Hootananny pub (formerly Hobgoblin)

[tarannau]

The paedophile stuff's more to do with a certain well known Brixton street character. Generally he's to be found muttering 'police is paedophile' but he's an undiscerning chap seemingly committed to equality- occasionally it's the Irish, whites or gays.


Check post #23 for a more balanced post FWIW and why I dislike all this fake Scottishness so much. It the one that starts:

If I seem to to be reduced to taking the piss inanely on this thread, taking lazy stereotyped potshots at 'Jocks' and all things bagpipe, then please don't let it mask my real sadness that my local of too many years to mention seems to be about to go through some kind of gawdawful theme makeover.

 

[Orang Utan]

Is he the dreadlocked fella with the stick who wonders round the shopping area of Brixton Road, Atlantic Road, CLH, the market etc muttering to himself? He seems to think I'm Irish and mutters things at me - he doesn't like me it seems - he's also said I'm a terrorist redman

 

[Crispy]

I've noticed the hootanany website has a message board.

http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3131755237/

There are already a couple posts from surprised brixtonians on there....maybe we should add a few more

They're still coming...

Note that the message board software asks for your email, and then actually publishes it with your post - fucking thing.

 

[clandestino]

We listen to reggae, jazz and hip-hop. We eat jerk fish and patties, not haggis.

Not very impressed by this line of attack on the Hootanany board. That's just replacing one set of cultural blinkers for another IMO. Surely the point of Brixton is that there are no rules, that, musically at least, you're as likely to find yourself in the middle of a belly dancing convention one night D ) as you are to be dancing to hip-hop, or punk, or soul, or whatever the next. The great Brixton pubs, including the HobCanning, haven't stuck to any music policy - they've taken in everything. The problem with Hootanany isn't that it's going to play Scottish music - it's that it's going to play Scottish music EVERY BLOODY NIGHT from here to eternity (or mid October, whichever comes first). Even the Swan isn't that blinkered.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Is he the dreadlocked fella with the stick who wonders round the shopping area of Brixton Road, Atlantic Road, CLH, the market etc muttering to himself? He seems to think I'm Irish and mutters things at me - he doesn't like me it seems - he's also said I'm a terrorist redman

Wouldn't worry about him, he picks on me as well. I just avoid his gaze now. The minute you make eye contact with him is when he'll start on you, although he's not really starting on you, you just happen to be there

 

[Giles]

You may laugh, but you never know. Maybe it will start a new London-wide trend for rundown pubs to change into faux-Scottish theme bars.

Stranger things have happened. Not many, though.

Giles..

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

You may laugh, but you never know. Maybe it will start a new London-wide trend for rundown pubs to change into faux-Scottish theme bars.

Stranger things have happened. Not many, though.

Giles..

Maybe all the Irish theme pubs will turn into Scottish pubs and they'll be no O'Neills, Durty Nellys, Filthy McNastys, Molly Malones etc. left in London

Once we're bored of Scottish theme pubs, we can move on to Welsh

 

[tarannau]

Not very impressed by this line of attack on the Hootanany board. That's just replacing one set of cultural blinkers for another IMO. Surely the point of Brixton is that there are no rules, that, musically at least, you're as likely to find yourself in the middle of a belly dancing convention one night D ) as you are to be dancing to hip-hop, or punk, or soul, or whatever the next. The great Brixton pubs, including the HobCanning, haven't stuck to any music policy - they've taken in everything. The problem with Hootanany isn't that it's going to play Scottish music - it's that it's going to play Scottish music EVERY BLOODY NIGHT from here to eternity (or mid October, whichever comes first). Even the Swan isn't that blinkered.

Amen to that - it's the variety I'll miss the most. A few weeks ago and a quiet daytime pint was pleasantly distracted by the sight of nigh-on 30 ukelele players piling out of the backroom to play a table-stompingly good impromptu rendition of 'Kung Fu Fighting' and "Smells Like Teen Spirit.' They departed to whoops and cheers from the entire beer garden. And just a few hours later a reggae rig, playing the finest in JA 7"s started up with a warm sound, a live jazz jam taking its place in the gazebo the next day

And over recent years - despite having no stable management to speak of - there's still been a huge variety of great names in there. From Harry Hill to Perrier Award winners Daniel Kitson and Rich Hall through to Manasseh, TenorFly and Top Cat. Or Kane and Brockie, Terry T, SL2, Doc Scott and a host of the hardcore and jungle pioneers. Alongside the Alabamas and a variety of other bands. And that's in one of the Hob's deader periods - still a good reflection of the area's roots and the performers locally.

And now we're being offered a relentless diet of highland noise and forced bagpipe based revelry. Cheers for that Hootnany, thanks a fucking bundle.

 

[editor]

Is he the dreadlocked fella with the stick who wonders round the shopping area of Brixton Road, Atlantic Road, CLH, the market etc muttering to himself? He seems to think I'm Irish and mutters things at me - he doesn't like me it seems - he's also said I'm a terrorist redman

'The Irish' must have done something very, very bad to him in the past because he goes on and on about them. He doesn't like the English much either.

Last week he was loudly sounding off by the bus stops on Brixton Road and two girls just said, "shut your noise," and after that he came over, had a chat and appeared completely normal and polite.

 

[lizardqueen]

All negative posts on the hootanany website have been deleted

They only seem to allow people to write about what a great place it is

Found out last night the hob is closing bank holiday weekend.

 

[Pieface]

Is he the dreadlocked fella with the stick who wonders round the shopping area of Brixton Road, Atlantic Road, CLH, the market etc muttering to himself? He seems to think I'm Irish and mutters things at me - he doesn't like me it seems - he's also said I'm a terrorist redman

he starts on everyone - don't feel singled out.

Anyway - tarannau - I know you balanced out your ranting before with one post but lay off the slagging the Scots now will you? It's starting to piss me off as well. The bar's a crap idea - I think we all agree with that.

 

[editor]

Mind you, they're selling real ales, so we can expect to see WoW giving it some sleepy sporran action soon.

 

[Crispy]

Can't take the heat, huh?
*gets back on the case*

 

[tarannau]

'The Irish' must have done something very, very bad to him in the past because he goes on and on about them. He doesn't like the English much either.

Last week he was loudly sounding off by the bus stops on Brixton Road and two girls just said, "shut your noise," and after that he came over, had a chat and appeared completely normal and polite.

Ah J****y's alright really. He's nearly equally offensive to everybody, but he seems to have mellowed to me over the years.

FWIW PieEye, it'd eb a lot easier to avoid using cliched jibes if the whole concept of Hootananny didn't seem to revolve around bagpipes, fiddles and some bizarre retro beardy celidh folk fusion. The prospect of "Peter the Ghost' reading poetry to the sound of bagpipes on opening night seems like some US sketchshow's parody of Scottishness.

 

[Pieface]

I know I know - it is a parody and I don't think any Scot would be impressed but you're all banging on and it's getting dull now and inevitably it'll start to dilute into general slagging.

It's too strange an idea to be for real.....

 

[tarannau]

But it is real. And in a few weeks it'll be strange men with beards and drums 'banging on' regardless.


Will try and restrain the rants, although bombast is at the heart of all good bulletin boards. Where would we be without, for example, Dub's rants about the Beatles.


Forgive us a little hyperbole and frothing indignation - it's one of the only responses to the powerless feeling of watching a decent pub turning into McScottishville.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

3 messages that haven't been deleted - yet

 

[Pieface]

But it is real. And in a few weeks it'll be strange men with beards and drums 'banging on' regardless.


Will try and restrain the rants, although bombast is at the heart of all good bulletin boards. Where would we be without, for example, Dub's rants about the Beatles.


Forgive us a little hyperbole and frothing indignation - it's one of the only responses to the powerless feeling of watching a decent pub turning into McScottishville.

I know - I'll back off now - I can understand the anger. I'm really baffled by this one.

 

[Orang Utan]

Anyway, you wouldn't get bagpipes at a ceilidh

 

[Brixton Hatter]

All negative posts on the hootanany website have been deleted

Boo! Can't take a bit of criticism.

In answer to an earlier poster, you dont need to put your email address in the box in order to post on the forum - so keep doing it people!

The forum also says it takes HTML....could be fun! (remember what was done to the gordon brown website! )

 

[spanglechick]

Anyway, you wouldn't get bagpipes at a ceilidh

why not?

there were bagpipes at both the ceilidhs i went to last week.

 

[Crispy]

http://pub37.bravenet.com/forum/3131755237/

That link again in full

 

[Brixton Hatter]

Cheers Crispy. But it looks like they've stopped anyone posting anything on the Hootananny forum now - they're running scared!

 

[Orang Utan]

why not?

there were bagpipes at both the ceilidhs i went to last week.

Oh ok - there weren't at any of the ones I've ever been to - all I remember is just a fiddle and a very basic drum kit

 

[tarannau]

Cheers Crispy. But it looks like they've stopped anyone posting anything on the Hootananny forum now - they're running scared!

Nah, there still seem to be a few comments appearing up there. Shame that. I suspect they'll find that they'll not be able to shush the dissenting voices in the pub quite so cleanly

Celidhs can pretty much feature anything ime Orang - I've seen accordions, flutes, fiddles and a whole load of nonsense. Sometimes you even get a 'caller' and it comes across like a glorified barn or line dancing session.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Nah, there still seem to be a few comments appearing up there. Shame that. I suspect they'll find that they'll not be able to shush the dissenting voices in the pub quite so cleanly

Celidhs can pretty much feature anything ime Orang - I've seen accordions, flutes, fiddles and a whole load of nonsense. Sometimes you even get a 'caller' and it comes across like a glorified barn or line dancing session.

my favourite's still there though

Are you really going to turn one of Brixton's largest and most racially diverse locals into some dodgy townie bar with a dubious Scottish theme?

I mean the area's changing, but you're hoping for an entirely new clientele to materialise in this residential area. Either that or you're hoping that a huge number of locals are suddenly going to won over by bagpipes and ersatz versions of 'celtic' theme tunery, which seems about as likely as finding as finding a hidden image of William Wallace on the Jamaican flag. Just how many nights of unwanted Highland tossery are you going to inflict on the neighbourhood, or will there be a variety of entertainment on offer?

 

[hipipol]

Yer man with the stick - Reggae Music!
He always smiles at me, says hello - intervened once when he was getting turned over by the Fearless Boys in Blue, htree of em, he ttold me not to worry, so I sang some Culture then some Mighty Diamonds at the rozzers, had no effect on them, but mate me a mate!!!
"Black Reggae Music, is a mesagge from The King"
"Have mercy on a good man, and help him, we pray Jahman"
The first verse "man was made to suffer" seems to fit the occasion

As for a Scottish theme pub, well it wont work, but as the old signs said -
"No Blacks
No Irish
No Dogs"
My Mum was turned away from lots of places with me a babe in arms like all over South London cos they hated the Scots as much as the other prohibited types. She, my Dad and me finally settled in Honour Oak Park - I now live a mile away from that house - where we also have an ethnically diverse population.
I'm looking forward to having my first Haggis Green Curry while listening to the band of the Black Watch play "Johhny Cope" and "The Black Bear" in the Garden" as hords of Buckfast swilling bussed in Neds battle it out with the locals.
Aye, ye'll ken wha dun ye the noo, eh?

 

[clandestino]

This all reminds me of Arthur Baker's ill-fated venture at the Prince Of Wales. After similarly misreading the area, he sloped back to west London, declaring he'd grown tired of "dodging bullets" in Brixton. What an idiot. I wonder how long Hootanany will last before making a similar declaration.

I just don't understand why Hootanany picked Brixton. There must be a real shortage of city centre pubs with decent sized back rooms etc.

 

[Brixton Hatter]

Nah, there still seem to be a few comments appearing up there.

Well I must be banned from posting then and so must a few of my mates. One of them tried to post this a few times as "The Manager - Brixton" and it just didn't come up!

We have a full night of entertainment lined up for our opening night on Friday 7 September.

Bands:
The Red Gold & Green Tartan Family Band
Kilt Blood
Earth, Wind and Irn Bru
Caber Tossing Skinup Crew

DJs:
Hamish McRasta
Scotdread
Wallace Jamaica

On the menu: Jerk Haggis and carribbean spicy fried mars bars

Hope to see you there x

 

[twistedAM]

This all reminds me of Arthur Baker's ill-fated venture at the Prince Of Wales. After similarly misreading the area, he sloped back to west London, declaring he'd grown tired of "dodging bullets" in Brixton. What an idiot. I wonder how long Hootanany will last before making a similar declaration.

I just don't understand why Hootanany picked Brixton. There must be a real shortage of city centre pubs with decent sized back rooms etc.

But don't you know, the Dex Club is now open? Wonder how it's doing?