In the LOTRO musical circles nothing is more exciting or more daunting than a big festival.
I love seeing the creative talents of other bands, especially those who play on different servers.
This month a host of bands and musical groups came together on Crickhollow to share and entertain.
This is my look at Shirefest 2014. – Thanks in advance to all those who have contributed to this article. Larksong! and members of the bands themselves.
The host band, The Breakfast Club began the weekends celebration of music.
Q: What’s the story behind your bands founding?
A: When people first came t’ Crickhollow, they noticed that most everywhere they went, they heard music playin! No one knew who (or what) was makin it, but everyone agreed ’twas some o’ th’ sweetest music they’d ever heard. Then one day someone finally nosed around in th’ wine cellar o’ th’ Bird an Baby Inn, an low an beholden, there was a band down there back behind th’ tuns playin all o’ that music!
… I dunno if that’s how it started or not, but y’ asked fer a story, an that’s a good one! =)
– Daffin
The Breakfast play a mix of musical styles but you can always depend on the arrangement being of the hughest quality. I always enjoy a good toe tapper and the BC’s never disappoint.
–
The Crazy Ladies are a new band on the LOTRO scene. Having played at Rockfest to great applause.
I enjoyed this set very much, sadly too busy with TSO to give them my full attention.
Next time I am in the audience I will focus 100% on you, apologies Ladies! – Lilikate
Q: How did your band get its name?
A: We sympathize with ‘crazy people’, the outsiders of society, who are often wonderfull people. ‘Crazy ladies in a forest’ could be such people in our world. Besides we love Forests!
Q: How would you describe your band’s music?
A: Music that touches the Heart, be it it makes you think, hide a tear, dance or smile!
Q: How do you decide which songs to play?
A: See above. Furthermore: songs should fit our base setup lute-harp-theorbo-drums. There are exceptions, and a lot of discussions about those exceptions *grins*
Q: Do you have a signature song?
A: Our signature song is ‘Song for a Forest’ and we usually start our performances with it.
–
Ahh! I know these people! I cannot speak highly enough about the musicians who volunteer their time for my grand and sometimes not so clever schemes.
I think our Classical Music played by twenty four musicians went down rather well.
I would like to thank the good folks from Crickhollow for inviting The Starlight Orchestra to play.
Q: What’s the one thing we should know about your band above all else?
A: We have achieved something that is unique to this game. Our large classical pieces take a lot of work to arrange and transcribe. To hear these played in LOTRO is amazing. We are also a hub of musical talent. We have members from different kins, different bands, different servers and many different musical styles and approaches. We have members from both US and UK servers as well as our French and German Servers. We are a community project, and very much a community success. – Lilikate Buggins
–
Q: How did your members meet one another?
A: I saw this sweet little Hobbit lass with a truly rockin’ body hanging out in the Prancing Pony. I offered to buy her an ale and she accepted. Both of our hearts went pitter-pat and we moved in together…We won the drummer in a game of Dwarven Ale Pong. He’s a good sort but not too bright… – WeeTodd Jones.
Q: How would you describe your band’s music?
A: Hmmm…basically it’s a hodgepodge of various eclectic and diverse musical styles intertwined into a virtual cornucopia of cacophonous splendor… -WeeTodd Jones.
Disenchanted always plays rock-solid tunes. I am always dazzled by how much WeeTodd can pack into his three-part transcriptions. I struggle to whittle most tunes down to five! You can really tell how passionate he is about his music, and Hahah and Disobedient are talented companions. It’s high time the Weatherstock committee decided to allow a three-person band, because Disenchanted provides some of the best music to be found anywhere in Middle-Earth. – Larksong.
–
Q: How did your band get its name?
A: Its actually funny story.First we’ve been thinking about Barkgrim(Flameturg) and the Dwalers – corresponding with Bob Marley and the Wailers and referring to Ronald Dwale.Roots Music, Soldiers of Mahal Army, Inner Cave etc.Then we decided to use KurduKurdâlh, which means The Heartbeaters.We all liked it, perhaps we all liked drums and reggae beat *laugh*. Well, who knows…
Q: How would you describe your band’s music?
A: Mosty reggae style with dwarven history in it.We also have some emotional songs.Well we are dwarven band, we dwarves have some bitter story behind our beards.But yes, mostly reggae and drums.Our priority is dwarven themed songs.
Q: Do you have any embarrassing stories about a time when things didn’t go so well?
A: We were peforming at Armour Parade event.Then I accidently queued with my pibgorn instead of clarinet.It was funny we all laughed and liked the new pibgorn part and now we are using pibgorn for that song *giggle*
(This is not embarrassing but an enlightenment – Lilikate)
Answers to questions from Barkgrim.
I missed this band! I hope they play again soon.
I think the audience enjoyed the Green Hill Country selections, which were quite unlike most of the music played at Shirefest. Country standards like The Tennessee Waltz, Hey Good Lookin’, and Okie from Muskogee were given a Hobbit makeover with new lyrics. Even though some of the ballads elicited much sobbing from the audience, there was plenty of bright and bouncy Cajun and bluegrass to make up for the sad songs. Green Hill Country would love to have another opportunity to play, as there are more new songs waiting in the wings! – Larksong.
Q: How would you describe your band’s music?
A: It’s a mix of country/bluegrass/Cajun, all original transcriptions by our members. We’re putting a tunebook together from scratch. The band is limited to 5 members, so that, in turn, presents its own challenges as we work on songs. – Gwencara.
Q: What’s the one thing we should know about your band above all else?
A: We’re Hobbits. No matter what we do, it’s cute. Don’t judge us too harshly. – Gwencara.
–
The Firebrands were a combination of great music and pure showmanship, incorporating a cowboy/campfire/horses theme. Their Lyrical was spot-on and the musical choices were excellent. Gwencara, who introduced the band, checked that the group was ready and was amazed at the precision formation of musicians standing in front of the Bounders Statue. When she turned around again and saw TWELVE mounted musicians and a fire, she just about tumbled down the hill! The mounting of the horses was really impressive and unexpected. The Firebrands truly wowed the crowd! – Larksong.
Q: How did your band get its name?
A: A few of us we were sitting around playing country western tunes on horseback one evening and a nice hunter built us a fire.. By coincidence, we were all wearing red and the name popped up, like the flame in front of us, our groups pop up, warm the spirit and are gone till the next time. – Beorhere.
–
Day 2 – Shirefest.
Day two opened with Bits and Pieces- A trio of Hobbit Lasses playing wonderful arrangements of popular music. Again for a small band these arrangements were fantastic. Bittercress, Yellowcress and Rockcress – Congratulations. Now where are those eggs, I feel like eating a sandwich!
Bittercress can be found playing her arrangements on the Landroval Server. I also know she would play a tune in exchange for some delicious Pie!
–
Brandywine and Biscuits who hail from Laurelin played a toe tapping, foot stomping set to please any Hobbits desires for good dancin’ music. Entertaining with wonderful lyrics to tickle our humours. We got to chase and try and catch a Hobbitlass, plus there was a wonderful jumping song to make the hardiest of us dizzy with motion-sickness. Best of Hobbity goodness and it comes with extra pie.
Can we have some more please?
–
Q: How would you describe your band’s music?
A: One of our members came up with this wonderfull expression: eclectic. We play anything as long as we like it. That sometimes leads to weird combinations of music – but the wonderfull thing about it is, that we’re not limiting ourselves in any way, -Bruzo.
Q: What’s the highlight of your band’s time together?
A: The simple answer would be winning the free peoples choice award this year on weatherstock – but to me it’s our first show in front of a bigger audience last year in the weatherstock pre-concert series. We were all pretty nervous. We had some quarrels inside the band before we went on the stage. Then we were on the stage and the organisers were late, we didn’t know if we should start or wait. All in all it seemed like it would be a disaster of an evening. But eventually when we started playing all that was forgotten and we had a wonderful evening – they almost had to kick us from the stage because we wouldn’t stop playing – Bruzo.
Rocks – Wonderful Band with a good mix of styles.
I just love their Sympathy for the Dark Lord, always my favourite!
–
What an entertaining band!
Mithril is a Dwarf’s best friend! – Amazing job on the Lyrics and the set was just fabulous – Look at these guys, who couldn’t love them?
Q: Do you have any embarrassing stories about a time when things didn’t go so well?
A: Ah, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stood in front of a room full of hobbits in utter dead air – waiting for one of our beards to cue, while he was chatting to ladies on the side, and not paying attention to the band. Those hobbits are HUNGRY (for music)! It’s dangerous to keep them waiting like that!
Q: How would you describe your band’s music?
A: Our only theme is dwarven, which in reality is quite eclectic. Dwarves like those solemn moving anthems, as well as the rollicking dance numbers, but it’s not limited to those. Humour or songs about mountains are a plus.
((I personally try to include Klezmer and Ska, because they’re so energetic and lend themselves to LotRO music. For dwarven weddings I try to go with traditional Jewish music, in keeping with Tolkien’s original inspiration for his dwarves, and add some original Neo-Khuzdul lyrics (leaning on the scholarship of another member, who is ace at Khuzdul). There are a number of original tunes, a number of original covers (original midis, not original tunes), and a goodly helping of original arrangements that we pair with comical or tear-jerker lyrics of our own.))
Q: Do you have a signature song?
A: A lasting favourite is our ‘song for eating pies to’, an original composition about true dwarven meat pies: Oh Crumbs!.
–
Q: What’s the story behind your band’s founding?
A: Our first concert was in January 2012. I founded the band to allow the European players an outlet for performance and to provide entertainment for the European and US afternoon players (we play at 3pm Eastern). At that time, there was a growing European population on Landroval; it has now reached the point where the majority of regularly performing bands have European performers. – Geoffroi
Q: How would you describe your band’s music?
A: Pretty much anything really. We started with a strong Traditional background of Celtic/Breton/ French Canadian tunes but expanded into everything. Our guilty pleasure is cheesy 60s pop – such great melodies! Our only philosophy is, is the audience dancing and enjoying themselves? – Geoffroi
Q: Do you have a signature song?
A: A few now. Originally, it was Magical World by Blackmore’s Night. To that, we could add some encore favourites like Walking On Sunshine and the Alestorm set like Rum and Keelhauled. We had a poll recently for most popular song and to our surprise it was Country Roads so I guess that is a signature one too. – Geoffroi
Q: What’s the one thing we should know about your band above all else?
A: We work for pie and other quality baked goods. – Geoffroi
As a member of The Andune Ensemble I would like to that our band leader Geoffroi for all the time and effort he puts into preparing our weekly concerts. It really is a pleasure to be a part of this group. I am so sorry for all the times I “accidentally” queued a pibgorn, or dropped my drum mid song. – Lilikate
We play Bree Stage every Sunday at 3.00pm come rain or shine.
Thanks Crickhollow – Looking forward to Shirefest 2015!
–
Loading ...
Recent Comments