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SATURDAY 1st NOVEMBER
Once upon a time there was a band who used to meet up at Amsterdam airport before jetting off to America. This one time, however, they stayed in Holland for the week end to play at an annual Irish festival that raises funds for a hospice for the terminally ill . It was a weekend of non stop music with two stages featuring famous musicians like Andy Irvine, Donal Lunny, Liam Og O’Flynn, Paddy Glackin as well as a host of great musicians like the Dave Munnelly band who were all new to me. The Batties played their first gig in almost two months and Rob (our soundman, and a fine guitarist to boot) and myself also featured in the festival, our first foreign jaunt. A splendid time was had by all and before we knew it we were off to the airport again..... destination Detroit.
TUESDAY 4th NOVEMBER
Twelve hours later we drove into the little town of Lima (pronounced Lime-a ?) in Ohio. I found out later it was named Lima after quinine had been sent over from Peru to quell an outbreak of malaria! Our first concert was in the nearby town of Ada (as in the girl’s name) at the University of Northern Ohio. We were met by Glasgow born Catriona MacFie and after our sound check whisked off to the University president’s house to mingle with luminaries and patrons and partake of a sumptuous buffet, our jeans and day duds contrasting with the gowns and smart suits of the other guests. Embarassed ? Not us! Our audience in the Freed auditorium quickly thawed and all too soon it was pack up time. Catriona took us to a bar for a relaxing drink and to catch up on home news . Next time we’ll bring her some of her favourite chocolate.
WEDNESDAY 5th NOVEMBER
Pittsburgh is the only U.S town I know that uses the Scots suffix of burgh yet they don’t sound the “h”. Pat got to meet up with his cousin Karl again, who books the acts at the Club Cafe. A great evening began with Pat jamming with Karl, ended with a comedy club night and the Batties did the middle section, backed by a crowd on the nice side of rowdy. Back to Ohio again and a trip to Night Town, a cabaret restaurant in Cleveland. We arrived at the same time as 150 diners, who were taking an early dinner before heading off to the nearby opera house . A cursory sound check was cut short and soon after our crowd arrived for this early show and the packed room was a hubbub of chatter and the chiming and clink of cutlery on crockery . Our performance area (there was no stage) was engulfed with tables and we were surrounded by an assortment of Mike’s Ohio relatives, 27 strong, who’d taken up all the tables nearest the stage. They cheered loudly every time he played the pipes.A quiet night it was not.
FRIDAY 7th NOVEMBER
The Ark in Ann Arbor is a folk music institution and dates back to the 70’s. It’s a smart venue in a prime area of downtown, largely staffed by volunteers and housing an excellent P.A . - in short - one of our favourite places to play. Our regular Michigan fans came along and gave us great applause, perhaps even matching Mike’s relatives! Ohio beckoned again and we were back down the road past Ada to Columbus for a downtown date at the Columbus Athletic Club, a venue change because the original one closed down a month before . This came as a complete surprise to promoter Steve Rosenberg but he quickly came through with another. Visions of treadmills and sweatbands were quickly dispelled when we entered an opulently furnished building and went upstairs to a banqueting room complete with a row of chandeliers and gold tinted chairs .You never know what to expect in this business, except of course the audience were great.
SUNDAY 9th NOVEMBER
Sunday arrived and we left for Edinboro, Pennsylvania, close to Erie. This time a more sedate auditorium at the University and a mixture of students, Highland Games people and of course general public . The surroundings made them quiet at first but we soon warmed them up . An early night beckoned because we had to leave early next day for the drive across to the other end of the State for our date at Kennett Square. The drive took us through the Appalachians and latterly Amish country.This gig is the home of the Green Willow Folk Club and despite a big football game on in nearby Philly a good size crowd arrived, some enticed by the dinner which is offered before the concert. A grand finish to our seventh date on the trot. We were ready for the two days off... ... especially since we had over 500 miles to cover for our next job in Maine.
MONDAY 10th NOVEMBER
Two nights at the Chocolate Church followed and it is always a pleasure to stay in the one place for two nights .Our rousing reception after the second show was especially pleasing and we always go for a quiet drink in our hotel afterwards. But we never succeed in getting it because they always have a karaoke night in full swing and it is quite simply appalling.....every time. The trials of travel ! Next day we drove westwards into New Hampshire and through the White Mountains ( well named because we encountered our first snow) and ended up in the small town of Bradford. Our date was at a cabaret style club called Middle Earth. Our full house included seasoned Vermont fans, several of them from way back . It’s always a pleasant surprise to get requests for numbers from long ago in the catalogue even if we can’t do most of them ( incidentally I make a point of including old numbers when Rob and I perform) . Our next stop was the Iron Horse and again a host of old friends appeared including Jane Yolen and family ,my old pal from Scotland, Chris O’Rourke-Friel with his family and dedicated fan Kachina Autenrieth with her family .We ended up in a nearby bar with yet another karaoke night except this one was hilarious . Highlight for me was Mike appearing with the “Village People” and doing an impression of Freddy Mercury as the troupe performed ‘YMCA’ . Of course he’s Freddy’s double isn’t he ?
MONDAY 17th NOVEMBER
Back up to Vermont we ventured and a date in Burlington and I was delighted to meet up again with promoter Mark Sustic. Mark promoted gigs for us here back in the ‘80s and began again recently after his teenage son sadly succumbed to leukemia. These concerts are fundraisers for other families facing this situation . Another pleasure was seeing Kirk and Pat MacGeachy down from Montreal, again old friends I had not seen for many years . An enjoyable evening was all too quickly over. Now we had another day off...but it’s a fair old trek to Virginia. Our drive to Vienna,just outside Washington D.C., was memorable for the worst rainstorm I have encountered for many years ,causing long delays around D.C.so it was a rather frazzled band that took to the stage at the Barns of Wolftrap . Dinner was late that night and the next day the sun was bright ,the drive to Frederick was short and the contrast in the journey couldn’t have been greater . We performed at the Weinberg auditorium to a large enthusiastic crowd and sat at a table in the foyer afterwards signing autographs for the punters . Then we found out there was a great review in the Washington Post for our Vienna gig . It’s a truism that you never know who’s in the audience .
FRIDAY 21st NOVEMBER
It was back up Highway 95 for our second performance this year at Phil Ciganer’s Towne Crier Cafe in Pawling,New York. We were delighted to be the guests at what was the exact 31st. anniversary of the club . Phil was also slightly shocked because for once we arrived in time for a soundcheck. We still like to surprise people. We turned around again and headed back to Sellersville in Pennsylvania where we had played our first gig of the year .This was our last U.S. appearance of this tour and this year and our full theatre and appreciative audience helped round off this part of our tour in a rather neat fashion . U.S.Thanksgiving was imminent......time to head ‘Up North’ .
Alan Reid
