Viggo's Blog - Me and My Mates.

Hiya fans, Viggo here.
Recovered from all those chocolate eggs and silly hares (which you call bunnies? I don't get it!)?

Anyway, what I wanted to tell you, is that I have mates, yeah?!
It took some time, and some nifty handling from my side, but nowadays I can chill with my friends.
The White Goddess is still unobtainable, so a cat's got to do what a cat's got to do, and thus I have searched for and found a circle of male buddies I can hang out with.
(My woman says we are all technically and strictly ex-males, but she's just jealous so pay her no mind)

This great guy lives on the corner and we have a lot in common, not in the least a dog in our house. His is a floppy soppy Golden Retriever. He was sitting on my woman's car here, hmmmm, not quite sure I like that....So I chased him off pronto and we rolled around on the pavement a bit.

This oldie (he's 15!) used to live in my house before his people moved to Bangkok and let their house to us, but has moved two doors down as those people are now looking after him. My woman said she would happily have taken him in, but thought it unfair to old Gina. Hah! She should have moved smelly Gina two doors down instead...

What?

Oh...

She's just told me off for being nasty about Gina. (But-it's-the-truth-she-smells-dog-breath-shhhh!)

This is Gina and me on our morning walk, this morning. Just to show you that we hop along nicely...My woman can really moan about nothing.

Would you know we actually saw a deer there? It was very early this morning (Gina has a weak bladder) and it stood about halfway. But as soon as my woman fumbled out her iPhone it jumped away. I swear we see more wildlife around that cemetery next to our house than next to the forest where we used to live. 

Okay, I'm going back to sleep now. Just wanted to show you my friends.

Tarah!

Oh...just to make you laugh...This is smelly Gina giving a doggie kiss to my woman. I don't mind that, rather her than me actually!

Haiku on Easter Monday

Prefer my hares

boxing rather than with eggs

in silly baskets

(and yes, I do believe this to be a rabbit)

The Lasses - Where An Impromptu Night Out Became Great.

When you, like me, average 25 concerts a year (not counting the festivals), it's easy to become a little jaded, a tad blasé. But once in a while I am pleasantly surprised.
Our annual Hellevoetsluis Celtic Festival has introduced me to gems like Sarah McQuaid and Albert Niland in the past, and this year it was the duo The Lasses.

The Lasses are Sophie Ter Schure and Margot Limburg, and they are down-to-earth in looks and approach, not an eyelash out of place whilst joining another singer on stage just for the hell of it, whilst waiting for their own performance. This "Oh, hey, let's sing along with this tune, as we know it anyway" whetted my appetite for their own set, for they out-sang their hostess..., so I hurried along to the secondary, tiny, stage where they were to sing their own list of traditional and original celtic songs.
They were to play three 30 minute sets and were quick to inform us they wouldn't be doing any doubling, good for them. And straight off, with their rendering of Bill Monroe's The One I Love Is Gone I was totally hooked.

Talk about voices blending gorgeously, made for each other. The guy who brought these two women together deserves a statue in front of the Amsterdam Irish Pub (Mulligans !) where they have regular music nights as far as I'm concerned.

So far they have produced two CDs: the first, simply called "The Lasses", with 11 tunes, ranging from the sweet traditional Next Market Day to the iconic Dougie McLean Caledonia to the wonderful Hole in the Heart by Karine Polwart (my favorite from this CD).

The second is called "Daughters" and it is a bit more elaborate, carrying 13 songs. And it is super. My favorite is Hush Hush (Jim McLean), a poignant lullaby remembering the forced emigration from the Scottish Highlands, where you can almost hear the sheep bleat and see the sad farewell on the people's faces. But I also love Stretched on Your Grave (Frank O'Connor and Philip King) with guest singer Victor Lacken, whose voice again blends in beautifully.

Obviously I will provide a link for your perusal:The Lasses with Cobbler's Daughter
(from their second album)

The Lasses with The One I Love Is Gone

Typical loud pub audience... sorry about that. But you'll get the gist.

Did I say too much? Nooooooo...did not, did not.
You can find The Lasses for yourself on www.thelasses.wordpress.com 
or 
mailthelasses@gmail.com
and...they are currently in The USA, I believe...