Diary of a Bandman

September already?

2007-09-13T17:05:42Z

Again: I've been bloggin' up a storm on the ol' MySpace page. It's just too darned easy. Figured, however, that'd I'd throw an exclusive entry this way in order to please the rabid "Diary of a Bandman" fans. Yes, we've got an army of salivating raccoons who just neeeeeeeed their fix of BAM news. That's the allure of the Alpaca, no doubt.

I've also seen another BAM-related LiveJournal page—one that focuses specifically on the aforementioned Alpaca. It's a look into the dark recesses of its one-track mind. Give it a look-see over at http://i-love-alpacas.livejournal.com/

Last night, we played a fun party at the Rockhill Country Club in Manorville. It was a fundraiser/celebration held by the Peconic Warpipes. They rocked out; we rocked out; and we all rocked out together! T'was a blast. Kudos to our buddy, Scotty, who was bangin' his drum with authority!

I'd like to thank the Peconic Warpipes for inviting us to play their party and all the folks who let us know that they loved us. You're all officially Celticly Insane! We'll see you all again soon!

Don't forget to keep up with us in real time over at http://www.myspace.com/bangersandmashband

Scott

I know, I know...

2007-07-27T18:34:53Z

I've been doing all of my blogging over on the MySpace page. It's just so darned convenient. I know that this journal was the first one; yeah, we have a history over here. But hey, times change. Nothing stays the same after all.

Make sure you visit the MySpace page often. If you aren't over there--if you aren't a friend--then you're not as Celticly Insane as you think you are. If you're still in the dark, let there be light:

http://www.myspace.com/bangersandmashband

See you soon,

Scott

Bangers and Mashquitoes

2007-07-27T18:30:53Z

Let me just start my saying, I'm itching and scratching like CRAZY! On occasion, I may have to pause in order to rip at some raised flesh. You won't notice as you read; trust me, it's true.

We caught the ferry—some of us by the slimmest of margins—and journeyed our way to Davis Park, Fire Island.

Digression: We've been a fixture at the Casino since 2004, and this summer would prove no different. In fact, a clan from Colorado that happened to see us make our debut way back when was there again for the first time since then. They sure had a good time. For the purpose of confidentiality, I won't explain how I know they had a good time. What happens on Fire Island stays on Fire Island after all. (Shout out: Thanks for making it a great night, folks! You are officially Celticly Insane!)

The trip was an uneventful one; we gathered our stuff on the other side and headed for The Casino. We hoofed the equipment up the stairs to the deck, set up shop, and enjoyed the ocean view, the breeze, and the Irish fare that was served up for the appropriately-themed Irish Night.

When we kicked things off, there wasn't a whole heck of a lot of people, which could be due to the fact that 5:30 on a Thursday is kind of a 'tween time--people headed home after a long day of relaxin' on the beach and people headed to the beach after working all day. It didn't take long, however, for the deck to fill up with familiar faces and newbies—those soon-to-be Bammers. The aforementioned Colorado clan helped whip the audience into a frenzy with their dancin' and their cheerin'.

Deirdre, Chad, and I--free of wires, yay!--strolled around the deck, drawin' people to our brand of Irish rock. If I must provide a diagnosis, I say, "Celtic Insanity!" John donned a cowboy hat and caught a Brokeback Mountain comment or two over the course of the evening. "As long as the bottle was passed around, ol' Rent was feeling gay!" (I'm always willing to mess with that line from "The Night Patty Murphy Died." If you've seen us before, you know that no one is safe!) Seth was bouncin' around over in his corner, freakin' me out the whole time because I was afraid that he was going to bring down the deck. Oh, I could feel it give every now and again. I wasn't so concerned about his going over the side of the deck. His fro is like an airbag anyway.

Did the music keep 'em drinkin'? You bet yer arse it did!

Kudos to the guy who absolutely loves our version of "Come Out Ye Black and Tans." He was holdin' up the wall for a while. But once we broke into rebel tune, he was kickin' it on the floor, imploring those Black and Tans to come out and fight him like a man! (We met up with him on the ferry later. He said that he thought we weren't going to play it because we didn't start off the second set with it like we had in the past. He was relieved, however, when he recognized the frenetic guitar intro, which followed our rendition of U2's "I Will Follow.")

Tons of energy was expended over the three + hours we played. Yeah, most of it was part of the show; but some of it was for another reason entirely: we were smacking ourselves silly because of the mosquitoes! I swear I wiped on some Off, but it worked more like On; I was a human pincushion, with those little bastards sticking me on exposed areas and through my clothes. I'm sure that I looked like I was doing some strange choreography for a Ciara video or something—maybe I looked like I was nuts or on some sort of hallucinogen; but I was truly fighting off a horde of blood-thirsty dive bombers. I mean, I'd touch my face to wipe away sweat and I'd feel one or two skeeters roll between my fingers and forehead. Nasty! Proudest moment: I smacked two suckers at once as they dined on my forearm. Gotcha, you bastards!

After a rousing end to the final set—"A Better Way," "Whiskey in the Jar," "Trouble," and "Welcome to the Seisiun,"—we closed up shop, racing against the airborne onslaught and the clock: there was a ferry in sight. We got everything broken down in no time, said goodbye to old and new friends, and trekked toward the dock.

Aside: Sorry, Seth. I've got to. I can't hold it in anymore. "Is that a beer?" "No." "Is that a beer?" "Yes." (I'm thinking that this has a two month shelf life. Too bad we don't have more gigs lined up!)

The ferry ride home was even more uneventful, except for the fact that I got to check out the pictures and the video that Donna shot during the show. Check out her handiwork on the main page: The Casino picture album and slideshow and the "Fields of Athenry" video.

If anything else comes back to me, I'll blog it.

Thanks for coming out to the show. Thanks, too, to those of you who follow us through MySpace. Technology's a wonderful thing, no?

Keep an eye on the schedule. Something may pop up between now and the next Casino gig. Also, be sure to keep the Long Island Irish Festival in your sights. We'd love to see you there.

See you soon,

Scott

Last night at Scotty's

2007-05-27T03:46:04Z

Yeah yeah. It's been a while since I've been here. I've been doing most of my blogging over at the MySpace page. If you're not visiting the MySpace page, you're not a true Bammer. Here's the latest:

T'was a rippin' time at Scotty's; we were still playin twelve hours ago to a few late-night loyalists. The crowd was ready and willing; so we gave them something to appease--and promote--their insanity. We were pleased to see a bunch of familiar faces, especially Jenn--an original Bammer and founding member of the Couldn't Have Come Crew--who was in cap and gown. Congrats, girl!

We banged our way through a new song: a reggae version of "Spancil Hill." We also spiced up a couple tune sets. Chad, for instance, added a wicked lead to "Deirdre Drowned the Pony." John was busy bashing out funky rhythms, breathing nasty life into the setlist.

I was able to shot the show; a video or two might come of it. The sound's actually pretty good.

Now, if you are in desparate need of getting your fix of BAM, keep a eye or two on the schedule. Next weekend, we've got two big gigs. We'll be in Southampton on Friday and in Hampton Bays on Saturday. Come and get it!

See you soon!

Scott

Patchogue Theatre show

2007-04-01T21:58:44Z

Thanks so much to the organizers, to the producers, to the other bands—Fathom and The Prodigals—and to everyone in attendance. We had a blast! It was great being up on the big stage with room to roam and a kick-ass sound system.

Our set was non-stop bangin' and mashin' from Dee's first draw. Our set included:

Reel It Out (5 reel set)
Mud Angel
Danny and Mary
Out of the the Frying Pan w/jigs
Eclipse
Deirdre Drowned the Pony
A Better Way
The Fields of Athenry
Welcome to the Seisiun

Heard in the wings after our set: "Your version of 'The Fields of Athenry' makes the Dropkick Murphys seem pale [in comparison]." It's hard rockin', no doubt.

Check out the new pics from the show. The house photographer sent them over to us. (Unfortunately, we didn't take any pics, nor did we get any video.) They're definitely higher in quality than any we would have taken :-)

We were very pleased with the reaction we received during our set and after. We saw old friends, recently made friends, and made new friends. In fact, a couple of ladies pushed me in the direction of their friend, who, according to them, has a "crush" on me. She told her husband, right there in front of us, that he should grow his hair out so... Well, you get the idea. It's just one of the many burdens I enjoy as the long-haired guy.

If I think of something else worth sharing, I'll letcha know. Till then, see you soon.

Scott

Where were we?

2007-03-03T20:28:08Z

Last Sunday, we provided the entertainment for the Patchogue Chamber of Commerce Annual Passing of the Sash Party. We've done so for the last 4 years. We were upstairs at the Brickhouse Brewery with a bunch of folks who had no idea how rowdy they'd get over the course of the afternoon. That's the effect we have on people. Despite the fact that we had to be a tad reserved in our presentation, we sounded strong: tune sets were tight and solos were sharp. Aside from some exposure and a couple of bucks, this gig scored us a seriously big gig, which is coming up this Friday: we'll be playing the Brickhouse main stage on 3/9. Be sure to come out and support us. The more Bammers, the better shot we have at playing there again. Let's make this one to remember.

Last night, we played a fundraiser for the Center Moriches parade at the Rockhill Country Club in Manorville. Again, we took a bit off the top—to start. Everyone was into our brand of Celtic insanity, so we pinned it in the other direction and rocked it out. I thought the walls were going to come down when the house shouted, "The music keeps us drinkin'!" Speaking of tune sets—which I wasn't, but it's as good a transition as any—the lot of them were beyond solid; they cranked. Chad has really added that guitar punch to drive the traditional fiddle tunes to new heights. Deirdre was out of control: she was wanderin' all over the joint, playin' at tables; at one point, she was upstairs hanging over a railing with some spotlights. John was at his bangin' best, and Seth let his fingers do the talkin'. Kudos to our special guest, Edd Carney, for his drivin' the folks into a frenzy with his take on some of the old Irish ballads and with his 50s repertoire.

One neat note: I was approached by someone who seemed to be having a good time. He let me know that he was forty-five and that his favorite song in the world is "The Fields of Athenry." I got nervous, of course, because we had just finished playing it, and it's not all that faithful to the original (ie. our version is hard rock/metal). He went on to say that he's heard every version of this song one might imagine and that the version we just performed was the BEST he's ever heard. I know it's a good version, but I was really surprised to hear him say that. I couldn't thank him enough for his kind words. He said he'll be seeing us again—as long as we play his favorite song for him.

Moments like that make it all worthwhile.

See you soon. See you, I hope, tomorrow at Luciano's in East Islip. It's parade season!!!!

Scott

The Scotty's Incident?

2007-02-24T14:54:16Z

Tore it up at a place where Irish music ain't a regular thing. Nothin' like seepin' into a joint--without any expectations--and rippin' heads round: whoa! Goture dancin', your hup-hup-huppin' along; smack those hands togets, c'mon! And the otherwise rockhard rockettes obey--me. YES! Didn't hurt that Chad was on fire, fire, fire (using my best Beavis blow). He showed his rugby buddies who's boss, baby! That's the essence of BAM, in a natural casing.

Thanks to everybody who came down to show support for their favorite--or second favorite, anyway--Celtic rock band. Thanks to Mark for sittin' in with his sax. Oh yeah, baby: we got saxual last night. Ups to those who danced like nobody was lookin (oh, but we were lookin') and to those who prove the most important point of all: The music keeps us drinkin'!

Hope to see the lot of you out some time in the very near future. Come support BAM at one or more of the almost daily gigs we got goin' on during the next month or so. March Madness? P'shaw. March Insanity! Let's rock--Celticly.

See you soon,

Scott

Don't forget to visit the MySpace page for all things Celticly Insane and, as is our wont, Celticly Inane.

http://www.myspace.com/bangersandmashband

Faceplant!

2007-02-19T18:17:39Z

The evening at Buckley's Inn Between started off innocently enough. Chad greeted me with a mention of a company called Faceplant and visions of a West Coast swing. Fair enough. There was a pretty decent crowd, which slowly grew as we got closer to the start of the show.

Side note: An odd gentleman stepped into the bar and stood just inside the door, next to one of our monitor speakers. He swayed a bit, like a ship on a stormy sea, but stood his ground. Thing is, he just stood there, staring into the throng. The owner drifted over, shared a word or two, and escorted the gentleman out of the bar. Not too put off, the man stood just outside the door, staring through the glass and into the throng. At one point, he applied some lip balm. (It was pretty raw out there.) He made his way back in again at some point, and was escorted out yet again. Apparently, he didn't need one more after all; he was feeling just fine.

We rocked it out, driving the folks wild with the typical BAM fare. In attendance were the non-BAM members of Newgrange Stone, which played its first BIB short set during the first intermission. Kudos to Carole and Audrey—and to the moonlighting BAM crew; they've certainly hit on something with their quirky versions of old standards.

We finished off the night with killer versions of "Eclipse," "Mud Angel," and "A Better Way." During "A Better Way," a couple of girls, who had been having fun all night long, jumped up on the bar and started dancing wildly. They caught the attention of everyone, especially Seth. His bass playing became truly inspired once he snared a glimpse of the wannabe exotic dancers. (While not exactly exotic, their moves were of the "excuse my French" variety.) We closed with "Seisiun," for which Dee was issued a speeding ticket. How'd you get so fast, girl? The house music came on--Madonna's "Like a Prayer"--and the girls climbed back on the bar.

The bar-top dancing went on for a good half an hour until...FACEPLANT! Yes: the night ended just as it began. It's so short story, isn't it? One of the rowdies was gyrating on a tall bar chair, and as she was shaking her money maker, she made a move to join her swingin' sisters on the bar. She never made it. The chair screamed and saw an opportunity to escape with the young lady's weight shift. It bolted out from under her, and she found herself aloft--which didn't last too long. Guess she didn't have a latent mutant power that would have manifested itself in the face of danger. She hit the floor. Hard. Nothing hit the ground first. Smack your hand on your desk/table; that's how she hit. I thought she hit her head on a portion of the bar that juts out at the bottom; but she just missed it. She appeared to be out for a moment. A crowd gathered; people started pushing one another; but in the end, it was all good. She got up had a couple shots--to make up for the one she took when she hit the floor, obviously--and started dancing again. This time, she stayed right where she belongs--where we all belong: on good ol' terra firma.

All's well that ends, well, well. Right?

You never know what's gonna happen at a BAM show. Check the scedule: we've got plenty planned for the next few weeks.

Scott

Silly me!

2007-02-17T22:05:37Z

I've been using the MySpace blog as the go-to blog for BAM, leaving loyal ol' DoaB without the attention it so justly deserves. Here's my trying to make up for it.

We done so much since I last left an entry. We've played a benefit; we've played bars. We've added songs, thanks to Chad, that will make lots of folks happy: tracks by U2, Horslips, and more!

I've been sellin' shirts like a madman. Sold 4 at an AOH gig last week. Look for some seriously well-dressed Irishmen in the Babylon area.

There's also some cool news on the music front. BAM has given birth to another band: Newgrange Stone. Seth, Deirdre, and Chad can't get enough of playin' for people. Since John and I can't play every day, the aforementioned three have joined forces with Carole and Audrey, a couple of sirens in their own right, to form a sort of Irish music jukebox. They play the Irish songs you know and love in ways you know and love and in new ways you'll eventually come to love.

We've got plenty of new stuff over on the MySpace page, be sure to check it out. You'll find new videos and new pics, too. You'lll notice our numbers are climbing quickly. Thanks to you, of course.

Make sure you get yer butts out to a show in the next few weeks. We're booked solid though March. (The Patchogue Theater show with Fathom and The Prodigals is a HUGE one. Get your tickets now!) Check the schedule on the MySpace page or on the homepage. Don't forget the Newgrange Stone dates and the regular seisiuns at Finn McCool's and Tom McBrien's.

See you soon,

Scott

Connelly's and the Coming of Chad

2006-12-24T00:36:54Z

Ok. When you're done snickering, let me know.

Done?

Good. We'll move on.

The Connolly's gig in NYC at the beginning of the month was, without a doubt, a major success for us. We played to a crowd that craved what we do. Doesn't happen as often as we'd like; but when we get a crowd like that, we get juiced and throw it down like an arena-worthy outfit. The folks—even though they had never seen us—got right into our brand of bangin' and mashin'. Hell, one young lady asked for a t-shirt before we even got started. How hot were we? We even sold a couple more during and after the set. Look out for well-dressed dudes and dudettes in the signature black BAM shirt. The army is forming. Be careful: they're Celticly insane! We ripped through our set, which included the following songs: Reel It Out (5 reel set), Mud Angel, Danny and Mary, Nothing Stays the Same, Eclipse, Out of the Frying Pan, Rashomon Gate, Horny Devil (a hornpipe set), 32, Wiella Wailla, A Better Way, Welcome to the Seisiun, T'was a pretty nifty fifty minutes. Loved the fact that Out of the Frying Pan got everybody singin' and clappin' along. REALLY loved the fact that somebody—a complete stranger—asked if we were going to play Eclipse. Hellz yeah we were gonna play it! After the set, found a lot of new Bammers amongst the people in the crowd. I hope we get to see 'em all again. Maybe at another Irish Rock Fest.

I had to take off after catchin' a bit of Jameson's Revenge 'cause I had a lot of work to get done the next day. They're some damn good musicians. Ice Wagon Flu and Ceann closed out the show. Seth said that they, too, were a lot of fun. Hope we get to play with them all again some time in the near future. John and I raced to MSG to catch a train; our racing was in vain. We missed it by three minutes or so. (It was my fault. I thought I knew where I was going, threw us off by five minutes or so.) Fortunately, we met up with Chad, Deirdre, and the rest of the crew. We chilled till the next train.

I was lucky enough to get a solo seat, which didn't stay solo for too long. A pretzel-wielding young lady who was, I'd say, more than half in the bag—mainly because she had a beer entirely in a paper bag from which she was takin' sips—sidled up next to me. She asked if she could sit. I said sure. She offered me some of her pretzel. I declined kindly. I was saved by a member of our crew. Donna called me over to another free seat. Thanks Donna!

Let me welcome officially Chad to our line-up as our lead guitarist. He's a veteran of the live music scene and brings his hot licks to BAM. If you haven't seen him play with us yet, get your butt in gear! With Chad and Dee sharing leads, our sound ROCKS!

Our next gig was at Buckley's Inn Between. With Chad on board, we continued to hone our new sound. He's been adding sweet leads beneath Deirdre's fiddle tunes and has been making his guitar talk up a storm on his own leads, like on Eclipse, which is really kickin' like it used to. The song that's really been takin' shape is 32. It's come alive and was the best it's been at the Inn. Thanks to everybody for hangin' out with us!

Last night (yes: I'm all caught up), we hit Finn McCool's for a Christmas Spectacular. My opinion: we haven't sounded better than our two sets last night. Chad's addin' more to every song every time out. John's feedin' off of the rockier aspect of what Chad's puttin' down. I'm not making it up: we're the real deal all of a sudden. Big things are gonna happen to Bangers and Mash. Keep an eye out.

See you soon,

Scott

Left ya scratchin'

2006-11-23T16:18:39Z

(Much of the vitriol has been edited out of this post.)

We went on at O'Brien's and came out of the gate swingin'. We got the crowd goin' with our very own brand of bangin' and mashin'. We were pumpin' through a juiced up system and had Chad addin' some kick ass crunch on electric guitar. We were headed for quite a night. We had a bunch of BAM virgins beggin' to be sacrificed at the alter of Celtic insanity. And then...

I went home around 12:45a.m., picked up some Wendy's (Big Bacon Classic, no tomato, and a Biggie fry), watched an episode and a half of the British version of "The Office," and went to bed.

Thanks so much to all of you who had kind words for us after our truncated set. I may have missed something, but I thought I heard more than a few people shoutin' that the music was keepin 'em drinkin'. The show, as they say, must go on. It'll just go on somewhere else.

See you soon.

Scott

Biggest gig yet?

2006-11-19T16:05:57Z

Y'all ready for this?

We have been asked to play—and we agreed to play, duh—the Irish Rock Fest at Connolly's in NYC on December 2nd. We're joining a few smokin' Irish bands: Icewagon Flu, Ceann, and Jameson's Revenge. It's gonna be a celticly insane night. Do you have it in you to come out and support us at our biggest gig yet? We hope you do.

Don't miss our O'Brien's gig. But definitely don't miss the Irish Rock Fest.

See you soon.

Scott

Here we go again!

2006-11-19T15:59:32Z

We hit up Hampton Bays again on the 11th. T'was a good time, as always. We hadn't played in a while, but, as usual, we sounded better than ever. The biggest WOW, in my opinion, was John's drumming. He added progressive elements here and there, waking up some of the old songs. He might be hidden in the back corner, but he's our foundation.

We bounced into Finn McCool's Friday night the 17th. It was a pretty good night. A bunch o' folks were clearly into what we were doin'. There was dancin', clapping, and singin' along; and, boy, did the music keep everybody drinkin'! Irish bar. Irish band. Hey, it's gonna happen. Chad was back again. He threw down some hot licks and drove a few songs to heights previously unreached. We missed John, however; he was stuck on Sunrise Highway. His truck gave out not too far into his journey to Westhampton Beach. He'll be back, though!

This Wednesday night—the biggest bar night of the year—we'll be headlining an Irish Night at O'Brien's in Coram. Come on out and enjoy Seabreeze, the Coggs, and, your favorite, BAM!

See you soon.

Scott

Harried in the Haptons!

2006-10-21T12:45:58Z

Hit the Inn Between in Hampton Bays last Saturday. Was one of the best nights we've had out there. We enthralled those who accidented upon us and inflamed the BAMMERS who showed up just to see us. We were happy to see Jen and her friends again. It's feelin' a lot like 2003! She was sportin' the ever-popular BAM t-shirt that's making its way onto bodies across the nation. Lookin' good, girl!

I broke out the new guitar for its second show and nearly broke the guitar in the process. It's true: we're a fun bunch; people tend to get up and to dance when we get rollin'. A stepdancer was in the house and kicked it like crazy. She inspired a novice to try out a step or two. Apparently, we should have made an announcement: professionals only! The newbie lost her footing not once, but twice! She fell into my mike stand and over the monitor speaker, sending her person and identified flying objects in my direction. My first move was to catch the stand, the woman; but when I realized what was going on, in a split second, I abandoned my first inclination and huddled around my guitar. A guy's gotta have priorities!

It'll be a while before you can catch us again. We've got three shows slated for November. Check the schedule. We'd love to see ya!

See you soon,

Scott

To the ends of the Earth

2006-10-11T00:49:15Z

Well, to the end of the Island, at least.

We hit up Westhampton Beach this past Friday. Finn McCool's was the place, BAM the reason for the cover charge. Worth any price is a Bangers and Mash show. Let's be honest. We threw it down Celtic style and fiddled the unsuspecting right outta their shorts! We so know how to rile up the ready-to-be-riled. A couple of pints in, that pretty well sums up everybody in the bar and those brave enough to have joined us in the dining room/band area. Kudos to Chad for sittin' in with us. He was gettin' a feel for the songs in the seth list. He just may find his way onto the BAM CD, which isn't too far off.

Sunday took us to our last show of the year out in Montauk. The place was PACKED with Bammers and soon-to-be Bammers, who left Bammified with CDs and t-shirts. The dinner crowd was rockin' somethin' o'wild at O'Murphy's. The folks were far too kind from the get-go, but went nuts—Brazil or filbert—when Deirdre let 'er rip. Someone told Seth and me that she was "like no other" on the fiddle. We didn't tell her that someone told us that. Like we need her head to blow up like a balloon. She and I wouldn't fit next to one another. Yes: I'm bad enough for the both of us. "The music keeps us drinkin'!" could have been heard across the Atlantic. Now THAT'S somethin' worth braggin' about :-)

Come out and catch us in Hampton Bays this Saturday night. We'll be lookin' for ya!

See you soon.

Scott

A couple more for ya!

2006-10-01T20:13:13Z

Last week we played the ol' Inn Between in Hampton Bays. We're still a Buckley's favorite after all these years. We sounded darn good, and the crowd was appreciative of our efforts. Why wouldn't they have been? We rock.

Last night, we hit Montauk for our second-to-last East End gig. It's always a good time at O'Murphy's. Got to have some good food, got to meet some good people, and played our hearts out—without Rent. He was sick and stuck in bed, poor guy. We hope to have him back with us for our big Columbus Day weekend. Don't miss our shows at Finn McCool's and, again, at O'Murphy's.

And don't forget to buy a t-shirt: show your love for BAM!

:-)

See you soon,

Scott

Last week recapped

2006-09-23T13:13:00Z

We brought the BAM to O'Brien's in Coram Friday night. T'was a rockin' place, pretty well packed out with never-seen-us-befores. Oh, there were some familiar faces amongst the throngs, no doubt. Nice to see some original Bammers, specifically speaking, Jenn and Chrissy. Good to see that they haven't lost their love for our crazy crew.

I doled out a couple of the new shirts to my mates. They'll be well-dressed Bammers now. Can't wait to get a few pics of them!

Movin' forward: catch us at Buckley's Inn Between on the 23rd. It's gonna be another one of those rip-roarin' good times you've come to expect from Bangers and Mash.

See you soon.

Scott

ps. Thanks to those of you who have purchased a shirt or two or three. We certainly appreciate your support!

Shirts??? For real????

2006-09-08T23:23:35Z

The Bangers and Mash t-shirts are finally available for purchase online! Just click on the picture of the shirt's front and back: you'll be taken to our merchandise page, where you'll be able to use PayPal (credit cards and PayPal accounts) to score one (or two or three). You'll also be able to get your hands on and your torso in a BAM shirt at one of our shows. Click the pic, why don'tcha?

Pretty cool, huh? Buy one, wear one; take a pic and send it to us!

Holy hooley!

2006-08-20T21:35:07Z

We played a hooley at the AOH in Babylon yesterday. T'was a big summer get-together for all the loyal Irishmen and women of the AOH. Why wouldn't we be the featured act at such a celebration? We joined the Cobbs and Ed Ryan in bringing the gift of song and dance to the pint hoisters and picnickers. We played outside for a set and, accidentally, blew one of the speakers that were set up on the deck. We're a pretty powerful lot; no mere sound system can handle our sonic storm. After, we snuck into the bar and played a set for those who were settling in by the bar for the evening. Was a little rowdier, needless to say. Luckily, we were able to plug into our own PA. It knows us, and we know it. There'd be no holes punched in our woofers. Lots of dancing and singing, hooting and hollering: YAY! Kudos to the young stepdancers; they drove the crowd wild. It always fun to see Deirdre get all motherly. She's so cute. John met up with one of his old buddies from the missed-by-many Suburban Hillbillies. He's got a reunion gig set up for next Saturday. Wishin' him well with that. All in all, a fun day. Thanks to everyone who came up to me to tell me how we're "the best." Man, I wish more people would realize that. Especially people who have the capacity to write up recording contracts :-) We'll get there one of these days, my friends.

I'm bad. Shamone.

2006-08-16T21:40:10Z

Really, really bad. You know?

I've got to recap waaaaaaay too much at this point. My memory's no good as it is. Let's see if I can do this diary thing some justice.

I know that we played at the Davis Park Casino over on Fire Island. What started out as a deserted beach turned into a rip-roarin' time under the setting sun. Bammers past and present showed up and drove the uninitiated to a frenzy—Bangers and Mash style. Those in attendance were drinkin'—much to the delight of the Clare Rose rep—Heinekens and Amstel Lights and dancin', and we encouraged them, that's for sure. Responsibly, of course. CDs were flyin' out of Seth's box o'CDs. Proof positive that we NEED to get a solid studio album put together—and soon! Deirdre, too, had a few and did a step or two. Her dancin' while playin' really tore the crowd apart. She also had a whole different sound goin'. She rearranged her pick-up and changed some of the settings on her amp. I couldn't tell if it were the beer or the sound that put the smile on her face. The jury was in! Rent-a-Beat brought down the thunder and pushed us to oceanic heights. Seth bounced around and, luckily, didn't fall over the side of the deck. Didn't stop me from picturin' him upside down in the sand, only his feet visible, still kickin' away.

We also made our triumphant, long-awaited return to Finn McCool's. It was a full band extravaganza as we played to the faithful and, in some cases, the faithless. We did our best to convert those silly souls. I mean, what's more fun than a night with Bangers and Mash. Ok. I can think of a couple of things. Doesn't mean that you shouldn't feel compelled to enjoy our brand of Irish music. Nobody does it like we do. Certainly, no one does it like Seth does. And we're not sure what it is that Deirdre's doing in the first place.

Admission: I wasn't feeling my best. My grandmother passed away a few days before the gig and, for some reason, I was having a problem with my throat, which affected both my eating and my breathing. So, my singing suffered a bit. I guess it's gonna happen.

This past weekend, we hit O'Murphy's in Montauk and played a private party in Manorville. O'Murphy's was great as usual. There was a full dining room when we started. Eating be damned: people were singing along and clapping along. Nice. I was happy to see a trio of cousins show up. They were pullin' a week's vacay out that way, so figured that they'd drop by to hear us for the first time. They were surprised to find us as good as we are. We look like a bunch of dufuses, but damn it: we can play! I know John loves to pitch the burgers at O'Murphy's—and he did quite often—but I have to take a moment to mention the corn fritters. They were excellent. Despite their seemingly clear description—the name says it all, dunnit?—Deirdre asked me, "What's in 'em?" Her confusion may have been the result of her run-in with a family of deer who decided to bolt out in front of her as she made her way—in her new car no less—to the gig. She told her story to just about everyone who'd listen. Yeah, she can play; but she can talk like you can't believe! An Irish yenta! Probably had the best pitch for "www.ilovealpacas.com" so far. At one point, I noticed some guy usin' his phone to check out the website. Talk about immediacy of information! I'm not sure that the website is anything like I describe in the song.

The private party was a blast. Everyone was in good spirits and, despite our not being a typical party band, they showered us with love. We didn't even have to deviate from our regular set list. That's how well-received we were. Sweet. The second set proved to be a real bonus. Someone sat in with us and played, get this, electric guitar. It's been a long time since we've heard some nasty licks along with our songs. Chad was more than up to the challenge. He hadn't heard our songs before, but he fell right in with us. I'm sure that everyone in attendance thought he was part of the band. Can't wait to hear him play with us again. It was awesome hearing driving guitar on "Eclipse" again. Shocker: Seth insisted that we play "www.ilovealpacas.com." I was like, "Umm, kids and stuff." So, I had to change some of the lyrics on the fly. One guy was reading along with the lyrics as I sang different words. His face was priceless.

We're playing a big all-day affair at the AOH in Babylon this weekend. The following weekend, we're back at Buckley's Inn Between. Plan on seeing us that Saturday night. Why not?

See you soon.

Scott

Buckley's Back-to-Back

2006-07-29T12:47:12Z

Played Buckley's Southampton on the 21st. T'was a benefit to help raise some money for the family of someone who passed away. Good turn out overall. A pipe and drum team came in and spiced things up a bit. They always bring down the house. It was a Rent-a-Beatless show, so we were missing the big time bangin' part of Bangers and Mash. Seth ws in charge of the rhythm and had everyone movin' and groovin'-especially himself! Shake that leg, dawg! Deedledee was in fine form as always. She fascinates folks with that fiddle. How'd she do THAT?

The 22nd found us at Buckley's Inn Between in Hampton Bays. Turned out to be a really good show. We even had the dinner crowd goin' wild! The Beat was back, and we kicked it into high gear. Kept the crowd in good spirits (boy, did the bartenders appreciate that), and they, in turn, drove us to deliver a top-notch BAM show. Our tune sets keep gettin' better and better. We know each other so well that we're able to experiment with stops and stuff and it doesn't throw off anyone; it just spreads the creativity around and inspires risk taking.

Next BAM show: 7/27 at the Casino over at Davis Park on Fire Island.

See you soon.

Scott

Stormy weather

2006-07-23T21:04:54Z

Yes: the gig at Morgan's—St. Patty's in the summer—was a successful one. Many folks returned to catch us for the third year running. Happy faces (thanks to the music or to the drink, no doubt) all around. Got to see an old friend—an original Bammer: Jen. Didn't get to see her for too long, however; some wicked storm kicked up and cut "Seisiun" and our stay short. There were some flashes in the distance for a while, but once the wind started kicking up, we knew it was time to close down shop. I got to my car just as the rain started firin' down like strafing from a machine gun. The wind was wild; it was so fierce, I had to drive over a tree on my way out of the parking lot! The ride home wasn't any safer. Stuff was flying everywhere. I found somewhere deep inside of me some stunt driving skill I didn't know I possessed. I was bobbin' and weavin' round branches and trees, under wires. There was a stretch were I couldn't see a thing! I made it home and watched the show: like paparazzi at some red carpet. The flashes were constant. It was an A-list event all the way for about an hour or so. Some boomers were too close for comfort. The next morning, there was some serious cleaning up to do all over Long Island. It's been a wacky summer.

MySpace update: Friends are signin' up left and right. Thanks to everyone!!!!!!!! We'll have some new stuff for you very soon.

See you soon.

Scott

Enough bangers and mash to fill a body up!

2006-07-17T14:48:29Z

Ok. Ok. Here it is: the long awaited recap of the last few weeks. What's gonna be covered? There's an O'Murphy's gig, the Emerald Society Summer Getaway, and the Slainte Irish Festival. Maybe I'll throw in a mention of a seisiun or two. Who know's what's going to come out of my mind?

A couple of Fridays back, we did the Montauk trek, which is always worth the trip. O'Murphy's was hoppin' and boppin' with folks lookin' forward to a kickin' BAM show. Last time out, Matt the Mandoliner sat in with us; this show would be Deirdre's triumphant return to the front window. Once again, it was a great show. I received some flattering comments regarding my singing and my stage presence. That's always a nice thing; feeds my all too fragile ego don't ya know! Along with giving our fans a top-notch show, we worked on honing our festival set. Yeah; we had to slip in a request or two (my first time singing "Ride On," which rocked on) and we realized that some of the unworked on originals wouldn't be ready for the festival. No biggie. We have plenty of material. Did I mention how great the burgers at O'Murphy's are? Well worth the drive.

This past Thursday and Friday we headed west and north to Ellenville. We were bound to play the NYPD Emerald Society Summer Getaway up at the Nevele, which was the subject of one of the more catchy commercial jingles from my youth. We had some seriously swank accomodations. Boy was I gonna be (and boy was I) comfortable. Unfortunately, I would only get the chance to enjoy the room for one night. We planned on coming back late Friday night so we might get some rest before our set at the festival, which, thankfully, was close to home. Seth and I arrived first. We chilled in the bar for a while, and then I went to my room for a while before dinner. Rent showed up next. He was impressed by the digs. Deirdre showed up about forty-five minutes before the show. Silly Deidre. Thank God for shortcuts, right? We played to a relatively smallish crowd that didn't seem too sure what to make of us. We were certainly different from the other bands they've had perform for them.

Friday afternoon we played out by the pool. It was sooooooo hot. My face felt as though it were melting off! Bangers and mash are generally found in a skillet, right? Well, we certainly played the role. We're best served sizzling! Once again, we did our thing, and the folks tolerated us rather well. During a short five minute break, I rubbed ice cubes all over my face, head, neck, and shoulders. Sizzling is one thing. Dying of hyperthermia is another thing entirely.

Friday night started off a bit rough. We used a different sound system and had some trouble setting up the monitors. Decided to NOT use the monitors at all. Just cranked the mains. Let me tell ya: I heard myself better than ever. I let it rip vocally. I wasn't drowned out by Deirdre's furious fiddle playing so I could hear all the notes I was hitting. Was told that our sound was great—much better than the night before. Perhaps that's why the much larger crowd loved us so much. Sounds like, on the strength of the evening show, that we're going to be invited to perform at the winter function in February. We'll see how that turns out. Nice touch: Deirdre had a bunch of family members show up, including a couple of sisters and some nieces who had never heard her perform. They certainly got a kick out of hearing their little Dee rip on the fiddle. After we finished up, we packed up. Seth and I were gonna race back home. As we packed, we listened to The Moonshiners soundcheck and play a couple of songs. Nice guys, great music!

Seth got me home in time for me to catch a few hours worth of sleep. I'd need it: I did a ton of singing over the past week. I was looking forward to this festival for an entire year and for a particular reason: last year, I was sick come festival time. We had two sets in '05, and I had no voice for either set. My throat was hurtin' a bit this time around, but I wasn't sick. When I got to the festival grounds, I kept drinkin' my Poland Spring water and kept prayin'. I was convinced that if I were to be 100% that I'd do some serious impressin'.

I was not wrong. My voice was strong, and the songs were tight. We sounded pretty darned sharp. Here's a list of the songs we performed:

Star of the County Down (w/ extended intro)
Danny and Mary
Low Reels (tune set)
Eclipse
Nothing Stays the Same
Jigs (tune set)/Out of the Frying Pan
32
Reel it Out (tune set)
Ordinary Man
Rashomon Gate
Couldn't Have Come
Weile Waile
Pony Drowned in the Lake (tune set)
Yes Today/ Eyes on Me
Mud Angel
Come Out Ye Black and Tans
Samba Set (tune set)
The Night Pat Murphy Died
A Better Way
Welcome to the Seisiun

An hour and a half of full-out Bangers and Mash. (Original material is in bold. Not a bad mix, eh?) Got a bunch of raves for our performance and for my personal part in it. The sound, as opposed to last year, was crisp and clear. Apparently, my vocals were top-notch. Again, I heard myself very well; that way, I was able to do all sorts of things vocally. Oh happy day! Not to leave it as all about me: Deirdre cranked it out something sweet; Seth bounced around on the bass; and John took advantage of the full sound provided by the miked-up drum kit. Definitely one of our best sets overall.

I got to hear a bunch of bands over the weekend: Morningstar, The Potcheen Folk Band, The Young Dubliners, The Prodigals, and The Glengarry Bhoys. Each band approaches Irish music in its own way. Really made for a great festival. Unfortunately, I missed the likes of Fathom, Black 47, Cherish the Ladies, Finn's Fury, Scythian, and others. I hear they all put on great shows.

Side note: I spent waaaaaay too much money on Celtic stuff. Darn those vendors for having such great set-ups! I bought a shirt, a tapestry, a hat, a necklace, a small box, and a CD. Arrrrgh!

I love Irish festivals.

I hope to be in possession of a video of the show in the next week or so. If so, I'll try to get some clips up on the MySpace page.

Onward. The summer's not over yet. There are many opportunities left to catch BAM. Please do.

On the merchandise front: I'm working on getting some t-shirts made up. More info to come.

See you soon,

Scott

Twons!

2006-06-18T19:22:25Z

Not tuh-won, but toons—or tunes. Duh. I gots me two gigs to catch up on.

First gig: Babylon AOH on 6/10. Not too bad a show. Place wasn't packed, but sure sounded like it during "Out of the Frying Pan." They cranked it out! The music does keep them drinking. Ain't it grand? We got to see the brochure for the big summer party for the Emerald Society. Guess who's going to be the featured band. Of course it's we. Who else would it be? Why would I tell you to guess if it were't we who'll be drivin' the police wild? Maybe you'll see Deirdre on an episode of Cops. Bad girls, bad girls...

Second gig: Buckley's Inn Between last night. Surprisingly decent crowd out in Hampton Bays. Crowd included one of my coworkers, who shall remain nameless. It was good to see him and even better to know that he enjoyed our brand of Irish rock. The night, however, will be remembered for the juggling act that took place at the bar. There was quite a bit of jiggle in that girl's juggle. No doubt. She even juggled her girlfriend's juggleable parts as an encore, and then went back for more of her own. We were this close to a Girls Gone Wild™ moment. Then again, there are some girls that you pray to God will remain calm for as long as they're within view. Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder, after all.

Check the sched. We've got plenty goin' on this summer. It's going to be BAMlicious.

See you soon.

Scott

No fiddle? No problem!

2006-06-04T17:21:34Z

Played O'Murphy's in Montauk last night. It's probably our favorite place to play. Place was packed; the crowd rocked. And we're treated so darned well by the owners and the staff that we feel like a part of the O'Murphy family.

It was only hours before that I learned that Deirdre would not be joining us for the evening. I thought to myself, "That's not good." Seth we could do without. Deirdre's like the whole "Celtic" part of the band for cryin' out loud. Seth had it covered, however. Well, not just covered: he had it covered. In Dee's spot on the stage would be none other than Matt Glover, mandoliner extraordinaire. Doesn't get much better than Matt. I'm talking worldwide. He's flat out one of the best electric mandoliners there are.

He had the crowd—and us— captivated all night long. He was throwin' stuff into the songs that was just outrageous. We sounded like he was a part of the band—not that he was sitting in. He brought some our originals to life, right there on the spot. I could only imagine what "Eclipse" would have sounded like had he and Dee played together. Holy crap!

Well, I know that I'm hopin' to see Matt again sometime soon. We're not in his league, but he drags us up there, if only for a couple of hours. Thanks Matt!

Our first two sets worked really well. The joint was jumpin' to "Out of the Frying Pan" and "Dirty Ol' Town." There was dancin', shoutin', singin', and all around wackiness from get to go, don'tcha know! The music, in fact, kept everyone drinkin'.

We'll get a bit more local this weekend comin' up. We're Babylon bound.

Join us.

See you soon.

Scott

ps. WE MISSED YOU, DEIRDRE!!!!!

pps. Well, Seth and I missed you. John just thought you had gone with facial hair and had decided to switch it up and play mandolin for a night. I think John almost caught on when he asked me, "Did I just see Deirdre come out of the men's room?" He just attributed it to your having had a Coors Light or two. Or three.

And a margarita or two.

And a glass of wine.

And...