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Post by mott on Sept 17, 2007 6:29:03 GMT -5
Hi Joe
Thanks for the kind words. I was happy to go see them, Saturday was such a special night for me.
Yeah I was also thinking that when and if the Cottars make another CD it will have “The Maid Of Llanwellyn” on it, it's a beautiful tune. Hopefully a CD will be in the works with a tour to follow, that's what I predict anyway. ;D
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Post by faerie on Sept 17, 2007 9:44:58 GMT -5
sounds like some good performances, thanks for the detail of them, I really hope they start touring more and come here so I can see them  Tia |
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Post by nancywhiskey on Sept 17, 2007 11:22:13 GMT -5
Mott – I must comment on your review, and first off say shame on you for not bringing a camera!!!.  I have a few friends and fellow Cottars fans in Chicago (which is where I got the heads-up about the concert in the first place) and they attended both concerts. I got a call from one of them early Sunday morning telling me how great the Saturday performance was, and they couldn’t wait to go back on Sunday. I also got an email from one of the others and she raved in particular about how well Bruce and Claire fit in. She also said that Claire was the one who got the crowd on their feet and even got a standing ovation after her solo. They were amazed with her singing harmonies, especially with Fiona on Maid Of Llanwellyn. Were you guys at the same performance?  It seems like Liz (eabreslin) thought Claire was great too, although due to your review, she assumed Claire was nervous the night before. It kind of strikes me from your review that perhaps there is some ‘non-acceptance’ of the Cottars newest members. In fact, I sometimes notice this on the board in general. I check this website looking for info on the Cottars and more often find pictures of the MacKenzie Project or Aselin Debison or other young musicians, (which is fine - I love to hear about other talented people), but it seems like no one has tried to learn about Bruce or Claire and who they are or what they do, and they are part of the Cottars. I understand that there is not a lot of information forthcoming from band management, but I also understand that with the legal aspects of the breakup, sometimes things can’t be said. Personally, I wish the band would take a more active interest in their fan base here. Hey, perhaps I'll become the Claire Pettit or Bruce Timmons correspondent!!! That being said, I feel the need to comment on some of your observances; especially relating to Claire, since you seem to be singling her out. Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion, but to me it came off as kind of nit-picky, and as I have said, everyone I have spoken to has had quite the opposite opinion from yours. They started with a set of unnamed jigs; Ciarán played mandolin which I don‘t recall seeing him play before. . I think it’s actually a bouzouki - I can be nit-picky too!  My only small criticism of their performance was Claire’s solo. She is for sure a terrific fiddler but I felt she was trying too hard to not make any mistakes, rather than just having fun and fiddling with her own style. Now maybe that was because she was nervous, as I said the tent was packed. Also her aunt and other relatives were sitting right in the front watching her, and that could scare anybody.  Ummmmm –a performer trying NOT to make mistakes is a bad thing??? Hey, I could get up onstage and have fun playing a fiddle, but I’m sure no one would want to listen! It's so strange because my friends from Chicago made such a point about how much poise Claire has for a 17 year-old high school student. And hey, I don’t know about your family, but I would think most families would offer support, not be scary!  Also, when Cottar members weren’t involved in the song being performed, they would go offstage (in this case, out of the tent). But for Claire’s playing, Fiona went to the end of the tent and sat and watched Claire play, and bopped to the music and enjoyed it. I wonder if Claire was “auditioning” to be more involved in the group doing solos? Mott, why the presumption on your part that Claire was being auditioned? You said that Fiona bopped and enjoyed the music - well, couldn't it be that Fiona was taking in the joy and talent that Claire brings to the group? Couldn't it be that she loves watching and hearing Claire perform? I guess I just don't understand what would cause you to think there was anything 'sinister' about it. It seems to me that auditions were over a long time ago, and I’m sure they were presided over by Alistair. Remember, Claire was recruited by the Cottars. There are probably hundreds of young fiddlers in Nova Scotia that would have loved the opportunity, but there must be a reason the Cottars chose a 16 year-old New Yorker. But if Claire could play as well, then she’d form her own band, wouldn’t she? Plus Claire seemed more at ease playing with the group than soloing, so if she was nervous soloing she will outgrow it I am sure.? Once again, Mott, your presumptions and criticism of Claire seem almost mean-spirited - like you went to the concert looking to find fault with her. Is the criteria for being a great fiddler having your own band? What about Buddy McMaster or Kinnon Beaton?? I don’t see them fronting a band. I have seen the Cottars in New Brunswick and in Boston, and both times Claire had solos, harmonized, step-danced and melded beautifully with the rest of the group. Bottom line is I love the Cottars. I’m crossing my fingers that in the next few months we'll hear some great news – that maybe they will be touring or going into the studio and recording a new CD. They are evolving, and as much as it's sometimes hard to let go of what was, it's really exciting to embrace what's to come. |
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Post by mott on Sept 17, 2007 14:56:04 GMT -5
Hi Nancy I will comment on your comments of my comments. First of all, thank you for mentioning about the concert in this forum. I had a great evening thanks to you and I appreciate it. Please thank your friends for me too. Next, I agree with you about Claire's singing, she did harmonize well, I forgot to mention that. (I also forgot to mention Bruce's jamming on "Hold On", which was short but quite cool). And I did think Claire's playing was great, and I did say so earlier. But I do think she seemed a bit tense when she played her medley. It just seemed to me she was trying too hard to be good, rather than just having fun. Also Claire didn't bring the audience to their feet, as we were already standing!!  But yeah everyone loved her playing as I did, and they were clapping along. I didn't say she played badly, in fact I said she was terrific, which she was. And I also had said that perhaps I was a bit critical as I was comparing her to the other fiddlers I saw, who frankly are better than Claire. Samantha Robichaud is only a little older than Claire, I think, and is a better fiddler, I bet even Claire would admit that. That's not to say Claire is bad, she's wonderful and I can listen to her play all day. Nancy I think you are making too big a deal out of my post. 99% of what I said was positive, and you are taking one "minor criticism" and making it a mountain. I thought Claire was trying too hard to be good when she soloed. No big deal really, I mean what do I know? I can't fiddle at all. I don't even know a bouzouki from a mandolin!  Oh yes I do think it is bad to try to not make mistakes. Last year when I was in Milwaukee when I saw the Cottars, they sang a song in the wrong key, and Fiona laughed it off. Mistakes happen. Fiddlers play the wrong notes, singers sing off key or sing the wrong words. Stuff happens and you keep going. Have fun with the music, don't take it so seriously. I'm not a musician but I used to be a ballroom dancer, and I learned if you danced all the steps 100% perfectly, you're just a robot. I felt Claire was doing that, trying too hard to play perfectly and it came off robotic to me. But as said, what do I know? As far as Fiona watching Claire play: I've seen the Cottars play at 4 other performances, and when 1 or 2 members play the others go offstage. But when Claire played, Fiona sat and watched, which to me was unusual. When Fiona played her whistle Claire didn't sit and watch her, not that she had to. Fiona didn't watch her brother and Bruce play. I was just wondering why Fiona sat and watched Claire play. I can think of 10 good reasons why, and I mentioned the one that came to me that would have explained Claire's playing, and I only meant "auditioning" as far as soloing more goes. This morning it came to me that maybe Claire told Fiona before the concert that her family was gonna watch her and she was nervous about it. So instead of being offstage Fiona sat right where Claire could see her and smile and bop to the music, to give Claire encouragement and feel more at ease. I have no idea if it's true, and frankly I don't care why Fiona sat there and bopped. When I said "But if Claire could play as well, then she’d form her own band, wouldn’t she?" I was only poking fun at Rosie for apparently doing just that. My tone was not "sinister". Stupid maybe, but not sinister. (And before I get into more trouble, I love Rosie's playing too, and look forward to seeing her group someday too). Anyway, just to set the record straight, I love the new Cottar lineup. I will go see the Cottars when they appear around here again, and I will be as excited as I was before Saturday. After the concert I told my friends on the northwest side how wonderful the Cottars were, and they were. It meant a great deal to me to see them again, and am looking forward to hearing the 4 of them for many years to come (unless Claire goes on her own). |
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Post by faerie on Sept 17, 2007 16:30:29 GMT -5
Ummmmm –a performer trying NOT to make mistakes is a bad thing??? Hey, I could get up onstage and have fun playing a fiddle, but I’m sure no one would want to listen! It's so strange because my friends from Chicago made such a point about how much poise Claire has for a 17 year-old high school student. And hey, I don’t know about your family, but I would think most families would offer support, not be scary! just to comment on that, as a musican I have been told since day one, its while you practise that you arent allowed to make mistakes, when you perform you can, not saying that you want to, and seeing as you have practised so many times it should be fine, but when performing is the time to have fun and not worry about everything, also for the family thing, as supportave as they are, I feel more nervouse about playing in front of them, I'd rather play in front of strangers Tia |
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Post by Ginny on Sept 17, 2007 19:30:34 GMT -5
I agree with Mott and Tia, there's nothing "sinister" about what he said, au contraire, I thought it sounded like he was very impressed, with the exception of the "minor criticism", which was just an observation, no big deal.
As far as the reason why the Cottars chose a 16 New York fiddler...she was already friends with Fiona.
That's my input for now.
Cheers,
Ginny
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Post by Joe on Sept 17, 2007 22:56:03 GMT -5
I’m crossing my fingers that in the next few months we'll hear some great news – that maybe they will be touring or going into the studio and recording a new CD. They are evolving, and as much as it's sometimes hard to let go of what was, it's really exciting to embrace what's to come. Hi Nancy ... Exactly! Sorry that I don't have much info on Bruce and Claire...still, I like what I have as far as their bios go. Any researched info to add would be appreciated. With the miramusic site only having a couple of photos of the new members, thecottars.com down completely, we have to gather what we can. The other artists you mentioned (e.g. The MacKenzie Project)are very popular amongst the members here. We need something to fill the long gaps between Cottars concerts. I don't feel that Rich wasn't trying to single out Claire. He just generalized about a few observations...surely nothing major for him to have to defend what he said. |
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Post by Joe on Sept 20, 2007 22:36:10 GMT -5
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I have a few friends and fellow Cottars fans in Chicago (which is where I got the heads-up about the concert in the first place) and they attended both concerts. I got a call from one of them early Sunday morning telling me how great the Saturday performance was, and they couldn’t wait to go back on Sunday. I also got an email from one of the others and she raved in particular about how well Bruce and Claire fit in. She also said that Claire was the one who got the crowd on their feet and even got a standing ovation after her solo. They were amazed with her singing harmonies, especially with Fiona on Maid Of Llanwellyn. Were you guys at the same performance?
