. someone had turned all 6 machine heads ….I should add that in 55 years its the only time I’ve ever had a bad experience with BBC…
I should add that afterwards Andrew Marr came to the dressing room and apologised for what had gone down (with regard to the song)…
we left and motored to the Liverpool Philharmonic where we had a feckin deadly dingin sweet gig and never looked back once
Adam, definitely one of them ‘I was there’ gigs, as well as Christys performance one of the last public performances by Barney McKenna with the Dubliners when they received their Lifetime Achievement award.
Christy's reply
what I remember most about that night was Barney, beautiful Barney, making his acceptance speech in his native tongue…
…I loved Barney McKenna…we played together a few times…cherished memories
Hi Christy, its hard to believe it’s 20 years to the day since the Morecambe Bay tragedy and 12 years to the month since you sang the moving Kevin Littlewood song ‘On Morcambe Bay’ live at the 2012 BBC Folk Awards in Manchester. Where does the time go, stay safe (and sane), John
Christy's reply
a magnificent song….but it didnt get the “folk” vote that night…Mike Harding sent it me thinking I would sing it…how right he was… got to meet Kevin Littlewood who wrote “Morecambe Bay”
Here’s something that I just wandered across.
https://youtu.be/4dSGu9803LA?si=VLuswmouf6VN2tOL
fond memories of days long gone….
we seldom met.. but I think we connected in song…
his presence still felt….
he’s on the air……
I hope all family and loved ones are gaining peace of mind
Adam, loving Yellowstone and forever thankful it’s made me discover Colter Wall, what a voice! What talent! https://youtu.be/4l4gdhPqh3E?si=0N6_MyJLvn28SLlO
Thanks for the Colter Wall……just heard him tonight for the first time…. straightaway learned something from his playing that I’m going to get into …..he is 50 years younger and I’m happy to learn from him
Christy, I was listening to your music & “I’m missing you” came on…
It must have been the atmosphere or my state of mind but it brought an appreciation of melancholy to me…
Just me & the 2 dogs were out the back watching bird & butterflies & floating in the songs..
Please don’t elope with Camilla…I’m sure you could do better
Regards
Danny Harris
that ship has sailed Danny
Hello Christy,
Well I think it’s a fine achievement and demonstrated beautifully in that picture of you and Brendan Kennelly chatting on a Dublin Street.
Back to the digs for a spruce up while waiting for the rosie.
In tie and shirt he was trying to flirt
They tried to cut the Spanish look but they look so untidy.
Or maybe best of all
Never trust a man who, when left alone with a tea cosy, doesn’t try it on…
Billy Connolly.
There’s something very reassuring about a an who looks like he’s dressed in a selection of things that were there when he woke up. I’m not joking.
Rebecca
Christy, reference the Elvis Costello/awards debate.
If good people only did good things and bad people only did bad things the world would be a lot simpler. Unfortunatly sometimes good people do bad things for the right reason and bad people do good things for the wrong reason .As if life wasnt complicated enougth.
Ah Here
Hello Christy,
Hope this makes you smile.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crg45qd7q0eo.amp
Not sure if the German cake album cover makes an appearance…
Rebecca
40 years ago, The Sunday World Newspaper,(Irelands biggest selling newspaper,) voted me the worst dressed man in Ireland…an accolade I still adhere to and seek to emulate with every passing year
Christy i heard a radio presenter lamely phoning in today to R4 to complain his sleep was disturbed by mating fox noises and his financial times had been peed on by one.
Delighted to hear that The Handsome Family’s song Peace in the Valley may finally be coming true.
Lovely song
Rory
I still cherish the memory of hearing The Handsomes …driving thru the village of Leap, County Cork we saw a sign in Connolloy’s window….
Live tonight !
from USA !
The Handsome Family !
what a treat it was….there will be peace in the valley once again…when George Carlin’s prediction comes through
Ye nearly blew it last weekend…if ever there was a game of two halves
if i recall this was a very late trip, 24 hrs before last few single tickets we took 2 seats booked the flight and were lucky with good seats in the end and a great night ,,,,
not sure were you are on yellowstone series, came across this band while watching worth a listen shane smith and the saints
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZRYzHkwUZU&list=RDpZRYzHkwUZU&start_radio=1&ab_channel=SHANESMITH%26THESAINTS
them lads is quare hawks..dragging all their gear up the mountain….they are tight and make a lovely bit of noise..
hope all well with you Adam…your recent gig shots have been very good..thanks for the care you take and for sharing the fruits of your labour.. we must get another crew shot..its been a good few years since you snapped the team
Hi, Christy et al
I imagine some accepting an award from the monarch do so with varying degrees of ambivalence, and some.right motives. If one were involved in UK charitable aid, it could be good. If recipient were involved in transnational relief, it could introduce them to sympathetic people able to quickly remove obstacles, and who would take your call when not doing same for registered arms dealers. Also gets invited to exclusive orgies, if you’re into that.
For some reason, when I use random play, the only CM the Amazon algo sends me is title track of Flying Into Mystery. Not the same with your brother, and others.
I’ll have to get on to Jeff and give him a right good bollocking…
I must confess that I almost got an OBE myself (one behind the ear)
Thanks Rebecca
That’s the one ya big legend ya.
Elvis Costello had a great run of albums
from the late seventies up until the Spike album in 1989.
Goodbye cruel world was the only dip in form.
Lost track of him from the nineties on.
Didn’t even know that he took the wee medal.
But then so did Van the Man, Kenny Daglish,
Bill Shankly, Billy Connolly, Ray Davies amongst others.
He never voted tory, played sun city or did an add
for a Paddy Power. And he supports Liverpool.
So I’ll hold on to my E.C. albums for now.
Just don’t play them as much.
Take Care
Bourkey
I have a soft spot for Blue
Cheers christy, wise words as always.
His early stuff was awesome indeed.
As for you getting a gong, well i’d put my house on that never happening and not just because you were 90 miles from dublin, but i think decky and camilla and the flaggons of cider mean that ship has sailed.
Thanks
Rory
I reckon I’m still in with a chance…..if Camilla thinks back to the acoustic tent in Glastonbury anything could happen….I hear Sammy Wilson is gone GAA mad
Bourkey if you want any Declan McManus info stuff give me a shout.
I was a ginormous fan, used to buy 2 copies of all albums ( for when i wore one out) and bought every single too, many rareities also…..went to many, many of his gigs starting in Carlisle market hall as a wide eyed 17yo an event that still ranks as one of my very favourite gigs over 44 years.
However began to fall out of love when his fancy hats stage of life began and jazz seemed to replace his new wave style, but the last , (dreadful for me) straw was accepting the mbe from a government and royal family that i believed he had always railed against ‘tramp the dirt down’ and ‘pills and soap’ etc etc .
So i cannot bring myself to play his once wonderful music any more.
I realise it might be seen as petty, ill informed or unfair as one could come across, but the mbe just broke me.
All those fabulous old records, cds etc been looking for a good charity ever since.
Rory
Ps not sure if charlie drove the chinnook onto the H on the day EC collected his gong.
its a tough one…..we all live with varying degrees of love, respect and devotion ( plus other emotions) towards our parents… who knows what the circumstance might have been at the time…..no matter what or why , nothing lessens the power of some of his earlier work…its anger and protest still pulses on…..similar as with any great artist…would we ignore a brilliant try if the outhalf who scored it turned out to be an overbearing right wing twat ? I dont know myself….we’ve had some great sports people over here who turned out to be reactionary buffoons but we carried them shoulder high when we could ….the list of musicians who have accepted empire awards is quite long..most acceptances not surprising……Harry Crosbie accepted an OBE.no surprise there…Sir Elton, Rod, Mick, Van, all predictable recipients ..that said,here is no way I’m gonna give away my Daniel cassettes….did Flatley never get one?…I’m starting a movement today….a HBE for Michael ..Hoofer of British Empire…and in case you are wondering..I wont be turning mine down when it arrives…even if it means Hawick for-going its Box Set (1964-2004)
Hi Christy.. reading your post about the machine heads, I could feel your frustration..your on the spot handling and performance of Sweet Thames was top class regardless.. It led me down a burrow of reading one of your chats from 2012, and mention of Gerry Divers ‘Speech Project’ which is fascinating…ended up listening to some of the music of Margaret Barry.. ‘Come back Paddy Reilly’ and ‘The Blarney Stone’..mighty stuff..
“Can anybody tell me where the Blarney Roses grow
some say down in Mitchelstown, more say in Mayo”
I heard the late Maeve Mulvaney sing this after Bodenstown in the early 60s…she followed on the “The Flower of Sweet Finae”
Like dear Margaret, Maeve stopped me in my track
they’d be great company in a warm snug
Hello Christy,
My pleasure Bourkey.
Here we go, I hope I’ve got the right one!
https://youtu.be/AVM49-Y-GZQ?si=8EzoacZMugXUhDyk
I’m doing okay here. Getting funerals, wakes and will readings set up. Lots of support around me. I’d hoped we’d have my Dad for much longer. I was just getting to know him properly, as an adult. He was a lovely man.
Rebecca
Hey Christy, I’ve been a long time follower and lover of your music, since the first time I heard Good Ship Kangaroo as a teenager. Was lucky enough to see you a couple of times in Australia and am hoping to catch one of your gigs when my wife & I make our first trip to your beautiful country in Sept/Oct this year. Cheers. Alistair.
Alastair….hope your trip goes well…we like to welcome our long haul listeners
Hi Rebecca,
Could you use your superpower and add the LP version of
Any Kings Shilling by Elvis Costello to the Guestbook.
It’s from the Spike album
Featuring Derek Bell on harp, Davy Spillane on pipes,
also Donal Lunny, Frankie Gavin, Steve Wickham
and The Christy man on Bodhran
Magical stuff from 1987
The album also features Tramp the dirt down.
Minded of this song after watching
the C4 documentary on The 1984 strike
She inspired some great songs did the witch
Thanks
Bourkey
Good am, the 8th Feb 2012 was indeed a special night, I had never before seen such a collection of Folk Legends, there are several great clips on Youtube. For a few years now we have the RTE Folk Awards, on 27th Feb people will gather in Vicar St to see the nominees and winners for 2024. A week or so after the Sold Out CM gig for Gaza. Beir bua agus beannacht. H
John’s post below re “Morcambe Bay” reminds me of another BBC moment…. Declan Sinnott and I were invited to perform on Sunday Morning Andrew Marr Politics programme on BBC TV in London… we arrived in good time and did our run through..shortly afterwards there came a man of authority to our dressing room telling us that “Morecambe Bay” was not considered suitable for a BBC Political programme…. to my shame I agreed to do “Sweet Thames Flow Softly”…to this very moment I regret that decision….to add insult when we returned to the set..(it was a live show) my guitar was totally detuned..not in the usual slightly-out-tune way that happens all the time.. but in a purposeful way…. someone had turned all 6 machine heads ….I should add that in 55 years its the only time I’ve ever had a bad experience with BBC…
I should add that afterwards Andrew Marr came to the dressing room and apologised for what had gone down (with regard to the song)…
we left and motored to the Liverpool Philharmonic where we had a feckin deadly dingin sweet gig and never looked back once
Adam, definitely one of them ‘I was there’ gigs, as well as Christys performance one of the last public performances by Barney McKenna with the Dubliners when they received their Lifetime Achievement award.
what I remember most about that night was Barney, beautiful Barney, making his acceptance speech in his native tongue…
…I loved Barney McKenna…we played together a few times…cherished memories
the bbc folk awards was an amazing gig-remeber the night stayed out in salford- one of my fav trips.
I’m still trying to figure out how Herself had the best seat in the Lowry Theatre Salford that night…
Hi Christy, its hard to believe it’s 20 years to the day since the Morecambe Bay tragedy and 12 years to the month since you sang the moving Kevin Littlewood song ‘On Morcambe Bay’ live at the 2012 BBC Folk Awards in Manchester. Where does the time go, stay safe (and sane), John
a magnificent song….but it didnt get the “folk” vote that night…Mike Harding sent it me thinking I would sing it…how right he was… got to meet Kevin Littlewood who wrote “Morecambe Bay”