www.list.co.uk/music Folk
Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to henry@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Henry Northmore and Norman Chalmers. ✽✽ Indicates Hitlist entry Thursday 27
Glasgow ■ North Sea Gas St Andrew’s in the Square, St Andrew’s Square, 559 5902. 8pm. £8 (£6). Entertaining Scottish folk band combine guitars, mandolins, bodhrans, banjos, whistles and bouzoukis with vocals.
Edinburgh ■ Lunchtime Concert: Bellevue Rendezvous St Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile, 226 0673. 12.15pm. Retiring collection. The Edinburgh-based ensemble of Gavin Marwick, Cameron Robson and Ruth Morris perform old and new music on fiddle, bouzouki and nyckelharpa, the traditional Swedish keyed fiddle rarely heard in the UK. ■ Fife Youth Concert Band and Kingdom Fiddlers Central Hall, West Tollcross, 229 2921. 12.30pm. £5; season ticket £50 (£3; season ticket £30). The groups return with another exciting programme of classical and ceilidh favourites, including R Smith’s The Great Locomotive Chase and G Woolffender’s Ilyrian Dances. Part of NAYO Festival of British Youth Orchestras. ■ The Edinburgh Military Tattoo Castle Esplanade, Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, 225 1188. 9pm. £14–£49. The unique blend of music, military ceremony, entertainment and open air theatre featuring bands from across the globe, set against the backdrop of Edinburgh Castle. Booking essential. Dunoon ■ Cowal Highland Gathering The Stadium, Argyll Street, 01396 703206. 9am–6pm. £14 (£2). The World Highland Dancing Championship, Cowal Pipe Band Championship, heavy athletics, solo piping, and a ceilidh dance.
Oban ■ Argyllshire Gathering and Oban Highland Games Mossfield Park, 01631 564354. £8 (concessions £6; children £4; family ticket £20; car park £3). High-calibre piping competition, traditional Highland games with track and field events, music and much more.
Friday 28
Glasgow ■ Fife Youth Concert Band and Kingdom Fiddlers RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 1pm. £5; season ticket £50 (£3; season ticket £30). See Thu 27. ■ Wing & a Prayer Tchai Ovna, 42 Otago Lane, 357 4524. 8pm. £2. Folk/blues duo.
Edinburgh ■ The Edinburgh Military Tattoo Castle Esplanade, Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, 225 1188. 9pm. £14–£49. See Thu 27. Pencaitland ■ Ruaridh MacMillan, Session A9 and Deoch n Dorus Winton Estate, 01875 340222. 7pm. £25. Contemporary folk at this ‘Fiddles and Drams’ concert and ceilidh. Part of Homecoming.
Dunoon ■ Cowal Highland Gathering The Stadium, Argyll Street, 01396 703206. 9am–6pm. £14 (£2). See Thu 27. Isle of Mull ■ MacMaster/Hay An Tobar, Argyll
Terrace, Tobermory, 01688 302211. 8.30pm. £10 (£8). Mary MacMaster (electro-harp, clarsach and vocals) and Donald Hay (percussion and samples) create a uniquely modern sound with their original interpretations of traditional songs, and their own material. Kirkstile ■ Filska Tower Mill, Heart of Hawick, 01450 360680. 7pm. £8 (£6). Lively, fiddle-driven traditional music from the Shetland band. Booking via www.thebooth.co.uk.
Millport FREE Millport Country & Western Festival Various Venues, 01475 530276. Times vary. Country & Western festival featuring live bands, line-dancing, western wear stalls, children’s entertainment, grand parade and shoot outs!.
Stirling FREE Summer Sessions Tolbooth, Jail Wynd, 01786 274000. 7–10pm. The best in traditional music from local performers and visiting Scottish musicians.
Saturday 29
Glasgow ■ The Island Tapes and St Kilda Ceilidh CCA, Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 8pm. £12 (£10; ceilidh only £5, both events £15). Part of the first ‘St Kilda Day.’ The Island Tapes live guitars, fiddle and Gaelic song as accompaniment to silent black and white Scottish archive films, then a ceilidh dance 10pm. Edinburgh ■ The Edinburgh Military Tattoo Castle Esplanade, Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, 225 1188. 7.30pm & 10.30pm. £14–£49. See Thu 27.
Pencaitland ■ Lau and The Julie Fowlis Band Winton Estate, 01875 340222. 7pm. £30. Lau draw together traditional music from Orkney, west Scotland and the east of England at this ‘Fiddles and Drams’ concert and ceilidh. Part of Homecoming.
Dunoon ■ Cowal Highland Gathering The Stadium, Argyll Street, 01396 703206. 9am–6pm. £14 (£2). See Thu 27.
Galashiels ■ Michael Marra String Jam Club, Salmon Inn, Bank Street, 01750 20538. 7.45pm. £9. Scotland’s finest songwriter, part-jazz, part-blues, part-folk and part- rock, played on piano and guitar, delivered in his inimitable vocal timbres. Millport FREE Millport Country & Western Festival Various Venues, 01475 530276. Times vary. See Fri 28.
Sunday 30
Glasgow FREE Skerryvore Oran Mor, Great Western Road, 357 6200. 7.30pm. Bagpipes, accordion and fiddle mixed with rock instrumentation from the ‘boy band of Scottish dance music’. Part of Celtic Connections. Edinburgh FREE Fringe Finale Ceilidh National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 225 7534. 2pm. Join the Canongate Cadgers and throw some shapes in the finale of the museum’s Fringe music programme. FREE Dagda Folk Session Dagda Bar, Buccleuch Street, 667 9773. 7.30pm. Open folk session. FREE Footstomping Whiski, High Street, 556 3095. 9pm. Scottish fiddle session music.
Kelso ■ Massed Pipe Band Day Floors Castle, 01573 223333. 11am–4pm. £tbc. Bands from all over the Scottish Borders play en masse in front of the magnificent backdrop. Entertainment for all the family. Millport FREE Millport Country & Western Festival Various Venues, 01475 530276. Times vary. See Fri 28.
Monday 31 Stirling ■ Eric Bogle and John Munro Stirling Folk Club, Stirling County Rugby Football Club, Bridgehaugh Park, Causewayhead Road, 01259 218521. 8pm. Scots/Aussie singer/songwriters Bogle and Munro on their final tour of Scotland, the Waltzing Matilda No More Tour.
Tuesday 1
Glasgow ■ Eric Bogle and John Munro The Old Fruitmarket, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 8pm. £15. See Mon 31.
Edinburgh ■ Gerry & Donal O’Connor Leith Folk Club, The Village, South Fort Street, 07502 024852. 7.30pm. £8. Authentic traditional music from the father and son fiddlers from Ireland. FREE Footstomping Whiski, High Street, 556 3095. 9pm. See Sun 30. Isle of Mull ■ Maggie MacInnes An Tobar, Argyll Terrace, Tobermory, 01688 302211. 8.30pm. £10 (members and under 18s £8). Music and song from the small harp/clarsach player - who comes from a long line of singers from Barra in the Outer Hebrides.
Wednesday 2
Glasgow ■ The Royal Family Royal Concert Hall, Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £25–£50. Kuldip Manak, Miss Pooja and Jazzy B, royalty of Bhangra and Punjabi folk music are joined by Yuvdeer Manak, Mangi Mahal, Kanth Kaler, Preet Brar and Kajol. Stirling ■ Gerry & Donal O’Connor Tolbooth, Jail Wynd, 01786 274000. 8pm. £10 (£8). See Tue 1. Fine Irish fiddle duo.
Thursday 3
Glasgow ■ Sarah-Jane Summers Trio St Andrew’s in the Square, St Andrew’s Square, 559 5902. 7.30pm. £8 (£6). From the Inverness area, fiddle and Hardanger fiddle player with Fribo plays Highland music with a Nordic twist. ■ Soweto Gospel Choir Royal Concert Hall, Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £18.50–£23.50. The 26- strong choir returns to Scotland with more uplifting rhythms, a cappella harmonies and African gospel arrangements. Falkirk ■ Session Falkirk Folk Club, The Polish Club, Arnot Street, 01324 613395. 8.30pm. Informal folk sessions.
Folk Music
Kirriemuir ■ TMSA Kirriemuir Festival Various Venues, 01575 540261. 8pm. £4–£5. The weekend of traditional Scottish music and song features competitions, ceilidhs, concerts and pub sessions, and is organised by the Traditional Music & Song Association of Scotland.
Saturday 5
Glasgow ■ Celtic Music Radio Fundraiser Concert The Old Fruitmarket, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £15. The Eliza Carthy Band headlines, with support from twin harps and vocals of The Duplets and powerful songwriter Kim Edgar, plus Dean Owens, Craig Jeffrey and John Malcolm. In aid of Celtic Music Radio (1530AM). Milngavie ■ Archie Fisher Fraser Centre, Douglas Street, 07743 885991. 7.30pm. £10. Archie is a well-known and highly influential folk singer and a seminal figure in the Scottish folk revival.
Bathgate ■ Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham Regal Theatre, North Bridge St, 01506 632558. 7.30pm. £14 (£10). Fun and fine music from the veteran pair on fiddle and accordion.
Dunfermline ■ Dunfermline Strathspey and Reel Society Fiddlers’ Rally Carnegie Hall, East Port, 01383 602302. 7pm. £9 (£7). An evening of Scottish fiddle music. Guest singer is tenor David Mutch. Kirriemuir ■ TMSA Kirriemuir Festival Various Venues, 01575 540261. 8pm. £4–£5 (tbc). See Fri 4.
Sunday 6
Edinburgh FREE Dagda Folk Session Dagda Bar, Buccleuch Street, 667 9773. 7.30pm. See Sun 30. FREE Footstomping Whiski, High Street, 556 3095. 9pm. See Sun 30.
Cairndow FREE Jamie Laval Lochgoilhead Village Hall, Hall Road, Lochgoilhead, 01301 703559. 3pm. Former US Scottish Fiddle Champion and a regular favourite with Scottish audiences. Kirriemuir ■ TMSA Kirriemuir Festival Various Venues, 01575 540261. 8pm. £4–£5 (tbc). See Fri 4.
Peebles ■ Folk Sunday Eastgate Theatre & Arts Centre, Eastgate, 01721 725777. 7.30pm. £7. Finish the week with some music from members of Peebles Folk Club. The local talent provides a varied programme of both traditional, original, vocal and instrumental pieces.
Monday 7 Stirling ■ Lyra Celtica Stirling Folk Club, Stirling County Rugby Football Club, Bridgehaugh Park, Causewayhead Road, 01259 218521. 8pm. £6. Lively, multi- instrumental trio from north of England and Scotland, led by accordion champion Lynn Tocker.
Friday 4 Tuesday 8
Edinburgh ■ Edinburgh Ceilidh Dances Lauriston Hall, Lauriston Street, 339 5374. 8pm. £6–£10. Traditional fun with ceilidh dance bands and a piper, and some international folk dances to complement the Scottish classics. Refreshments available. Edinburgh ■ Ray Lamontagne Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 7pm. £17.50–£25. Rootsy US singer/songwriter cutting a swathe through the middle of the road market. FREE Footstomping Whiski, High Street, 556 3095. 9pm. See Sun 30.
27 Aug–10 Sep 2009 THE LIST 51