Around Town
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THE BEST EVENTS, TALKS AND SPORT
* Cut the Carbon rally Soweto Kinch. local hobbit Billy Boyd, Harry Potter snogger Katie Leung (pictured) and musician Amy MacDonald are part of a star-studded line—up at the Edinburgh leg of this Christian Aid-run rally to raise awareness of environmental issues. Members of the public can join the marchers on the last mile of their trip at 3pm at Castle Street, in good time for the rally, which kicks off at 4.30pm. They’re expected to arrive at Castle Street at 3pm. For more information, see www.christian aid.org.uk/ climate. The Meadows, Edinburgh, Sat 21 Jul.
=l= Eilidh’s Daily Ukulele Ceilidh One-woman cabaret show that does exactly what it says on the tin. See feature. right. Tchai Ovna, Glasgow, Tue 24 Jul.
=l= Mardi Gras Fiiiiiiiesta! As part of the Jazz and Blues Festival, the Grassmarket morphs into a swinging. buzzing New Orleans high street (it says here) with parades, brolly-dollies and bands performing all afternoon. Begins at 12.30pm with a parade from the City Chambers. Grassmarket, Edinburgh, Sat 28 Jul.
Wht sOn
lele baby
She’s performed in clubs, in taxis, for crowds of hundreds, and in front of her cat. Kirstin Innes meets the woman behind Eilidh's Daily Ukulele Ceilidh.
(ii/y |adj.l: llappening or done every day.
ukulele In]: A small four-stringed guitar
popularised in Hawaii. ceilidh In]: An Irish or Scottish social gathering with music. dancing and storytelling. Iii/{(1112 liilidh McAskill. Glasgow-based performer who has taken it upon herself to perform a daily ukulele ceilidh every day during 2007.
'lt‘s all come about accidentally. really.‘ she says. ‘I bought the ukulele some time ago —« they‘re only about £l2 — but I didn't really start learning to play it until the strings broke on my guitar and I couldn’t be bothered to go out and buy any more.. The compulsively catchy title seems to have started out as a hit of a joke too. and she‘s not entirely sure why she decided to try and sustain a performance of some sort for 365 days. but. commitment made. she‘s honouring it. McAskill. who also runs (ilasgow theatre company l‘ish 8; (lame. says ‘All those years of scraping around for funding . . . if only I‘d realised that all you need is a comedy title and a miniature guitar. I‘ve got so much workl‘
Since starting the project she‘s been booked to play at bars. invaded open mic evenings. and asked to appear at live art. music and dedicated international ukulele festivals. ller birthday coincided with day 150. and to celebrate she installed herself in a quiet corner of 78 (formerly Stereo). determined to play her way through [50 songs. from Sugababes covers to self—penned rhymes. Another local ukulele player arrived. and their impromptu jam session eventually grew into a concert. with people turning up and requesting their favourite songs. In Gaelic. ‘ceilidh‘
originates from the word meaning 'to visit‘. and although many of McAskill‘s performances include at least an element of Scottish country dancing (her current favourite is teaching people to Military Two- Step to ‘Yes Sir. I (‘an Boogie' ). but the overall spirit of the ['kulele (‘eilidh stays close to that social. spontaneous original.
The next scheduled ceilidh is at 'l‘chai ()vna in (ilasgow. ‘l’m a bit worried that there won't be enough room for people to dance. I think we'll find some way of making them dance in their chairs. I want to have a raffle. and some interactive games — oh. and I'd like to try improvising a song from audience suggestions.”
She intends to try busking during the lidinburgh Festival. is off to the Nova Scotia Ukulele (‘eilidh l‘Well. I had to. really") in October. and will be performing a one-woman theatre show about the L'kulele (‘eilidh (which. of course. counts as a daily ceilidh too) at the 'l‘raverse in November.
()ccasionally her audiences are just her cat and her video camera — a number of daily ceilidhs can be seen on .VlySpace TV. “Yes. there are days when it gets to almost midnight. I realise I haven‘t done one. and have to pick up the uke and round tip the cat quickly. But I don‘t get tired of it. It‘s a good way of marking out your life. And every time I pick it up. you know. I‘m pleased with playing it.’
Eilidh’s Daily Ukulele Ceilidh, Tchai Ovna, Glasgow, Tue 24 Jul. www.myspace.com/eilidhceiIidh
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