Music Folk 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 7 Edinburgh ■ Rantum Scantum The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street, 220 4298. 6pm. Donation. An eclectic mix of contemporary acoustic, Americana and traditional songs.
Saturday 9
Glasgow ■ Ben Sturrock Recital Room, City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8080. 8pm. £10. The Acoustic Affair presents the St Andrew’s lad who is making a big name for himself with a uniquely affecting vocal sound and style that sits somewhere between Van Morrison and Paul Simon.
Tuesday 12 Edinburgh ■ Gren Bartley Leith Folk Club, The Village, South Fort Street, 07502 024852. 7.30pm. £6. Very capable guitarist, and emerging songwriter in the old-school folk and blues traditions.
■ Ceilidh Club The Lot, Grassmarket, 225 9922. 8pm. £6. Ceilidh dancing to live music with callers to lead you through the steps. Music from Tradlab.
Wednesday 13 Edinburgh ■ Ceilidh Dance Classes Bruntsfield Primary School, Montpelier, Bruntsfield, 555 7688. 7pm. £6 (£3). Informal dance traditional Scottish dance classes, no experience necessary (over 16s). FREE Alex Hodgson The Jam House, Queen Street, 226 4380. 8pm. National Burnsong winner and acoustic guitarist Hodgson, performs his contemporary songs with his band.
Thursday 14 Glasgow FREE Celtic Connections Torchlight Parade George Square, 353 8000. 4.45pm. Celtic Connections launches with a torchlight procession from George Square to the steps of the Royal Concert Hall, led by a mass of pipes, drums and flaming torches. Torchbearers are invited to the Lord Provost’s Drinks Reception and official festival opening. If you’d like to take part, application forms can be downloaded from the website. Part of Celtic Connections. ■ Celtic Connections Opening Concert Royal Concert Hall: Main Auditorium, Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £20 (£18). Celtic Connections’ longstanding mix of classical and folk traditions in the annual
Way to Blue – Songs of Nick Drake A quarter of a century since his
untimely death, Nick Drake’s poignant, haunting acoustics leave an enduring legacy, cited by Coldplay, Kate Bush and Paul Weller among others as a major influence. This special tribute concert, brings together Vashti Bunyan (pictured), Stuart Murdoch and others to celebrate one of the 20th century’s most profoundly influential singer-songwriters. ■ Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Wed 20 Jan, part of Celtic Connections.
72 THE LIST 7–21 Jan 2010
opening concert this year has Jim Sutherland’s True North Orchestra, a 50- piece collective made up of chosen musicians from both disciplines, performing original material and excerpts from Sutherland’s Edinburgh Castle esplanade ‘Homecoming’ pageant Aisling’s Children. Part of Celtic Connections. Edinburgh ■ Rantum Scantum The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street, 220 4298. 6pm. Donation. See Thu 7.
Friday 15 Glasgow FREE Danny Kyle’s Open Stage Royal Concert Hall: Exhibition Hall, Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 5pm. Hosted by Liz Clark, a chance to see new musical talents as they compete to win a support slot at next year’s festival. Tonight there is a special chance to see how last year’s winners have developed. Part of Celtic Connections. ■ Bel Canto and Skalder St Andrew’s in the Square, St Andrew’s Square, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £12.50. A top nine-piece vocal/instrumental group led by Gaelic singer Eilidh Mackenzie and pianist Brian McAlpine perform a song cycle inspired by Ann Patchett’s novel but transferred to Gaelic Scotland and featuring 14 original tracks on the narrative themes of love, music, identity, language and communication. The song cycle follows the tale of an opera diva and her audience members being taken hostage by a group of native terrorists. Support comes from Danny Kyle award winners 2009, Orcadian band Skalder. Part of Celtic Connections. ■ Blair Douglas and The Outside Track Oran Mor, Great Western Road, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £12.50. Skye accordion legend and early Runrig member Douglas performs solo, with support from The Outside Track, a rising folk band with members hailing from Scotland, Ireland and Canada. Part of Celtic Connections. ■ Carlos Núñez Royal Concert Hall: Main Auditorium, Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £20 (£18). The hugely popular Spanish piper returns with a show based on his latest album, Alborada do Brasil, exploring the musical links between his homeland and Brazil. He is joined by singer Fernanda Cabral, percussionist Alan Souza and Scots Rhythm Wave and The National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland, with support coming from lively all-female Britfolk sextet The Shee. Part of Celtic Connections. ■ The Michael McGoldrick Band and Declan O’Rourke O2 ABC, Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £15. Michael McGoldrick (Capercaillie) is the award-winning flautist and uillean piper launching (with his band) a new album Aurora. Irish guitar man O’Rourke supports with his powerful voice and eloquent songs. Part of Celtic Connections. ■ Allan Taylor and Rab Noakes Tron Theatre, Trongate, 353 8000. 8pm. £12.50. Gentle, thoughtful and mature songs from two guitarists and major contributors to the British folk scene over the last 30 years. Part of Celtic Connections. ■ The Robert Tannahill Bicentenary Concert Royal Concert Hall: Strathclyde Suite, Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 8pm. £12.50. Marking 200 years since the Paisley weaver, songwriter and poet’s death, this concert celebrates his work with performers from the Scottish folk world including Emily Smith, Aaron Jones and Jim Malcolm. Part of Celtic Connections. ■ The Imagined Village and Jackie Oates The Old Fruitmarket, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 9.30pm. £16. Big contemporary English multicultural folk ‘supergroup’ put together by Grammy winner Simon Emmerson, The Village
draws from a pool of Benjamin Zephaniah, Billy Bragg, Martin Carthy, Chris Wood, Eliza Carthy, Johnny Kalsi, Paul Weller, Sheila Chandra, The Copper Family, Transglobal Underground and more. Jackie Oates, winner of two BBC Folk Awards in 2009, provides support with her fiddle and song. Part of Celtic Connections.. ■ Celtic Connections Late Night Session Royal Concert Hall: Exhibition Hall, Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 10pm. £5. Not ready to go home yet? Catch spontaneous meetings of musical minds as various festival performers get together in musical informality. Part of Celtic Connections. ■ The Celtic Connections Festival Club The Art School, Renfrew Street, 353 8000. 10.30pm. £8. The club is the place to be for spontaneous appearances, one-off collaborations and ‘jam sessions to end all jam sessions’, and it goes on into the wee small hours every Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the festival. Part of Celtic Connections. Peebles ■ Dick Gaughan Eastgate Theatre & Arts Centre, Eastgate, 01721 725777. 7.30pm. £12 (£10). Scotland’s great troubadour in the manner of Woody Guthrie, Gaughan plays brilliant acoustic guitar, occasionally sings ballads, but always wears his socialist heart on his sleeve.
Saturday 16 Glasgow ■ Celtic Connections Public Workshops: Kids Percussion Workshop for Wee Ones Royal Concert Hall: Exhibition Hall, Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 11am. £4. Helping 4-6-year-olds find their groove, this workshop introduces them to a big and bashy selection of percussion instruments. Accompanying adults go free. Part of Celtic Connections. ■ Celtic Connections Public Workshops: Open Your Voice One Royal Concert Hall: Buchanan Suite, Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 11am. £7. Find your voice with the help of singing tutor Harriet Buchan, who will introduce a range of singing and relaxation techniques. No experience required. Part of Celtic Connections. ■ Celtic Connections Public Workshops: come&try Bodhran Royal Concert Hall: Lomond Foyer, Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 11am. £7. Always fancied trying the bodhran? Come along to this workshop and learn some basic rhythms. Instruments provided; no experience required. Part of Celtic Connections. ■ Celtic Connections Public Workshops: come&try Ukulele Royal Concert Hall: Clyde Foyer, Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 11am. £7. Finlay Allison teaches some basic chords and rhythms on this dinkiest of Hawaiian instruments, now a cool fashion among younger musicians. Ukuleles provided; no experience required. Part of Celtic Connections. ■ Celtic Connections Public Workshops: Kids Percussion Workshop Royal Concert Hall: Exhibition Hall, Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. Noon. £4. A workshop for 7-10- year-olds introducing them to fun and simple rhythms on various percussion instruments. Accompanying adults go free. Part of Celtic Connections. ■ The Annual Piping Concert Royal Concert Hall: Main Auditorium, Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 12.30pm. £12.50. A mainstay of the Celtic Connections festival, this concert showcases some of the world’s finest piping talent, including the 103-year-old Vale of Atholl Pipe Band and Inverary and District Pipe Band, formed only five years ago. Part of Celtic Connections. ■ Celtic Connections Public Workshops: Beginner Bodhran Royal Concert Hall: Lomond Foyer,