Saturday 9th November. Our November session is tomorrow. We were supposed to have a band practice on Thursday, 7th, but two band members were missing, so I suggested we practise the new pieces for tomorrow’s session. Just as well. It wasn’t pretty! Again, it’s my fault as I have included too many new pieces. The pace of Greek life – whether one is working or semi-retired – can eat into practice time.
The session is gradually becoming better known. Someone contacted me via www.thesession.org to ask me if we would be playing in January. He is a tin-whistle player and maker who has relocated himself and his business to Turkey.
The manager of Tom’s Place in Sofia sent me an ad for a session this Wednesday in Sofia. Quite decent of him as it is not in his bar!
And finally, Aidan Connolly, who was the main draw at last year’s Athens Irish Festival, contacted me today. He will be coming to Greece for a couple of gigs in Athens on Palm Sunday weekend next year. He also hopes to play in Trikala on the following Tuesday. Trikala! If it takes off, I will go. Anyway, he wrote to ask me about the possibility of playing in Thessaloniki and returning to Ireland from our fair city. I spoke briefly to him in Athens but we did not share contact details. Anyway, he tracked me down via a mutual contact in Spain.
16th November. We managed to get a band practice together on Thursday, 14th, with the accordionist still missing. He is married with a young son, and weekly practices are eating into his quality time at home. To paraphrase the great Liverpool manager, Bill Shankly, “Some say Irish music is a matter of life and death… it’s a lot more serious than that.” I’m only kidding; family comes first.
The accordionist argued that bands in Greece usually practise twice before a gig and then let things lie till the next gig comes along. My counterargument was that we are simply not good enough. Anyway, he was tried in absentia, and we came to the decision that he has a point. We will practise once a fortnight, increasing the frequency when we have a gig. Our next one will be on December 22nd, so I’ll plan a practice schedule.
One last word on the sessions. Last Sunday was better than we anticipated after the disastrous practice of ten days ago. The atmosphere in the bar was really good too. It was also noticeable that we are gaining camp followers, who are eating and drinking as we play. I’m very pleased that we are doing something indirectly to help business in our session home.