Viper Central in the UK

2011-06-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Festival at Southwell!

The Gate to Southwell festival is a relatively new Folk Festival based on an old tradition. The Morris Dancers will traditionally dance all the way from Nottingham to Southwell (half hour drive, several hours dancing). They still do it, but now with a little more variety on the music end. We did three sets and three workshops, with warm reception. Some of the highlights were... Hat Fitz and Cara Robinson (Aus./Ireland), The Butler Family, John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkYOZyNocrw (you gotta see this) and of course the Festival of Ales that was going on all weekend. (over 76 kegs)

Ales of the weekend:

Rupert's War Dog
WPA
Lincoln Best
Gatehopper
Hopadoodledoo
Brillsteam
Pauper's Ale
Gardner's Tap
Father Hawkins
Magic Mild
The Monkey

2011-06-15T09:38:00.001-07:00

Live @ The Institute! A diversion around a Roman tollbooth, Kelvedon is a beautiful old town with a rich history. We stayed in a 600 year old house, (with ghosts, of course!) and markings to ward off witches (?? hope it worked). James and Tony run a regular series of concerts hosting great acoustic acts from all over including our friend Cara Luft! We were lucky to share the night with Sam Sallon, beautiful songwriter and guitar player from England. Another surprise highlight was listening to Tony's CD in the car on our drive to Southwell...

Ale of the Day: Brewer's Gold is made here, James works for the brewery, which also makes a couple of other nice ones... Amarillo and Essex Boys Bitter

2011-06-15T09:27:00.000-07:00

"What's Cookin?" Curry is what.... Leytonstone at the North Star for the What's Cookin show and back to our favourite Indian buffet at The Eatery. This show always gets a great crowd thanks to Stephen Ferguson and his antics. Double bill with The Black Oil Brothers from Chicago! A raucous night and good fun. While we've been in London we've been staying with Tricia and Uday, our home away from home, we were glad to enjoy this show with them!

Ale of the Day: Brewer's Gold

2011-06-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

The Old Queen's Head. A beautiful upstairs acoustic room in Islington. Supported by Danni Nichols solo acoustic and The Hi and Lo, Nick on drums, guitar and harmonica at the same time! Crazy. Some friends from Fire in the Mountain came down, and a great time was had. Thanks to Owl for putting it together!

2011-06-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

London times!

Back to the big city and The Workshop, a little underground acoustic music spot, underneath the Road Trip Bar in Shoreditch. This was one of our smallest crowds, but favourite shows, mostly for the folks we met! We almost didn't do this show, but we were glad we did! The other artists on the bill were great, Dean Johansen from The Human Condition (USA), Nathalie Nahai, and Jenny & Stuff ("Stuff" were Joe and Bella Chipperfield on guitar and harp). Great sounds and great people.

Pint of the Day: We stuck with Guinness, not a good selection on tap here. We also were missing Ireland.

2011-06-09T05:06:00.000-07:00

Hello Brighton, we're back!
Had to make a visit to one of our favourite spots from last year, The Greys Pub in Brighton! It was great to see our friends Chris and Jill who we met last year. They even came all the way to Canada to see a hockey game a few months ago! Solid folks! The Greys is a lovely little pub with a good reputation for good music every monday night. It was here that Tyler rekindled his love for scampi fries and we were well taken care of by Ben and Joe. We even watched a bit of Stanley Cup Action.

Ale of the day: Landlord

2011-06-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

Fire in the Mountain!

We left Ireland early in the morning and got on the Dun Laoghaire ferry to Holyhead. The sun that had been shining all week over Ireland started to make way to rain and we were worried for our night of camping ahead in Wales. Fortunately it was out again by the time we were making our way through the windy mountain roads of the Welsh countryside. We made a quick stop at Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch and then wound our way up to the Fire in the Mountain Festival. We passed sheep and castles and rocks and hills and more sheep and more rocks and more castles and the roads got tinier and the hedges got higher and the hills got steeper, the drive seemed to go on for hours. We thought we had left civilization for good when our gps finally said "you have reached your destination". We stopped and noticed some tents out in a field and as we wandered in, we found ourselves on an old farm with ancient buildings creating a magical village housing a stage, a pub, and barbecue/kitchen. All kinds of folks were dancing, enjoying the music, eating, drinking and jamming as we sat stunned on the steps of the old farmhouse.

We met Joe Buirski and Owl who got us sorted out and we jumped up on stage for a 10pm set. The crowd was primed for dancing and madness and with a little help from some Irish medicine, we brought a rousing set. The crowd had an amazing energy... there was wild dancing, hearty singing and the even the biggest group hug I've ever seen! We ended off with a bunch of folks from the other bands joining us on stage for "drunken sailor", not sure how that happened.

Ale of the Day: Station (Welsh)

2011-06-05T02:46:00.000-07:00

To the Castle!!!

Well, unfortunately Don Giovanni had dibs on the castle in Lismore, but we had a lovely spot at the Ballyrafter Hotel! Lismore is a historic and beautiful town on the river which is a host to many festivals, including an opera festival which was in progress when we arrived. We were absolutely spoiled by our hosts John and Anne.

We had a great show with Pat and Eileen and Yvonne from Cork. Eileen and Yvonne both play fiddle in a band called The Critters, and Pat is a clever and engaging songwriter. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2JCJrFDni4
have a look!

The audience was full of interesting characters, full of craic, as they say. We had a bit of criticism though... One audience member told us that our hats were all wrong. He said that Mark's hat made him look like a dope dealer and Sean looked like he was selling livestock. I'm pretty sure the guy liked the music though.

Even the star of the Opera came down to check it out after her performance and bought some CD's! She especially liked the bluegrass harmonies, she said.

Last night in Ireland : Guinness and Jameson

2011-06-05T02:34:00.000-07:00

To the South! First our most "intimate" show of the week at Colfer's Pub in Carrick-on-Bannow. We left the sound system behind for this one and had one of our favourite performances sitting on some barrels in the corner for an appreciative audience of 6! John (the pub owner) is an award winning harmonica player and joined us on a few tunes, what a treat! If you ever find yourself at Colfer's, ask him to play Mason's Apron!

The next morning, we had a beach walk and breakfast in the Irish sunshine before our short drive to Lismore.

Guinness, Guinness and more Guinness... It really is better in Ireland.

2011-06-03T17:55:00.000-07:00

Everywhere we go there are ghosts! Tonight we played in an old church where Patrick Bronte (father of Emily and Charlotte) had preached his first sermon. Now it has been de-consecrated, I guess you would say, and it is the perfect spot for acoustic concerts. It is also a perfect spot for ghosts. Walking into the adjoining schoolhouse sent a chill up my spine, and hearing the story of Squire Hawkins, the black magic practitioner who is buried in the church graveyard was quite a trip. The story goes that when the evil Squire Hawkins died, none of the churches in town would bury him so they had to take the hearse up the hill to this one, but even the horses didn't want to take him and refused to pull. Yikes!

And... we're back to Guinness

2011-06-02T05:08:00.000-07:00

That brings us up to now... We are in Cookstown now, in the North, sitting in the most beautiful country house owned by Arne and Sharon Loughrin, where last night we played for a living room full of friendly folks. Some jamming ensued as seems to be usual and we all enjoyed Arne and Sharon's warm hospitality. We woke up this morning to sunshine on the Irish countryside and we'll head to Rathfriland this afternoon.

Spirit of the day: it's a secret

2011-06-01T04:43:00.000-07:00

The Rocky Road to Dublin...

A late morning and a quick stop at Tullamore on our way to Dublin City! We performed at Whelans Pub opening for No Crows, a crew of accomplished musicians from Sligo. Two fantastic fiddle players, guitar, cello, mandolin and bass. www.nocrows.net. We really enjoyed their show, and now are enjoying their CD in the car.

Next day... Guinness factory. The highlight of the tour was Dave from Dublin, who we met in the lineup for the free pint. We sat down with him and he crammed more stories into a pint of Guinness than we thought was possible, including a Canadian story made up to show us how to do it. Full of craic, he was.

Stout of the Day: We can't get away from it.

2011-05-31T03:58:00.000-07:00

That night, Sean had a dream that he stumbled back down into the pub in the morning and everyone was drinking Guinness for breakfast hmmmm...
In reality, the Irish breakfast has a reputation. When we commented on the size of the breakfast in Scotland, they all said, "wait till you get to Ireland!" They were right. Thanks so much to Chris and Tricia for their brilliant hospitality.

Monday was a free evening so we agreed to an impromptu house concert at Kathy's place. Kathy is Tom's (our host) niece. Sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles arrived with food and drink for a fabulous kitchen party. When we took a break someone started a song and the room exploded into harmony. Again, one by one, each of the guests took turns singing and playing songs and we were jamming late into the night.

Guinness again...

2011-05-30T03:22:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning we got up early and headed out from Carlisle to catch the noon ferry from Stanraer. Ended up on a windy road narrow road through Galloway Forest Park (back in Scotland) and thought we were headed back to the highlands, but we made it to the right highway after all and were at the ferry ontime. At one point I saw a flash of lights out of the corner of my eye and thought we were in for it, about to be pulled over (into the hedge I guess). Turns out it was just the first sunlight we'd seen in days flashing through the trees, there for a moment and then gone. The sun came all the way out as soon as we got on the ferry to Belfast and we were off to Ireland.

We picked up Steve at the airport and then drove west to County Mayo, a small town called Balla (pronounced Ball) where an enthusiastic crowd of locals awaited us at Mannions Pub. We had a good show and when our set finished, then the real party began. The jam started with Tom, our host, picking up a guitar and one by one others joined in singing and playing till we found our selves hours later surrounded by Guinness glasses and listening to a beautiful chorus of Irish songs. We finally made our way upstairs to our sleeping quarters above the pub at around 3am. After all it was a sunday night.

Stout of the day: What else? Guinness

2011-05-29T02:12:00.000-07:00

We were sad to leave the misty moors, haunted castles, and peaty bogs of Scotland, but most especially the friends and the good times. We left Edinburgh early Saturday morning and since then we've been on an epic adventure to Ireland. We'll have to do a little catchup here...

First Stop - the Ireby Music Festival in Cumbria, in the North of England. A beautiful spot in the countryside, the Village of Ireby hosts the festival... And I mean hosts!!

The main stage is on the property of Ellenside, a beautiful house with a warm and inviting kitchen. Susan laid out fabulous food all day long and took care of us all with style. We listened to some great artists, Wes Finch and the Dirty Band, our good friends The Jaywalkers, Tatie Jam, Sam Carter, Elkie Brooks and many more! Then had a great jam with Danny and Katus! The whole village seems to get behind the event with venues at the church, the pub and the hall.

Ale of the Day : Tarnmonath Golden Ale

2011-05-28T02:15:00.000-07:00

oops! Forgot one... We were in such a hurry leaving Leith that we forgot to write about it our show there! The Leith Folk club was held at The Village Pub, a great little spot, with a nice room for live music. We met some great folks there, including our friend Robin from Vancouver! And some very enthusiastic old time music lovers! Leith was also the home of the largest fish and chips to be had on tour!

Ale of the Day: Duechers IPA (to cut the grease)

2011-05-26T17:54:00.000-07:00

Busked in Inverness today in a passageway keeping us from the rain. The Scottish are generous, contrary to rumour, and extremely friendly. A highly supportive busking audience despite the rain.

Tonight we streamed live again from the Strathpeffer Coffee Shop. It was great fun! Such a good vibe from this little gem in the Highlands. The Night was opened by an open mic session from many talented locals. What an amazing music community! We were truly blessed to be in Inverness (missed you Fash). Folks even tuned in from Vancouver, Texas, California and Idaho!

Now we are sitting at the Mackenzie house with our hosts and enjoying a bit of Highland Park, a single malt that we picked up at the gas station. That's right, Canadians... the Gas Station.

No Ale today, it will have to be Scotch...

Scotch of the Day - Highland Park "The greatest all-rounder in the world of malt whiskey" and also one of the only distilleries still doing the whole process themselves from start to finish. Very nice!

2011-05-25T17:03:00.000-07:00

Next stop is Dingwall and Strathpeffer, near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. A wee dram with our friend Rob Ellen when we arrive and then the next day exploring haunted castles. Well, just one... Tulloch Castle, built by the Davidson Clan and said to be haunted by the "green lady" (especially room number 8, which the receptionist did not offer to show us. She seemed nervous). Apparently a young guest at a wedding took a spooky photo in the stairwell in which appears a ghostly hand! Vipers love ghost stories. I'm sure we'll collect a few more...

We officially kicked off our tour with an experimental live streaming event on Stageit.com live from the Medicine Show Coffee Shop sessions in Strathpeffer. It was a fun and unique experience, sort of like putting on a show in front of a mirror, but there are actually people watching from the strangest places. We'll do it again tomorrow, but we'll have a live audience as well. Tomorrow's show will be at 8pm BST, that's noon in Vancouver. So tune in if you can!

Tonight we are staying in the Mackenzie House! It used to be a hospital, but now they call it the Country and Western Infirmary. Maybe a ghost here too? Steve and Clancy are regular hosts to travelling musicians and they own a bike shop called Square Wheels. Steve is also a big Neil Young fan! That's Neil's harmonica in the picture.

Ale of the Day: Didn't make it to the pub today, but tried a Black Ale Organic Red Kite Ale in a bottle last night, and that wee dram - Aberlour 10 yr.

2011-05-24T13:10:00.000-07:00

Monday - Due to the remarkable wind, Viper Central was indoors today. We spent the afternoon in our top floor castle, rehearsing and jamming, getting ready for the shows ahead. At the end of the day we finally stumbled out into what was left of the daylight to see if we could catch a local folk session. First stop was Sandy Bells, a well known Edinburgh joint with some lively tunes and lively folk. On tap was Caledonian 80, a dark and nutty ale, and on the lighter side, Ossian, a smooth blonde. If you look closely at the photo, you may also notice the specials board in the background - Highland Park, 2.50!

We gave up our seats and moved out into the windy night to see if we could find something a little less traditional, maybe a jam we could join? Hard to believe all the busy pubs hosting live music on a Monday night. After hopping around a bit, we eventually found ourselves back at another traditional session at a bar called The Whiski. Local band Muckle Flugga was tearing it up while locals took turns singing traditional Scottish ballads. We stepped up for a couple of tunes just as they were wrapping up and made a few friends in the process.

Not bad for a rainy monday...

Ale of the Day - Caledonian 80

Vipers Arrive in Scotland!

2011-05-23T02:35:00.000-07:00

After a long hot journey crossing the english channel, waiting for broken down trains, missing each other in airports, shuttling to rental cars, and driving (on the left) through central London to pick up a bass, Kathleen, Tyler, and Mark finally got on the road to Scotland. The jet lagged napped, and took turns driving to our stop at the Bradford etap (european version of super 8, or for Canadians, one step down from the Holiday Inn)

Next morning it was on the road to Edinburgh! Quick stop for a terrible breakfast of fake egg sandwich, and off to pick up Sean Cronin at the airport, fresh from a German tour with Redgrass. Then it was Leith Radio FM for some on air promotion. Jim from AcousticRoutes took us for our first real ale afterwards, and our first pint together!

Ale of the Day: Light Edinburgh Draft