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a combination of guitar picking, waltzes, swinging country, folk pop and comic tales. FREE Wing & A Prayer Tchai- Ovna House of Tea, 42 Otago Lane, 357 4524. 8pm. Folk/blues duo. Edinburgh FREE Tom Oakes & Kathryn Nicoll Captains Bar, 4 South College Street. 9pm. Traditional folk on flute, guitar and violin. ■ [Awry] Studio 24, 24–26 Calton Road, 558 3758. 9pm–3am. £tbc. ‘Psychegaelic ceilidh’ and DJs playing a wide range of styles.
Saturday 17
Glasgow FREE Finlay Wells & Sorren Maclean and Chasing Owls George Square, 7pm. Guitar duets and indie/folk as a warm up to Celtic Connections. Part of Glasgow Loves Christmas. Edinburgh FREE Allan Johnston & Friends Captains Bar, 4 South College Street. 4pm. Original story songs, powerful harmonies, terrific banter, plus multi- instrumental virtuosity from the Celtic tradition. ■ Sitar & Tabla Recital The Augustine Church, 41–43 George IV Bridge, 220 1677. 7–9.30pm. £10. Expert sitar and tabla players from India, including the first UK appearance by Ramprapanna Battacharya. With mince pies and chai during the interval. ■ Scots Music Group Ceilidh St Bride’s Centre, 10 Orwell Terrace, 346 1405. 7.30pm. £8 in advance; £10 on the door (£6 in advance; £8 on the door). Fundraising ceilidh of traditional music and dancing. Da Hooley provide the live music. ■ Casa de la Musica The Third Door, 45–47 Lothian Street, 225 6313. 8pm. £4. Live Latin sounds from Lino and friends. FREE Matt Norris The Ale House, 18–22 Clerk Street, 629 0275. 9pm–midnight. Contemporary and traditional folk.
Sunday 18
Glasgow ■ Georgie Gajjic Café Cossachok, Trongate 103, 10 King Street, 553 0733. 9pm. £6. Accordionist Gajjic performs Russian folk Eastern European melodies. A special ‘Winter Wonderland’ selection of festive music. Edinburgh FREE Tom Oakes & Kathryn Nicoll Captains Bar, 4 South College Street. 4pm. See Fri 16. ■ The Wild Myrtles Wee Folk Club, Royal Oak, Infirmary Street, 557 2976. 8.30pm. £5. A cappella harmonies to lift the heart from Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, the USA and Britain. ■ The Banana Sessions, Ross Couper and Tom Oakes The Bongo Club, Moray House, 37 Holyrood Road, 558 7604. 9pm. £8. A modern, quirky take on folk from vocalist Roberta Pia and her band as they launch their debut album with support from Scottish Traditional Music Awards’ Best Up and Coming Artist nominees Couper and Oakes. FREE Bobby Nicholson & Eddy Hanson Captains Bar, 4 South College Street. 9pm. Folk session.
Monday 19 Glasgow FREE Michael Simons Tchai-Ovna House of Tea, 42 Otago Lane, 357 4524. 8pm. Glasgow-based guitarist playing folk, blues and beyond.
FREE Brel Sessions Brel, 39–43 Ashton Lane, 342 4966. 9pm–midnight. Folky jam session with an indie edge from Laura Wilkie (Rachel Sermanni Band) and Sarah Hayes (Admiral Fallow). Edinburgh FREE Ben Miller Captains Bar, 4 South College Street. 8.30pm. Bagpipes and trad tunes from Miller and friends. FREE Muckle Flugga Whiski, 119 High Street, 556 3095. 9.30pm–12.30am. See Thu 15.
Perth ■ Phil Cunningham’s Christmas Songbook Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, 01738 621031. 8pm. £20.50. One of the masters of Scottish contemporary folk, will be joined by a selection of special guests (including Eddi Reader, Karen Mathieson, John McCusker and more) for a showcase of modern and traditional Christmas music.
Tuesday 20
Edinburgh FREE Carolyn Anona Scott & Jack Foster Captains Bar, 4 South College Street. 8.30pm. Folk session. ■ Ceilidh Club The Bongo Club, Moray House, 37 Holyrood Road, 558 7604. 8.30pm. £6. Ceilidh dancing, furious fiddlers and callers to lead you through the steps.
Wednesday 21
Glasgow ■ Phil Cunningham’s Christmas Songbook City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 8pm. £21. See Mon 19. Edinburgh FREE Easy Chair The Jazz Bar, 1 Chambers Street, 220 4298. 6.30pm. Laid-back folky sounds from Graham Laird and Mike Bennet. ■ Café Voices Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 7–9pm. £4. A relaxed session of oral storytelling, poetry by memory, music and song. A Christmas Carols special, with host Linda Bandelier. FREE Kenny Curtis & Rebecca Knorr Captains Bar, 4 South College Street. 8pm. Trad tunes on bouzouki and flute.
Thursday 22 Glasgow FREE Tango Libre La Bodega Tapas Bar, Dance with Attitude Studios, 1120 South Street, 581 3401. 7.30pm. See Thu 15.
Edinburgh ■ We Believe in Father Christmas! The Voodoo Rooms, 19a West Register Street, 556 7060. 7.30pm. £5. Americana Christmas party featuring The Dirt, The FiREBUGS and The Deadly Winters playing original songs and some Christmas favourites. ■ Phil Cunningham’s Christmas Songbook The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, 668 2019. 8pm. £22.50. See Mon 19. FREE Muckle Flugga Whiski Rooms, 4, 6 & 7 North Bank Street, 225 7224. 9.30pm–12.30am. See Thu 15.
Friday 23 Glasgow ■ The Red Hot Chilli Pipers O2 ABC, 330 Sauchiehall Street, 332 2232. 7pm. £20. A unique brand of ‘bag rock’ (that’s bagpipes plus rock, if you were wondering) with stirring tunes and energetic performances.
Expect everything from ‘Flower of Scotland’ to Coldplay’s ‘Clocks’, via AC/DC and Deep Purple. Edinburgh ■ Phil Cunningham’s Christmas Songbook The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, 668 2019. 8pm. £22.50. See Mon 19. ■ The Robert Fish Ceilidh Band Fundraiser Tollcross Community Centre, 117 Fountainbridge, 221 9756. 8pm–midnight. £8–£10. Ceilidh with the Robert Fish Ceilidh Band and guests, raising money for migrant support project The Welcoming Association. FREE Tom Oakes & Kathryn Nicoll Captains Bar, 4 South College Street. 9pm. See Fri 16.
Saturday 24
Glasgow FREE Niteworks and Jo Mango George Square, 7pm. Dance/folk fusion from Niteworks plus multi- instrumentalist Mango, as a warm up to Celtic Connections. Part of Glasgow Loves Christmas. Edinburgh FREE Allan Johnston & Friends Captains Bar, 4 South College Street. 4pm. See Sat 17.
Monday 26
Edinburgh FREE Muckle Flugga Whiski, 119 High Street, 556 3095. 9.30pm–12.30am. See Thu 15.
Tuesday 27
Edinburgh FREE Carolyn Anona Scott & Jack Foster Captains Bar, 4 South College Street. 8.30pm. See Tue 20. Wednesday 28
Edinburgh FREE Easy Chair The Jazz Bar, 1 Chambers Street, 220 4298. 6.30pm. See Wed 21. FREE Kenny Curtis & Rebecca Knorr Captains Bar, 4 South College Street. 8pm. See Wed 21. Paisley ■ Family Festive Ceilidh Paisley Town Hall, Abbey Close, renfrewshire.gov.uk 7.30pm. £8 (£6). Spin off some of those mince pies at a family-friendly ceilidh with live band Clamjamfrie. Early booking is recommended.
Thursday 29 Glasgow FREE Tango Libre La Bodega Tapas Bar, Dance with Attitude Studios, 1120 South Street, 581 3401. 7.30pm. See Thu 15.
Edinburgh FREE Muckle Flugga Whiski Rooms, 4, 6 & 7 North Bank Street, 225
Friday 30
Edinburgh ■ Scottish Fiddle Orchestra Hogmanay Celebration Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £9–£22. The Beechgrove Garden’s Jim McColl shares anecdotes with traditional Christmas- flavoured accompaniment by the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra. Dunfermline ■ The Red Hot Chilli Pipers Alhambra Theatre, 35 Canmore Street, 01383 740384. 7pm. £18.50. See Fri 23.
FOLK Music
5 BEST
SONGS OF 2011 King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – ‘Bubble’/Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat ‘The Copper Top’ It was a straight tie between these two underground power-duos. Showing off the cream of Scottish vocals (and one doesn’t even really sing); the emotions soar, the videos draw tears even from glass eyes, and the cockles are warmed. Both come with beautiful videos too. (See ‘The Copper Cop’, above.)
Ben Butler & Mousepad – ‘Hi Life’ From BB & MP’s excellent Formed Fantasy album. A computer game, a kids TV show, some kind of laser , a 70s science documentary intro, itchy, skweee beats to make your knees and arms react in strange ways; it’s all in there. Addictive, ecstatic, complex and rewarding dance sounds.
Lana Del Rey – ‘Video Games’ Yes, yes, we heard; she’s a manufactured, musical ready-meal, those lips are fake (they’re not though), and her mum still calls her Lizzy Grant. Shoosh now haters. LDR’s much blogged, swoony hit single (and the myriad remixes doing the rounds, notably Jamie Woon and Joy Orbison’s) brought much pleasure to the ears (OK, and the eyes) of the team at The List. Mogwai – ‘Rano Pano’ As is often the case with Mogwai, it’s all about pace here. A slow build, volume growing, swelling to a wordless finish about five minutes later. And just when we want there to be, there’s a thin sliver of ‘quiet’ in the post-rock loud-quiet-loud sandwich.
Austra – ‘Lose It’ 2011 – year of the high-pitched vocal? (see also Active Child/ How to Dress Well/ James Blake et al) We were big fans of these Canadian goth-poppers debut album, Feel it Break, in particular this softly throbbing electro-pop hit, with echoes of The Knife or Glasser.
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15 Dec 2011–5 Jan 2012 THE LIST 109