In the last post I forgot to mention that after that great performance we went to the After Hours Club at the St. Ann’s Gaelic College. We had heard that this was an exceptional experience not to miss. It’s an after hours club setup for the artists to meet and play and do some impromptu stuff. They have a lineup of artists playing but later as the evening wears on, anything can happen.
The After Hours Club is supposed to run from 11:00 PM to 3:00 AM but we had already heard rumors of it running until almost 7:00 AM the previous day. So, on our way home we stopped in to check it out. The cover charge was $20.00 but if you had a ticket stub from any of the events during that day, the cover charge was reduced to $10.00. A great deal, as you’ll see. This is also setup as a drinking facility and so wine, beer and highballs are available. This creates a much more festive atmosphere.
We acquired some drinks and sat down in the great hall that is very well designed for this type of musical event and sat down at a table. Live music was already playing. After the performers last set there was a break as the stagehands setup for a new show. The break was only seven minutes long and a new group was up on stage playing. Turns out it was the excellent duo of Chris Stout and Catriona McKay that we had seen earlier at the festival (see previous posts). They played four tunes and finished to a standing ovation.
Again a quick five to ten minute break and another band was on. This time, an excellent Bag Piper and an accompanying Violinist hit the stage. They were great and the crowd loved them. And so the evening went on. At around 1:45 AM when we decided we needed to head out, as we were both exhausted from our travels with little sleep, Natalie McMaster showed up. Seven months pregnant, played all day and here she was! We were not sure if she was going to play or when so we headed out anyways.
In the morning we did hear that she had in fact played and that many of the artist had stayed very late once again. What an excellent setup and what a great and inexpensive way to see so many great artists. Another cool thing about this setup is that all the artists themselves are milling about the joint chatting and mixing with the crowd. What a great opportunity to meet the artists.
© 2010 François Cléroux
(Version 1.00 – October 2010)
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Copyright 2013 Francois Cleroux