It’s nearly July so we are aestivating. Our next sessions will kick off on September 15th. My mind is more preoccupied with the UK election and the football (Euros) than with the music.
The Athens Irish Festival was held at the end of May in Peristeri Park. It was a lovely setting. The Session – supposedly the festival opener — was scheduled to begin at 6pm on Friday, May 24th. I turned up with my fiddle but, unsurprisingly, the session failed to launch. 6pm is far too early in Greece. People are still scratching their front and rear ends following the siesta.
Anyway, I teamed up briefly with three guys. we moved to the park entrance, rearranged a couple of benches, and played a few sets together.
David on banjo, Ben on flute, and Philip on the box. Philip is also a great flautist as can be seen in this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qlhW1d_zMo
Later in the evening, I made my way to a bar at the other end of the park where about eight or nine people were playing, including the main attraction, Aidan Connolly.
I turned up again on Saturday, this time without my fiddle, and watched the first two acts. It started to rain as the final set began, so I left. I didn’t notice it the day before, but the stage area had no protection against the rain. This is never a good idea, even in sunny Greece. (For example, on Thursday, June 27th, Loreena McKennitt’s gig here in Thessaloniki was a washout.) Rain can come at any time, and as cruel fate would have it, just as Aidan and friends were getting going, it started to rain.
Though the venue seemed more pleasant than Vyronas, I wonder if it was more suitable. The bar was so far away that, functionally, it would only draw people away from the activities, whereas in Vyronas there is a cultural centre close to the stage. This could be temporarily converted into a proper pub with seats for session musicians. In Peristeri no thought was given to where players could assemble let alone sit.
I didn’t bother going for the last day. I wonder what the attendance was like on a Sunday night. Based on my experience in Caceres, Spain, I wonder if the festival should conclude on a Sunday afternoon. This is the programme.
The stage area:
Back in Thessaloniki, we did our final gig on Sunday, June 2nd, and our last session on 9th. We gave a reasonably smooth performance on 2nd, but the bar was far from full. Our session also featured the fewest number of musicians (seven) since we started in October 2021, and the pub was far from busy. Fair play to Ken for taking the risk of June 2nd. At the end of the session, the staff came out and toasted us, a very touching gesture.
I’ve been busy collecting new material, particularly hornpipes, polkas and barndances. I have also prepared a fresh playlist for our September and October sessions.
Our session dates until the end of the year are:
Sunday, 15th September
Sunday, 13th October
Sunday, 10th November
Sunday. 8th December
And our new starting time is 4pm.