Social Weevils
An itinerant bunch of traditional/contemporary Celtic musicians and singers with a loyal following in Hanoi, Vietnam and friends and former members around the w
5
top 50
17
songs
15.9K
plays
Don's Jig Set Don's Jig Set
More snappy jigs, starting off with Don McIntyre's fiddle and soon joined by Peter Taylor on mandolin, & finally Kevin Higgins on tenor banjo. This baby cooks!
The Water is Wide The Water is Wide
Another hauntingly beautiful Celtic melody, with a touch of melancholy and a ray of hope.
The Battle of Aughrim/Gravel Walk The Battle of Aughrim/Gravel Walk
This set lilts through the first lament, and then kicks ass in the second tune.
Around Loch Gill/Mayo Snaps/Charlie the Hunter Around Loch Gill/Mayo Snaps/Charlie the Hunter
Some snappy jigs with Kevin Higgins taking off on the tenor banjo.
Raglan Road Raglan Road
A lovely, lilting melody, with the usual Irish combination of hope and despair, of love gained and lost.
Show all (17)
The Social Weevils are a fluid bunch of musicians and singers who perform sets of traditional and contemporary Celtic tunes and songs from Ireland and Scotland. The band's first CD, "One for the Road," was recorded on January 3, 2000 at the Army Recording Studios in Hanoi, Vietnam, using instruments that were mostly cheap and/or broken. On that CD the Social Weevils were Peter Taylor (button accordion, guitar, mandolin, vocals), Kevin Higgins (tenor banjo, mandolin), Don McIntyre (fiddle), Huub Buise (guitar, vocals), Bob Baulch (guitar, vocals), and Mary O'Keeffe (vocals on one song). On Christmas Eve, 2000, the band recorded another CD, "Live at the R&R," at the R&R Tavern in Hanoi, Vietnam, thanks to owner Jay Ellis his wife and their son, and Ralph Raymond at the 4-track mixing board. The line-up that night was Peter Taylor on all his usual instruments and vocals, Don McIntyre on his fiddle, Ann Russell on recorders, Alec Soucy on tin whistle, Genvieve Thibault on bodhran and accapela vocals, Mary O'Keeffe providing Irish and English vocals, Joe Peters on guitar, mandolin and vocals, and assorted other friends (instruments, vocals, hand claps and foot stomps). The band's second studio CD, "Over the Ocean," was recorded in March 2004 at Kien Quyet Studio in Hanoi. The line-up for that album included Don McIntyre (fiddle, vocals), Anna Russell (recorders), Liz Druitt (bass clarinet), Darryl Rees (guitar, vocals), & Joe Peters (guitar).Band/artist history
The life cycle of the Social Weevils began on St. Patrick's Day, 1999 in Hanoi, Vietnam. Since then the band has undergone several changes in lineup--there are now emigre Weevils living all around the world. Twas the love of traditional Irish and Scottish music that brought us all together in a foreign land.Have you performed in front of an audience?We most certainly do! In fact, in the early years the Social Weevils were forbidden to practice, and only played live pub gigs and house parties. Preferably acoustic only, in a bit of a semi-circle, or wherever we could fit into the tight pub quarters, you know, in that famous Irish pub scene style of free-form sessions where others could join in and those so moved could dance, clap, shout and cheer. Our favorite place to play in those days was the R&R Tavern; in later years as the lineup changed, we moved to the Labyrinth Bar in Hanoi's Old Quarter. Frankly, every moment with the Weevils is special, but one highlight in particular was when we played Christmas Eve at the R&R and had finished for the night around midnight or so, when in walked the young Vietnamese girls from Pepperonni's Pizza parlor, resplendent in their Santa Claus hats--and did they want to party. We played another full set, and never was there a more enthusiastic crowd. Merry Christmas!
Your musical influences
Long-dead Irish and Scottish composers and commoners alike; The Pogues; Van Morrison; Natalie MacMaster; Dougie MacLean; and many others.What equipment do you use?
Ha, ha, ha! Mostly cheap and/or broken instruments!Anything else?
Long live the Social Weevils!
Hanoi,
Vietnam
ID
228300
Contact
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Comments (5)
great stuff, thanks. hope you all find peace. cheers
Great job! Need to get you on my Irish & Celtic Music Podcast sometime if you're game.
Thanks of the free mp3 downloads of such beautiful traditional songs.
Enjoyed your versions of a lot of the classics - well done and sorry you split up - an inevitable ending for so many of us ex-pat bands (we have hit the 10 year mark though, so maybe we are safe!!)
End of an Era! The Social Weevils, as we know them, played their last gig at the Labyrinthe Bar in Hanoi on April 13th...with Don, Darryl, Lizzie and Joe. Joe & Dai have moved away from Hanoi, Don is soon to follow, and that leaves Darryl and Lizzie (and the Sophster) to hold down the Hanoi fort. We hear that the planned December 2005 Aussie get together is dead in the water, but there are other years and other places...
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