ABERDEEN ALTERNATIVE FESTIVAL
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Introduction
To appreciate the Aberdeen Alternative Festival fully. a handle on the phrase ‘fit like. loon.’ a knowledge ofdiminishing returns on oil revenue and ownership of an egg-timer with Roy Aitken‘s name on it are not required. A love of the arts and community spirit will be more helpful. As well as acts of the calibre ofJah Wobble. Duncan McLean. Emmylou Harris. Laurie Booth. Horse. David Baddiel and Geneva. there is a spread of music and dance workshops. exhibitions. ceilidhs. traditional music and verse competitions. plus street theatre.
The local wireless station Northsound will keep you up to date with the fun on 96.9FM/10351y1W.
No festival would be complete without that edge of competition where performers can scowl at each other over a crowded green room. The Trinity Award goes to the top act. voted by audience members. Keep an eye on the Evening Express for voting details.
Information
The fifteen-year-old Aberdeen Alternative Festival rtms Thu 9—Sat 18 Oct. bringing a number of major performers to the city; and featuring a
For details of other events, see the Festival brochure. Listings compiled by Brian Donaldson.
THURSDAY 9
Opening Event St Nicholas Street. 12.30pm. free. A huge balloon in the
wide range of community-based events. For further information contact the Festival office on 01224 635 822. Helpline For visitors with special needs: 01224 621771.
Main venues
Arts Centre King Street. 01224 635 208. Beach Ballroom Beach Boulevard. 01224 635 822.
Cowdray Hall Schoolhill. 01224 646 333. His Majesty's Theatre Rosemount Viaduct. 01224 637 788.
The Lemon Tree West North Street. 01224 642 230.
Music Hall Union Street. 01224 641 122. Stakis City Hotel Market Street. 01224 582 255.
Tickets
Main box office Music Hall. Union Street. 01224 641 122/620 01 l.
1-Up Records Belmont Street. 01224 642 662.
Friends of The Festival Scheme Priority booking and concession rates at a price of£ 10. Call 01224 635 822 for details.
Accommodation
Aberdeen 81 Grampian Tourist Board 01330 825 917.
style of the one created by the Montgolfier Brothers in 1783 will be inflated and launched to provide a spectacular opening for the Festival. An Evening With Ned Sherrin Arts Centre. 8pm. 1‘ 10 (£8). The legendary racontcur. director. actor and broadcaster
3 presents an evening of theatrical anecdotes.
TRAVERSE THEATRE / HYDRO-ELECTRIC TOUR & WRITERS PROJECT
LAZYBED
by Iain Crichton Smith
author ol Consider the Lilies and Thoughts oi Murdo
Murdo won ’I get out of bed today... .. .for‘ metaphysical reasons
Traverse Theatre 4-16 Nov (not Mons)
Half Price Preview Fri 10 Oct Meet the author Sat 8 Nov
FRIDAY 10
Geneva Music Hall. 7.30pm. £7 (£5). Local-ish lads made good. The band formerly known as Sunfish are now big enough to strike out on the live circuit on their own having toured with the likes of Suede and The Bluetones. The debut album Further proved that there is more to Geneva than a voice with accompaniment.
Short Sharp Shorts Lemon Tree. 7.30pm. £5 (£3). Showcase for the talented Aberdeen Playwrights‘ Workshop. featuring short plays and monologues.
Steve Forbert Arts Centre. 8pm. £8.50 (£6.50). Forbert is now on to his eighth album. Rocking Horse Head. having struggled for years to shake off the ‘new Bob Dylan’ tag.
Alex Sutherland Big Big Band Beach Ballroom. 8pm. £5 (£4). The sounds of Glenn Miller. Joe Loss and Ted Heath - no. not that Ted Heath — with dancing. Paul Lamb and The King Snakes/Tam White Stakis City Hotel. 9pm. £8 (£6). Lamb‘s thing is west coast swing with Chicago southside deep blues; while Mr White is of the gravelly-voiced big band variety.
SATURDAY 11
Stormgarden Lemon Tree. 7.30pm. £8 (£6). Improvised choreography from Laurie Booth. whose mix of Euro- American dance with gymnastics and martial arts has earned much acclaim. Life, Love And Longing Cowdray Hall. 8pm. £6 (£4). lsla St Clair. Aileen Carr and Ian Olsen remind us that the north- east has one of Europe's strongest folk
Authors
(£16.99 Harper Collins).
Tickets are Free
15th October: Matt Dickinson
Matt Dickinson, the first Briton to film on the summit of Everest and return alive, will be reading from and signing copies of
“The Death Zone" (£16.99 Hutchinson) an extraordinary story of human triumph, folly and disaster.
16th October: Palden Gyatso
We are delighted to welcome the venerable Palden Gyatso who will be reading from his remarkable autobiography “Fire Under The Snow: The True Story Of A Tibetan Monk" (£17.00 Harvill). This event is cosponsored by Free fibet and Amnesty lntemational.
23rd October: Twa Gallus Lasses -
lsla Dewar and Muriel Gray
To celebrate Scottish Book Fortnight. two of Scotland's brightest come together to read from their latest and greatest - “Giving Up On Ordinary" (£9.99 Headline) and “Furnace”
All events start at 7.00pm
Emmylou Harris: grab a Grammy
music and son cultures.
Boothby Gra oe Arts Centre. 8pm. £8 (£6). Stand-up. guitar strumming and maybe even a spot of moothie from this mainstay of the comedy circuit.
James Taylor Quartet Music Hall. 8pm. £10 (£8). The Hammond—meister has returned to hisjazzjfunk roots with his latest collection. Living Underground. Support by local combo Carlo Morocco. Northern Soul All-Nighter Stakis City Hotel. 10pm. £8. lt‘s come a long way from its roots in the Wigan Casino has Northern Soul. Shake everything you've got to a selection of DJs till 8am.
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at
Waterstones, East End
For tickets and playscripts
BOX ‘OFFICE 01312281404
Wine will be served
WATERSTONES 13/14 Princes Street, Edinburgh EH2 2AN Tel 0131 556 3034 Fax 0131 557 8801
TRAVERSE
THEATRE
10 Oct—25 Oct 1997 THE llST 99