Edinburgh festival fringe

BECK’S SPI EGELTENT

Venue 87

on the roof of WAVEPLE Y SHOPPING CENTRE at the east end of Princes Street

Tix: (OI3I)-558 8010

TAM WHITE

CELTIC BLUES CONNECTION

Sunday 16 to Saturday 22 August 11.30pm

'l'lclcats £8.00 [16.00) "the ten-piece jazz-blues-funk

BI band with cool"

:There's no other band quite like this one.

Definitely a unique Fringe experience.

featuring, with

TAM WHITE (vocals) Boz Burrell (bass)

Jim Condie (slide guitar) Russell COWIeson (saXOpnone) Brian Kellock (keyboards) Tom McNiven (trumpet) Alex Phillips (trombone) Fraser Speirs (mouth harp) Neil Warden (lead gunar)

" White's voice, unfeasibly low-pitched like blending gravel and honey and these cats smoke " Herald Fringe box office (0‘. 3| (-226 5138 ClCdll card hOtIine

satisfies

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so we usr 5—13 Aug 1998

MUSIC REVIEW FRUIT

n’r‘c‘cfi:

All the way from Adelaide, Australia, this IS this southern hemisphere band's first gig on the western side of the northern hemisphere. Follow that? Yes? No? Well, their music is a lot simpler to grasp. Fronted by three female songwriters who take it in turn to step into lead vocals, this five piece are among the most diverse bunch of fruit you'll come across. Songs like 'Skin' are gentle, tender love songs which gradually flesh out, rounding and warming as they grow, while their tales of boys who meet boys take a turn for the funky, revelling in their raucous nature. In between, Fruit

-s flirts I mt , .‘ '1 3‘

switch between cafe culture folkiness with added java juice zing and a thoughtful poppiness that stops short of bubblegum sloppiness. A shorter set, rather than the hour and a half one which this reviewer saw, would make things more to the point, but they'll still perk up the pre-pub slot like a sharp wedge of lemon and a stiff tequila. (Jonathan Trew)

a Fruit (Fringe) Spiege/tent (Venue 87) 558 8070, 3—8, 70—72, 29-37 Aug, times and prices vary.

FOLK MacDonald and Lien Take two bows and two fiddles

operated by two hugely talented young women: Shetland fiddle star Catriona

Saturday 8 August I998, 7.00pm-l 0.30pm

(osi Fan Tutte A must lor opera ions, as the Garden Opera

(ompany uses the splendid surroundings to perlorm this well-known production set at an Edwardian cricket match. lhe lirst Glyndebourne-style

production in Edinburgh. lickets priced at £25 (£20 Friends ol ROG!)

Sunday 9-Monday 3) August I998, 7.30pm—9.45pm (except 27 8. 28 August)

linnaeus Prince of Flowers Enter the amazing world ol the 18th century Swedish botanist (ail Linnaeus who scandalised the world with his discovery that plants had sex! lbeotrum Botanicum present “an orgy ol the senses and a riot lar the mind'. fickets also available at

the Festival Box Ollice. lickets priced at £9 (£5 concessions)

and enjoy fabulous evening events at the

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

Sunday 9-Monday 3) August I998, l0.00-l l.30prn (except 27 8 28 August)

Julius Caesar (orruption! Assassination! Civil War! Iheotrum Botanicum introduce the National Dance (ompany of Malawi in a modern interpretation ol this classic play staged with high comedy, Alrican drumming

and traditional dance. (ornbined ticket lor both shows priced at £l2 (£8 concessions)

lhursday 3 September I998, 9.00-l 2.00pm

Summer Jazz Relax and «icy mellow music lrom the laisiana Rag lime Bond and line load lrom the lerroce (ale. Where else can you lind such great views 0) the lestivol lireworks on a warm summer averting?

An outdoor event not to be missed. Tickets priced at £10 (£8 Friends at RBGE), £6 (bild

For further Information please contact: Events Office Tel 0131 248 2964 or e-matl s.letrk@rbge.org.uk http://wumv. rbge. org. uk/events/eventtnv. btm

1E8TiVAI. MacDonald and Norwegian fiddler Annbjorg Lien on the unique multi- stringed Hardanger fiddle from Norway. Marry that to the classy accompaniment of young guitar maestro Tony McManus and Shooglenifty’s bassist Conrad Mollison, and you’ve got some of the best sounds from the Grouse House, the Festival epicentre of roots and traditional music.

MacDonald, now also established as presenter of Radio Scotland's weekly Celtic Connections, explains her long- running North Sea connection. 'I've known Annbjorg (Lien) since my early teens, when we played for a radio show in Norway, and we've built up a repertoire of Norwegian, old Shetland and our own tunes. I'd say I find it easier to play with her than with someone, say, from Ireland or even parts of Scotland.’

And they share a passion for traditional music: ’Norway's like here the younger players are bringing it back to a new public, but with an edge to it.’ (Norman Chalmers)

3 Catriona MacDonald and Annbjorg Lien (Fringe) Famous Grouse House (Venue 34) 220 5606, 12 & 15 Aug (in Blazin’ Fiddles, same venue), 7. 75pm, £ 7 ([5).

STAR RATINGS

*tttt Uitmissiil‘ic‘ *ttt Very cloud tit \\t)rll‘. sewn) ** BkilO‘v-v (ll-k’rtlklk'

* Vif‘ll ‘12” l‘t't‘ll ll'lz‘il

LUDUS BAROQUE

CHAMBER ORCHESTRA & CHOIR Director Richard Nevrlle-Towle

céfl inspired... uplifted... there...

6/3/th MM

Friday. 14. August 1998 at 7.30pm St Mary's Cathedral Palmerston Place, Edinburgh

Ticket prices: £7.50 ([5) Box Office: mgr-667 7776