Piper and Bubba

[SFCRick]

My hat is off to those of you who take on often thankless tasks at the behest of others.

I agree completely

[JS Sanders]

Actually Bubba wasn’t a local. He was from above the Mason-Dixon Line. No judgement, just a fact.

As I was reared, ‘Bubba’ is anything & everything between a ‘beloved friend’ to ‘an obnoxious jughead’. It’s one of those catchall Southern colloquialisms we use in this part of the world. With my ‘Bubba’, the tranquilizer dart would need strong component of ExLax - he was that filled with bravo sierra.

Piping is my livelihood and both avocation & vocation. Every week people on their best and worse days are presented to me. It can be both humbling and joyous, sometimes at the same time. Gigs are something anticipated.

I thought yesterday was rather amusing, particularly when the funeral director told me the portion that happened outside my peripheral vision. Funerals can be real downers and I’ve had my heart torn multiple times. And some of the funniest things seen piping have been at funerals. I’ll save the story of the military detail that fell into a muddy grave for a later date. And my wedding anecdotes… they are the biggest hoots of all.

Most people treat me like royalty, or even better, as one of them. The occasions I suffer from some penocephaloid are at most four times a year - I’m not counting the twits that approach me unsolicited and behaving tactlessly. Most of them are on St Paddy’s Day and public gigs.

Jack Daw – so EJ Jones opened for you? That’s not shabby and after the demise of Clandestine, he hooked up with The Rogues. In the earlier days, I had to take just about anything, paying or not, and too many were gratis gigs. Didn’t take long to learn that the musician is often treated badly at gratis gigs, whereas paying gigs they can’t do enough for you.

Surely are plenty of Xmarker pipers that can relate even more amusing tales. I'd love to read them.

And thanks for the vote of confidence from Alaskan Kilted Guy and SFCRick.

[macwilkin]

Jack Daw – so EJ Jones opened for you? That’s not shabby and after the demise of Clandestine, he hooked up with The Rogues.

He's also playing with Ed Miller on Ed's new CD, Never Frae My Mind. I got to see EJ and Clandestine play several times in the late 90's; they were a great group!

T.

[Jack Daw]

The Rogues are virtually defunct, I think, but may collect again for a particular performance or tour. Clandestine is back together, but maybe only for this one tour. I dunno. Such things are precarious.

One other thing about playing the pipes in Houston. A good many of the pro pipers have bolted and moved to, or around, Dallas. Houston has a glut of amateur pipers that are churned out by St. Thomas Epsicopal, a private grade school. In place of a marching brass band, the boys play in a pipe and drum band and the girls take up Highland dancing. Both E.J. Jones and Jimmie Mitchell, formerly of the Rogues, were students at St. Thomas. As a pro or amateur, it's difficult to get a paying gig in Houston.

BTW, I got to hear E.J. and Richard Kean, formerly of Tartanic, pipe at this last Hogmanay (New Yr's Eve) party. Richard Kean had moved to near Dallas from Houston.

[JS Sanders]

You're correct - it'd slipped my mind about the Rogues. Didn't have any knowledge of Clandestine's resurrection.

[Jack Daw]

Yes, but I don't know if all the same members are back in the band. E. J. just said that Clandestine was back for some gigs.

[beloitpiper]

Most people treat me like royalty, or even better, as one of them.

When I piped for our very own Turpin's mother's memorial service, I felt like this. Probably best job I've had.

The occasions I suffer from some penocephaloid are at most four times a year - I’m not counting the twits that approach me unsolicited and behaving tactlessly. Most of them are on St Paddy’s Day and public gigs.

Oh man, St. Patrick's Day is the worst. Sure, I make a lot of money, but even wearing all of my Scottish stuff, every drunken &@!#% feels like he has to tell me how Irish he is and how he loves Ireland and how Irish his family is and how he once heard bagpipes at this one place and how....

Surely are plenty of Xmarker pipers that can relate even more amusing tales. I'd love to read them.

I was playing at a Folk Fair, and I was manning the booth on Scotland. Across the gymnasium that the fair was held was the Irish booth. It was manned by the Rock Country Shamrock Club (I'm in Milwaukee's Shamrock Club). Well, first they began cat calling and making kilt jokes, in obvious jest. No offense was taken, and we both laughed, but then one woman from the Ireland booth came over to me and started talking. I told her I was a piper for the Shamrock Club's pipe band and then her tone changed! She dragged me to her table, introduced me to everybody, I spoke some Gaelic (to their delight) and the night ended at the nearest Irish pub in town. GREAT time! :drink:

[Frank McGrath]

People like that moron will have no one at their own funerals, so they make up for it at others. I have an uncle that was the same way.

[pipesndrumsnun]

That is actually a GREAT story!! Perhaps the deceased brother-in-law helped your pipes to smack the jerk!!

[JS Sanders]

The incident this week really pales in comparison to others I've witnessed. Mind you, I've been doing this a number of years and I perform a beau coup of funerals annually.

I've seen altercations at funeral homes and graveside. Swearing & tossing of chairs, shouting at the ever calm funeral directors too. Sometimes grief takes extreme forms, it ain't right but that's what can occur. Almost always I come out unscathed.

Three weeks ago I performed at a memorial service for this feller who suffered a coronary and died in his girlfriend's arms at her home.

And I'm here to tell you, this goomer's (current and 3rd) wife was madder than a cardiologist in a stalled golf cart at the memorial service. She made it abundantly clear that the girlfriend was not to make an appearance. And yes, the girlfriend did try to attend.

Not surprisingly the families sat segregated from each other. The tension in the air was mighty thick.

Everyone treated me quite well - even paid me an additional $50.

A piper's life for me!

Slainte yall,
steve