Baron Farkoff Posted June 11, 2011 Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 A couple of years ago there would occasionally be someone who played the pipes on a sunday morning somewhere near Spiggie loch. Even though the sound would wake me from a deep sleep-as did the call to prayer at half past sillyo'clock when in Africa- I could not find the will to be annoyed by it, even when the sound intruded into a late night recording session and ended up all over the drum track. It's nice to be welcomed ashore, doesn't matter if it is a mariachi band or a full-on calypso experience. Lerwick can be a drab, grey little town sometimes. As Withnail almost said -"someone should install a jukebox in here, liven you stiffs up a bit." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted June 11, 2011 Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 Im quite sure none of you have any idea of what real music is so stop moaning and stay at home next time!!! The Harbour Board or the Touristy folk should have hired Scaldin Bragg or maybe the Dirty Lemons, given them a damn good set of amps, and planted them on the head of the pier. I'd recommend that or similar for all touries. I wisna there (who in their right mind goes to the toon when their's a liner in anyway, its like fighting your way through sardines in a can, or on any saturday morning anyway....the spills of Friday night are still a bit....fresh), to hear the pipes (thankfully), but if someone like that was playing, I'd have done my damndest to have been there (to see the look on the touries faces, if nothing else). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavi Ugl Posted June 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 My final word on this thread is that it was a sad, sad, day for Shetland and another nail in the coffin of Shetland's identity. As seen today, the kilts, tartan and bagpipes idenity is slowly but sadly eroding Shetland's own culture. But again, it's a mark of Shetland's inability to understand and grasp its own identity that people think it's great. The sad reason so many Shetland men are getting married in kilts is because they're too gormless to understand that the kilt is not a Shetland thing and has no place in Shetland culture. It's not about selling our soul to"entertain" tourists, it's about preserving and promoting our own identity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted June 11, 2011 Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 A couple of years ago there would occasionally be someone who played the pipes on a sunday morning somewhere near Spiggie loch. Thankfully for them, I never heard them, or there's a good chance they'd not be alive by now. Sacrilege! [Edit]Well, on second thoughts, if they were playing a lament for their defeated and slain ancestors lying in the Lewismen's Scord, I might have allowed them 5 minutes....once![/Edit] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaydee67 Posted June 11, 2011 Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 If Lerwick really wants to be welcoming to the cruise ships and their tourist dollars, perhaps an effort should be made to co-ordinate the dates and times of the ships coming in with shop opening hours. It must be pretty dismal coming ashore to find the shops are all closed on a Sunday. My OH drives the tour buses sometimes and says passengers are often disappointed they can't shop or even have a cup of coffee in the town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest moorityow Posted June 11, 2011 Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 The Lerwick Pipe Band were formed in 1933 and were wearing kilts!!! Origionally wearing the Gordon Tartan as many Shetlanders served in the Gordon Highlanders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Farkoff Posted June 11, 2011 Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 ^an excellent point Jaydee. I was at the Nesting regatta today, and several times heard regret expressed that the tourists knew nothing of it.They would have had a smashing time, and could have boosted Nesting into the cultural stratosphere. It would be great if there were more opportunities for local exponents of culture to demonstrate this wonderful land in action for people who have shelled out a lot of cash to be entertained.Leaflets, a smiley liason type and a couple of busses could have added to their Shetland experience immensely, and earned folk a few quid too. I reckon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest moorityow Posted June 11, 2011 Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 Maybe the Pipe Band cuold play at Nesting next year, locals and tourists would love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinner72 Posted June 11, 2011 Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 A couple of years ago there would occasionally be someone who played the pipes on a sunday morning somewhere near Spiggie loch. Even though the sound would wake me from a deep sleep-as did the call to prayer at half past sillyo'clock when in Africa- I could not find the will to be annoyed by it, even when the sound intruded into a late night recording session and ended up all over the drum track. Sounds lik a dream come true! I should point out that, despite my love for the fiddle and traditional Shetland music, I also love the drone of the scottish pipes. It's an inspiring sound wherever its heard, but a lone piper ower a loch on a quiet morning or night would be spine tingling. I slightly misread the thread before my reply too, as I was thinking about the Brass band rather than the pipe band. Again, with all due respect as I admire the musicianship, it just doesn't fit as well as the pipes or more traditional music. However, all that being said, it doesn't matter who greets the ships, it is more important that someone does. The beauty of Shetland is that it would only take one post here, or a few phone calls/messages, to say "there's nobody to play on the pier for the tourists" and you could have a score or more in a good going session within an hour or two. For that matter one poster with arrival times and "come along for a tune to welcome everybody" would be all the effort required, if nobody wants to formally invite groups. An interesting point brought up about the Kilts. Of course there willl be those who consider themselves scottish and so are wearing the national dress. Like many born and bred Shetlanders though, I consider myself as Scottish as a coconut, and to me the traditional dress is the Up Helly Aa tunic. One of my favourite times to be in town is after the mass marches of Jarl squads for events such as the Carnival etc and seeing all the various squads mixing and socialising. Hopefully in future generations it will become more and more normal to attend formal functions that way attired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Raven007 Posted June 11, 2011 Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 Traditional dress the up helly a tunic , please tell me your joking ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EM Posted June 11, 2011 Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 I love the sound of bagpipes.So do I, with the exception of the Scottish variety. This is not due to their Scottishness, I just find them sonically unattractive. Despite their general association with Scotland, bagpipe traditions exist all over the place, more or less wherever the Romans had taken them. Most of the non-Scottish varieties have a much less harsh tone. To my taste Balkan, Irish and Northumbrian sound beautiful. Incidentally, concerning the Roman bagpipe tradition, it seems reasonably well accepted that Nero played the bagpipes. Even though it is far from certain that the tale of him playing music as Rome burned is correct, he certainly didn't fiddle, because fiddles didn't exist then. That means it is conceivable he was actually skirling away on a set of pipes instead . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mutton Posted June 11, 2011 Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 Really shows off Shetland's cultural diversity, in my opinion, good on them. Totally agree. Shetland isn't Norwegian and some may argue (including me sometimes) that Shetland isn't Scottish. Shetland is a unique mix of Scottish and Nordic tradition. That's why we have fantastic music from the pipes and drums to world class fiddle groups. I think the pipes and drums are perfect to welcome tourists off and on the cruises or when something is required to march too, UHA, carnival etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EM Posted June 11, 2011 Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 For that matter one poster with arrival times...Here is the list:http://www.lerwick-harbour.co.uk/assets/files/cruiseships.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted June 11, 2011 Report Share Posted June 11, 2011 I think the pipes and drums are perfect to welcome tourists off and on the cruises.... Personally I'd say a lengthy barrage from the Fort cannon.....just below the water line, would be far more perfect. But I can see I'm in an extremely small minority here, probably a minority of one....so I'll geeng. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
engineer21 Posted June 12, 2011 Report Share Posted June 12, 2011 At the end of the day we are scottish!! and you should be proud of that!! whilst im not really into the bagpipes, scottish stuff etc just think of the stuff you watch and buy when u go abroad! many countries hate there sterotypes (even if they are selling the tat) its just tourists, be happy for the revenue and stop complaining!!!!! some music is better than nothing!! cant say i would listen to the music that comes fae high level most days but it does brighten up the street on a grey day and makes it even better on a sunny one so fair play to anyone that is at least trying!! its easy to sit at home and complain! pick up a fiddle and gie us a tune!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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