MUSIC/FOLK
GLASGOW FOLK FESTIVAL
GIFT OF THE RAB
The acoustic guitar boom oi the lies produced a crop ol Scottish talents, individualistic songwriters who have had a sustained inlluence on successive generations. Ask John Martyn. Gerry Rallerty, ilobln Williamson, Bert Jansch and Dick Gaughan who they admire, and you’ll quickly hear oi Rab Noakes.
The File man has released many albums over the years, lrom solo acoustic. to electric soil rock and his
caretully cralted song have been recorded widely by other artists. But although he has dipped under the horizon in recent years while he tullilis the commitment at his role as a producer lor BBC Radio Scotland, the lestlvai organisers have managed to lind a date in his Filoiax. flab's songs are on personal but universal themes, his guitar playing is clean and thoughtiul and his voice has a distinctive, remarkable edge that raises the emotional tone.
Another unmistakeable voice in Noakes' Glasgow Festival Club concert is that ol Pete tiardlnl. llis strong Lanarkshlre accent could tell a Kelvinslder at 100 yards but there is much more to this art teacher's songs than that. Acutely observed and bleakly hilarious, they are little hymns to contemporary Caiedonian culture. (Norman Chalmers)
Rab iloakes plays at the Glasgow Festival Club on Thurs 5 with Peter Nardlnl, Sean Donnely and Walter McCorrlsken.
comprising the big blues voice of Chicago
and Glasgow‘s Marilyn iddleton Pollock. with fiddler Kate Kramer and Canadian guitarist Julie Micheles.
I Star Club Concert Glasgow Society Of Musicians. 73 Berkeley Street. 8pm. £1.50. Glasgow‘s authentic traditional Scots and irish singing voice in the group Stramash with guests Guy Carawan and Janie Hunter
I irish instrumental Workshop and Session Scotia Bar. Stoekwell Street. Free. Workshop 7—9pm, Session 9pm-late. With Glasgow‘s weei kent Clach na Cudden. Prize for the most promising player at the workshop. followed by informal playing on fiddle. flute, accordion. bodhran etc.
I Dphiusa Musicians Hielan Jessie‘s. Gallowgate. 8pm. Free. The Spaniards host a session.
FRIDAY 6 - -.
I Festival Dance Concert Winter Gardens, People’s Palace, Glasgow Green. Noon-1.30pm. Free. From Spain‘s Asturia El Ventolin. the Celtic brotherhood of Dphlusa from Galicia. and guess where Shamrock come from.
I Glasgow Folk Festival Club City Halls. Candieriggs. 227 5511. 6pm—1am. Bar. Tickets £2 (admission free with concert/ceilidh tickets). Music and sessions all night.
I Festival Traditional Concert City Halls. Candleriggs. 227 5511. 7.30pm. £4. Kirriemuir singer Joe Aitken. guitarist and singer from the North of Ireland Sean Donnelly, Glasgow box and whistle experts lan Kirkpatrick and John Gahagan. clear—voiced singer from the North East Frieda Morrison with noteable acoustic
SATURDAY 7
guitarist David Allison. a blast of Balkan music and song from Dirk Campbell and Vivien Ellis. and the programme hosted by yarn spinner Ron Fleming.
I Tribute to Stan Rogers Winter Gardens. People's Palace. Glasgow Green. 8pm. Doors open 6pm. Bar. Tickets £5. The Canadian songwriter is remembered in words and music by Toronto based singer Bill Craig. and fellow Canadian songwriter Eileen McGann. The evening is hosted by another singer of Stan‘s songs. folk club favourite lan Bruce.
I Late Night Blues Club Biackfriars Basement. Bell Street. Merchant City. 552 5924. 9pm—2am. £4. Hosted by singer Eric Cuthbertson. the club tonight presents Belfast blues and boogie pianist Jim Daly in partnership with guitarist Ronnie Greer. I Open Night Scotia Bar. Stockwcil Street. 552 8681. From 7pm. Free. Songs. tunes. singaround. stories. Turn up with an instrument. or your voice.
I Thank God it’s Friday Hieian Jessie's. Gallowgate. 8pm. Free.
I Davie Cos and Friends Victoria Bar. Bridgegate. 9pm. Free.
I Tolbooth Dar Glasgow Cross. 9pm. Free. live music.
I Ceilidh Dance Riverside. Fox Street. off Clyde Street. 248 3144. 9.30pm. £3. Every week. Live bands.
I Community Dance Programme Changing venues round the City Centre. 10am—4pm. Free. Music and colour from St Bee's Mummers. Greenwich Morris. Clydeslde Flapper. Goathland Ploughslots and Denskln’s Morris.
I Altemoon Deer Dance Winter Gardens. People‘s Palace. Glasgow Green. Noon—5pm. Concert 2pm. £5. Hottest band on the English folk/roots scene are Alias lion kavana. They are joined by Scots electrofolk band Tonight at Noon. Canadian contemporary songwriter Eileen Mcoann. Glasgow ceiiidh band Clach na Cudden and MC Alex Fraekleton.
I Festival Concert Winter Gardens. People‘s Palace. Glasgow Green. Bar. 8pm. Doors Open 6pm. Tickets £5. Artful arrangements of traditional music scored for flute, fiddle. harp. concertina. lowland
pipes and drums. with songs in Gaelic and Scots. and occasional tall tales. all the work of the Whistlebinkies. They are augmented by the nine piece classically
trained English Folk Orchestra. playing settings of folk music from around the world. The concert features Whistlebinkie composerlflautist Eddie McGuire‘s latest work which will be performed by the combined musicians from both bands.
I Festival Concert/Ceilidh The Dance Palace (not the People‘s Palacel). Glasgow Green. 6pm—2am. Concert 7.30pm. £7. The Festival organisers have pulled in the man who was in atthe beginning ofthe British folk revival way back in the 1950’s. Lonnie Donegan and his Skittle Band. MC Gordon liotchkiss also introduces Canadian singer Bill Craig. the vocals. piano and guitar of the Jim Daly Blues Duo. Scots folk/roots’rocker lain MacDonald‘s songwriting talents. and the Great Invitational Ceilidh Band.
I Community Programme Dancer's Dance Volunteer Centre. Elmbank street. 8pm. £2.50. Ceilidh Dance with Long Meg.
I Late Night Blues Club Biackfriars Basement. Bell Street. Merchant City. 552 5924. 9pm-2am. £4. Hosted by singer Eric Cuthbertson. the club lets rip with Edinburgh‘s finest outfit. blues harmonica. twin vocalists and all in Just the Very Donkeys.
I Chorus Cup Scotia Bar. Stockwell Street.
Noon. Free. Points awarded when the audience joins in the chorus of your song. Bribery encouraged. At 3pm the event slides into the Arran Folk Festival Road Show.
I Session lleilan‘ Jessies. 374 Gallowgate. 12.30pm. Free.
I Monrovians Bahhity Bowster‘s. Biackfriars Street. 2.30pm. Free.
I Sleep the Feet Heilan' Jessies. 374 Gallowgate. 8pm. Free.
I Peely Wally Band Victoria Bar. Bridgegate. 9pm. Free. A band ofthc younger instrumental players around Glasgow.
I Nailan Biackfriars. 45 Albion Street. Merchant City. 552 5924. 3pm. Free. informal. mainly lrish instrumental traditional music in the bar.
I Porters Music Porters Lounge Bar. 292 Sauchiehall Street. 12.30pm. Folk guitar and song duo.
I Tolbooth Glasgow Cross. 9pm. Free. Live music.
I Ceilidh Dance Riverside. Fox Street. off Clyde Street. 248 3144. 9.30pm. £3. Regular weekly dance.
SUNDAY 8
I Inlematlonai Folk Dance Festival Winter Gardens. People‘s Palace. Glasgow Green. Bar. Free. Noon—5pm. With El Ventolin, Benskin’s Morris. Astra. tilederrheinlsche Volkstanzgruppe, Ophlusa. Shamrock, St Bee's Mummers. Greenwich Morris. Clydeslde Rapper, Goathland Ploughslots. Neilston Pipe Band. and Drumaibyn Folk Ensemble. all orchestrated by Colin McCallister.
I Festival Club Farewell Bash Dance Palace (not the Peoples Palacel). Glasgow Green. Noon—5pm. £5. Eric Cuthbertson. the hard worked Glasgow bluesman introduces high energy band Alias Ron Kavana. with their friends.
I Session Park Bar. Argyle Street. nr Kelvingrove Park. 9pm. llighlander's pub with tunes in the back room.
A SPECIAL A.K.A.
Ron Kavana is the unlikely-looking leader at the most popular live band in British folk music. The annual poll ol readers at ‘Folk Roots’ magazine established this, placing them ahead of Hunrig, Fairporl convention and the Battlelield Band.
With Ron picking jigs. reels or hoe-downs on acoustic guitar or mandolin, Alias Hon Kavana are a tight rock band who play a superior music for dancing.
On their last trip North, they won the hearts oi the Edinburgh audience,
something that lew English bands manage to do - but then lion is an Irishman.
Sharing the bill on the Saturday afternoon Deer Dance are the very excellent electro-iolkies in Tonight at Noon. Clever eiiects, synthesisers and even drum machines are used to original and sustained effect, within a deliantly Scottish context. (Norman Chalmers)
Alias Ron Kavana play the People's Palace on Sat 7 and the Dance Palace
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The List 29June— 12 July 199055