Traditional music for Fire performances

Hello!

I'm in need of some help finding appropriate music use for a fire performance.

I can find loads of tracks that would be great to spin to - ie that have a good strong beat and that, in my opinion, have a nice, slightly "dark" feel, which I think is good for fire performances - but I have one teensy problem...

The performance in question is an an event which has a historical setting, meaning that I absolutely can't use any music which sounds later than early 1800s, and I would prefer (for personal taste reasons) to find something of a folk or tribal nature.

Does anyone have any suggestions on something that is both olde worlde in sound *and* good to spin to?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks
~m~

classical music can sometime be good to spin to (like wagner etc..) if not then african drumming's always good. have you thought about getting live drummers? there's a lot around notts that used to come to our practices...

Hey ~m~

i couldnt give you names or artists, but what i would suggest is find a local drumming / bongo circle that meets up and have a jam with them

Drumming for me is the best thing to spin too, especially when there are alot of drummers - if you could interest a few of them in the gig then not only would you solve your music problem, but youd be able to offer not only with live visuals, but live sound too

Good luck with it

I'd thought of drumming - we do have some drummers who go along to these events, but (like us) they're ametures, and we wouldn't have much in the way of opportunity to practice together. It's a long term option, but it would be good to put something together in time for our Christmas event, which is on Dec 11th, so I'm looking for a quick-fix for music for that - I'll discuss live stuff with the guys who do it after that....

As for people in Notts, that's great, but sadly the events are in South Wales, or Shropshire (Shropshire in the case of the Christmas one)! Long way to go when no-one's going to pay you to turn up....

Do any of these guys you know sell CDs of their music??? It would be a start!

Classical music is being investigated - I shall put Wagner on the list!

Thanks anyway
~m~

flute music is funny stuff.

there's much better stuuf than wagner for spinning too i just don't know what it's called. i used an 'era-ameno' remix for a performance once which is kind of classical and very dramatic...

there's tons of drumming cd's around that are less than a fiver. Look in the crappy "bargain bin" section of any record store or ask at the counter, they always have a selection. If you ask in Virgin for their recomendations they're really good at helping you find stuff.

As for folk music, you'll be hard pressed to find anything that sounds "pre" 1800's as the traditional genre hasn't changed much in time, and tribal music again ask in any virgin store. You can listen before you buy too.

Best suggestion is deffinately strugzies, any drummer(s) that can basically jam in rhythm are good enough to spin to. It's not like it has to be a crafted percussion master piece.

Your title is quite funny tho, I think for "fire" spinning the traditional music would be trance or the like, it's hardly an acient art form like non-fire spinning.

Good luck, when/where is it in Shropshire? I live in Shropshire and would be interested in coming along to watch you guys perform

Thanks for all the suggestions, every one - I'm meeting the rest of my lot this w/end, so will discuss with them these and other options.

Duballstar - Era are great, I agree, sadly just sound too modern for this. Dunc, I will check out Virgin next time I'm in town!

Oh and we have events at Wilderhope mannor, near Longville in the Dale. However, the're closed live role playing events, rather than being open to the public. I *might* be able to sneak people in to see our performance if you're really keen, but you may have to come in cosutme!!!

Or, of course, you could come Live Role Playing and join in!

See www.ShardsLRP.com for more details if you're really interested.

hugs,
~m~

If you want traditional music played live in South Wales try contacting the Urdd . Its a youth group that promotes, amongst other things, Welsh speaking, music, dance....... lots of other things too. They have Choirs and musicians coming out of their ears and the love to perform. They might be worth trying.

not sure if this is old enough but i find explosive by bond a good fire performance music

Use anything by the Dubliners. Sounds like they've been singin' dem songs fer years. Good tempo too.

Thanks for all the tips, everyone!

We've settled on Loreena McKennit's very appropriately titled "Huron 'Beltane' Fire Dance", with the fast bit at the end extended somewhat to make it longer.

So my next question is - what do people think is a good length for a fire performance? Taking into account that we're performing outside in the UK in December, so it's going to be pretty nippy for those who are standing around watching.

One guy who's performing with us wants to go for 15 minutes, but I think that's a bit long personally - I was thinking more like 10 mins max, possibly even shorter.

We want to have time to show off what we can do, but don't want people to get bored or freeze to death!

Any opinions?

Thanks!
~m~

Will you be able to keep alight for that long.... I mean are you going to take it in turns?

There are a few of us (5 in total, I think), so it'll be a case of taking things in turns, overlapping so there are about 2 or 3 people twirling most of the time, with everyone pitching in for a grand fanale. That's the current plan, anyway.

Having never done this sort of thing before, and having only ever seen one proper, organised fire display ever, we're rather making it up as we go along!

Howsabout

www.omnia-neocelt.com
www.faune.de
www.shantalla.be
www.urbantrad.be

Do a search on Corvus corax and Schelmish on google, these are also good bands.

Great stuff, especially Omina, who sound just like what I'm after - Thanks!

hey, going along with this post.....I am looking for music to perform to in a pageant. and when i say pageant...i mean like miss america. hahaha. (how corney) the one that i am doing is a pre-lim to miss america and ive been talking to some people and they think i should go traditional for the music selection. but I went to the websites that Fuero posted and they wouldnt work for me.....any other suggestions??

What kind of traditional music do you mean then?

by traditional, i guess i mean the kind of stuff they used to spin to way back when. lol...but i guess its alot different from now....music evolves sooo much. But ive heard alot about drums and stuff.....and i was able to get some of those sites listed above to work...so i can hear some of that stuff.....I guess im just trying to get a feel for this new music....the pageants in the end of january...so if i start now i think i will have enough time. thanks for the help.