CELTIC CONNECTIONS

TICKETS AND INFORMATION Ticket hotline 0141 287 5511

I 'lllt'ss otherwise stated. all eoneer‘ls are at \entres

w itlim the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Sauehiehall strut-r; others take plat-c .ii the Piping Centre. .\fel’liart-r Street; the Old Fruitmarket. Albion Street. the Tron. 'l’rongate. and the Arches. .\Iidland Street.

There are reeord and merchandise stalls and e\lnbitions in the (iRCH. See the free ('eltie ('onneetions of'fieial programme for a full list of talks. debates. workshops. masterelasses and eommunit} e\ents. The Festival Club. with guest appearanees b} man} of the I-'esti\al performers. runs from I lprn 3am at the Quality Central Hotel. (itil'tltill Street. 221

‘)bt\'0. The I-‘estnal (‘lub is a ticketed esent. Tickets for all e\ents in person from the (iRCH Bt\\ ()f'fiee. (‘redit eard booking and tiekets also available from the Treket (’entre. ('andleriggs. lllJl IS" 551 I. ('lnldren: £3 off all tiekets. Speeral aeeess: Tape and Braille information and programmes a\arlable. \\'ebsite address http://www.grch.com for information.

RECOMMENDED Llan de Cubel and Danu >

Friday 26, Strathclyde Suite,

Royal Concert Hall, 8pm.

Celebrated Asturran band Llan de Cubel are supported by Danu, certainly the finest young band in Ireland, ill what's going to be one of the most popular gigs of the Festival Back home in Edinburgh, Srr'ion Bradley talks about his membership in one of the great bands to emerge from Spain's Celtic r‘evrval 'It was about four" years ago I was sitting in my flat in Edinburgh It was (old Winter Then the phone rang Could I come to play in Madrid7 I knew the guys from sessrons and trips over there, so I didn't have to think liltl( h about at After Madrid, we went straight off on a tour of Finland ' He's proud of his adopted culture, and gives me a history lesson ’Astur‘ras rs the orin part of Spain the Moors never managed to

RECOMMENDED

{Sean Ardoin and Zydecool Saturday 27, The Arches, 8pm.

Zydeco rs the French music of Louisiana, but as played by the Black and Creole population It's Cdjtllt but with a bluesrer edge and, at its simplest, uses the same button accordion and fiddle With maybe gurtar and triangle to drive along the songs in what rs essentially a functional, social music. Clifton Chenrer iwrth hrs brg prano accordion) and Queen Ida took the music rnto the pop mainstream, but at its heart Zydeco rs folk music, and the extended Ardom lineage has long been at its centre. Sean's grandfather, the legendary accordronrst Alphonse 'Bors Sec" says ‘To be a musician, you have to be committed to rt and have it in your family. It has to be in your blood for you to learn easily. You see, in my family all the children learn very easrly,’

RECOMMENDED 4 Jock Tamson's Bairns with Elspeth Cowie Band

Sunday 28, Strathclyde Suite,

Royal Concert Hall, 8pm.

The re-emergence of lock Tamson’s Bairns in the mid- 90s was good news all round. The band made their initial mark on the Edrnburgh folk scene which gathered around Sandy Bell’s Pub in the 70s, and left two excellent albums from that perrod The reformed band (which includes Our very own Norman Chalmers alongside the twrn fiddles of Derek Hoy and Ian Hardre, and Rod Paterson's great vocals) have taken up where they left off, playing traditional tunes and songs with an easy, unforced assurance, nurturing the melodies and observrng the intrinsic rhythmrc nuances of the musrc in exemplary fashion, A new album on Greentrax \Vlll be launched at the concert.

LISTINGS

THURSDAY 18

I Danny Kyle's Open Stage Ii\liibrtion Hall. 5 7pm. I‘ree. Initiated b} the late Darin} K} le. this popular l‘estnaI-long event show eases new. )oung talent. The winners of the Darin} Awards are gix en support slots at the I‘estnal and also reeeive help towards making an album. I Alison Brown Quartet Sir-arlielstle Suite. Spin. £l0 r£Sl. .\Iesrnerising bluegi'ass/_ia///eotintr} barrio/guitar maestro and her top-noteh band. She‘s

joined b} I)ean ()w ens of The l'elsons.

I Kevin McLeod, Tony McManus and Jack Evans The Piping ('entre. 8pm. £7 t£5 l. Three great Iidinburgh-based finger and pleetrum pieker's e\plor'e the ensemble possibilities of guitar. mandolin. National steel tenor guitar's. baritone guitar. banjo and amthing the} can find with frets playing rntrsie from .»\ehiltibuie to Hawaii.

I Old Blind Dogs and Guests The Arehes. 8pm. £ l 3 Illl. The new —Io0I\ Arches hosts a Dogs night oli pereussion- driven Seots song. piping and masie. Also on the hill. Shetland‘s d_vnarnie Iiddle- fronted Fiddler's Bid. and ()i'kiic‘}"s guitar/piano and fiddle twins. the \Vr'igle) Sister‘s.

I Salsa Celtica All-Stars The ()ItI I’ruilmarket. 0pm. £ l 2.50 t£l0.50i. Irif'ariiotis I.atin/_ia///Seots danee grom es. sax solos. bagpipes and Highland eows plus two (‘ar'ribean guests.

I Festival Club The Qualit} ('entral Hotel. l0.30prn. £lr £3.50. Bar's. informal sessions. food. and live on-stage bands till the wee small hours. The soeial heart of the I't‘slinl.

FRIDAY 19

I Danny Kyle's Open Stage Iixhibition Hall. 5 7pm. Free. See Thu lts’.

I Bagad Kemper Main :\lltlilt)l‘illlll. 7.30pm. £ I 2.50 I050). The famous Quimper t Brittan} l pipe band performs a new multimedia speetaele xlu'lr: Ira. featuring over 50 musieians.

I Finlandia Vodka Nordic Nights The .-\rehes. Spin. £l3 t£l0). See panel.

I Cliar The Piping Centre. Xpm. £7 (£5). Singers Arthur ('ormaek and Mar) Ann Kenned} are two of the six top musieians and singers in the finest of the eurrent (iaelie groups.

I Rock, Salt And Nails Strathelstlc Suite. 8pm. £l01£8l ()riginal songs and instrumentals with attitude from the wild Shetland band.

I New Voices: Colin Reid Tron Theatre. 8pm. £I3 t£l0i. A eommissioned piece from the young Belfast aeoustie guitar star —~ a sort of Contemporar} Janseh/(iraham.

I Ceilidh Dance Iixhibition Hall. l0pm. £3.50. The ()ateakes ('eilidh Band.

I Kevin McDermott and His Band The ()ch I"ruitmarket. l0pm. £I2.50 t£l0.50i. (‘ontinuing his individual take on rock rntrsie. Mel)ermott plays classic hits and traeks from his extensive haek catalogue.

I Festival Club The Qualin Central Hotel. l0.30pm. £l~£3.50. See Thu IX.

8 Jan—l Feb 2001 THE lIST25

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