The latest music news, stories, and events of The Original Celtic
Renaissance music group, the Brobdingnagian Bards.
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Bards Out on the PorchLast week at the Excalibur Fantasy Faire, we were interviewed by Jim Swift on KXAN News 36. Last night (and this morning), they broadcast the program on the news. It should be available online in a days. Why interview us? Last year, we released our CD, Memories of Middle Earth. That CD and our performance at Dragon*Con in September got us the attention we needed to be invited to the Into the West LOTR Oscar Party. We leave on Friday and are looking forward to having an awesome vacation before performing for this killer Oscar Party. This'll be a great event. If you're out on the West Coast, make sure ye get your tickets asap. If you like our Lord of the Rings music, you might be interested to know that we also have a limited edition Memories of Middle Earth CD set that we sell. It's not entirely done, but it features a signed and numbered copy of the CD in a special container with a bunch of bonus stuff. Check it out when ye get a chance.
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Monday, February 23, 2004

Excalibur Fantasy Faire presents... Songs of the Faire FolkWhat smashing evening we had last night at Mother Egan's Irish Pub. I didn't really know what to expect of the evening, but I was absolutely delighted with the result. About a eighty folks came out mostly in garb to kick-off the promotional events for Excalibur Fantasy Faire's sixth year. We started off the evening at 7pm and played an almost "best of" set of bard songs which warmed the way for the evening. Lo and behold, a camera crew came out. I wasn't entirely sure why, but thanks to Hagar, they came out when he emailed them about our trip to Hollywood for the LOTR Oscar Party which I was surprised to realize is NEXT WEEK! Well, we made do as they got right in our faces videotaping our show, bumping cameras and Andrew making some hilarious wisecracks, then out we went to chat with them about the event as O'Malarkey got setup. The interview was a lot of fun and exciting. And we're told it will air This Sunday on KXAN News 36 (though there's a possibility it won't air until Tuesday). We'll be video taping the news program, and I'd appreciate it if you would too in case we miss it. We got back inside with the last couple songs of O'Malarkey. I was a bit disappointed I missed their set, but they really seemed to get the crowd raging. They've a sound a lot like Gaelic Storm. The size of the band grew since I recorded tracks for them last fall. Very cool music. Then, along came one of my personal favorites, the Bedlam Bards. To some degree, I consider the Bedlam Bards our mentors. We learned a lot from them in our first couple years at Excalibur. They taught us a lot about putting on a good performance, and we learned a few songs from them as well. Cedric was a bit under the weather from a throat infection, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but they put on a great show as usual. Cedric is such an amazing fiddler and mandolinist. It really kinda boggles my mind cuz he's come such a long way since we started out. They laid low on the bawdy stuff last night, instead favoring the Celtic faire music that makes their latest album, " Furious Fancies" such an awesome piece of work, which I hear actually even impressed a few of the local traditional Celtic musicians this past year. Finally, Hands of Fatima danced up on the stage and mesmerized me eyes, for one. It was a great show all around. The main point was to promote the faire, and although there were a few minor problems in the publicity aspect, overall, I think it was a tremendous success. We gave out a lot of flyers to help promote the festival and got folks excited about this year's faire. But probably, the most amazing thing of all was that it was on a Wednesday night! Just imagine if we held it on a Saturday or Sunday?!? Well, I'm really hoping that we'll be able to do that. Andrew and I are throwing around the idea of putting on other big events like this in the summer and maybe a couple more times through the year. Let us know what you think of this idea. And don't forget to head over to Excalibur Fantasy Faire to pick up season passes that are now on sale for the amazingly low price of just $40! See ye at the faire!
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Thursday, February 19, 2004

Romantic songs for Valentine's Day at Things Celtic
*grin* Romantic... yeah! We just got done with our set at Things Celtic. The store was filled with people and there was decent-sized audience huddled into a corner of the store with us as we played the "love songs of the Brobdingnagian Bards."
You'd almost expect some cheesy 70s music to pop-up from an infomerical, but alas no. Couldn't quite say that. I mean, sure we had a nice mix of romantic songs like "Frog Kissin'" and "The Bridge", but when ye throw in the other stuff, it makes for a very "brobdingnagian" experience. You know the stuff...
Love lost - "Lish Young Buy-A-Broom"
Drunken love - "A Prudent Thief"
Dedicated love (unless she doesn't reciprocate) - "Wild Mountain Thyme"
Paternal love - "Wild Rover"
Shotgun wedding love - "Maid Went to the Mill"
Alternative love - "Faery Story"
Yeah, there was definitely a nice mix of music and a great audience. Thanks to all who came out and also to Hagar who was out on foot posting flyers around town!
Lanora reminded me the last time we did an instore several years ago. It was a bit o'a flop. I think it was on a Friday afternoon around 6pm-ish at their old location on North Lamar. No one showed. So and since we wanted people to come out to the store, we decided to head out onto Lamar and play for the folks stuck in rush hour traffic. Yes, we were inaudible, but had fun nonetheless. Glad things have changed quite a bit. Slainte!
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Saturday, February 14, 2004

New Music on Bard Radio
This week's radio picks come from Adrienne Rose:
1. "Satisfied"
2. "The Bridge"
3. "The Ring of Hope"
4. "Whiskey in the Jar"
5. "Wild Rover"
6. "Do Virgins Taste Better Medley"
7. "Tolkien (The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings)"
8. "Johnny Jump Up"
9. "Shepherd's Serenade"
10. "If I Had A Million Ducats"
Check out the Bard Radio Weekly Top 10 and find out how you can submit your songs for the weekly lineup.
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Thursday, February 12, 2004

Bards featured in Austin Chronicle's TCB
We just got another wee write-up in the Austin Chronicle's TCB section today. Bards of the Ring
How's this for a gig? Austin traditional Celtic duo and unabashed Tolkien-lovers the Brobdingnagian Bards have already released the Lord of the Rings-themed album Memories of Middle Earth, and had their song "Tolkien (Lord of the Rings)" downloaded from MP3.com more than a million times. Now they've been tapped to play the official Oscar-night party for New Line Cinema's LOTR fan club Feb. 29. Bards Marc Gunn and Andrew McKee are currently scouting for sponsors for the trip, which will find them entertaining hobbits, Ents, and elves at the famous Hollywood Athletic Club on Sunset Boulevard. With Return of the King the odds-on Best Picture favorite, Gunn says he expects to have plenty of hobbits dancing on tables, but that the Bards will stick to their traditional kilts instead of more Middle-earth-like garb. "I was contemplating putting on elf ears, but I don't know how well they'll go with my goatee," he muses. Already own a copy of this CD? Help us out by reviewing it on Amazon.com.
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Thursday, February 12, 2004

LOTR Oscar Party Sponsors Wanted
Know a business who caters to the LOTR fans?
Think they might be willing to put up some money in exchange for promotion?
We're looking for sponsorship for our upcoming performance at Into the West's Oscar Party. Please contact us for details.
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Friday, February 06, 2004

Brobdingnagian Bards Head to Hollywood to Play LOTR Oscars Party
Austin TX--Celtic duo Marc Gunn and Andrew McKee, the Brobdingnagian Bards, will present an exclusive performance at the Into the West Oscar Party sponsored by New Line Cinema's Official Lord of the Rings Fan Club on Sunday, February 29th, 2004.
The Brobdingnagian Bards first released their original instrumental "Tolkien (The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings)" on the late MP3.com three years ago. The single quickly dominated the charts and subsequently earned over one million mp3 downloads.
The success of that single prompted the duo to record an entire album of music inspired by JRR Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" entitled "Memories of Middle Earth". This CD has earned continual praise from fans and critics alike for its unique sound and stirring Celtic and folk-influenced music.
Thanks to the international grassroot efforts of LOTR fans from many different groups, including The Official Fan Club, Ringbearer.Org, LOTR Fanatics, War of the Ring, Council of Elrond, Tolkien Online, the LOTR Fanclub Scrapbook, and Tolkien Forever, The Official Fan Club is proud and excited to present this Lord of the Rings themed Oscar party.
Guidelines and Attire: Formal attire or high quality costumes encouraged. Attendees must be 18 years of age by the day of the party to be admitted. ID will be required at the door, so please remember to bring yours!
Ticket price includes an elegant dinner buffet including wine and soft drinks, door prizes, giveaways, viewing of the televised Oscar Ceremony, an Art Show, live entertainment from Brobdingnagian Bards, Avalon Rising, and Kevin Henry, and dancing to Middle-Earth styled dance music. The event will also feature a cash bar, a sales room, raffles, and silent auctions.
Find out more about the Into the West Oscar Party and about our CD, Tolkien Tribute Lord of the Rings music CD, Memories of Middle Earth.
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Thursday, February 05, 2004

Win a Free CD - Design a Nagians Only Banner
Want a Free copy of A Celtic Renaissance Wedding? I'm planning on creating a new 'Nagians Only' exclusive section of the website with special links, discount offers, streaming live performances, and more. But I need a design.
The base design will look like our Celtic Lyrics Directory except you design the colors, font, add pictures, and make it as interesting as ye like. You're job, to win the CD, is to create a web-ready 468x60 banner, entitled 'Nagians Only'. Send banner to thebards @ thebards.net. The best banner will be displayed on the website and will win a free CD, plus, mayhaps, a wee bit extra.
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Monday, February 02, 2004

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