Jig Blog

Big Changes For The Jiggers

A quick bit of Jiggers news...

JIGBLOG MOVE.

1. The Jigblog will be moving to our own servers at www.thejiggers.co.uk very soon. (hence lack of recent activity here)

2. PRICE INCREASE.

If you're thinking of booking the band, now is a good time to do it as our long-delayed price increase will soon be coming into effect! Eek! We've held off for as long as we can, but in order to keep delivering a consistent high standard of service, we now have to have slightly higher costs. It will still be excellent value though. We're still charging hundreds of pounds less than our main competitors, too.

3. VAT HIKE.

UK VAT also goes up to 20% in January. If you confirm and receive an invoice before then, you only pay VAT at the 17.5% rate.Another reason to book sooner.

4. COVERS SET.

The band are currently rehearsing a range of covers songs, so that we will soon be able to offer a covers set as well as a ceilidh set and DJ set (currently with the 5 piece band only). Our new website will have more details.

5. OUR NEW WEBSITE.

The old website has the reddish-pink jumping fiddler image on the right hand side. The new one won't have that. That's how you tell the difference! (plus, the new one will look much cooler, have even more helpful information on it and will also sync with your ipad. That last bit isn't true. I don't even know what that means.)

The new site will also have this video of the band on the homepage.

 

Thanks for reading. See you soon over at www.thejiggers.co.uk!

Getting to grips with Logic 9

I recently went over to the dark side and invested in an iMac. The main reason (apart from the significant processing power offered) was the fact that my favourite audio editing software Logic, was discontinued on the PC since version 5.5. I've been recording everything using Logic 5 for a number of years, but it's had a few irritating niggles that really slowed down my workflow.

I'm now getting into using Logic version 9 (the company who made it was bought over by Apple, hence the lack of PC development!) and I'm quite enjoying it. I'm working out how to import old v5.5 projects, use legacy instruments and plugins, keyboard shortcuts. It will take a while until I'm up to the speed of "power-user" as I was on the PC, but it feels like time well spent.

When I was at uni, I wasted a lot of time on apple macs being taught non-standard office software (i.e. not Microsoft Office). This meant that getting a summer job as a temp was extremely difficult. Naively, my C.V. said things like "well-versed in Clarisworks software packages".

 

At least this time, using Apple-exclusive software won't result in other professionals looking incredulous and saying "whuh?" when I mention it...

Venue Review: House For An Art Lover, Glasgow

A popular wedding venue where the Jiggers are regularly invited to play is Glasgow's House For An Art Lover in Bellahouston park. (It's just round the corner from where the Jiggers are based, which is nice!). This is the venue of choice for lovers of Charles Rennie Mackintosh art and architecture.

The venue has an upstairs section for the reception ceremony and meal, with the downstairs "Art Lover's Cafe" which is a kind of mini-gallery that transforms into the gathering place for the evening ceilidh.

We often provide clients with music for the full day there, and were performing there again at the weekend. A popular choice is our bigdaymusic Wedding Silver Music Package, which includes a piper for welcoming guests (handy, if you're lost in the park and can't find the venue) and our jazz pianist usually tickles the ivories on the venue's baby grand piano during the meal. We also supply our string quartet for e.g. the drinks reception or the ceremony which can be held in the venue too.

Clients often ask what size of band is suitable for the House for an Art Lover...We usually suggest 3 piece or 4 at a push. 5 would be tight, especially if it was a full function band with backline. You can see the relatively small stage setup of the 3 piece Jiggers band, including DJ & lights, in the picture below. Including lights with the entertainment is a must for the art lovers cafe, whose white walls really benefit from some nice party lighting, i think.

If you've had an event at the House for an Art Lover, please do post a comment to tell us about your experience there.

Me, Katie & Dougie, the 3 piece Jiggers ceilidh band outside the House For An Art Lover.

The baby grand piano in the dining room

The 3 piece band & DJ option has a smaller footprint and fits snugly into the corner of the room!

 

Boturich Castle

Scotland is a great place to get married. You rarely have to travel more than 10 minutes from any point in the country to find a really beautiful backdrop for your wedding celebration.One of the best things about being in a ceilidh band is the fact that we get to perform in some of the most beautiful places in Scotland.

Raising the game for wedding venues around Loch Lomond (of which there are many) is the recently developed Boturich Castle.

Well, OK. It's not like they've just built an ancient castle, but the point is that they've just added a large fixed marquee which caters for (at a guess) about 200 guests.

They held their first wedding there last week, and Bigdaymusic was hired by the happy couple to provide the wedding entertainment (which included the bagpiper, and also the ceilidh band and DJ for the evening).

Now the Jiggers have played lots of really nice venues around Loch Lomond: The Lodge on the Loch, Luss, Cameron House, Loch Lomond Youth Hostel, Duck Bay, loch Lomond Shores- Drumkinnon Tower, Ross Priory. But the most breathtaking view has to be the one you get from from Boturich.

The castle (and marquee) is situated on a hill north-east of Balloch, and as you can see from the photos, has an unhindered perspective on the loch. The real selling point of Boturich, I think, is the fact that two whole walls of the large venue are completely glass, meaning all the guests benefit from that incredible view for the whole day.

I don't know how much they charge for events held there. I can't imagine that it's cheap... I believe that you can hire in your own caterers,though which might make it a bit more flexible if you can get a good deal on the food.

And of course, catch us on a good day and we might also be happy to shave a few quid off the price just for the chance to play up there again :)

Here's some pics of Dougie, Katie and Donald chillaxin' outside the venue...

 
  

Smartphone with background noise cancellation - Google Nexus 1

  Here is my rough explanation of how noise cancellation works. I'm not hot on the physics of audio, so techies, feel free to correct me!

The google Nexus 1 smartphone has two microphones on it. The one for your voice, like any other microphone, picks up all the sounds coming into it. That means it receives your voice plus any background noise.

The extra microphone is positioned to pick up background noises MORE than your voice. That means it will be aimed away from your mouth (on the other side of the handset, I presume).

So there are two audio signals going into the phone, with some pretty much identical audio content (i.e. the background noise).

Basic noise cancellation involves taking two signals, inverting the phase of the waveform of one of them, then mixing them together. One waveform goes "up" and an identical one goes "down" (because it's been inverted). That way, the downward waveform "cancels out" the upward one. If both signals are identical, you get silence. If the two signals are virtually identical (as is the case with two mics at slightly different positions) you get a reduction in the volume.

It's only the bits of the audio which are different in the two mics (primarily, your voice) which don't get affected.

So this phone can turn down background noise. Cool, eh? It's the same principle that happens with noise cancelling headphones, and it's a technique I've used in the studio to check the phase settings of mics (e.g. recording a drum kit).

It's strange that this technology has not been effectively recruited up until now. I'd say that's a far more vital feature than many of the apps you get on other smartphones...

The world's greatest mullet

 Simon Varwell, like a sociopathic Apache with highly specific depilatory tendencies, collects mullets.

How does one go about doing that without incurring the wrath of the judicial system? His new book explains all.

Simon is a travel writer, and is also a friend (and occassional photographer) of the Jiggers Ceilidh Band. This, I believe is reason enough for you to consider buying his book.

Billy Collins - Litany

As a ceilidh caller and a performer, I always like to look for examples of how better to connect with an audience, hold their attention, make them laugh. Billy Collins communicates in a comfortable, droll way that is unhindered by false confidence.

BBC spending 08-09

My favourite radio station, BBC 6 Music is being threatened with closure. It costs 9 million pounds a year to run, and has had a growing audience since its inception, and "had an average weekly reach of 695,000 listeners in the final three months of last year". I agree with Richard Bacon's comments about 6 music that "6 Music is a beautiful example of the BBC at its best."

This chart shows spending of the BBC in 08-09. Click for bigger. From here

The obvious cuts the BBC should be making, in my opinion, are in talent. If times are hard, they should be investing in fresh presenters. Removing Ross, Robinson and Clarkson alone would keep 6 music afloat. I'm a fan of Top Gear, but I'd be happy watching reruns of the first 12 series on iplayer if they had to drop the presenters. Jonathan Ross is great on radio, but on TV he is cringe-worthy and doesn't deserve the slot (or the money) he gets.

6 music is a fantastic station, with a brilliant variety of witty, intelligent DJs who are passionate about the music they play. I've been a great fan of Adam & Joe, Jon Richardson, Lauren Laverne, Steve Lamacq to name but a few. How many stations can land Bob Dylan to present a radio show?

It goes on every morning in my house, and often throughout the day too. Nothing else comes close to the quality of this station's output. The fact that they deliver it on such a small budget is incredible.

Support the petition here

Choir of the Year 2010

A spine-tingling choral performance down the Duck and Switchblade. Maybe Bigdaymusic should see if these guys are available for singing at weddings.

How do you turn a duck into a soul singer?

For animal rights reasons, we will not be recommending putting it in the oven until its bill withers.

Watching this sublime performance from the man himself, however, would be a good start.

David Ford, Go To Hell

A stunning video from David Ford, a hugely engaging singer-songwriter. I loved this when I first heard it. It's being looped and recorded (and quite possibly mixed as well) live, in real time.

Latest Beatcave Remix - Ash - NEON

*edit* because this remix is getting used for an upcoming compilation I've been asked to take it down from youtube in the meantime. Still, I think that's pretty cool. Nobody ever cared enough before :)

Sign Up for the Jiggers Ceilidh Band Newsletter here...

I've finally figured out a simpler way to allow people to sign up to our newsletter without us having to process their email, add it into an xl file and upload the file to a server. This form does it automatically. Add your name and email address to sign up if you've never received a Jiggers newsletter. It's the surefire way to hear about any special offers or Big Jig ceilidhs we're running.

Name:

Email:

Noel Fielding and Phil Jupitus on Never Mind the Buzzcocks

Never Mind the Buzzcocks is fast becoming a Great British Institution. I'm a huge fan of this show. Jupitus and Fielding are very funny guys. These are the extra bits you get when you press your red button after the show.

 

 

More from BBC's Comedy Extra website

An amazing celebrity endorsement

Always nice to get a Christmas card from celebrity fans of the band...

No, really!

Update: Jiggers Ceilidh Band on Scotland's BBC Live hogmanay show?

I have a theory that if everybody spoke like Robbie Shepherd, there wouldn't be any wars.

Sadly, this year the Jiggers ceilidh band will NOT be performing on Radio Scotland's live Hogmanay show. A bit gutted. That would have been fun. It was an honour to be asked, though! We've got some of our musicians playing at Hampden, others at the Hilton, AND (to further disappoint those of you who like fortuitous alliteration) at the Mormon Church. (maybe they could call it a Hootenanny?) It's going to be a pretty tight stretch as it is...

Good news, however, is that I discovered the DV tapes from the original BIG JIG were NOT corrupted after all, it was just the video camera I was playing them in! D'oh! Well, that means that I'll have TWO events to get a new Jiggers video from (the other being the Wee Jig on Saturday night there). So all in all, things are going OK.

 www.bbc.co.uk

15 tips for the worried bride (part 3)

The final five wedding tips for worried brides.

(tips 1-5) (tips 6-10)

11. Prep your team.

Bridesmaids, best men, ushers : these people have been given a special honour, and they should be expected to work for it. They're there to enjoy but also to support you. The best man should be circulating with the guests, introducing people to each other, working the crowd, keeping people abreast of what is happening. He should be making sure people's needs are met, and that no-one is bored or cold or embarrassed. He should be prepared to make an impromptu announcement, and if he's not a public speaker, get him to write his announcements down, or arrange someone else to make them for him. Make sure he's got his mobile phone in his sporran, too. Bridesmaids will help you with your outfit and moral support, but do make sure that they're not under the illusion that they can go and sit in a corner with their friends and ignore people. The wedding party (that's the top table, usually) are the hosts of the event, and it will work best when the hosts engage with the guests. Appoint people with responsibilities that they are capable of handling, and make sure they are accorded a special honour for this during the toasts. A token gift will also help cement those important relationships, so don't scrimp on thankyous.

12. See the value of difficult guests.

Sometimes you have to invite people you don't really want to be there. The lecherous uncle,for example, or a heavy-drinking boyfriend of a friend. Some guests will be there to pass comment and air their own insecurities. Everyone is human, and some more human than others. Don't resent them. Use them as a reminder that marriage itself will have its awkward experiences. But equally, make provision with your support team of best man and bridesmaids. You don't get to enjoy an entourage every day, so make the most of them!

13. Take your watch off.

Most weddings don't run exactly to schedule. Try not to fit too much in, and also plan for things running over. Canapes for the guests while photos are taken is a good idea, or even a magician or a good string quartet. And if the speeches make the meal last an extra hour, this is where having an experienced wedding band comes in handy. Check the venue can move the evening buffet back a bit, and ensure that evening guests have somewhere comfortable to wait if they've arrived early. Some of our clients hire live background music for the evening guests (e.g. a jazz trio) to play in the retiring room (where the dinner guests join them while the function room is turned around).

14. Relish the Challenge

Children throw tantrums when things don't go their way. If you're mature, you embrace the challenge. Sometimes you have to wrestle with external sources of aggravation, and other times it's internal conflicts. If you identify your wedding day as a worthwhile challenge, rather than an elaborate party to dazzle people into thinking how great you are, then I think you are approaching it in the right spirit.

15. Lower your expectations.

 What?! Settle for second best? NEVER! Well, that’s not really what I’m saying. What I mean is: remember that your wedding is not somehow going to magically make the rest of your life perfect. Don’t give it that kind of place in your thoughts. Obsession is when you try and ascribe more value to something than it is really worth. Widen your horizons: don’t let your wedding obsession become something which actually alienates you from people.

Those are some of my ideas. Feel free to add any suggestions that you think are useful by clicking on the "comments" link below.

An interview with Pete Waterman

Paul Morley, on his "Showing Off..." series talks to Pete Waterman about Simon Cowell and the x-idol-pop-factor phenomenon.

Pete Waterman is experienced in the mechanisms of music and business, so I'm always interested to hear what he says. The work Stock, Aitken and Waterman produced in the 80s and 90s is a brilliant example of people who knew how to work the music industry.

One thing that frustrates me, though, in conversational interviews is that a question gets asked, but rarely answered properly. Waterman, seems to struggle with decisively articulating the nature of the x-factor show, or the role of Simon Cowell. He talks, certainly, but after 15 minutes, I'm still not sure of much of what he was trying to say... He doesn't sound like Bob Dylan or anything, but I'm not sure I'm enlightened by this discussion.

This is strange to me, as I would assume that a key to success in one's own industry is the ability to define it with precision. But perhaps that's not the case with media-related enterprises. Maybe that mystery and ambiguity is at the root of success, and why they even named the show "X-Factor". People talk about Simon Cowell being the only star of his show, and I believe they're right. Every interview he does simply reminds us of his mystery: the part he doesn't reveal about himself.

When I read or watch interviews with masters of industry,I often find they are rarely capable of holistically encapsulating the nature of their job. They give examples of "lessons", describe "behind the scenes" events, but rarely is there an overall guiding principle, a law by which they are governed.

They seem like specially engineered products of their environment, with their subconscious senses guiding them, but often without the intellectual capacity to fully rationalise their environment, or explain their actions. Perhaps this is true: maybe they are like the unthinking popstars that are so valuable to the likes of Waterman and Cowell, and that's why they themselves are so successful.

But perhaps these people, when being interviewed, are not concerned with revealing their own secrets? I wonder whether exposing the true motivations of their heart is too uncomfortable? Each interview becomes an opportunity to propagate their own mystique, so why should they make themselves smaller by articulating themselves into a box? They may have made their millions, but they still have their mystique to lose. The magic trick is forgotten about once you understand how it is done.

The Wee Jig, Saturday 21st November, Glasgow

Anyone want to come to a FREE SECRET CEILIDH on Saturday night in Glasgow West End? Email us or call 0141 419 9558 for details.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#/event.php?eid=173860259333&ref=mf

15 tips for the worried bride (part 1)

So here are some thoughts on wedding worries. You'll have to balance the fact that I've been helping wedding clients with their entertainment for 12 years with the fact that I'm still only a bloke, and will never fully understand the deeply disturbing psychosis of the female mind :-)

1. Develop a sense of perspective.

This is easier said than done. But the truth is that you've probably been planning for this day for a very long time, perhaps even before you met your spouse-to-be. Some women start planning the details at the age of 3 or 4. That's a freight-train of expectation which is going to be hard to stop. Learn to put the brakes on your expectations, and find ways to cross-reference them with this thing the rest of us call reality.

2. Move your expectations to marriage, not the wedding day.

Marriage is for life, not just for weddings. The wedding magazines don't tell you that, because they don't make their money out of your marriage. One way to get a rein on your expectations is to shift them to marriage, rather than your wedding.  Marriage can be so much more rewarding, and give you so many more great experiences and memories than your wedding day ever can. Speak to the person who is marrying you both. If it's a minister, he might offer marriage classes. These are surprisingly valuable, and can help contextualise the cultural and spiritual importance of marriage itself, rather than just the wedding ceremony.

3. Forget yourself.

The bride is the only one who gets to dress in a big amazing white dress. Don't be fooled into thinking that makes you a princess by default, though. The wedding day is as much about the guests and family as it is about the bride and groom. Remember that guests have made an effort to get dressed up to come along, and that's something to be grateful for. The entertainment and food are secondary to recognising the fact that you guests are people too. They have emotional needs, and nothing will make a wedding gathering more enjoyable than guests who feel appreciated. But before you think I'm saying you should go about apologising to everyone, and worrying about them...

4. Remember yourself.

Maybe you've got an awful lot of friends and extended family, and enough money to feed and entertain them all. If that's the case, then be aware that you are not planning a small informal social gathering, and as a result you just cannot get around all your guests. The speeches are a perfect time to communicate to everyone how grateful you are for them making the effort, but let them know that if you can't see them much today, you're really looking forward to hearing from them as you start your married life. Make firm offers of dinners and get-togethers for after the wedding...And not just so you can talk about the wedding: so you can find out about what's happening in their lives.

People do want to see you enjoying yourself, not getting flustered. Let them be gracious to you as you are gracious to them.

5.Think about the symbolism.

A wedding day is heavy with symbolic meaning. It is not just a party, it's a celebration. Think about what you are celebrating; what you are marking. Your lifelong commitment to your spouse. It symbolises The importance of friends and family and community. Remember not to place more value on the symbol than the thing it symbolises.

So that's the first five ideas for starters.  I'd be grateful for any responses to this. Just click on the comments box below this post and add your thoughts!

Stay tuned for part 2...