saucy_dryad

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about a Crimson Pirates gig of surpassing awesomeness.

We just got a handful of pics from one of the organizers.

Sound check for my new song. Juicy gossip alert! I went up on lyrics. For a song that I freakin' wrote. Good times.




I wish I could tell you what song we were performing. Studying the configuration of instruments and vocalists, I've nary a clue. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?




Group shot! Clearly at the end of the night. We were all manner of flushed and sweaty and downright giddy.




Note my sweetie's tattoo: a wee Celtic cross he got right before he played Friar Tuck at Faire. It looks sort of lonely on that well sculpted arm, does it not? He's talked for freakin' years about finishing it off with a stylized CuChullain armband. Still, you really oughtn't to bother him with it by sending personal messages to his LJ account at barleymash encouraging the completion of the tattoo. That would be a huge kick in the pants/kilt wrong. And, naturally, I would love to have him goaded to finish it could not condone such tactics.

:)

This Saturday past, the Crimson Pirates performed on... wait for it... a boat. A barge , to be exact, that was docked at the Lackawanna Plaza just outside of the Hoboken train terminal. For a group of purported Pirates, we’re pretty consistently landlocked. It’s always nice to perform on (or at least near to) the water, even if it’s on a ship at dock.

( and the ocean waves do roll )

**cross-posted to crimson_pirates**


Apologies for posting this at the last minute! If you're in or near Hoboken, come and see the Crimson Pirates on Saturday, May 30th.

*Spoiler Warning!* We'll be on a boat. Well, a barge, but for this perpetually landlocked group of pirates, it's a step up, indeed. Also, there will be new music. That's right. Brand. New. Songs.

Details here.

The Crimson Pirates will be getting a few new songs* on their feet at the New London gig this weekend** We will not, alas, have our full contingent, so at last Sunday's rehearsal we ran through everything we might be playing (Robin already had set lists, of course, focusing more on our maritime music), even those you'd think we could do in our sleep. It was fun, though, until Robin gave me a new harmony for one of the new songs.

I could sing it when it was just her and I, and even when we added Ann to the mix. But with the song underway, I lost it entirely. I pinballed between the melody and the high harmony. Robin assured me that if I didn't have it locked down for the weekend I ought not to worry. Yeah, right. I just spent twenty minutes singing that damn song over and over. Nailed the harmony. Nailed it. Since I'm playing conga as well, I thought it would be a good idea to rehearse with the drum.

Bad idea. I lost the harmony, I tanked on the rhythm. My hands flailed wildly about. My vocals weren't just pinballing, they were rocketing. I think I was singing bass for a measure or two.

This is not acceptable. I will not be beaten by a simple traditional tune. I will not be brought to my knees by a hand drum.

*sigh*

Back to the rehearsal tape.


*Oh, the amount of new music we have in the works! Y'all have no idea. One of them's a Kelly original (music by Robin). You just know that's going to be a happy sunshine sort of song.

**I originally typed 'weekent.' Make of that what you will.

Despite my best intentions, I didn't make it to kickboxing today. I'm teaching early tomorrow morning, but after that I'll take Donna's class. I did get my lazy butt on the treadmill for about 35 minutes, about half of which I ran. Lame, I know, but it's still better than noting.

When I got back to the house, I had a message from Don that he'd be super late tonight. I scrapped my original dinner plans and decided to scrounge. Thing is, nothing was appealing. I've been eating lentil soup leftovers for four days. It's yummy, to be sure, but I grow weary. I poked through the freezer, the pantry, the recesses of the fridge, but everything seemed like too much work. At last I unearthed a slightly soft red bell pepper, a somewhat withered knob of ginger, and a (mostly) sturdy broccoli crown. Onions and garlic from the pantry, chicken breast I'd bought earlier this week... oh, yeah. Stir fry! With whole wheat couscous, 'cause I was too impatient to wait on brown rice.

Crimson Pirate-wise, things continue well. We had a rather productive rehearsal yesterday. Don's crazy work schedule precluded his attendance, so we were without his drumtastic awesomeness. I think we muddled along well enough, but every time I had to pick up the bodhran to cover for him I felt - so very keenly - my comparative lack of skill. We've got some good stuff in the works. crimsontom has an adorable song on it's feet. Dan has three new songs under way, Ann has two (three?). Robin has one or two. There are a whole lot of group songs, too, and a two that really showcase our female vocals. I continue to fail at finding harmonies and am pathetically grateful when someone offers one up to me. I can learn them. I just can't hear them.

Finally, a note to myself: sucky weather and kitty trauma and extra shifts at work are no excuse. You have to get to phototherapy thrice weekly or you won't get better. In fact, you'll get worse. Which is, at this moment, abundantly clear. Also, eat less and exercise more. silly cow.

Had a rather wonderful rehearsal today. It's a bit sad to be the weakest voice in the ensemble, but it is what it is. Still, we got five!!! new songs up on their feet. I'm playing conga on one of them, which stresses me no end. I've not studied hand drum methods and rhythms so I'm sort of feeling/faking my way through. If nothing else, I can nail a downbeat like it's my job and hold a steady tempo. So there's that.

What really makes me grinning-bouncy-shiny Kelly is that we're doing another one of my songs. I wrote it a million or so years ago. We had tried to find music for it, to no avail. A day or so ago, though, Robin was hit with the inspiration stick and found chords and a sweet, simple melody and lo! the CPs have another original song on deck. Of course, I'm now second guessing the writing, fearful it's maudlin or sappy or twee. barleymash would tell me were that the case, and he insists it's none of those things, so I really ought to take him at his word.

The eep! factor here is that I'll be singing lead. And it's not a gritty, growly 'Tom O' Bedlam,' where I can get away with not having a pretty voice. Bugger.






note to self: write a freakin' happy song. you are not allowed to write another tragic tale of love lost to war or to the uncaring sea until you've cobbled together a piece about gleefully drinking oneself to sickness and the brotherhood that inspires. or possibly a song about an innocent lad in a whorehouse, whack fol the nonny-oh.

This coming Friday, January 30th, the Crimson Pirates will be playing at Yesterdays in lovely Warwick, New York. We've missed you - yes, you! - and hope to see you there! If you can make it, we promise you - yes, you! - we'll sing all of your favorite songs, and even a few brand new tunes!

Come in 'danes, come in garb. Come for dinner and awesome desserts or come for a refreshing beverage. Come to sing along and come to see if we're just crazy enough to do an all-request set.

Hope to see you - yes, you! - there!


p.s. we'll be going on about 9 p.m. Just so's you know.

Rehearsal was fun!

The only downside was that I failed at providing snacks. I was running late. Everything was behind schedule. There was, to be sure, hot artichoke and white bean dip served with toasted farm bread, but I didn't get the crudites out. Likewise the cheese (we even had some of the primo stuff) and crackers. SnackFail aside, it was a productive and enjoyable evening. We worked a goodly portion of our way through our list of music, revisiting old arrangements, figuring out what we could do with various configurations of the band, and looking at some new songs. I'd tell you what they were, but... y'know. Spoilers.

Considering his delightfully social behavior the last time we had company, Handsome Tom surprised us all by hiding in the basement for the duration of the rehearsal. Mind, that first party was outdoors. Everything was on his terms. Now he's bounded by walls. Also, we're loud. Lots of drums. Didn't faze Esme, of course. She sat in empty instrument cases, bounced around from person to person, and, at last, curled up on a green chenille pillow, watching us through sleepy eyes.

The night ended with a late dinner at the Iron Forge Inn's tap room. Aaaand now I really need to sleep 'cause I'm teaching in the early morning.

I love having rehearsal at our place. It forces me to clean the house.

Also, I did the personal training workout yesterday. Today I'm so sore I could barely lift my arms to fasten my necklace. Good stuff.

The Crimson Pirates went to MDRF this weekend. In a nutshell: gorgeous faire, lovely people, sod-all weather. Our first set on Saturday was on a stage with only the teensiest bit of cover. Naturally, the skies opened up as we were not three songs in. Anyone playing an instrument for a particular song ducked under the cover*, but otherwise we all sucked it up, good pirates that we are. Our audience stayed (NYRF crew, you are hardcore!), so we kept singing. And so it went, the rest of the day: rain followed us from set to set. When it wasn't pouring down in buckets, it was drizzling or misting or spitting or smacking down on us as tree-rain. We stayed long enough to crank out a song for pub sing and then fled, soggy and miserable, for hotel rooms and hot showers.

Sunday was a bit better. The forecast promised much better weather: a chance of a stray shower. No big. Aside from the forecast being completely fucking wrong, it was a lovely and very soggy day. At least we were under cover when the rains hit (well, save for that last bit when Don and I were running our drums and gear to the car before the last set. I figure that was the universe having a good laugh on me, though, since I'd stayed beautifully dry all day. Fair enough.). Robin had NO voice by mid day, so we didn't have to stay for pub sing. We were on the road and heading home before the sun had set.

Other happy bits of MDRF: seeing the always gorgeous Melissa (also, her character name and accent made me want to rewatch S1 of DW (again!!!)), seeing the Pirates Royale, seeing the Maryland fans, the NYRF folks, pumpkin cookies!!!!, Bevan and Izzy**, chatting politics with Julia, oyster shrimp shooters (especially when they made they were kind enough to customize mine), sets at the Boar's Head, hearing nice things about 'Distant Drums,' hearing nice things about my husband, hearing The Rogues, and, of course, pork chop on a stick.

Sad bits: vampcurse not feeling well, stupid insecurities, ceaseless rain, horrible, sucking mud, Fiddler's Green, and the worst female pain I've ever had to deal with. Also, having to deal with female needs in a port-o-potty. In layers of costume. WET costume. bah.





*not me, but I only had to deal with a pennywhistle for that set