I'd like to talk about nights out on the town in Edinburgh. The first evening, a few friends and I wandered around in the New Town (a relative term, as it's several hundred years old) just north of the Royal Mile. We got to see a lot, and we took some pictures:
(The Scott Monument)
(A model of Edinburgh. Also, my legs.)
(The Loft Crew, so named because we shared a cabin in Jutland. The sixth and final member is behind the camera)
Night two, I decided to go out on my own and look for some live music. By the time we were done with the wonderfully tacky Ghost Tour of Edinburgh, it around 9:30PM and I knew there would be a pub in the area. I had already received a few recommendations from the friendly man at Coda Music, which is an awesome store, by the way. You know, if you're ever in the area.
The first bar I went to was called Sandy Bell's. According to the people I talked to, it was the original folk revival bar in Edinburgh. In the early 60's, musicians would gather to share tunes and play together at the bar. There was no stage, nor was it officially a show. Musicians simply gathered at a table and started playing. Connections were made, and bands that became popular in the area often had their start at Sandy Bell's. Nowadays, it's more or less the same story. That evening there were five people playing their instruments: a somewhat tired-looking (but very talented) concertina player, a guy playing a set of uilleann pipes, a banjo/mandolin player, a flutist, and a fiddle player. They were crammed around a table just large enough for them; the fiddler frequently looked like she was going to whack the concertina player with her bow when the music got fast. Thankfully, spatial awareness prevailed, and no such injury occurred.
After about an hour, I decided to find something else. I enjoyed the tunes, but I also wanted to hear some singing. After a brief stop at an unimpressive open mic, I found the Royal Oak, which was only two blocks from where we were staying. Similarly small, this was more of a group-participating sort of place. As random musicians would show up, the folks who were playing would say "Hey, Peter, come play a few for us." I heard a couple new songs which I fully intend to learn, and spirits were generally high. The folks playing were definitely regulars who everyone knew and liked.
One of the regulars asked me if I played anything, and encouraged me to give it a shot. He explained that the pile of drums, guitars, and other instruments on the shelf above the door were for public use. I should just grab one and start playing when there's a lull. So, I grabbed a guitar and did just that.
It should be noted a this point that I play decently, but I always fingerpick, which comes at the cost of volume. I can't even hold a pick properly; I really should practice that, even if I don't stick with it. So, only the people immediately around me could hear, but those who could said they liked it. I stuck to the couple of Scottish songs I knew, so as not to be "that guy," but later on some other folks pulled out a few Dylan songs and a Joni Mitchell song, so I played my favorite Dylan song when they asked me to play again. There was sort of an unwritten rule that there should never be a moment without music. So, when the main guys went outside for a smoke break, they asked me to play again. In reality, they were asking me to fill in for them for ten minutes. There was an implication that they couldn't leave otherwise. I happily obliged.
The next night (my final night in Edinburgh), I went back to the same place. This time, there was more of an American blues/folk/country feel to the group that was there. There was a guy with a horrendously ugly but very impressive homemade electric guitar with an amp embedded into the body. He was playing slide, then there was an accordian and a guitar, later joined by a fiddle. The musical fusion was pretty cool; blues sounds great with an accordian and a fiddle. So, I grabbed a guitar and joined in on a blues jam that was happening, but didn't lead anything myself. Both nights were great.
I also found a beer that I liked the taste of, which was a nice change of pace. Deuchars. Apparently it's brewed right in Edinburgh. I don't know if that makes it taste better, but it was good. Despite Scotland's reputation as a place where people get drunk all the time, the drinking was super low-pressure. Nobody yelled at me for not drinking to their standards. It seemed most of the room was drinking slowly, and nobody really made a fuss about what anyone else was doing. Felt more like a community and less like a competition. That's the sort of place I like.
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