Veteran of 200+ shows here and I've not heard it live once (DANG!). They didn't play it for years, then it popped up in the mid 2000's (at a benefit show of some sort, which I missed). Since then it's been performed a only few times. It's my guess that Gord Sinclair (who has traditionally generalled setlist duties each night) would not scribble "Fiddler's" down without first asking Mr D if he was up for it. The song is about GD's sister and her young son. It seems to me that the song is inserted only for a very specific reason which is meaningful to the band and all fans, as a tribute, maybe when a famous life is cut short in the days leading up to the show (the Hip's way of flying their "freak flag" at half mast in a display of respect). Next time I play hockey with GD, I'll ask him about it.
Veteran of 200+ shows here and I've not heard it live once (DANG!). They didn't play it for years, then it popped up in the mid 2000's (at a benefit show of some sort, which I missed). Since then it's been performed a only few times. It's my guess that Gord Sinclair (who has traditionally generalled setlist duties each night) would not scribble "Fiddler's" down without first asking Mr D if he was up for it. The song is about GD's sister and her young son. It seems to me that the song is inserted only for a very specific reason which is meaningful to the band and all fans, as a tribute, maybe when a famous life is cut short in the days leading up to the show (the Hip's way of flying their "freak flag" at half mast in a display of respect). Next time I play hockey with GD, I'll ask him about it.