It was a perfect afternoon to be set up out on the patio at Bobby’s Place Olde World Tavern, and the three members of Desperate for Haggis were more than happy to be there on July 20 — their first public jam session in months.
The group, comprised of Terry Lavineway, Doug Shepherd, and Don Mitchell, gathered a small crowd for their returning debut to their usual haunt, and the small numbers allowed outside for the show certainly didn’t damper any spirits.
“It’s really nice to be here,” said Shepherd, before the group got started. “The next step will be to be [playing] inside.”
COVID-19 has kept the group from performing at Bobby’s Place since March 14, a disappointing reality as the local group has been spending their Saturday afternoons there for 14 years.
The last big events that Desperate for Haggis made an appearance at included the Robbie Burns celebration at the Timothy Eaton Centre in February and the Rotary Carol Festival in December.
During the long months of spring quarantine, the trio played together a handful of times but nothing beats the fun of jamming in person at Bobby’s, they agreed — not just for the music but also for the socializing.
“It’s always good fun to be together again, and this is where we hang out,” said Shepherd. “We usually start with a laugh and we kid each other and have a pint, and then we start playing.”
Which was exactly what happened on Saturday afternoon, as the musicians talked, joked around, cheers-ed and took song requests from the audience.
Desperate for Haggis is certainly a Moose Jaw favourite, specializing in playing Celtic music that features all kinds of instruments, and it seemed as though both the band and their fans were relieved to be one step closer to normal.
