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CELTIC CONNECTIONS Malian afropop, Bristolian post-punk and Icelandic and Gaelic songwriting all converge for the festival’s opening days
I t’s January, so it must be Celtic Connections – the best reason to put off the post-Christmas detox until February. The opening week brings the familiar mix of folk, roots, jazz and world music, kicking off with a preview of violinist Nicola Benedetti’s forthcoming album, featuring a parade of well-known faces from the world of traditional music, including Julie Fowlis, Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham.
‘Scottish-themed’
The first few days cram in a number of enticing prospects. In a Creeping Bent special, Bristolian post-punk legends The Pop Group share the bill at the O2 ABC with Davy Henderson’s The Sexual Objects. And at the Tron, the National Jazz Trio of Scotland take the lead on a collaboration that unites the talents of Icelandic singer/ songwriter Benedikt Hermannsson’s brass rock ensemble Benni Hemm Hemm, Alasdair Roberts and triple-pipe revivalist Barnaby Brown, with each playing their own set as well as collaborations.
Grammy-winning Malian husband-and- wife duo Amadou and Mariam (pictured) bring their stunning multi-sensory show Eclipse to Scotland for the first time. Both blind since childhood, in Eclipse they tell the story of their lives through performance. Staged in complete darkness, the show blends afropop and soul music with storytelling, scents and sounds from their native land. As always, it’s the satellite events that make Celtic Connections and Glasgow such a throng of activity at the gloomy end of the year. As well as music and language workshops and open-stage events, the popular late-night sessions at the National Piping Centre distil the festival atmosphere into a nightly knees-up, with all kinds of famous names popping by after their big shows for impromptu sets. (Rachel Devine)
Various venues, Glasgow, Thu 16 Jan– Sun 2 Feb.
HITLIST THE BEST ROCK, POP, JAZZ & FOLK
✽ Wooden Shjips Get a taster for the Californian psych-
rockers’ stuff with their recent video, ‘Back to Land’, the title track from their November album. SWG3, Glasgow, Thu 12 Dec.
✽ The Twilight Sad The Kilsyth rockers play through their debut
album over three midwinter nights. Liquid Room, Edinburgh, Sat 14 Dec; King Tut’s, Glasgow, Fri 20 & Sat 21 Dec.
✽ Black Sabbath Dreaming of a Black
Christmas? Sabbath’s very well-received album 3 was a reminder that Ozzy and co have still got it. See page 95. The Hydro, Glasgow, Mon 16 Dec.
✽ Highlife Would you look at that line-up! Afro-futurist beats from Auntie Flo + Esa, with Lovers Rights. See page 95 for more Christmas parties, and pages 18 and 69 for
more festive clubs. CCA, Glasgow, Fri 20 Dec.
✽ Pet Shop Boys PSBs do the Concert in the Gardens, with The 1975, Nina Nesbitt and The 10:04’s. See Hogmanay feature, page 13. Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, Tue 31 Dec.
✽ Celtic Connections
See preview, left. Various venues, Glasgow, Thu 16 Jan–Sun 2 Feb.
12 Dec 2013–23 Jan 2014 THE LIST 93