Episode 7: Connor Hoy and Austral (Uilleann pipes, fiddle x 2, guitar, didgeridoo, cajon and other assorted wizardry)

Uilleann pipes and sub-drops. Connor Hoy and Austral share their infectious energy live at the National Celtic Festival.

Let's start off with who Austral are:
On uilleann pipes and whistle we have Connor Hoy, on fiddle, bouzouki and vocals we have Angus Barbary, on fiddle also we have Caity Brennan, and finally, on guitar, didgeridoo (didgeribone?), cajon, tambourine and other assorted wizardry we have Rhys Crimmin.

To follow Austral and to witness the magic for yourself go here:
www.australband.com
www.facebook.com/australmusic/
www.instagram.com/austral.music/

To buy Austral's music, go here:
https://australtradmusic.bandcamp.com/album/austral

...

We were so lucky to have a chance to spend an hour with these four at the National Celtic Festival. They even brought a few beers with them. And we started off chatting with Connor about his background because he was in from Adelaide, and it was a good chance to nab him. But the chat soon wondered on to some more other areas - specifically, the momentum and dynamics the band work so hard to create during their live gigs. And which they totally pulled off in front of our audience at the Bendigo Bank Community Room.

And as is customary in Blarney Pilgrim interviews, we scored a direct hit on the Planxty Bingo - the first mention of Liam Og O'Flynn, piper and whistle player, and towering figure in traditional music. (The current tally, since you ask, is something like Andy Irvine 572 mentions, Donal Lunny 16, Liam O'Flynn 1, and Christy Moore 1.)

So Liam O'Flynn - a carrier of the (uileann) piping tradition into the modern era, through his Planxty work and solo projects. One of which was a double header with poet Seamus Heaney at the Royal Concert Hall (I think) in Glasgow. I was there (I think.) On a cold autumn night listening to Liam play unaccompanied, and Seamus Heaney read - that's an intensely lyrical experience. It's hard to put into words (which doesn't mean I won't give it a shot...heh...) But it was...what...the traditions playing off each other seems too narrow a way of describing it, even though that's what was going on. But there was a tonality to it, the combination of the tone of Liam O'Flynn's pipes, and the timbre of Heaney's voice, his intonation and rhythm and swing. In fact, the common ways of describing music and poetry - tone, rhythm, swing - give you an idea of what it was like. One of those experiences that echoes through your system for a long time after.

So hearing Connor mention Liam O'Flynn's impact on him as a young player was really great. And it's always cool to hear the uileann pipes at close quarters. They really work in a room setting - very different to the (Scottish) bagpipes, which a friend of mine used to play in a tiny stone cavern of a bar years ago as a party piece after we finished our main set. Sending the tourists reeling ecstatically out into the night air with ringing ears and blood thundering around their beery bodies. Awesome, fearsome.

And it was so, so great to have a live audience with us - thank you everyone who came along. Including Connor's grandmother, who we'll be chatting with in a future episode. She joined us on stage for a quick tune, and we're really excited about talking to her when we make it to Adelaide in the months to come. Look out, too, for an interview with Angus from the band in a future episode, and with Caity too.

Thanks again to Austral. Find them when you can, and go see 'em - they're not to be missed. And thanks also to the National Celtic Festival, and Una McAlinden in particular, for the chance to record on location.

...

If you liked this episode and think you got a dollar or two's worth from it, then please pledge $2 an episode over at www.patreon.com/blarneypilgrims. Of course, you don't have to become a patron to listen, but we guarantee you'll enjoy each episode more because you'll be safe in the knowledge that you're a deadset legend.

If you can't afford to pledge on Patreon, and we totally understand if you can't, all is not lost. You can still support the show by sharing it on your socials, posting about it in your favourite forums or simply by telling your mates about it down the pub.

Right, that's it for today.

www.blarneypilgrims.com
facebook.com/BlarneyPilgrimsPodcast
@blarneyPilgrimsPodcast

Om Podcasten

The Blarney Pilgrims Podcast is a weekly journey to the heart of Irish music. We interview players of Irish music about how they first came to the music and the place it occupies in their lives now. We use the word ‘heart’ intentionally, because heart is what this music, and the people who play it, are all about. It’s a funny, warm and often unexpected journey – and the tunes are crackin' too. NOTE: Hey there - it's Darren and Dom here. So...we want to let you know that last week was the last episode (Ep 94) of the Blarney Pilgrims Podcast for now. We've come to a point where we've both decided to take a long pause and focus on a few other things. Knowing how much the podcast means to you all, it's a decision we've been really reluctant to take. What we DO know is how massively grateful we are for every text, every thumbs up, every raised eyebrow of support we've had over the past two years. You are all legends, and we're forever in your debt. Thanks especially to everyone who's become a Patron Saint and supported us through the toughest of economic times, and thanks most especially to the musicians. To those who have been so generous to share their tunes and stories with us, and to those who've welcomed us into pub sessions and festival gatherings and house sessions and campsite sessions. Wherever in the world we've chatted with players of the music, we've been made to feel like lifelong pals. It's a testament to the open heartedness of the communities who keep the music going wherever they are, and we can't thank you all enough. We hope this archive will remain of use to people even as we're taking a pause. So - please do stay in touch, don't be a stranger, and if you see us out and about, do say hello. And we'll see you when we see you. Dom and Darren.