What are ye here for?

[Rumba Rue]

A person in our group just posted to our personal forum in PRP, claiming that she prefered to do the Ojai faire as opposed to others, because partying was allowed into the late hours of the night.

Now I couldn't help but respond with:

I don't go to events for the 'party' afterwards. I go and have the

party all day long entertaining the guests. If all a person goes to

an event for is the party afterwards, you're in the wrong group for

the wrong reasons.

So my question here is to those of you who do events, do you do it for the fun of the event, or for the partying afterwards?

Rumba Rue

** **

P.S. You can't see the PRP forum unless you're a member, sorry. Them's the rules.

[the Royaliste]

Hmmm, 'interestin'...I'm 'here' for keepin' tabs on pirate related scuttlebutt, altho that be hard in itself sometimes.......I'm 'there' at events for the event's sake.....Since my event and ever increasing persona is that of a weather-hardened, rum drinkin' Seadog of a Ship's Captain, some degree of 'party' always exsists in my immediate vicinity. That said, other than enjoyin' the chance to be with others dressed in my 'period', occaisional or not, thar be better parties, methinks.....I enjoy the 'replica 1700's 'straight up', thanks......Thar be raves for them wot wants to just stay up and party..........

[Desert Pyrate]

Aye. Most o' the time, if ye've done yer reenactin' right, yer too tired t' stay up into the night anyway. Many's a night on Royaliste that everybody's been asleep halfway through an after-dinner movie, talk or any other entertainment o' the night.

[Hawkyns]

I'm here to learn as much and to experience as much as I can of our ancestors' lives, at sea and ashore. I love the work we do in the day, and I like the companionship at night. Singing the old songs, enjoying a good clay pipe, sinking a few tankards of cider, even treading few measures of period dance- all of those are part of the life, too. But something that might be considered a modern 'party'? no thank you.

Hawkyns

[Captain_MacNamara]

Me and my crew have spent the past couple of events doing our stuff during the day, and revelling the night with various alcohols... but we go to events to have fun for the event's sake, not for the party. People who attend events only for the party or the "free" alcohol? We'd be better off if they'd just stay home.

[Animal]

Those of us in the Pirates Of The Coast, go to the events for the event and to entertain the public attending. The partying goes non-stop with this crewe, so as Quartermaster I always have my hands full

Animal

[BLACK SKOT]

RumbaRue-

You don't believe that they "partied" in the 1700's?

Maybe I don't understand what you mean.....

Why not do both?

[Captain_MacNamara]

the SCA's a tad different... it's not a re-enactment group per-sey... it has it's full range of people... but there are the dregs of people who show up, dressed in mundane clothes the whole event, who don't even leave their own camp except to use the privy, who are only there to sit around the fire and drink, wearing mundane clothes and bitching about politics and the like... they don't *enjoy* any aspect of the event, and they don't *contribute* to it at all, they don't leave there camp, the just want to sit and drink... stuff they'd be more comfortable doing at home.

Now me, on the other hand... I contribute and I party... usually at the same time, I do my best singing after a couple rounds

and I don't see anything wrong with a party... just something wrong with those who ONLY show up for the party.

[crimsoncrow]

I have never "worked" a faire, although I get asked when I attend if I am "employed". Being born a bit too late and not having the kind of money to buy / own a 150 plus foot multi-master, the faires are a breath o' fresh air to me dreams. I am a member of the "Royal Guard" for Scarborough Faire here in Texas, drafted. (Rather funny when you think about a Irish picaroon guarding Henry VIII) Shhh....They never ask......I ne'er tell. I agree with Rumba.....I go for the joys to be had through the course o' the day. (And I won't deny that the ol' tankard is full for the duration) I love pulling the "plain clothed" folks into it. The lass's and the kids are the best and I have as much fun interacting with them as they are for that space of tyme involved. It makes their day and mine that much more enjoyable, fer true. It is always a compliment when folks want to get a picture with you and I am always happy to oblige. Had a grand ol' tyme at TRF reveling with a group of monks for about twenty minutes a few weeks back. We managed to have quite a audience with the antics and there were smiles all around. That's what it's all about. I can find a snug (pub booth) locally and get airlocled (drunk) anytime, at the faires I would rather just raise a tankard or two with friends and aquaintances with a bit o' restraint.

[Rumba Rue]

I have to admit, when I use to work the Southern Renaissance Pleasure Faire (the one that started it all) here in Calif., many years ago, I mostly did it for the partying afterwards, but then I was much younger too.

But things have changed a lot since those early days of Agoura and the young people now are far more of a major problem than ever before. There is no respect for anyone else in other encampments, neighbors who live near the event sites, and just general havoc.

Trust me, in PRP, we don't have those type of youngsters. We are a more older and gentler group.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the after hour fun of singing and such, but that's not why I'm in the group. I don't go for just the partying.

I'm there to entertain the public, I enjoy what I do, the after hours is not

something I feel that I have to be at, especially after a long, probably hot day in S. Calif.

Capt. McNamara is absolutely correct however, if all you do is show up for the drinking and party after hours and don't do anything all day long, stay home.

Rumba Rue

** **

[Diego Santana de la Vega]

It is a goodly question and fairly to be addressed by individule. That is:

I work main gate at most these wonderous departures from reality. I meet, greet and piece tye inside main gate getting first shot at all incomming land lubbers without direction or script. I sets em a tone conveying the theme of said fun within these hallowed grounds of mischief and merriment. An example of which I been known to share. Say a couple (man and wife) come in the gate with a post pubescent boy (offspring) I saunters up and puts me arms around mumsies and daddies neck and draws'em in real close and in a most seadog fashionable voice tells em (in a shared whisper it be) "you best be keepin an eye on the boy fer the gypsy's been rippin the ears off of them young ones this day". Now they both laugh and sometimes dad says "they can rip my ears off too" conversely when a mid teen girl accompanied by mummy and daddy comes in I grabs em mums and dad and tells em to "keeps a hand on the young one as pirates likes em youngs they do" and they all giggle. I sometimes ask "how much for the little boy"? "I can fetch quite a price on the sea fer one that knows hows to work that is". Now really, all i have to do is look for weapons that are not piece tyed but it is without exception the greatness of all fun is to interact with both those that are decked out in full costume as well as those in street clothes. I sometimes walk up to women in costume and ask if they, "might ye be carrying any other weapons other than these which God has so graciously adorned thee with" whilst staring at a most glourious valley of bounceable flesh. Now I simply contact the promoters and they give me open faire and camping priviledges fer four hours of work but it's like being really on stage as it seems it is simply truly magnificent.

[El Pirata]

Back in my drinking days the party never stopped, or at least I never stopped looking and acting like an alcoholic.

[Captain Tito]

A bit of both never hurt anybody. If ya go to an event, go FOR the event, but ye know there'll be partyin too. Ye might or ye might not be up for it.

It was funny when I went to Alex Bay this summer.

I kinda got the impression from talkin ta some people that the festival has been perceived as a big drinking binge in the town, and uncontrollable havoc everywhere. But experiencing it was totally different. It was very family oriented, and the outright partying was kept to the individual boats (not affiliated with the festival itself) on the St. Lawrence River, and a couple bars who had after-hour party postings in the front windows. In no way was it free-flowing booze all over town like people in the area had gotten the idea.

[Merrydeath]

I sometimes walk up to women in costume and ask if they, "might ye be carrying any other weapons other than these which God has so graciously adorned thee with" whilst staring at a most glourious valley of bounceable flesh.

I've used a similar line.. but I want a pin that says it..

My Weapons are concealed but peace-tied.

[Patrick Hand]

I've used a similar line.. but I want a pin that says it..

My Weapons are concealed but peace-tied.

Th' dirty thoughts that just went shootin' through my brain on that one.......

[Patrick Hand]

If we do something like a parade...... ok maybe one or two drinks....

If we do something for /or in public..... maybe go to a bar.... one or two drinks....

one day events.... I have to drive home.......

NOW Ojai.... ok maybe I've made an ass of myself .... but "afterhours" when it's just the pyrates and not the touriste...... that's party time..... and I enjoy it.....

Why drive eight hours just to get drunk...... other than other pyrates are there... (yah..... never mean to drink "that" much ..... but awh hell.... I'm in a safe environment... someone laughs at what a fool I was the night befor... hey I deserve it..... )

DO I just play pyrate as an excuse to drink.... NO

Do I drink when playing pyrate (ok depends on when and where ... and if I have to drive and behave....)..... ok well yah.......

I figure there are times when I have to play "nice"... and I can..... But there are times when I can play pyrate... (ok too much to dirnk) not be bad just very drunk.... hey... Ojai works for me.... if I or anyone of my sea brothers is getting into trouble... help them out.... I expect the same from them......other than one misshap at Ojai ( I wasn't there....and it worked out for the better) we all play realy good( or nice.)

So I guess I'd have to ansewer... its for the fun of the event... and then the party that happens afterwards....

[Cascabel]

As for myself, I don't drink at all. Never did develop a taste for the stuff, even though I tried hard at it back when I was a kid.

However, I consider it not at all appropriate for people to be blowing "booze breath" in the faces of kids and their parents during an event. It makes ALL of us look bad, and is very un-professional. Partying needs to be done after the public goes home, and then I'm all for it.

>>>>> Cascabel

[Sealegs Constance]

Rumba I would say that with the group that I am in we do it for the joy of entertaining. Now most of us do not drink much so the partying if there is any is afterwards not during. May have a drink during, but lots of times not. :)

[Diego Santana de la Vega]

I'll fer certs ave a drynk on that! Wait! I'm drynkin to "fer not drynkin"? What time is it? It's got to be four-thirty somewhere? I'll drynke to that.

[Mad Woman Cheryl]

I have seen some that go just fer the drinking an partying during and after. Like me sis SeaLegs says, we would rather have a drink or so, but the afterwards is a wind-down an mellow out kind of thing. To tired to party all night long.

[hurricane]

You mean there's a difference between partying and performing? As Animal said, it's all just rolled into one in our group. The partying part is entertaining the people as much as it is tossing a drink back now and then. Performing is just organic with us and we don't separate the two, whether we're working a crowd of tourists or a bunch of soused pirates in a bar.

And yes, we do imbibe out on the circuit... what's a pirate without a little rum on his breath. In 20 years I've never had anyone complain about it. Now if I was a clown that would be a different issue. But a pirate, hhm... that would be suspect in me own book.

-- The Captain