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Post by Ptarmigan on Mar 13, 2008 9:34:22 GMT
Hey that sounds interesting Kristian, I really look forward to reading your thoughts on the distinction, or lack of it ~ should be a fascinating thread. Cheers Dick P.S. Mind you, I confess I find it hard to believe that "the oldtime community is struggling with adopting new musicians" especially after that post of Jesper's, which spoke of a huge revival in interest in Old Time music in the New York area, with lots of new young musicians taking up the playing of Old Time ........... but let's leave this topic for your new thread.
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Post by kristianrrb on Mar 13, 2008 10:24:08 GMT
well, a revival in New York doesn't really help us very much over here? But let us address this in the other thread.
regards, Kristian
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Post by john on Mar 13, 2008 10:50:24 GMT
I think I agree with what Kristian said. I like it when bands actually make an effort to look nice on stage because it shows some sort of seriousness with what they're doing. I would probably play on stage wearing a western jacket and boots, not because it's to do with American music but because I like my western jacket and boots. Everyone should wear on stage what they would wear to a party that they dress up for, and what they normally would wear. I have loads of different clothing styles that I love, and I guess sometimes people will think I dress up in costume, because sometimes I like to wear real western/cowgirl stuff (but serious things, that normal western folks of today would wear), sometimes medieval-like, sometimes bohemian, sometimes "career wear" as it's called in Irish shops. I don't wear any of it as a costume (only my Orsa folk costume, I suppose), but because I like it, it depends on what mood I'm in, and where I'm going (like, for a job interview I'd choose career wear and not bohemian...). I think "costumes" can be cool but also very jerky, they should be worn very carefully, there's always the risk of making a fool out of yourself!! you dont have to wear a custume to make a fool out of your self..
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Post by john on Mar 13, 2008 10:52:04 GMT
This theme is getting a little...............
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Post by john on Mar 13, 2008 10:55:41 GMT
You know, we are all just copy cats!!!
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Post by Ptarmigan on Mar 13, 2008 11:11:48 GMT
MEOW! ;D
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Post by deleuran on Mar 13, 2008 22:16:29 GMT
I turn 57 next week, and have never owned a suit and tie, I have tried it on though and felt very uncomfortable. I simply don't like it. When I was young it was something that the square people wore. Crewcut businesslike, bourgeois, conservative people. And I don't dress up for parties, so I see no reason why to begin wearing suits now. And I sit down and play. I play better sitting, so nobody are going to get me to stand up. I remember a line from a John Sebastian song from around 1970: "The younger generation think their folks are square". Somtimes these days I feel like the opposite: "The older generation think the young ones are square." But maybe it's only this old guy who feel that way.
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Post by john on Mar 14, 2008 9:56:07 GMT
I turn 57 next week, and have never owned a suit and tie, I have tried it on though and felt very uncomfortable. I simply don't like it. When I was young it was something that the square people wore. Crewcut businesslike, bourgeois, conservative people. And I don't dress up for parties, so I see no reason why to begin wearing suits now. And I sit down and play. I play better sitting, so nobody are going to get me to stand up. I remember a line from a John Sebastian song from around 1970: "The younger generation think their folks are square". Somtimes these days I feel like the opposite: "The older generation think the young ones are square." But maybe it's only this old guy who feel that way. one day you will own a suit and tie. happy week-end john
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Post by deleuran on Mar 14, 2008 12:37:56 GMT
Do you really think so, John??? "That'll be the day, I say goodbye" as the line in the old song goes. Happy weekend to you too
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yellowbarber
Old Time Washboard Player
guitar/fiddle/song/lessons
Posts: 22
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Post by yellowbarber on Mar 14, 2008 16:17:54 GMT
However, I refuse to dress up as a Leprechaun with a shellelagh by my side and likewise, I wouldn't be for poncing about on straw bales, with overalls & straw hat... Any thoughts on this? OH!! AMEN, BROTHER!!!!
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yellowbarber
Old Time Washboard Player
guitar/fiddle/song/lessons
Posts: 22
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Post by yellowbarber on Mar 14, 2008 16:27:06 GMT
This is a good thread, I'll chime back after I get my daily chores finished. I agree with otfiddler about the 'dress as if you are going to a party' - Actually, in Rockridge we tend to wear stuff like that when we go to parties now that I think about it. To me it is about just dressing up a bit. Nothing wrong with feeling good and comfortable with how you look on stage. I saw Foghorn Stringband when they were in Sweden during easter 2007, and I really enjoyed it. They have an aura of authenticity about them that allows them to sit down on stage and wear whatever clothes they want. Or, more correctly, I think I quickly surrendered to them, because they are so darn good, so I didn't care! But I would still like to make a distinction between 'playing' and 'performing'. Foghorn can bridge the gap, and so can other good bands. When I first started playing I struggled with standing up, and preferred to sit, which i still do at jams etc. i.e. in informal situations. But performing equals standing up for me. So I simply practiced it.regards, Kristian For the sake of professionalism and not so much of Old Time "image", I think it's important to dress up a bit. Personally, I'm opposed to costumes as a gimmick. I'm a Virginia native, I grew up around this music & it's too personal to me to portray some phony hayseed persona. Now in the early 21st century where the audience and practitioners of American Old Time music spans the globe, as you can see with the Rockridge Brothers...perhaps the point of image is not so much about "looking the part" as it is making the music your own(did that make any sense?). When a performance is more theatrical, then I suppose costumes are part of the show. For example: I occasionally fiddle for "The Apple Chill Cloggers" when they go out for the big UNESCO international folk-dance festivals where some of the dancers/musicians are dressed in outfits that have been handed down from generation to generation. In the Cloggers, the guys wear shirts that match gingham dresses and black shoes. They do highly intricate, synchronized choreographies, sometimes at 185 beats per minute (and faster)! Considering that, the stupid hayseed costume is merely an minor inconvenience. Forghorn was an example I was going to point out as well, I know those guys are into their cowboy shirts. I don't think I've ever seen any of them wearing sneakers, it's much easier to wipe off your boots so you don't look like a complete slob. Greg Garing (Jimmy Martin Band, The Bluegrass Boys) made every effort to break me of dressing like a slob. Back when we were playing together, I'd usually show up for the gig right after my construction job, covered in sawdust with paint of plaster in my hair. There he'd be in that Italian suit with pointy shoes and a silk cravatte around his neck - and quick to remind me that my sloppy appearance was a disgrace to the music. He once shared with me that his same habit had to be broken by John Hartford & Jimmy Martin. I'm a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy, but since my short stint with the Greg Garing Show I've invested in some nice linen shirts and pairs of trousers aside from bluejeans. The rest of the Freight Hoppers are about the same, although David and Isaac have some very impressively embroidered western shirts with shiny pearl buttons. David found a great pair of leather-soled oxford shoes in Sweden that he likes for his flatfooting routine(but we've all seen him do it in his sandals!)
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