Could I be a ukelele lady?

Yesterday evening, I'd made soup for Bepe to have after running the marathon (home made with just a little help from Campbell's). But we'll-call-her-Fabia, the girlfriend [insert random misogynistic term from HipHop anthem here] was all over him, giving him a MASSAGE in the LIVING ROOM that I couldn't stand it any longer. After texting a few people, I decided, what the heck, I'd go out for a quiet drink on my own with my book. I mean, why not? It was either that or stay and watch that [expletive] all over Bepe while my soup went cold in the kitchen.

So I went to this joint called "Shebeen Chic" which I've walked past before but not gone into because it doesn't look like much on the outside.

What a place! Not only was one of the barman seriously hot, there were two separate music events ongoing. A traditional "session" upstairs, and--wait for it--an open mike UKELELE session downstairs! Ukelele! Who knew there was a ukelele fan club in Dublin? I hung around downstairs on the edges of the uke-fest and it was really fun. This cute young guy played a version of Britney's "Hit me baby one more time", two older gents played fantastically well and there were lots of group performances, including some Japanese guys doing Bluegrass or something. Totally surreal, totally fun. Made me wish I played the ukelele too, though I don't have a musical bone in my body. Only in Dublin will you find a bunch of people playing the Ukelele in a dark basement and doing it well, too.

As for the bar, well, I really liked it. It's kind of thrown together, and I'd swear there's a few bits and pieces there they've taken from my Nana's house, but there's a great vibe. There's even a shelf full of books, so it is actually the kind of place a gal could go on her own -- although quiet it certainly wasn't, last night! Because I was mostly listening to the music I had just one drink, a really expensive cocktail (note to self: quality better than quantity? consider).

Also--and I realise that this is beginning to sound like an infomercial--they run a FREE club called the Recession Club which is free! Obviously, I haven't been yet, but as I really like this place so far, and it's 5 minutes away from my place, I'll be checking it out.

When I got home, Fabia was still there and a prebed shower was out of the question 'cause the bathroom was, once again, full of her teeny tiny underwear which she has to wash my hand -- in my place, for some reason.

[insert expletive here]

11 comments:

Wow, a Ukelele night... Now that's an unusual night out!

Did they play any George Formby classics?

:)

 

Hi JP. I don't know. Who or what is George Formby?

I didn't really plan on hearing ukeleles - just happened on it! I love the way you can go out in Dublin pretty much any night of the week and hear music -- though I guess ukelele playing is not my usual thing.

 

Hi,
I was one the "two older" gents and even though as a "dub" I realise Dublin is such a village, I was fascinated when a friend sent me a link to your blog on our Ukulele gathering. We love getting together to play the uke, its great fun!
Glad you enjoyed yourself and please drop in anytime (Last Monday of each Month is Ukulele Night)
have a look at the Ukulele Ireland website:
http://ukeireland.com

 

Hi Tony B. So nice to hear from you. I feel famous! I totally loved the music and you seem like a fantastic crowd of people! I'd never even heard anyone play a ukelele before. I guess I thought it was a type of small guitar but it actually sounds quite different. I'll add your site to my blogroll -- maybe you'll get loads of new audience members next month!

 

Hi, "cute young guy" here. Hope you don't mind me showing this to everyone as a way to make my confidence skyrocket!

Thanks for the mention!

 

Oh my gosh! [Blush] I didn't know my blog was so easy to find.

Well, I thought it was great, and hilarious, to hear Britney on ukelele. Have you tried knocking off a few Jonas Brothers numbers? Just kidding ;-)

I'd really love it if some of your friends would follow my blog 'cause I get free tickets from Dublin Tourism sometimes in exchange for letting them link to it and the more readers I get the more likely this happy situation is to continue! (Thanks again, Dublin Tourism guys).

 

Hello Towniegirl! Thanks for dropping in to the Shebeen Chic (other older gent here -- I did Rocky Raccoon, My Uncle Terwilliger Waltzes With Bears, and a Chimpanzee Song of my own. Tony did Raglan Road; you caught his public debut).

Yes indeed, you could be a ukulele lady. It's as easy as it looks. It is what you say, a small guitar -- though it has its own collection of styles.

Check out George Formby here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEymZ3rXOmc -- in the late 30s and early 40s he was top British male star at the cinema box office, and for five years the highest-paid entertainer in Britain. There is a huge revival of interest now, but you don't have to do Formby -- we didn't do any on Monday, JP.

 

Hi Recumbentman,

The funny things is my Uncle Joey always used to sing Waltzes with Bears when he'd had one Jockey Club too many at family parties. He was a fisherman, and I'd always thought it was fisherman/sailor sort of a thing coz those guys always have quite the collection of songs -- and then there you were singing it in a hip bar in Dublin. Funny ol' world!

Thanks 4 your comment - I'll check that youtube stuff out later!

 

I bought Dr Seuss's Cat in the Hat Song Book in 1968, to sing 'Happy Birthday to Little Sally Spingel Spungel Sporn' on my girlfriend's 21st birthday (we had our ruby anniversary last month). I have never heard anyone else singing 'Waltzes With Bears', or any of the songs in fact. My children and nieces liked 'The No-Laugh Race' best, but a favourite of mine is 'In My Bureau Drawer'. Might sing that on the 30th.

 

Dr Seuss rocks. The Cat in the Hat was my favorite when I was a kid. I guess he did the trick all those years ago on your girlfriend's birthday! ;-)

 

I sang it at a lunchtime concert in No. 5 TCD on the 16th of October 1968. She was mortified but she forgave me.

 

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