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Post by mott on Aug 8, 2017 7:18:40 GMT -5
Will the Cottars ever perform again?  |
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Post by garthmoe on Aug 10, 2017 7:41:04 GMT -5
I have often wondered the same thing - and now I'm nearly totally convinced that they won't be back. Right now I can't find anything about the Cottars or even any projects of the various individuals. I think the last thing on this site re the Cottars was the request for contributions for Ciaran's music career. I'm not on Facebook so I may have missed some information.
I would be thrilled to see a reunion of the original group - but then again we have no idea what caused the break-up.
As Trump (!!!^##) says, "Sad"!
Garth
garthmoe@yahoo.com
PS I wonder if any who still watch this forum could comment on the celtic music availability ( concerts, etc) in their area. I live in southern Ontario and it seems that the genre's influence is low.
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Post by Joe on Aug 15, 2017 20:22:38 GMT -5
Hello Rich and Garth! I do suppose there is the chance of Fiona and Ciaran performing together again; the most likely scenario I think would be for a charity concert. The latest with Fiona is that she has moved to Montreal. She is not very active on Facebook. Ciaran was accepted to the Berklee School of Music ...and the Gofundme target dollar amount was reached. I am unsure if he begins classes soon. I will add that Ciaran was in the cast of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" at the Highland Arts Theatre in Sydney, NS...one additional show was just added for this Saturday, August 19. Garth, I agree with your assessment of Celtic music availability being rather low. I live near Scranton in north-east Pennsylvania, which has a large Irish population. I do hope for a nationwide push from top acts such as Celtic Woman and Celtic Thunder. There was one Celtic-billed singer featured on PBS for the June pledge drive. Celtic Thunder do have a new CD coming out so I hope a TV concert is forthcoming! Apologies for my less-than-timely reply.  Wishing you both my best!! --Joe |
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Post by mott on Aug 21, 2017 19:51:14 GMT -5
Well, I do have thoughts about not only Celtic festivals, but ethnic festivals in general in the US midwest. It seemed like maybe 3-8 years ago, these festivals that had existed for several years either stopped operating, or cut down on getting the better performers. I assume this was due to the poor economy, the midwest towns just didn't have the money to spend. But in the last couple of years, the economy has picked up and some festivals have gone back to getting the well-known entertainers like Gaelic Storm and The High Kings for example.
But then I wonder if it is too late, because as I say some fests will never return, as the money originally budgeted by towns for those shows is now appropriated for other endeavors. And I wonder if the entertainers who appeared at these shows 10 years ago would ever return anyway, do they even want to? And I ask about the Cottars, would it even be worth it to them to get back together and tour?
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Post by Joe on Aug 21, 2017 23:39:29 GMT -5
Hello Rich!
There is always a chance of getting the original Cottars quartet back performing.
I did some Facebook investogations and found that Claire Pettit got married about two months ago, and is a teacher. I hope she is a music teacher; however, I did not see any music-related posts in her FB feed.
No info out there on the MacKenzies or Bruce Timmons.
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Post by Ginny on Aug 16, 2018 17:53:34 GMT -5
Hey friends! It's been a while, and here I am jumping into the discussion a year late. I was reading this thread here and some thoughts were going through my mind, and while I'm probably just reiterating what's already been said, I do feel like sharing my thoughts on the matter here. I don't think we'll see The Cottars perform together again, for various reasons. First of all, we have to remember that they were teenagers during their heyday. I know we don't know details of what led to the split, other than words like "antagonism and stress", etc etc led to the band's demise. However, they were basically still children when the band formed, and nearing adulthood when they first parted ways. My guess would be that they each had different goals, prospects, plans and so forth, both professionally and musically, and maybe those plans just didn't jive together anymore. Roseanne, Fiona and Ciaran all sort of seemed like the frontmen of the group (NOT to undercredit Jimmy at all. I had a big old crush on him when I was a young teenager and would see them live  ). Perhaps the type/style of music that Roseanne wanted to play on the fiddle wasn't quite what Ciaran/Fiona wanted to sing. I'm not sure if that really makes sense, but what I'm trying to convey is that The Cottars' sound changed after they brought in Claire and Bruce. I don't think it was just because of new musicians, but also because their sound was maturing, and maybe they were looking to venture into new styles, i.e. more folky (for lack of a better word) versus more traditional. This may not be the case AT ALL, I'm just speculating. Point of this rambling paragraph is that if they were all looking for different things from the band, for future goals, and so on, there's no way the band was going to last. I'd compare it to a relationship - one that starts in high school might be fine and dandy, but usually when a couple hits university, real life, etc, they part ways since people are maturing, and realizing they have different goals in life. I guess this is all, again, just speculating why the band split in the first place. As far as where they are all at in 2018, I have a good hunch that everyone is well established in their own careers, both musically and professionally. I follow Fiona's instagram to keep up to date with her musical endeavors, and last I heard (on this forum) Ciaran was off to Berkley. When I was in Cape Breton last fall, I visited the Gaelic College and noticed a new CD from Roseanne in the gift shop. I didn't buy it, but I assume that means she is still successful in her own musical career. (Now I'm wondering why I didn't buy it...do you suppose she's on Spotify?!). I don't know about Jimmy, but perhaps he left the music scene altogether to pursue another career. I'm glad to hear from your post, Joe, that Claire seems to have settled into a good career and probably family life. Maybe Bruce has retired from the music scene. The point of this rambling section is that, if they are all happy with their own careers, ventures, etc., I can't imagine that they would give that up to reconvene as The Cottars. If they are all doing well mentally, financially, etc - well, to put it bluntly, why ruin a good thing? I know we all loved their music dearly, but if it would create too much stress and animosity to do so, or disrupt the (hopefully) good lives they are living, it just doesn't seem like it would be worth it for them. On that last note, I do truly hope that they have reconciled over these years. I remember it sounded like they didn't end on a great note (see what I did there) back in the day. Something similar happened with my favourite band (as y'all may remember lol) Great Big Sea. About five years ago, Sean McCann abruptly announced he was leaving the band (for very legit reasons), the band ceased to exist, there was definitely some strong animosity between Sean and the others, a LOT of hostility, and there was a huge divide in how fans felt about it. However, just very recently, the band members got together to talk things over, and it seems like all that long-standing hostility is passed, and that they are all getting along much better again. There's even talk/rumours about a possible reunion of some nature. Could this happen with The Cottars as well? I may be skeptical, but anything is possible. Personally I feel better just knowing that the GBS band members are happy and on good terms again. If The Cottars are also finally on good terms with each other again, that would be reassuring and I wish them all the best. Sadly, while The Cottars were fairly successful as far as Maritime artists go, they weren't exactly a high-profile act. I don't think there's a huge demand/existing fanbase (besides ourselves of course!) that is actively asking for a reunion on social media, etc. Such has been the case with GBS for years, and no doubt countless other very high-profile artists around the world that have split. As I've already alluded to, there would have to be something in it for them, and if they're happy where they're at, I don't think a reunion would be high on their to-do lists. I look forward to any opportunity to see any of them solo, though! I definitely did not intend to type that much! There are still lots of other Celtic/traditional/folk artists around that I would highly recommend catching if anyone has the opportunity. I'll save that for another post though, as I've typed entirely too much already! Cheers all! Update: Roseanne is not on Spotify |
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Post by Joe on Sept 10, 2018 20:14:24 GMT -5
Hiya Ginny!  Thanks for that awesome post! I am pleased that Roseanne has a CD out! I just found some amazing YouTube videos of The Cottars and prior! Three fantastic vids from the Christmas Daddies Telethon from 2001 and 2002, a concert clip from 2003. Plus a STUNNING video of Fiona and Ciarán from a Christmas concert (perhaps from 2000). For now I will share ALL FIVE VIDEOS below... |
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Post by Ginny on Sept 18, 2018 16:38:07 GMT -5
Oh WOW! That last video is from the Barra MacNeils' Christmas special that used to air on TV every December! I looked forward to watching it every year and always loved that performance from Ciaran and Fiona. A few years back the Barras recorded a new Christmas special, and that's the one that's aired since, so I haven't seen that footage of them in a while. I always loved those two songs they sang. It's great to see that again As far as recommendations for other active Celtic music artists, there's a few that I can think of off-hand. Rachel Davis, who used to sometimes stand in for Claire with the Cottars, is a member of a group called Coig, along with Chrissy Crowley, Jason Roach and Darren McMullen. I haven't seen them live yet, but occasionally listen to their music online. This is one of my favourites: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_kfbp7BuvQThe above mentioned Barra MacNeils still actively tour and record and always put on a good show. It's on my bucket list some day to see Gaelic Storm live, and I know they predominately tour the US. If anyone is into more folky type music, acts like J.P Cormier and Dave Gunning are more that style, but with a bit of Celtic/Cape Breton/traditional influence. Dave Gunning has a CD which is a tribute to John Allan Cameron, and is one of my all-time favourites. Natalie MacMaster and her husband Donnell Leahy have been touring together for some time, and now they take their children on the road with them! They are all extremely talented fiddlers and step dancers. They even appeared on Little Big Shots with Steve Harvey and wowed the crowd. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ_73ZfavnMAnyway, that's a start. I can post more as I think of them. Cheers! |
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Post by jason22 on Feb 2, 2020 12:02:56 GMT -5
PS I wonder if any who still watch this forum could comment on the celtic music availability ( concerts, etc) in their area. I live in southern Ontario and it seems that the genre's influence is low. This one group I somewhat follow , " The Gothard Sisters " , has appeared at the Ohio Celtic Festival , although I have yet to see them live . Then there is this other band of sisters , this one is actually from my home state of Ohio , called Maidens IV . |
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Post by Joe on Feb 10, 2020 1:28:45 GMT -5
Yes, I have heard of the Gothard Sisters. They do have an active tour schedule soI hope you can see them perform! www.gothardsisters.com/showsMaidens IV is a group that is new to me! I see they are on Spotify so I will have to listen!  |
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). Perhaps the type/style of music that Roseanne wanted to play on the fiddle wasn't quite what Ciaran/Fiona wanted to sing. I'm not sure if that really makes sense, but what I'm trying to convey is that The Cottars' sound changed after they brought in Claire and Bruce. I don't think it was just because of new musicians, but also because their sound was maturing, and maybe they were looking to venture into new styles, i.e. more folky (for lack of a better word) versus more traditional. This may not be the case AT ALL, I'm just speculating. Point of this rambling paragraph is that if they were all looking for different things from the band, for future goals, and so on, there's no way the band was going to last. I'd compare it to a relationship - one that starts in high school might be fine and dandy, but usually when a couple hits university, real life, etc, they part ways since people are maturing, and realizing they have different goals in life. I guess this is all, again, just speculating why the band split in the first place.
