Brown Edge, New Year's Eve 2012

Happy New Year!

Thanks to everyone who helped make our New Year's Eve party such a success – Mikes 1 and 2, Jennie and Sarah and especially Sylvia for all her hard work before she even got to the gig. We'll be playing at Betley next New Year's Eve – so that's one for your diary! We've also got a few more than usual dances which are open to the public in 2013 so take a look at the gigs page on our website to keep updated.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
The Grand National
Geoff's Square
Circle Mixer
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
The Holly Bush
Clopton Bridge
The Gravel Walks / Crowley's Reels
The Siege of Ennis
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Victoria's Sean Nos dance
The Dashing White Sergeant
Stars on the Side
Jack's Alive
Sir Roger De Coverley
Shebag an Shemor / Give me your Hand
The Chimes of Big Ben
Auld Lang Syne
Polka Off
The Willow Tree
Circassian Circle
Southern Flavor

The Ashes, Katie and Keiron

Katie and Keiron cut their cake.

Ooh, I love Christmas weddings – what better way to keep the festive party going between Boxing Day and New Year's Eve than by getting married? And the Ashes looks magical in the winter moonlight with the festive decorations twinkling away.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

The Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
Glasgow Gallop
The Snowball
Circle Hornpipe
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Strip the Willow
The Humours of Scariff / Some Say the Devil is Dead
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Circle Waltz
The Willow Tree
The Gravel Walks / Crowley's Reels
Polka Off
Circassian Circle
Southern Flavor

Katie's First Dance.

Keiron's First Dance.

A Winter's Moon.

 

Bignall End Cricket Club

Happy Birthday JJ!

We borrowed Candida from Plucked! to sing a few songs amongst our usual Moody Food set of jigs and reels.

The Lark in the Morning / Langstom's Pony (jigs)
The Belle of Belfast City (song)
Do You Love and Apple (song)
The Flying Reindeer (dance)
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie (waltz and bluegrass fiddle tune)
Dirty Old Town (song)
Whiskey in the Jar (song)
Molloy's Favourite / Cooley's Reel, The Foxhunter (reels)
Happy Birthday JJ
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair (reels) 
A Simple Longways Set (dance)
Raglan Road (song)
Sally Maclennane (song)  
Polka Off (dance) 
Fairytale of New York (song)
Circassian Circle (dance) 
Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers (jigs)

The Old Brown Jug, Newcastle-under-Lyme

Christmas starts for me with our December Moody Food gig at The Old Brown Jug. We borrowed Candida from our bluegrass alter ego Plucked! and forced her to sing some Christmassy songs to get us all into the swing of things, so our Moody Food set had a little more song and a little less dance than usual.

The Lark in the Morning / Langstom's Pony (jigs)
The Belle of Belfast City (song)
Do You Love and Apple (song)
The Snowball (dance)
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie (waltz and bluegrass fiddle tune)
Dirty Old Town (song)
Whiskey in the Jar (song)
Molloy's Favourite / Cooley's Reel, The Foxhunter (reels) 
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair (reels)
A Simple Longways Set (dance)
Raglan Road (song)
Sally Maclennane (song)
Geoff's Tune (Celtic reggae)
Polka Off (dance) 
Silent Night (song / waltz)
Fairytale of New York (song)
Circassian Circle (dance) 
Southern Flavor (bluegrass fiddle tune) 

Horton Lodge, Rudyard

New dance shock!

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
Circle Mixer
The Grand National
Clopton Bridge
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Circle Waltz
Strip the Willow
Shebag an Shemor / Give me your Hand
Waterloo Dance
Keswick Square Eight
Postman's Knock
Old Swan Gallop
Molloy's Favourite / The Foxhunter / Cooley's Reels
Jack's Alive
Polka Off
The Gravel Walks / Crowley's Reels
Circassian Circle

St Peter's Church Hall, Elworth

Happy Birthday Cathryn from Moody Food.

Photobucket seems to be throwing a bit of a wobbly at the moment (at least for me) so I'm experimenting with Picasa for the slide show – not sure I like it as much as Photobucket, but hey ho.

Lots of folkies at the party including the guys from Steamhead – it's always a bit intimidating playing when another band is in the hall but they were dancing to the very end which must be a good sign.

We also got to meet the journalist and radio presenter Simon Jones who I last met when StringFing played a live session in April for his Sunday Folk and Roots show on Moorlands Radio. Many years ago he reviewed in Folk Roots a Heymaker gig at the Wheatsheaf in Stoke back in the days when it was still a live music venue

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
The Snowball
Goatland Square Eight
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
The Siege of Ennis
Molloy's Favourite / The Foxhunter / Cooley's Reels
Polka Off
Circle Waltz
Strip the Willow
Clopton Bridge
Old Swan Gallop
Circassian Circle

The lucky birthday girl had two cakes – one for eating and one for, er, signing!

A cake for eating.

A cake for autographs!

Hartshill Scout Hut

Oooh I haven't been in a scout hut since, well since I was a cub back in Wales – happy memories. As venues go I suppose that this is at the cheap and cheerful end of the scale which made it a change from last week – I don't suppose you'll find a scout hut in one of Pevsner's books (or a tipi).

As our usual bass players were both off enjoying themselves elsewhere we borrowed Bob from the Jacklin Cheshire Frets Orchestra to pay double bass. It made a nice change hearing those jazzy walking bass lines under the jigs and reels. Ceilidh-jazz anyone?

Collin's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

The Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
Doxey Marches
The Snowball
Thady U Ganda
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Falling Masonry
Clopton Bridge
Boston Tea Party
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
The Virginia Reel
The Foula Reel
Cumberland Square Eight

Ceilidh-Jazz.

 

Hartington Hall, Naomi and Daniel

It's always exciting turning up to a new venue for the first time. So when I arrived at  Hartington Hall for Naomi and Daniel's wedding I had visions of performing in a seventeenth-century manor house, all oak panelling and a roaring log fire. Maybe I could slip away at some point, Pevsner in hand, to admire the plaster ceilings and five-light mullioned windows. So it was a bit of a surprise to discover that we would actually be playing in a tipi in the garden!

In the event what the tipi lacked in old world charm it made up for in quirkiness and, more to point, dancing space. Coming from mid-Wales where during the 70s every valley seemed to have it's own little tipi community I felt right at home, although I have to admit it was a bit on the chilly side by the end of the night. Quite a few of the dancers kept their coats on (this was the third gig this year where it was too cold to hold my pick – at least this time it was October and not mid-summer).

There was a wonderful DIY ethos to the proceedings with the ceremony printed on recycled paper, making a welcome change from the usual silver wedding stationery, lots of outside games and a wedding 'cake' made of cheeses – wish I'd been there all day.

Jeff's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Naomi and Daniel's first dance (Midnight on the Water)
Lucky 7
Caledonian Gallop
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Galloped
Virginia Reel
Shelly's
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Waltz
The Old Swan Gallop
Holmfirth Square Eight
A Hornpipe
The Dishrag
Circassian Circle
Cock o' the North

Great Bridgeford, Melanie and Mark

Melanie and Mark.

Ralph at the eye of the storm.

Congratulations to Melanie and Mark on their 30th wedding anniversary. Moody Food played at their 25th and it's always nice to be asked back.

This time, as Sylvia was on the hippy trail to Morocco, we borrowed Ralph Smethurst to do the calling and he brought with him some interesting new dances and variations on old friends.  I liked the ladies' chain in Old Swan Gallop but the one everyone will remember is the 'Lady Godiver' manoeuvre in the Snowball – you just had to be there to appreciate it. He kept everyone dancing up until the witching hour and somehow managed to seamlessly morph the Old Swan Gallop into Circassian Circle – polkas to jigs. I'm still not quite sure how we manged that.

Ralph's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
Big Set Mixer
The Snowball
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Cumberland Reel
Cumberland Square 8
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Meet The Ladies
Ralph's Mystery Square Dance
Thread The Needle
Holmfirth Square 8
Lucky 7
Geoff's Tune
Old Swan Gallop
Circassian Circle

The Boughey Arms, Audley

Plucked! will be playing a bunch of fancy pickin' foot stompin' tunes and a whole load of songs from the high plains of loneliness about hurtin', cheatin' and sinin' at the The Boughey Arms this Saturday 22 September.

Shottle Hall, Rebecca and Darran

Rebecca and Darran cut the cake.

 This was our first time at Shottle Hall for the wedding of Rebecca and Darren. We first met Darren at one of our regular Burns night dances in Ashbourne. As it was such a small room we decided to play with acoustic guitar and without drums which gave the evening a really intimate atmosphere.

For some reason or other the rather impressive chandelier reminded Collin of an episode of Only Fools and Horses. I had my own senior moment during the night when I though Collin asked us to play for the Little Blue Reel which in the event turned out to be the Virginia Reel. I think Little Blue Reel would be a good name for a dance – someone should write one.

Collin's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Rebecca and Darren's first dance (Open Arms by Journey)
The Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
The Snowball
Strip the Willow
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie 
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair 
The Gay Gordons
Virginia Reel (Little Blue Reel)
Falling Masonry
Old Swan Gallop
Shebag an Shemor / Give me your Hand
The Foulla Reel
Circassian Circle

Lea Hall, Rugeley

I think that this must have been the first time we have played anywhere in Rugeley, but it was worth the wait just to see the fantastic dance floor at the Lea Hall Miners' Social Club. It would be a great for a New Year's Eve Ceilidh but it was a little thinly populated tonight.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
Circle Mixer
Simple Longways Set
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Goatland Square Eight
Old Swan Gallop
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
The Flying Scot
Circle Waltz
The Snowball
Midnight on the Water / Waltz Vienna
Lucky Seven
Clopton Bridge
Shebang an Shemor / Give Me Your Hand
Circassian Circle

Bradwall Village Hall, Jo and Nigel

Congratulations Jo and Nigel – what a lively bunch your families are; ceili carnage in the Gay Gordons, voguing in the Dashing White Sergeant and kidnapping the bar staff to make up the numbers.

This was our first time to Bradwall and Sue was so excited that she broke her e string during the St Bernard's Waltz necessitating an unscheduled visit to the dusty end of the fingerboard  – good to know that all those music lessons have finally paid off. At least we now know why mandolins have eight string and violins only four – so that they can lend one to the fiddle player when she leaves her spares at home.

There had been showers throughout the day but by the time we left a mysterious autumnal mist had arrived with a beautiful full moon to guide us home.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance card:

The Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
Glasgow Gallop
The Snowball
St Bernard's Waltz
Goatland Square Eight
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Strip the Willow
Old Swan gallop
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Circle Waltz
The Dashing White Sergeant
The Humours of Scariff / Some Say the Devil is Dead
Waterloo Dance
Circle Hornpipe
The Gravel Walks / Crowley's reel
Postman's Knock
The Gay Gordons
Shebag an Shemor / Give me your Hand
Polka Off
Circassian Circle
Southern Flavor

Love is - camping!

Birch Hall Farm, Ingestre

They know how to do things properly at Ingestre – a proper barn dance in a proper barn, although perhaps having the bbq inside was not such a good idea, but at least it explains why the early photos look so smokey. It was a bit cold though and later in the evening it became too cold to hold my pick – but then again it was July in England.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

The Oxo Reel
The Snowball
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Circle Dance
Goatland Square Eight
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
The Flying Scot
The Old Swan Gallop
Simple Longways Set
The Gravel Walks / Crowley's Reel
Circle Hornpipe
The Humours of Scariff / Some Say the Devil is Dead
Beccles Slide
Molloy's Favourite / The Foxhunter / Cooley's Reels
Circassian Circle
Big Maggie's Set 

It's my barn and I'll sleep wherever I want.

Horton Lodge, Rudyard

Girls, girls, girls – where were all the boys? A leaving party and ceili with Moody Food for Ruth at Horton Lodge Community Special School.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
Glasgow Gallop
Goatland Square Eight
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Beccles Slide
Circle Hornpipe
The Gravel Walks / Crowley's Reel
Strip the Willow
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Circle Waltz
The Siege of Ennis
Waterloo Dance
The Humours of Scarrif / Some Say the Devil is Dead
Postman's Knock
Shebag an Shemor / Give Me Your Hand
Polka Off
Circassian Circle

Goostrey Rose Festival

They certainly know how to do bunting in Goostrey – virtually every house in the village was festooned with the stuff. It was great to be back with Moody Food at the Rose Festival even though it was not as sunny as last year and we had to survive a downpour whilst queing for the strawberries. But at least we had a captive audience keen to get on with the dancing.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

The Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
Glasgow Gallop
Beccles Slide
Discouraging Waltz
Postman's Knock
The Humours of Scariff / Some Say the Devil is Dead
The Seige of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Circle Mixer
Waterloo Dance
Strip the Willow
Sylvia's Simple Longways Set
Polka Off
Circassian Circle
The Goostrey Ceili Wig Out

Wellies and a maypole.

Roses for a rose festival.

Wimbledon fodder.

Sylvia's fan club.

Haughton, Nikki and Neil

Congratulations Nikki and Neil.

As Neil's brother said, it was very kind of you both to stay together for 25 years so that we could all have this wonderful party!

We had a hall decorated with straw bales, strings of fairy lights and candles, a hog roast, cake, and a free bar (musicians and a free bar – what were you thinking of?) and of course lots of dancing even though we had a late start to the second half due to a surfeit of puddings. Hope to see some of you again in September at Great Bridgeford.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

The Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
Glasgow Gallop
Goatham Square Eight
The Snowball
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
The Siege of Ennis
The Humours of Scarrif / Some Say the Devil is Dead
Old Swan Gallop
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Circle Waltz
Strip the Willow
Postman's Knock
Ashokan Farewell
Polka Off
Circassian Circle

Rudyard, Kate and Geraint

Congratulations Kate and Geraint!

What else could we play for Kate and Geraint's first dance on the shore of Rudyard lake but the beautiful waltz Midnight on the Water. The day had been very hot but by the evening a cool breeze had arrived so that the dancing was energetic enough during the Strip the Willow to provide the answer to that age-old question about a Scotsman and his kilt.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Kate and Geraint's First Dance (Midnight on the Water)
Glasgow Gallop
Goatland Square Eight
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Strip the Willow
Shebag an Shemor / Give me your Hand
The Old Swan Gallop
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
The Dashing White Sergeant
Waterloo Dance
Circle Waltz
The Gravel Walks / Crowley's Reel
The Willow Tree
Geoff's Tune
The Gay Gordons
Circassian Circle
Patsy Geary's Jig

Can you see who it is?

A bicycle made for two.

Midnight(ish) on the water.

Save some for me.

Betley Village Hall

Betley is beginning to feel like home from home for Moody Food and it was nice to be back again for Moira's wedding anniversary especially as we all got a slap up meal to start off the proceedings.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Behind the Haystack
Circle Waltz
Strip the Willow
Shebag an Shemor / Give me your Hand
Dorchester Caper
The Dashing White Sergeant
The Willow Tree
Midnight on the Water / Waltz Vienna
Sylvia's Simple Longways Set
Old Swan Gallop
The Gay Gordons

Heaton House Farm, Lynsey and Robert

Congratulations Lynsey and Bob.

It's been a while since we've played at Heaton House Farm and it seems to have grown in the time we've been away but it still has my favourite tree for a wedding photo.

I'm a bit cake connoisseur but this was the first time I've seen a helter skelter of profiteroles for a wedding cake. We're far too well-behaved to help ourselves, but it was tempting!

Thanks to Chris from Elvis Fontenot and the Sugar Bees (great band name) for depping on drums. Talking of band names I also liked the card announcing the evening's entertainment with 'The Moody Food' which sounds like a band from the sixties. Perhaps we should change the name to The Moody Food Experience.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Patsy Geary's Jig / Coleman's Cross
Lynsey and Bob's first dance (Midnight on the Water / Waltz Vienna)
The Gay Gordons
The Snowball
Glasgow Gallop
Goatland Square Eight
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Strip the Willow
Shebag an Shemor / Give Me Your Hand
The Dashing White Sergeant
Circle Waltz
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Polka Off
Old Swan Gallop
Southern Flavor

A helter skelter of profiteroles.

Mmmmmm.

Temptation.

Don't be shy!

Warwick University

Ceili Crystallographers (part two). You can run but you can't hide from the Moody Food Ceili Band. Last year's conference ceili up at Keele was obviously a success and the format was repeated at Warwick with the addition of a crystallographic dance floor. Thanks to Hipswing for arranging the gig. The food for the band was a little disappointing though – not as good as Keele and a long way behind Nottingham who are in a catering league of their own.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Behind the Haystack / Merrily Danced the Quaker's Wife
The Old Swan Gallop
Clopton Bridge
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Jack's Alive
Circle Waltz
Waterloo Dance
The Gravel Walks / Crowley's Reel
Polka Off
The Willow Tree
Circassian Circle

Hamps Hall, Waterhouses

Happy Birthday Steve!

Up to Hamps Hall with Sylvia and Moody Food for a birthday ceili. What a great idea to hire an old converted barn high up on snow-speckled moors and party the whole weekend with your mates.

Now that the evenings are becoming lighter we get to enjoy the scenery on the way to gigs and so at Waterhouses we crossed one of those old fashioned hump-backed bridges, passed Mrs Tiggy-Winkle's cottage on the left and followed a single-track lane so narrow that both hedges brushed the sides of the van as we slowly made our way up to the barn.

The dancing was pretty wild as well with the youngsters literally swinging from the rafters and some very enthusiastic flying baskets from everyone else. A special thanks to Katie for leading the band with her melodica – good luck with the cornet!

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

The Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
The Snowball
Goatland Square Eight
Strip the Willow
Discouraging Waltz (part one)
Happy Birthday Steve
Discouraging Waltz (part two) / Ragtime Annie
Cumberland Square Eight
Postman's Knock
The Flying Scot
Clopton Bridge
The Willow Tree
The Gay Gordons
Southern Flavor

Katie takes a solo.

A flying basket.

Every birthday needs cake!

The Old Brown Jug, Newcastle-under-Lyme

Here's a few photos of St Patrick's night down at the Old Brown Jug in Newcastle with the Moody Food Ceili Band. I still haven't learnt how to take a photo and play at the same time but at least some of them are in focus this time around and not the usual psychedelic blur.

As it was St Paddy's night we mixed up the usual ceili chaos and added some songs with Candida guesting on vocals. We kidnapped Candy from white trash bluegrass pickers Plucked! but, as an act of kindness, we released her back into her truck after the gig. For those who like a bit of a bop we managed to fit in a couple of dances with Sue calling and playing fiddle – I know,  how hard can that be? For the Moody Food Dance Card completists amongst you they were Sue's No.1 and Sue's No.2 – with names like that you'd think she just made them up on the spot :-/

Ceili Chaos

Nice hats!

Ashbourne, Empire Ballroom

Our annual Moody Food jaunt down to Ashbourne for their Pipe Band's Highland Fling. Luckily it was on the Friday as the heavy snow on Saturday would almost certainly kept us at home and we would have missed the fab tatties and neaps. Thanks to Rob from No Left Ear for being a roadie for the night.

The ballroom is one of my favourite halls and walking into it always feels like you are stepping back into another age with its dark wallpaper and art nouveau chandeliers dripping down from the domed ceiling. It first opened in 1912 as a cinéariety (a new word to me) where live variety acts would perform between the films and then converted to a ballroom in 1960.

The programme for the night.

The Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers

Cutting Bracken Strathspey (fiddle solo)

Ashbourne and District Pipe Band

The Gay Gordons

A Highland Welcome

Midnight on the Water / Waltz Vienna

The Dashing White Sergeant

The Eightsome Reel

St Bernard's Waltz

Ashbourne and District Pipe Band

Address to the Haggis

Supper of haggis, neaps and tatties accompanied by Jonathan and Jessica Whilock on Uileann and Small Pipes

The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair

The Ashbourne Fling

Pipe Major James Dungavel (pipe solo)

Prize Draw

Drops of Brandy

The Cumberland Reel

The Dashing White Sergeant

Auld Lang Syne

Awa Hame

Empire Wallpaper.

Hanchurch Village Hall

Down to Hanchurch with Moody Food and Collin Higgs and a sell-out fund-raising ceili for the local badminton club. It's been a long time since we played at Hanchurch, so long that I couldn' t remember what the hall looked like. No photos of the dancing or hall as Mike was AWOL but I did manage to snap this feeble attempt at the flying basket. I should have taken Collin's version of Falling Masonry which requires some fairly athletic dancers. Oh well, there's always next time – see you all again in September.

Collin's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
Doxey Marches
The Snowball
Thady U Ganda
Boston Tea Party
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Uncle Albert's
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
The Virginia Reel
The Willow Tree
Old Swan Gallop
Falling Masonry
The Foula Reel
Cumberland Square Eight
Circassian Circle