Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Dublin - Day 26

Special Guest Blog: Kate McGarrigle
November 2, 2008
Day 26 - Dublin, Éire
Venue: Olympia

There use to be a song back when I was too young to change the dial on the radio called "throw mama from the train a kiss a kiss"....some sappy song about growing up and leaving home, maybe it was Doris Day, someone like that, can't remember. But as we came into teenagehood, our collective mischievous memory just had it down as "throw mama from the train" and we'd break out laughing every time...over and over...
It is fifty years later and i'm on a tourbus with my daughter Martha who has graciously invited me to join her(but not for too long)as she promotes her second CD on the green and pleasant land of England. I joined the band on the rainy grey hills of Edinburgh whence we made our way down from the North, with a swing thru the South and landing in London where she played to a raucous crowd at the Roundhouse and then back on the bus to a quieter time in Liverpool. Currently we are on the greener(but just as pleasant) land of Ireland where two nights ago we witnessed All Hallow's Eve in Belfast(almost Ireland) and caught the pubs tossing the costumed flotsam and jetsom out onto the cold streets - the forty something, tough-looking broad dressed up as a pussycat trying one last time to have one last pull at pulling the geezer who's in a costume of working class finery but he can barely stand up: he's hanging on to the lampost....i didn't wait to see the outcome, had to make the light which is a very important thing in this part of the world where you can easily get killed looking the wrong way when crossing a city street.
Tonight we're in Dublin.
I have many old friends in this fair city and wanted to catch up with them...so with a free ride across the Irish sea on the rock & roll bus I decided to make this my point of exit and...
Tonight is my last night.
So I will catch all the kisses that were warmly thrown, and toss them back with equal love - i'm glad I came...
And now it's time to "Throw mama from the bus".

5 comments:

Ret said...

Ive finally been able to sign in as myself... was thinking I needed to create a new me to be able to sign in and leave a commnet, as I had not been able to sign in since registering!

Well its nice to read something from your mum Martha! I was pleased to be able to see her in London with you. It was a great concert, which had a small surreal feel to it having followed you tour blog a bit... and it seems a bit weird for me now, just being able to commnet on a famous person's blog so casually...But really cool! (Ok I know Im sounding a bit sad here, but never mind...Its hard to be able to think of none cliche things to write.)

I hope you have been able to rest a bit...I am astonished that you have been touring for so long...

Well I had better go and hang up my wet washing and get to bed as its work again tomorrow!

ToonCat said...

Kate - it was great to see you in London at a fab gig. Interesting that you called the crowd raucous - I was wishing for a bit more life from everyone. Maybe I was trapped in a "docile" pocket!

Anyway, I hope you land well when they throw you from the bus, and thanks to Martha and all the band for some great blog moments on top of the gigs.

Campbie™ said...

GCT™ here in YUL- We pick mama up tonight at 4 mins to midnight. Love to all from
Campbell

Gilly said...

I have only recently come across MW and am moved by the heady combination of intensity, drama, humour and wit in the songs and in the interviews that I have read. Love the vocal range and can't stop humming BMFA (which is not great as I am a therapist). Fascinating family! How nice to do a concert with your Mum ey! Who has, the voice of an angel. Couldn't make the concerts because of work commitments and somehow found myself tagged onto this blog for compensation. Never blogged b4 and so this may well have gone off into the ether...but I tried. X

Dammy said...

Waiting for spain.