Whiskey Galore e-interview Part Two: Irish in America at Lengthwise and the Ghost Hotel
There's a ghostly restaurant and hotel, The Noriega, built in 1893 in Bakersfield's old city. It's a leftover from Basque days and still stands restless on Sumner Street.
These old style descendents of Spanish and French Basque sheepherders still cook it up. And don't forget the drinks in the rustic bar. And if you're wondering why I'm talking about this ghost house turned men's home, turned restaurant and hotel, that's because Whiskey Galore played there last night. Here's what Kevin had to say:
hi nick- the noriega hotel gig was great. It was the St. Pats party
for the Kern River Celtic Association. Last year they had 14
people... this year was 66. I'd like to think the band helped boost
attendance. We didn't do any highland pipe sets, all irish only. We
did the usual sets, but some obscure stuff that we nearly NEVER do,
such as:
skibberreen
kilkelly, ireland
ghillie booze jig
mo ghile mear
belfast mill
someone wanted drunken sailor so we did it twice and played the
reels, "peter st." and "toss the feathers" with it. I don't remember
the actual list...
I'll let you know how how vegas goes,
cheers,
kevin
You don't want to miss this exclusive and intimate interview! And now for part two of Kevin Briley e-interview of Whiskey Galore's gig at Lengthwise Brewery:
So with me half-dead and Bill absent here's how i think the show went:
There wasn't an open seat in the house. Jeff Davis, our guitarist, was amazing. 12 and 6 strings played like no one in america can play an irish jig. Very simply, no one is as good as him, no one. In the second hour, jeff and rich did a jazz improv set on sax and bass, i jumped in with irish whistle... the crowd ate it up. I was in horrible pain all night and constantly clutching at my chest. Anyone who sees us regularly got a new show because my wife took over all of my singing parts. I was also forced to cut out alot of whistle parts, which made jeff and mike's vocals and guitars shine even brighter! Hope the band doesn't decide they can do without me!
Roddy Thompson was over from the coast and he just OWNED the drums like he always does. That guy is solid. Mike's vocals on "back home in derry" were the best they had ever been. That tune is the focal point of the new album. There's nothing in this world as good as playing music with guys as good as mike, jeff, and rich. One of our regulars, my best friend Carl Guilford, even commented on the show having, "more energy than usual." Funny, less than 48 hours before the gig i was having my chest x-rayed, my butt shot up with steroids, and my lungs pumped full of medicine. I'm so glad we didn't have to cancel the gig! Despite my chest pain and kristin having to sub in for me I still sang "Process Man" and a crowd request from our second album, the haunting northern ireland tune, "Belfast Mill." We played 2 1/2 hours. Anyone who paid 4 bucks to get in got my heart and soul. I'll die for this band our fans. I'll drive the band to death if i have to. After 2 encores we called it quits, said cheers, and killed the microphones.
This is where it gets cool. The band left the stage. Jeff held onto his guitar and i was just gasping and looking around like a hunted animal on a break... After about 5 minutes only 20 people were left. Jeff and i did "the parting glass" for those 20 people. Jeff and i usually do this song as an instrumental intro with him on flute and myself on whistle. I don't know where mike and rich were, but jeff and i grabbed some beers and he started singing the words and playing the song on guitar... the system came back on... At this point the show was clearly over and the stage was a mess of chords, tune lists, empty rockstar cans, lager pints, champagne bottles', broken guitar picks, etc...Next thing i know i am playing the whistle and singing the chorus with him. I don't think we have ever done this even during a drunken session at my house. It just kind of happened. The lights were fully on and the show was over... here we were giving a raw, unrehearsed bit of ourselves to those who stayed. This is a tune for the new album, but we were not ready to do it live (hell, 2 band members were gone!), but we did a nice little acoustic-style set of a tune that will not be heard from us for a LONG time until we get it perfect. Jeff is a real artist, it was soooooo cool to do such an intimate set for so few people with him. It was so unrehearsed that it was just pure art man.... wish you were there for it. I know that you loved the pipes when you saw us, but you should know that i am nothing without those guys around me. I'm the one who goes to ireland, scotland, plays 6 hours a day, etc.... still without those guys, i'd be a bore!
I had a lovely day after the gig. I got up at 10:30am and ordered pizza for breakfast. I played tombraider all afternoon and the had a great nap from 3pm until 5pm. That's my recipe for insomnia! Carl Guilford came over and helped clean up the house from the festivities of a band show friday night. We cleared out the rest of the ingredients that make up Jeff's favorite drink: THE MANHATTAN. My thighs are killing me from jumping up and down like the bassist is supposed to do. Go Rich.
Final note: some guy was asking my wife where I come from. He couldn't believe I am from here and the band is from here. I was taught in L.A. and Scotland and Ireland. I go there whenever i can... Although i spend summers in ireland and scotland this band was bred here, in america... california..., bakersfield. This fellow couldn't believe it. We're the irish in america, and we've made it to bakersfield.
These old style descendents of Spanish and French Basque sheepherders still cook it up. And don't forget the drinks in the rustic bar. And if you're wondering why I'm talking about this ghost house turned men's home, turned restaurant and hotel, that's because Whiskey Galore played there last night. Here's what Kevin had to say:
hi nick- the noriega hotel gig was great. It was the St. Pats party
for the Kern River Celtic Association. Last year they had 14
people... this year was 66. I'd like to think the band helped boost
attendance. We didn't do any highland pipe sets, all irish only. We
did the usual sets, but some obscure stuff that we nearly NEVER do,
such as:
skibberreen
kilkelly, ireland
ghillie booze jig
mo ghile mear
belfast mill
someone wanted drunken sailor so we did it twice and played the
reels, "peter st." and "toss the feathers" with it. I don't remember
the actual list...
I'll let you know how how vegas goes,
cheers,
kevin
You don't want to miss this exclusive and intimate interview! And now for part two of Kevin Briley e-interview of Whiskey Galore's gig at Lengthwise Brewery:
So with me half-dead and Bill absent here's how i think the show went:
There wasn't an open seat in the house. Jeff Davis, our guitarist, was amazing. 12 and 6 strings played like no one in america can play an irish jig. Very simply, no one is as good as him, no one. In the second hour, jeff and rich did a jazz improv set on sax and bass, i jumped in with irish whistle... the crowd ate it up. I was in horrible pain all night and constantly clutching at my chest. Anyone who sees us regularly got a new show because my wife took over all of my singing parts. I was also forced to cut out alot of whistle parts, which made jeff and mike's vocals and guitars shine even brighter! Hope the band doesn't decide they can do without me!
Roddy Thompson was over from the coast and he just OWNED the drums like he always does. That guy is solid. Mike's vocals on "back home in derry" were the best they had ever been. That tune is the focal point of the new album. There's nothing in this world as good as playing music with guys as good as mike, jeff, and rich. One of our regulars, my best friend Carl Guilford, even commented on the show having, "more energy than usual." Funny, less than 48 hours before the gig i was having my chest x-rayed, my butt shot up with steroids, and my lungs pumped full of medicine. I'm so glad we didn't have to cancel the gig! Despite my chest pain and kristin having to sub in for me I still sang "Process Man" and a crowd request from our second album, the haunting northern ireland tune, "Belfast Mill." We played 2 1/2 hours. Anyone who paid 4 bucks to get in got my heart and soul. I'll die for this band our fans. I'll drive the band to death if i have to. After 2 encores we called it quits, said cheers, and killed the microphones.
This is where it gets cool. The band left the stage. Jeff held onto his guitar and i was just gasping and looking around like a hunted animal on a break... After about 5 minutes only 20 people were left. Jeff and i did "the parting glass" for those 20 people. Jeff and i usually do this song as an instrumental intro with him on flute and myself on whistle. I don't know where mike and rich were, but jeff and i grabbed some beers and he started singing the words and playing the song on guitar... the system came back on... At this point the show was clearly over and the stage was a mess of chords, tune lists, empty rockstar cans, lager pints, champagne bottles', broken guitar picks, etc...Next thing i know i am playing the whistle and singing the chorus with him. I don't think we have ever done this even during a drunken session at my house. It just kind of happened. The lights were fully on and the show was over... here we were giving a raw, unrehearsed bit of ourselves to those who stayed. This is a tune for the new album, but we were not ready to do it live (hell, 2 band members were gone!), but we did a nice little acoustic-style set of a tune that will not be heard from us for a LONG time until we get it perfect. Jeff is a real artist, it was soooooo cool to do such an intimate set for so few people with him. It was so unrehearsed that it was just pure art man.... wish you were there for it. I know that you loved the pipes when you saw us, but you should know that i am nothing without those guys around me. I'm the one who goes to ireland, scotland, plays 6 hours a day, etc.... still without those guys, i'd be a bore!
I had a lovely day after the gig. I got up at 10:30am and ordered pizza for breakfast. I played tombraider all afternoon and the had a great nap from 3pm until 5pm. That's my recipe for insomnia! Carl Guilford came over and helped clean up the house from the festivities of a band show friday night. We cleared out the rest of the ingredients that make up Jeff's favorite drink: THE MANHATTAN. My thighs are killing me from jumping up and down like the bassist is supposed to do. Go Rich.
Final note: some guy was asking my wife where I come from. He couldn't believe I am from here and the band is from here. I was taught in L.A. and Scotland and Ireland. I go there whenever i can... Although i spend summers in ireland and scotland this band was bred here, in america... california..., bakersfield. This fellow couldn't believe it. We're the irish in america, and we've made it to bakersfield.
This entry was posted by N.L. Belardes, on
Wednesday, March 16, 2005.
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