Wow.

[ysobelle]

Corvus Corax ROCKS. Yumyumyum. And no, I'm not just talking about Ardor's...er...pants. Or lack thereof. They have amazing energy, excellent presence, and, if I can judge by the quarter-hour or so Castus spent chatting with a bunch of folks in my booth, lovely attitudes. They seem to have enjoyed the day-- and PARF sure enjoyed having them.

But if one more person asks, "What the hell is a German band doing playing Celtic music?" I may weep. I'm just floored that...I don't even know how to put it. It just seems that if it has a world-music flavour, and it's played at a Renaissance Faire, people assume it must be Celtic. Is the idea that there's traditional music from Spain, Italy, England, Romania, and yes, Germany, such a difficult concept? Or am I, with half my undergrad degree in Ethnomusicology, simply expecting far too much? Oh, and I had one participant bitch at me how out of place and anachronistic the band was-- while wearing an 18th century frock coat and jabot. I pointed this out to him, and he ignored me, of course. Can we only accept acts at faire that wear some manner of tartan and play recognisably Scottish or Irish music? I LOVE Clann an Drumma, and Tartan Terrors seem nice folks, but good Christ! Are they the only ones Faire people can wrap their brains around?

Oh, and while I'm at it, the next person who actually compares Clann to Corvus Corax may well get a swift kick in the knees. Drums and pipes, playing at a faire. Yes. I get that. But beyond that, they have almost no resemblance to one another. One isn't better than the other-- they're both fabulous. Are apples better than oranges?

Sigh. Yeah, I probably am expecting too much.

Comments

[danicia.livejournal.com]

btw...you can tell all those fuckers that the bagpipes were invented in the mediteraen and NOT scotland. They moved NORTH, which is what the celts did. People think celts originated in Scotland.

I've been dealing with that whole "when are they gonna play celtic music" while working for Wolgemut for 2 years.

/bangs head on desk.

Now, some people are TRULY intrigued. and most people just say "wow, that rocks, I want it!" which is what is supposed to happen.

But I hate the know-it-alls that don't..well..know. ANd be biotches about it.

[ysobelle.livejournal.com]

Then you must biotch-slep them! And I'm riiiight behind you.

[snugglyevil.livejournal.com]

"Oh, and while I'm at it, the next person who actually compares Clann to Corvus Corax may well get a swift kick in the knees."

LOL! and last night, listening to them online, all I could think of was "YUMMMMM...this is what Wolgemut was like before Stephan (purrrrrr) left and they became just another Renfaire band". Ohh...speaking of whick...Listen to Stephan's band sometime...they are called Cultus Ferox. Much the same basic vein of Corvus Covax. THey are more industrial of an edge at times though. Still....full of hot guys. heehee

p.s. Get me a "Best Of" CD? I'll pay you back! Get me 2 CDs if you want...the Best Of and whatever the newest one is. WEEE!!!

[pikachette.livejournal.com]

I wonder if the faires themselves got out of the whole British Isles thing overall, if the perception of period music played at them would change.

Let's face it -- the vast majority of faires in the US play to the England/Ireland/Scotland vibe, so maybe it's not so surprising that the average citizen is, well, thrown for a loop when music of other cultures is played at faire (outside of Oktoberfest weekends).

People will compare things with what they already have experience with -- it's not that they're stupid, just that they might not have had the exposure, so if someone compares a group like Corax to Clann, maybe because that's all they know...and maybe give them points for at least trying to make some connection, even if it's wrong because they just *don't know*.

I put at least some of the blame, if there actually is 'blame', on the Faires themselves -- let *them* open their eyes past the British Isles and maybe the patrons (and playtrons, too) will follow.

[hennabee.livejournal.com]

I want to speak German at them!! Can I?? Can I?? I heard they converse in it and say dirty things and are properly abashed when told that others can understand them! I want to heeeeeeeeeaaaaar!!! *whines and pouts and generally makes an ass of herself*

Like...next weekend? Could that be arranged? Ich kann Deutsch verstehen...it would be echt toll! ^_^

PS-woman...where are my phone numbers?

[ysobelle.livejournal.com]

Ooops. Call me! I'll give you the 411, so to speak.

And come to faire! Don't speak German to them until they say something they assume you won't understand. THEN speak German at them.

Just make sure I'm there to witness, hm?

[(Anonymous)]

Absolutamente, my dear. >:) I am all for the sneak-attack!

I'll call you when I'm not staggering in the door at 11:30 pm...so, like, Friday-ish!

BTW...I will be there possibly on Saturday, but definitely on Sunday! ^_^

[christianet.livejournal.com]

What blows my mind are how freaking ignorant some of the playtron faire folks are about medieval music. Lyrics in Latin turn their brains off. And never mind Provencal.

As far as the bagpipes — those guys in the Pieter Brueghel peasant paintings weren't playing digeridoos, ya know?

[ysobelle.livejournal.com]

"Ancient language? You mean Gaelic?"

[smileitsme.livejournal.com]

Wow. That never crossed my mind about them playing at Faire. Maybe I'm just a simple person and enjoy life and I don't think that much about stuff like that.

Come on, comparing CAD to CC? One day I'll eat an apple, the next an orange. Their different, but both delicious!

[antihope.livejournal.com]

Damn, I reallly like them.. I forget if I've seen them or another band with I think many of the same members, Tanzwut, in a music festival in Germany, or both.

I really gotta pay attention to the current shows . =(

Would loved to have seen them.

[ysobelle.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Tanzwut-- I know I've heard them, I just don't know what.

CC will be at faire again this weekend before they go home to Germany. Four shows a day-- you REALLY should come see them. They're fucking AWESOME.

[zaphod-groupie.livejournal.com]

I was passing time by clicking on random names on my friends' f-lists, and I happened upon your journal. You're Ysobelle from the IWG boards, aren't you? Anyway, just thought I'd say I agree with you--this really kickass band called Wolgemut performed at TRF three years ago, and seeing them my first time at faire is what got me into faire and world music. People comparing them to Tartanic, however, annoys the crap out of me. I am incredibly enamored with both bands, but they have no similarities beyond the instruments they play. Well, that and the sheer hotness of a couple of their members, but I'm fairly certain Stefan's no longer with Wolgemut....

Anyway, sorry to interrupt your regularly scheduled commenting : D

[ysobelle.livejournal.com]

I am! And MayFaire Moon, too-- thanks for the plug in the corsetting community LJ.

One of the PARF performers mentioned Wolgemut this weekend, too. I haven't heard/seen them, but I'm gathering that yeah, there's a similarity. Just means I have to pick some of their stuff up, too!

[zaphod-groupie.livejournal.com]

Brilliant! I love your work--had I the money for a new corset at the moment I'd be emailing you. Ah, well, sometime in future I'm sure.

Wolgemut are absolutely thrilling. I was having a brain fart one day and couldn't remember their name, so I just referred to them as "The German Band of Musical w00tness".....and my friend knew to whom I referred...

I took the liberty of reading back a few posts...you seem very cool : D

[ysobelle.livejournal.com]

Aw, man, I'm tepid at best, most days. But thank you SO much!

[snugglyevil.livejournal.com]

Nope...Stephan has moved on to a group called Cultus Ferox. http://www.cultusferox.com/neu/inhalt/aktuelles/index.html page is in German so you may want to run it thru Babelfish. Stephan is an arrogant bastard but DAMN is he a hottie. The whole band kicks ass.

[zaphod-groupie.livejournal.com]

Ohhh! I'm sorry to hear about the arrogant bastard part, but I've only met him twice, both briefly, and he was really very nice....and damn right he's hot! Thanks for the link!

[snugglyevil.livejournal.com]

If you like Corvus Covax...you'll like Cultus Ferox. Damn Stephan and those blue eyes of his. *smiles*

You're welcome on the link. Always happy to enable. heehee

[zaphod-groupie.livejournal.com]

Well, I've never actually seen/heard Corvus Corax, but I'm getting the impression I really should.

Damn thos blue eyes...and that gorgeous body...and those striking features...and that hair...and that....oy! Damn it all indeed!

[snugglyevil.livejournal.com]

Amen. LOL

[ysobelle.livejournal.com]

Okay, damn you both. I WANT PICTURES. I've never seen these guys!


And man, I want that icon, too. SNARF!

[snugglyevil.livejournal.com]

Oh and Ysobelle???

Here...
http://digitalmischief.net/ren_pics/trf/2002/a/trf-2k2a-0490.jpg

and here

http://www.cultusferox.com/neu/inhalt/diebande/galerie/aschaffenburg%2004/pages/0005.html

and here...those eyes...
http://digitalmischief.net/ren_pics/trf/2002/a/trf-2k2a-1194.jpg

[ysobelle.livejournal.com]

I JUST found some of those. Yay, Google Image Search! I love the guy yawning hugely in the background....

And while the faire photos of Wolgemut are nothing like Corvus Corax's look, the ones of Cultus Ferox are very, very similar. Those wacky Germans!

[zaphod-groupie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there's a metric butt-ton of those on digital mischief....Glenn was a bit of a fan ; D

If you happen to peruse those and see the set of 4 girls with the band, I'm the one in the black cloak with the short hair...the dancer Stefan was acompanying is my very dear friends, Sarah.