Before we went off to a gig we prepared the following
questionnaires.
I wanted to have a basic template to present to both
the band and the audience.
Questionnaire for Band.
1. Do you think your music represents Irish culture?
2. How many nights a week does the band play?
3. How long has each of you been playing music and how long playing in this band?
4. As a gigging musician, is it the music, the craic, the money, or the expression of Irish culture that matters the most?
5. How does playing for tourists compare with playing to non tourists?
6. Do you have a pool of musicians that you can draw on?
7. Does the audience influence the choice of songs that you play in the set?
8. Do you have any other more personal music projects that you are involved in?
9. Do you play up being Irish when you play?
10. Does playing here in Ireland differ from playing abroad?
Questionnaire for Audience.
1. Where are you from?
2. Did you come out tonight to listen to music?
3. What music were you hoping to listen to?
4. Does the music being played live up to your expectations?
5. Are there any specific songs that you would like to hear?
6. How does the band rate in terms of the songs being played and their performance and delivery?
7. Does the band represent your ideas of Irish culture?
8. How does listening to music here in Ireland compare to listening at home?
9. How does this event compare to similar events at home? Do you have similar events at home?
10. Have you attended any other events in Killarney or Kerry? If so, how do they compare?
The following results were obtained. I interviewed all of the band members and seven different groups in the pub. The gig took place in the Killarney Towers a large hotel in the centre of Killarney. The bar was lively and noisy so interviewing the different groups was quite difficult. I interviewed the band members outside before the gig. I have not included all of the content of the interviews only the differences and relevant comments.
Mickey, the oldest member, said he had been playing for 40 years and that he thought the band represented Irish culture. He thought that playing to tourists was more rewarding than to locals and that when they played to tourists it would be 90 percent Irish songs. He said there are always four members and that there is a pool of musicians to pull on if a replacement is needed for any reason. Mickey said the band always caters for the audience and that requests should be “written on the back of a twenty euro note”. Mickey wasn’t involved in other projects. Mickey had played with the band abroad and claimed he loved touring. He said that the band played all Irish and felt that they were representing Ireland musically and culturally.
Aiden was next up and said he had been playing twenty six years and jokingly added that he wasn’t interested “in the craic, culture or money only the women”.
He also added that he took care of the setup and the mix as he was the ‘techie’ of the band.
Ray was next to be interviewed he said that the band represented a cultural idea, an idea brought with foreigners’ expectations. He explained that there are two strains of Irish cultural music. One is the Irish Ballad and the other is Irish traditional music. Tin Taen represent the ballad strain. He said he had been playing for twenty five years or more. Ray explained that the band was really part of the tourist industry and that this enabled the band to be playing four or five nights a week. He said there would be little chance of this happening if the band tried to play original songs. He said that a tourist audience was straight into the music whereas a local audience would be chatting and socialising until later into the evening, then they would get into the music. He was involved in other projects through college and had recently stood in for another band. He seemed enthusiastic about taking part in other ventures. He ended by explaining that Tin Taen meant hearth or the spirit of the home.
Lastly was Jimmy who was standing in with the band. Jimmy is a session musician and has been playing for 25 years. He likes to play any kind of music as long as it is played well. His passion is Jazz and he explained that music is his life and his work. He also earns some money teaching music as well. Jimmy has played in Europe and observed that Ireland is changing very quickly. He thought that Ireland was losing its identity to Europe but when asked about the recession said that the band would keep playing even if it was only for pints not money.
I have posted all of the original interviews on the Balladears blog so take a listen if you really want to get a true picture of the event.
Now it is time to move onto the audience interviews, I am going to summarise things a little because there are massive similarities in all the interviews. All of the people interviewed had come specifically for the music so they shared an interest and enthusiasm for Irish ballads and most of them knew the band and came because they loved the way the band played.
One spectator had known the band for many years and only had praise and admiration for them. She said that the band were great at getting the crowd going and were sympathetic to requests.
A couple from Dublin said they had been recommended the band and were pleasantly surprised by the band. They commented that the band represented Irish culture and were very good at what they did. They also commented that it had become increasingly difficult to find venues in Dublin that had ballad bands playing. They said that things had changed and that TV had replaced live music.
Another lady from Killarney said she often came to see the band. She said that they were powerful and that the four members had distinct styles that seemed to work well together. She claimed that the songs were a great way of dealing with emotions and lover to listen to the story unfold.
Another group were Germans; they had been coming to Killarney for sixteen years and always came to see the band both in Killarney and Dingle. They loved Irish music and said that in all the big towns in Germany it was possible to listen to Irish music. They said there were Irish bars all over Germany.
Another couple from Cork also followed the band. They said that the band told a crucial story, a history of Irish culture. They claimed that the band was a very strong representation of the Irish ballad history.
Lastly a large group of ladies from Cork, this group seemed the least impressed and seemed unhappy that the band did not play any songs from Cork. I suggested that they could ask for a request. They were unhappy with the volume and said it was far too loud. This group were the only group to express any negative reaction to the band and I guess you just can’t win them all!
