NOISY SHOES noisy shoes name
 NOISY SHOES

Edinburgh-based "Noisy Shoes" is a traditional band but not quite in a traditional way. Although we do take a professional approach, we're not in it for the money, and rather than wanting bookings with a good fee, we tend to look for gigs which are interesting or attractive, unusual or novel, or for causes we support. We do mainly Scottish Traditional music (some Irish, North American, Scandinavian, etc.), and are mainly acoustic instrumental, but with songs here and there, and the possibility of p.a. if suitable.
Anything from perhaps three- or four-piece at smallest, we are most comfortable as maybe a five- or six-piece group. Typically we might have any of the following instruments; fiddles, cello, mandolin, whistle, accordion, and guitar/voice.

Forthcoming Appearances;

Sunday 22 February 2015; Yes Café, 1-2 Liberton Dams, Edinburgh, EH16 6AJ
Informal Traditional Music Session.
Come along just to listen, or come along to join in with the tunes and songs – all welcome. The café will be open throughout and the atmosphere will be relaxed. (Hosted by Bob Murray)
2.00pm to 5.00pm. Free (donations welcome for café funds).

Sunday 22 March 2015; Yes Café, 1-2 Liberton Dams, Edinburgh, EH16 6AJ
Informal Traditional Music Session.
(Description as above)
2.00pm to 5.00pm. Free (donations welcome for café funds).

Thursday 9 April 2015; Yes Café, 1-2 Liberton Dams, Edinburgh, EH16 6AJ :: :: :: NOTE CHANGED DATE !
Bob Murray
An evening of songs with Bob Murray – some to listen to, some to join in, some to think about. There’s likely to be everything from Robert Burns to Tim Minchin (via Adam MacNaughton, Michael Marra, and “traditional”), and from sweet songs of loving endearment to modern political comment.
8.00pm to 10.00pm.
Free (donations bucket, profits to café funds).

 

Tuesday 14 April 2015; Church Hill Theatre, Church Hill, Edinburgh.
“Best of Trad Showcase”.
Bob Murray will more than likely be doing a slot amongst such fine musicians as Adam Sutherland, Morag Brown, Daniel Thorpe, Amy Geddes, Siobhan Miller, Tom Oakes, Mairearad Green, and Anna Massie.
Timing and ticket prices to be announced. (Fundraiser for Edinburgh Youth Gaitherin.)

Saturday 30 May 2015; Scottish Storytelling Centre, High Street, Edinburgh.
7.30pm. Tickets £8 (£6)
“A National Anthem for Scotland”
“Musician Bob Murray has been following the topic of possible Scottish National Anthems for 25 years. Join him in the Storytelling Court to hear his observations and at least eight of the songs which are seen as potential candidates for Scotland's Anthem. He'll try to define what an anthem needs to be, highlight the positive and the negative in each of the candidates, and discuss how Scotland might progress to a decision. Do we need to make a choice? If so, how do we do it?”



website  www.bobmurray.scot        email  bob@bobmurray.scot

 

 





Some Previous Appearances;
Sunday 8 September 2013 - Noisy Shoes provided entertainment for the cyclists taking part in the Pedal for Scotland bike ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh, an important fundraiser for this year's STV Appeal. A 47-mile ride, we were at Avonbridge, the half-way stopping point where folk can get refuelled with food and drink. We were playing (supportive) music for as much as possible of the time between 9.30am and 1pm, and about 9,000 people heard us for a few minutes each !   [Event website].
Monday 28 October and Thursday 31 October 2013 - an evening of songs with Bob Murray at the Canons' Gait cellar bar, with all funds going to Oxjam (for Oxfam). Tickets will be just £5 each, but extra donations will be welcome on the night. Support act will be "The Soggy Barnton Boys". [Event website]
Monday 26 November 2012 - Bob Murray was booked as support ("floor spot", "warm-up") for Michael Marra appearing at the Stirling Folk Club. Unfortunately, the esteemed Mr Marra had to pull out on health grounds. The club booked Yard Of Ale for that date (who have been known to be MM's support), and Bob agreed to stay on in the floor spot slot. Of course it is now known that he died before the date of the gig, which gave the evening a poignancy. Bob did two short sets of songs, and included a couple of Michael's (Happed in Mist, and Reynard in Paradise being a couple of particular favourites........). [Club website]
Sunday 9 September 2012 - Noisy Shoes provided entertainment for the cyclists taking part in the Pedal for Scotland bike ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh, an important fundraiser for Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres. A 47-mile ride, we were at Avonbridge, the half-way stopping point where folk could get refuelled with food and drink. We were playing outside in the corner of a field; unfortunately it had been raining for days beforehand, so people couldn't sit down for a break (the middle of the field was more like a swimming pool !), and we did what we could do lift any dampened spirits !   [Event website]
Sunday 29 July 2012 - Ross Open Air Theatre, Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, 3-4pm. Part of the "A Scottish Fantasia" series. [Event website] [It was great fun, and a really odd experience to see Princes Street and the Gardens from that perspective. Thanks to all those who facilitated.]
Sunday 24 April 2011 - Ceilidh Culture Street Fair - Castle Street/Princes Street, Edinburgh. 3.30pm to 5pm. Noisy Shoes are doing the last slot on the Sunday of an event that runs Friday 22nd to Monday 25th. [See event website] We're planning on bringing some foot-tapping to the paving slabs of Castle Street !
Saturday 1 May 2010. "Chile In Need". A charity gig in aid of victims of the earthquake in Chile. Tollcross Community Centre, 117 Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, 5pm to 11.30pm.  Described as "A night of dance, ceilidh, poetry, live music and food. Family friendly.
Acts to be confirmed.", we can tell you that Noisy Shoes will be there, probably doing a turn, some music for a few dances, and winding up the evening with Auld Lang Syne. Come along for a good night for a good cause. [Event page on Facebook]
Sunday 25 January 2009, Burns Cottage, Alloway, Ayrshire. Robert Burns' 250th Birth Anniversary. 1pm to 4pm. [Event website] Noisy Shoes provided a fairly constant flow of traditional music in the area around Burns Cottage, also filling a couple of slots in the programme of events on the Main Street outside the Cottage, and rounding off the afternoon's proceedings by performing "Auld Lang Syne" at  the cottage's front door.
Noisy Shoes at Burns Cottage

Roy at Burns Cottage Museum    Bob concentrating hard on maybe a D minor chord ?      
Here's a wee video report on the Ayrshire Post website that has Noisy Shoes at the very end (the last few seconds !) 
 or the same thing on YouTube.  
Saturday 24  January 2009, The Priory, South Queensferry. A very pleasant and civilised community event, with a variety of local performers doing turns.
Sunday 9 August 2009; Friends of Corstorphine Hill Tenth Anniversary Reception, Capital Hotel, Edinburgh.  [Organisation's website]
Friday 28 August and Sunday 30 August 2009; "Fair Trade on the Fringe" in Edinburgh's Grassmarket, with many traders selling fair trade products from around the world. Noisy Shoes provided entertainment between 4.30 and 6pm on the Friday, and on the Sunday from 10 to 11.15am, then from 3.30 to 6pm - a monster slot with an interesting and ever-changing audience. [Event website]
Sunday 24 January 2010. "Alloway 1759", Alloway, Ayrshire. (Public event.) [Event programme.] [Closing Auld Lang Syne on YouTube]
Tuesday 26 January 2010. At the Edinburgh Philatelic Society's "A Twist on Burns" social evening, where as well as the band providing entertainment, Bob Murray also showed his "Political Aspects of Royal Mail's Treatment of Robert Burns on UK Stamps" display.  Versatile or what ?


Previous History;
Most of us are either regulars at Edinburgh traditional pub sessions, or we are past or present students with the Scots Music Group, or both of these. Over the years we have accepted numerous invitations to play, sometimes as "The Tassers" or "The Tass Bar Session Band", or under our individual names.  Over the years we've done gigs for, for example, The Shore Poets, The Edinburgh Canal Society, Artlink, Burns suppers, garden parties, the Royal Botanic Garden's "Music for a Midsummer Evening", etc.
artlink cd edinburgh royal infirmary
Patty Morton, Bob Murray, Bobby Hogg, and George Winter playing at St. George's West Church, Edinburgh, for the Scots Music Group. 2008.
 Bob Murray and Roy (of Royzone) find discussion more worthy than tunes at the Tass,
 Bob Murray during the recording of the "Royal Reels" CD for Artlink at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
dancers at burns cottage
 alloway 2010
"Alloway 1759" at Alloway in January 2009. Spontaneous dancing in the street - Helena Spiers with the fiddle, sitting at the front of Burns Cottage. "Alloway 1759" at Alloway in January 2010. Auld Lang Syne to round off the afternoon's events. Strangely, the guy at the front left seemed to know the words quite well . . . . . . .


        
Bookings; contact Bob Murray by email at thump@noisyshoes.com, or telephone 0131 552 1220, or at his shop. Remember that although we are mix of amateur and professional musicians, we should not be out of pocket, we do have some expenses, and it is traditional for the musicians to be given hospitality (e.g. at an event where food and drink are supplied, the band should not be left out !).

Email  thump@noisyshoes.com   click@noisyshoes.com    squeek@noisyshoes.com   

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."  Thorin Oakenshield, in The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.