The M.A.F.I.A.
by Bobby Harvey (The Godfather)
WHEN DID THE MAFIA CLOSE - BOBBY HARVEY IS UNSURE - CAN YOU TELL ME FROM YOUR DIARY?
Photo - The Mafia entering The Black Bull Hotel, Milngavie (l to r) Big Tam McWilliam, Ivor Britton, Jimmy Yeaman, Denis McLaughlin, Jim MacRae, Norman Williams, Dougie Byers, Bunny Traynor, Bobby Harvey (The Godfather), Davie Bowen, Alastair Ross
Last month’s tribute to Jim MacRae sparked off some interest in the Milngavie Accordion, Fiddle & Instrumentalists Association (the M.A.F.I.A.) The following piece was from a handout written by Bobby Harvey (The Godfather) and given to members on the final night c1993. They had been one of the first Club’s to open after Bobby appeared as a guest at Max’s original ‘Hole in the Wa’.
The Phoenix Mafia
All good things come to an end and friends, tonight is the end of an era.
It’s over thirty years since I started the MAFIA after guesting at Max Houliston’s ‘Hole I’ the Wa’ in Dumfries when Max had started the original Accordion & Fiddle Club in Scotland. Thirty years of great traditional music coming to an end tonight, but who of the original members can ever forget the daft but glorious nights in The Black Bull with members and guests that read like a Who’s Who of Scottish music of the day. Only the top……aye the very top of the profession came to Milngavie in those magic days and were delighted to be asked! Names that mean everything to all of us who love our music, names like Jimmy Shand, Bobby MacLeod, Pibroch MacKenzie with Calum McLean, Angus Fitchett, Ian Powrie, Mickie Ainsworth, Jimmy Blue, Fraser McGlynn, Jim Johnstone and many other excellent musicians, duets, trios and bands.
Some of the special nights will forever be remembered among our own members for their hilarious after effects and spontaneous fun. The night Jimmy Shand played for the first time at an Accordion Club as a personal favour and wouldn’t take a ha’penny because he enjoyed himself so much laughing a Charlie Cowie, pi**ed as a newt, played out of his skin and forgot he was there…… The night we had a ‘Special’ for our member George Hill, the loveable guitarist who had just lost his leg, and unknown to him, the doctors gave permission for him to arrive by ambulance to attend his own benefit night and we gave him his guitar and banjo and there he was – sitting up in a hospital bed playing with all the boys. On that night we had Andy Stewart, the Alexander Brothers, a full visit from the Perth Club and many more top visitors plus our own members. The doctors said it was the best therapy anyone could ask for…..for us as well as George who recovered and had many more happy years of playing. The night we had a visit from the Langholm Club and surprised them with another guest who had never performed at a Club, and only for the cost of my phone call, Will Starr….The MAFIA cruises, which were an essential part of summer, although the destinations were unusual (we were the only Club to run a cruise to Aberfoyle), and the cruise to Rowardennan became a mystery tour when we had to return by the Postbus to Balmaha because the main bus couldn’t get up the hill….it gave us more time for drinking at Rowardennan as we. like the true Gentlemen we are, adopted the policy of ‘women and children first’ on the return shuttle service….’From scenes like this Auld Scotia’s grandeur springs’…..there are so many more that one day I’ll chronicle them…..But now as the final Slow Air sounds over these happy memories we can look back on ‘The Baghdad Ceilidh’ of Archie Duncan, the great pipe tunes of Ivor Britton, John Carmichael, Lex Keith, George Stirrat, Jimmy MacRae, Jimmy Yeaman, Dochie McCallum, ‘Bunny’ Traynor, Tam McWilliam, Bobbie Lillie, Bobby Crowe, Jimmy Blair, Alan Kitchen, Stuart & Arthur McKeown, Morag McAskill, Hector McLeod, Neil Fyffe, Benny Green, Norman Currie, The Currie Brothers and many many more which I’ll remember when I read this over….and make my apologies to those whom I’ve forgotten, in the rush to get this finished this year.
All I can say is THANK YOU ALL…..and should another Club arise in the future we’ll do all we can for the cause of keeping Scottish music LIVE.
‘WE’RE NO’ AWA’ TAE BIDE AWA’
Box and Fiddle
March 2002
Photo - The Mafia entering The Black Bull Hotel, Milngavie (l to r) Big Tam McWilliam, Ivor Britton, Jimmy Yeaman, Denis McLaughlin, Jim MacRae, Norman Williams, Dougie Byers, Bunny Traynor, Bobby Harvey (The Godfather), Davie Bowen, Alastair Ross
Last month’s tribute to Jim MacRae sparked off some interest in the Milngavie Accordion, Fiddle & Instrumentalists Association (the M.A.F.I.A.) The following piece was from a handout written by Bobby Harvey (The Godfather) and given to members on the final night c1993. They had been one of the first Club’s to open after Bobby appeared as a guest at Max’s original ‘Hole in the Wa’.
The Phoenix Mafia
All good things come to an end and friends, tonight is the end of an era.
It’s over thirty years since I started the MAFIA after guesting at Max Houliston’s ‘Hole I’ the Wa’ in Dumfries when Max had started the original Accordion & Fiddle Club in Scotland. Thirty years of great traditional music coming to an end tonight, but who of the original members can ever forget the daft but glorious nights in The Black Bull with members and guests that read like a Who’s Who of Scottish music of the day. Only the top……aye the very top of the profession came to Milngavie in those magic days and were delighted to be asked! Names that mean everything to all of us who love our music, names like Jimmy Shand, Bobby MacLeod, Pibroch MacKenzie with Calum McLean, Angus Fitchett, Ian Powrie, Mickie Ainsworth, Jimmy Blue, Fraser McGlynn, Jim Johnstone and many other excellent musicians, duets, trios and bands.
Some of the special nights will forever be remembered among our own members for their hilarious after effects and spontaneous fun. The night Jimmy Shand played for the first time at an Accordion Club as a personal favour and wouldn’t take a ha’penny because he enjoyed himself so much laughing a Charlie Cowie, pi**ed as a newt, played out of his skin and forgot he was there…… The night we had a ‘Special’ for our member George Hill, the loveable guitarist who had just lost his leg, and unknown to him, the doctors gave permission for him to arrive by ambulance to attend his own benefit night and we gave him his guitar and banjo and there he was – sitting up in a hospital bed playing with all the boys. On that night we had Andy Stewart, the Alexander Brothers, a full visit from the Perth Club and many more top visitors plus our own members. The doctors said it was the best therapy anyone could ask for…..for us as well as George who recovered and had many more happy years of playing. The night we had a visit from the Langholm Club and surprised them with another guest who had never performed at a Club, and only for the cost of my phone call, Will Starr….The MAFIA cruises, which were an essential part of summer, although the destinations were unusual (we were the only Club to run a cruise to Aberfoyle), and the cruise to Rowardennan became a mystery tour when we had to return by the Postbus to Balmaha because the main bus couldn’t get up the hill….it gave us more time for drinking at Rowardennan as we. like the true Gentlemen we are, adopted the policy of ‘women and children first’ on the return shuttle service….’From scenes like this Auld Scotia’s grandeur springs’…..there are so many more that one day I’ll chronicle them…..But now as the final Slow Air sounds over these happy memories we can look back on ‘The Baghdad Ceilidh’ of Archie Duncan, the great pipe tunes of Ivor Britton, John Carmichael, Lex Keith, George Stirrat, Jimmy MacRae, Jimmy Yeaman, Dochie McCallum, ‘Bunny’ Traynor, Tam McWilliam, Bobbie Lillie, Bobby Crowe, Jimmy Blair, Alan Kitchen, Stuart & Arthur McKeown, Morag McAskill, Hector McLeod, Neil Fyffe, Benny Green, Norman Currie, The Currie Brothers and many many more which I’ll remember when I read this over….and make my apologies to those whom I’ve forgotten, in the rush to get this finished this year.
All I can say is THANK YOU ALL…..and should another Club arise in the future we’ll do all we can for the cause of keeping Scottish music LIVE.
‘WE’RE NO’ AWA’ TAE BIDE AWA’
Box and Fiddle
March 2002