Category: Our Iron Broo Ceilidh Band News

Our Iron Broo Ceilidh Band news pages. We try and blog as much as possible and inform any interested readers of our blog what we are up to. Sometimes we are pretty busy and don’t get time to write much but there is growing pressure in the digital world to inform people regularly and when we are not busy perfecting our ceilidh tunes we will try and fill as much text into our blogosphere as we possibly can. Fit mair can i say aboot it. It says I need 250 words.

Oh wait, two hundred and fifty wirds. or Twa hunner and fifty wurds. Foo mony ways can yi say a phrase to fill oot the text on screen.

I like to ceilidh, you like to ceilidh we all like to ceilidh.

Let’s sing it this time…

No seriously, I’ll do my best to keep posting on the Blog and I’ll ask some of the band to chime in as well as guest bloggers. We have some really funny conversations sometimes and have plenty stories to tell. We are expert on all things Stovies. Few people have imbibed as much Stovie as us. The good, the bad and the runny stuff from the south that would be spat oot in Aberdeenshire. Stovies should only be tatties, beef, ingin’ and butter and gravy drippin’. Nae corned beef, sausages or ither veg.

I think I have my next post sorted…

Confessions of a ceilidh master. Episode 1. A Stovie too far.

The Society of Advocates Library.

Intimate Aberdeen Wedding Venue

Charlie Abel in the Society of Advocates Library

I reckon I know Aberdeen pretty well. I was born here, I grew up here. I was a taxi driver for 10 years working for my Dad. I knew all streets, places of interest and hotels as part of being a taxi driver. I passed a rigorous test on the subject by Inspector Brown of the Hackney Police. And growing up after leaving school I saught oot the wee bars that had traditional music sessions and I would frequent most of them.

I spent ten years living in Edinburgh from 2001 to 2011. I liked Edinburgh but I never felt I belonged there. I’ve always been an Aberdonian and I had no intention of brushing up my mither tongue to be accepted in posh Edinburgher..eh?

My accent caused me a few problems in Edinburgh.   One main thing, the cultural difference between the 2 cities can be highlighted when buying a Fish Supper…

In Edinburgh they don’t add salt and vinegar to fish… it’s salt and sauce.   Not red sauce or ketchup. It’s a watery kind of cheap HP sauce that they splay carelessly all over yer chips and fish.   Whereas here in Aberdeen we use Salt, vinegar, maybe ketchup or mayo, and in the good places a slice of lemon. As a golden rule, brown sauce does NOT go with fish.

Also here in Aberdeen, we often have different types of fish as we have a little knowledge on the subject being steeped in fishing industry history.   I personally love the Haddock. It’s my favourite white fish after Halibut. In Edinburgh, it’s just fish… I know as I had often asked what kind of fish was used in the fish supper was and was told ‘just fish’.

They don’t know the Cod from the Haddie.

On one fatal trip to the local chippie for the family treat I was distraught when I returned home to discover my Haddock supper (I had asked for) had been replaced by a Haggis supper. To an Edinburgh ear Haddock seems to be picked up as Haggis.   The deep-fried phallic sausage in brown sauce was not an appetising sight for my eyes… The disappointment came at no extra charge. I complained and was met with a cold and hostile stare. No humour or customer service in that establishment.

Anyway. As much as I thought I knew Aberdeen back then, I realised when I returned after 10 years much had changed. Many of the places I knew were gone. Even streets were added, and buildings destroyed. Some for the better, some for the worse.

As a person ages we begin to realise the folly of our youthful thinking. I thought I was pretty clever and street wise. Thought I knew a lot. Now I’m shocked to think of myself as middle aged. (43) I feel younger but not clever. Some might think me to be, but I know different. I have some strengths and many areas where I thirst for knowledge. I get tired and run out of time to do what I would like to do. I want to improve myself and others around me. I want to make the world a happier place. Who doesn’t?

Every day you can learn something new.

Last November Fred and I were playing in an Aberdeen venue for a small birthday party in a venue I had never heard of. Perhaps it had not been used as an event space for a ceilidh often or before so I think I can be forgiven. In my work I often mix with all levels of society but generally I am not involved with the legal profession (I’m a good guy, honest) on a social basis.

The Society of Advocates Library, off Broad Street at the bottom of Concert Court was a fascinating venue. https://www.socofadvocates.com

Society of Advocates Library in Aberdeen

The Society has it’s origins in the 16^th century and the building itself is a fair age. Not knowing the venue when inside I felt I was in Edinburgh as there are many similarities with the buildings I knew when I lived there. It has an old grandeur to it with a massive staircase and wide corridors. The staircase is quite a feature. A pity we had a sound system to carry up it! The library itself it something very special. It has to be seen to be appreciated.

We were lucky enough to be invited to eat by the family who booked us for their birthday ceilidh bash. The catering was by Perfection Catering ( http://www.perfectioncatering.co.uk/) and the food was top notch. Friendly staff and great food are the 2 main ingredients for a catering company and they had more than that for sure.

One of the staff took a quick video of us on his phone and put it on the Facebook, I have copied it and YouTube’d it for ye.

Fred loves stairs

I’ll add some of my own photos and leave you with an idea for a great small venue for an intimate dining and ceilidh experience in a unique, lesser known, historic Aberdeen Venue that is sure to be on people’s mind for future events. I will warmly look forward to climbing those stairs to play again in this lovely venue.

Staircase in the Society of Advocates.

January 28, 2019
Christmas Ceilidh Sold Out

We are looking forward to a great ceilidh on Saturday for our Christmas ceilidh at the Beach Ballroom which has now sold out.

We have a full band ready for you. We have all been practicing and getting warmed up for this Christmas ceilidh all year. We can’t wait to absorb the atmosphere before taking a break for Christmas.

Whether you are with family or friends we insist you have a great night too.

We will be arriving at the ballroom around 6pm to set up. The doors will open to the Ticket holders at 7.30pm. We intend to start the ceilidh dancing around 8pm and will take a break for the stovies and macaroni buffet at around 9.30pm.

We will finish the ceilidh about 11.30 pm and the bar will close around midnight.

I look forward to seeing you there or at another ceilidh in the near future.

If you don’t want to miss out on our future events keep checking this site for upcoming ceilidhs and ‘like’ our Facebook page to get notices on our news.

We have been running our Christmas ceilidh for some time now and it has sold out in advance for the last 3 years. It would be great if we could get enough people interested so we could book a bigger venue. In order to do this we need people to show interest and buy tickets in advance. If we can gather enough interest maybe we can book the Main Ballroom instead of the Star. This would come at a big risk for us though as the cost for hiring is much higher and to get the same atmosphere we would need more than double the quantity of dancers. Please let us know if you want to book tickets for next years ceilidh and we can make an arrangement in the next few weeks and tie down a date. If there is a response we might aim big and see if we can book the Main Ballroom. That would be a ceilidh dream off of the bucket list for us. Though after having a disappointing response in interest to the summer ceilidhs we ran I am a little hesitant on getting burned again 🙂 We need you guys to help us and we can’t make things happen without risk plus it’s a massive help when people buy tickets in advance, online. It saves a massive amount of work on our end, keeps costs down and eliminates a lot of the stress involved in organising an event.

Let us know by posting a message on our Facebook or sending me an email via the contact page.

All the best,

Charlie

December 18, 2018
New Cd launched today

I’m excited to announce a new album release today. Available on CD from CharlieAbel.scot or download on the usual platforms.
iTunes, CdBaby, Amazon etc.

The album contains 16 tracks of Celtic music and songs. Some of my own original pieces.

Please give it a listen and if you like it I hope you will buy the CD from my website or online or download from any of the available outlets.

The next Iron Broo CD is in the pipeline and will be coming soon…

Happy St. Andrews day.

Charlie.

November 30, 2018
Hot day for a Ceilidh

It’s a hot day. Feels like it’s getting close to 40c…
That’s because I am in the south of Italy. In the city known to Italians as the Venice of the South – Lecce. Unfortunately, there’s a shortage of water here though. Ever since I arrived I can’t stop drinking. Not any of the good stuff though.   Today is day 259 of my Alcohol free challenge. One Year no beer. That also means no Vino and no Limoncello or Aperol Spritz.
To be honest I have surprised myself during this AF period. Constantly improving and trying new things. Exposing my faults. Learning to use technology better as well. It’s so great to never have a hangover. I feel liberated. I started meditating and my playing and Karate is getting better. For years there’s been a pressure, as a musician, to drink. An expectation of sorts. Part of the act as a Scottish accordionist. Playing in Bars a lot as well. I feel I am free from all that now. I’m not sure if I will ever want to go back. I enjoy the new found focus and clarity. I feel a happier person and those around me can see I am. I think I am getting better at everything I do and pushing forward with things I dreamed about in the past. Taking more risks as well.

For example. Next month I have arranged a ceilidh at the Beach Ballroom, really taking a risk here with this one. Done it from my lap top in the South of Italy.   I have often been asked over the years by people to do an afternoon ceilidh so that folks can join in with their families etc, so here we are. Afternoon ceilidh time. I am trying to spread the word via Facebook, and through some public advertising sites.
If this is successful, if we can cover our costs and not lose money on it then we will try this again. We will need people to help though. Please spread the word and please come to the ceilidh and dance. Aberdeen can be a difficult place to get people motivated to do anything a little different. Our culture is in danger of becoming consumed in cheap thrills from an American UK fast food type culture. (some of you will agree with me) That’s fine if you enjoy those things (It’s said – even a person who has steak every day, will sometimes want a cheeseburger J) but it’s good to save a little room for something uniquely Scottish and fun to do with your family and friends. A ceilidh doesn’t have to be just for a wedding. A ceilidh, is translated as a social gathering among families and friends. This one we have planned at the beach will seem strange maybe. It’s at 2pm.   In daylight.   I am hoping that enough people will be available and able to enjoy the experience. There will be some afternoon food served, sandwiches and cup-cakes so there’s something most people should like to eat. Afterwards you might want to go for dinner somewhere nearby or take in a movie at the Cinema.
Another thing, please buy the tickets in advance via Eventbrite. There’s an embedded link window on our own website under the Buy Tickets Page and also on our Facebook event page. It’s much easier at our end if the tickets are sold in advance. It saves us doing the door and keeps our costs down. We also know where we stand financially and saves sleepless nights before the gig.;-)

I hope to see you there and if not please help spread the word.
Sunday 19th August 2018. 2pm at the Beach Ballroom.

Thanks,
Charlie
https://www.ironbroo.scot/buy-ceilidh-tickets-news.html

July 21, 2018
Hogmanay Ceilidh at Pittodrie House – Book Now

Join us this Hogmanay in rural Aberdeenshire for a lovely evening of fine dining and Scottish entertainment washed down with an Iron Broo Ceilidh.
Say goodbye to 2018 and hello to a bright 2019 with a great ceilidh from our own band and finish with our disco.

We have played our ceilidh’s at the MacDonald Pittodrie House Hotel many times over the years. It’s a great venue for Scottish weddings and events and a popular choice for many couples getting married. I once even featured as a special guest on a Garioch Blend Hogmanay video recoded at the hotel, away back in 1999! I appeared as a solo accordionist. I can let readers into a little secret though, the video was actually filmed on a hot sunny afternoon in September! If you look closely you’ll see, there’s hardly a dram on a table to be seen. It was great fun to be a part of the filming and I made some great friends with the Garioch Blend and enjoyed playing gigs with them at ceilidhs, Scottish old-time dances and concert parties for a wee stint. We travelled the North of England, Scotland and around Orkney in a transit mini bus. I believe the Hogmanay video has been shown on television during a Hogmanay show, though I would have been at a gig though and missed it.

It’s funny to be doing a real-life Hogmanay gig at Pittodrie House nearly twenty years later.

I’ve always had a soft spot for this hotel and really look forward to playing for them this Hogmanay ceilidh Ball.

Hogmanay Video Cover – (1999)

Still available from all good record shops

I remember also when I was a teenager I used to go Clay Pidgeon shooting at Pittodrie House with my father and his friends. It had a good layout and was always very busy with people shooting. I can hear lots of upper class accents and green wellies and cigar smoke. It had a grand reputation and still does. It has an amazingly long driveway up to the front of the hotel and I used to joke that “I don’t fancy taking the bins out!”. It was quite intimidating for a young Aberdeen loonie with a broad doric accent.

Pittodrie House is set in the countryside among trees and farmland at the foot of Ben-Achie. It has an old Victorian Garden with large specialist trees, a lot of the old Victorian and Edwardian stately homes of the time had exotic trees planted back in their day. Like Monkey Puzzle and American Red Woods to name a few. After travelling up the long tree-lined drive way you approach a clearing and the sandstone iconic northeast hotel’s front façade is revealed in all it’s splendour. There is a really nice small bar inside. It has a really traditional Scottish feel to it and a good selection of Whiskies. I am not really ever in that bar these days, but I remember it when I was younger. All the shiny bottles of different sprits, illuminated by the back lighting. Calling to you… The dark reddish leather velour that was on the bar stools and the brass edges at the old wooden bar. I remember it well.
For setting up at a ceilidh or wedding we always enter round the back of the hotel at the tradesman’s entrance. We load the gear in through the side fire exit. Near the function room entrance at the rear of the hotel. There’s also a small bar area off the function room with a nice fireplace and a curved bar. You could often find the band here waiting for the meal to finish prior to the ceilidh dancing. I think we must have sunk quite a few pints and plates of stovies in this room over the years. Best not let our GP’s find out about this little secret…
If you want to book tickets for the Hogmanay ceilidh you should contact the Pittodrie House Hotel for one of their inclusive meal and ceilidh tickets. They are offering also a room deal for the evening if you wish to stay over. You can’t book a ticket for the ceilidh only through us. All ticketing is done through the Hotel for this event. I will include their Hotel Brochure on our NEWS page for download. There’s also a link below to download a PDF of their festive brochure.
Hope to see you at one of our ceilidhs soon!

Charlie

pittodrie_festive_2018.pdf

File Size: 6645 kb

File Type: pdf

Download File

June 29, 2018
Christmas Ceilidh Tickets now available. 22nd December 2018

Wow. Sorry to be posting pictures of Santa already! It’s only June and already we have booked our Christmas ceilidh at the Beach Ballroom. It was very successful last year so there was no hesitation in booking the same venue. We sold out pretty quickly last year and I hope this year will be the same.
The wonderful Stovies and Macaroni will be included in the ticket price as before.

We always enjoy playing at the iconic Beach Ballroom. I particularly like the Star Ballroom upstairs as it is a more intimate venue and enjoys great views up the beach and out to sea. It has a great atmosphere for a ceilidh.
The only downside from the band’s point of view is getting all the gear up the stairs as there’s not a lift and some of us are feeling the cold hand of time pull us back as we struggle up the narrow passage way with heavy equipment. Yes, and it’s difficult to fit two of us in there at the same time. It’s a narrow staircase when you have a big speaker cabinet to carry. The nutritious Stovies at half time taste so good when you’ve broke a bit of sweat.

As usual we will be calling the dances and will start about 8pm taking a break for Stovies back of nine sometime. I remember there was a lady last year was a bit upset, as she’d understood the Stovies were served first, as you would get a meal. But this is not the tradition of a ceilidh. The Stovies are always a buffet item usually served at half time. I think she thought it was a sit-down meal. So, if you have family with you and you usually eat early in the evening as is the norm in Scotland, around 6pm I would still be having my supper as usual and looking at the Stovies or Macaroni as a supplement to keep your ceilidh energy levels as high as possible. The staff serve all the food at the same time during the break. It’s not an ‘order’ item as in a restaurant. Just so we are clear. There is also a Bar available for refreshments.

Anyway, we look forward to seeing you and already ten people have booked tickets in the first few hours of going live.

Let’s end 2018 on a high.

Strip the Willow

Jingle Bells Ceilidh Dance

The Dashing White Sergeant

June 20, 2018
The long Ceilidh road of Stovies and smiles.

We were thinking recently… Over the years we have probably played at over 1500 gigs. Probably over a thousand of them weddings. Each time we play we get a little better at what we do. We never stop learning and improving. We get a real reward knowing that what we do makes a difference.
Our ceilidh music gets to make its mark at someone’s special event or their wedding.
We’ve often been on stage with our instruments while a bride and groom cut their cake and I’ve wondered if that has meant we are on the mantlepiece in someone’s living room, perhaps in the background of their wedding photo for years to come. Their future grandchildren gazing at the old photo above the LCD fire and wondering what the strange people in the background were doing with real instruments. Alas, probably that will be the extent of our fame in ceilidh music. But I will die an optimist.
We have continued to improve all aspects of our performance and equipment. Despite the crisis and the threat of gravity and too much Stovies.
We love what we do and after 20 years of playing and practicing we are still ramping up the gigs and exploring new frontiers with our music. We are ready for anything…

Traditional Ceilidh fuel (stovies)

June 13, 2018
New Tune – My Turriff Grandma

A new tune for my Grandma, Elizabeth Littlejohn, (Lizzie) who has been a great inspiration to me since I was very little.

My Turriff Grandma makes a good tune for a ceilidh waltz.

I wrote this for my Grandma but she sadly passed away shortly after.

Sheet music in PDF

You can download the sheet music for this tune, and others on our website.

The background story of this ceilidh waltz.

My Turriff Grandma

My Turriff Grandma is a good tune for a ceilidh waltz.
I wrote this for my Grandma. She passed away not long after I wrote it in 2018. Her name was Elizabeth Harper Littlejohn. Everyone called her Lizzie and everyone liked her, and she was universally loved. Although she was not long 90 past her 90th birthday, she was always young and always happy. Lizzie never aged inside. Still kind and very interested in what you were up to. Her company would make anyone feel comfortable and at peace. She had a laid back elegance that came from an invisible royal highland lineage. Lizzie’s company would banish worry in an instant and make you feel at peace. Her eyes sparkled, and she was graceful. I never heard her speak ill of anyone or anything. If grandma did think it, she would keep it to herself. She was composed and she was the Queen of our Royal Family.
She would encourage you and be proud of you.
She once told me, “Dinna ca me Grunnie. I’m nae sum al biddy. I am your Grandmother!”
Lizzie was dignified.
And incredibly creative. Writing poetry in Doric before it was cool, painting oil on canvas, knitting, sewing and playing the Organ. She knew her way around a Kitchen.
She was everything that a talented artist should be.

Grandma was always pleased to see you, and I was always delighted to see her.
I will miss her voice. The most beautiful melodic north-east accent I ever heard, and it was like music.
I loved to hear her speak.

She left a big hole in our family when she had to go. If we learnt anything from knowing her, it was how to behave as a human being; she had not had an easy life but managed to keep sparkling. Get stuck in there, sleeves up, knuckle down and keep smiling. She was a Grand Ma!
She made the world a happier place.

Available on CD or as a download.

I recorded this track on my album A Celtic Voice. Sometimes we play it as a ceilidh waltz at weddings. You can buy the CD from us or download online. The track-only costs 79p on iTunes. It’s nice to have if you want to learn to play along with the free sheet music.

April 20, 2018
Blue Lamp Ceilidh on 2nd May 2018

Our next public ceilidh as the Iron Broo Duo will be at the Blue Lamp on Wednesday the 2nd of May 8-11pm.
Places are limited so get your tickets quickly.
only £7.50 and there is a public bar available.
Hosted by the newly created Creative & Cultural Business Society.
Tickets available through http://www.rguunion.co.uk

All dances called, no experience needed, all welcome.

April 16, 2018
Ceilidh for Aberdeen CND

We had a great time at our ceilidh Friday 23rd of February, raising much needed funds for CND Aberdeen. February is always a difficult time to inspire people to get out and we were a little disappointed we didn’t sell out this gig. We would have liked to have seen some more support but understand that people have other priorities in these difficult times. Still we were extremely happy with the lovely people who did brave the cold and shared in a belief that a world without nuclear weapons is possible. None of us are safe in a world where nuclear weapons exist and for future generations around the world this is a massive threat to our safety.

“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” Chinese proverb.

I’ve always felt that you can’t beat the atmosphere of a good old-fashioned BYOB ceilidh in a hall. We had a great mix of people, families, friends, students and a good spread across the generation gaps.

The Ceilidh raised £400 for Aberdeen CND.

Now we have braved the BEAST of THE EAST and Storm Emma, now the ‘Pest from the west’ is waiting in the wings. We had plenty snow here. It’s great time to be staying indoors and playing some new music.

March 7, 2018