Best of the Rest of the UK Gigs - May 2001
Tue 1st Paddy Keenan and Tommy O'Sullivan
http://www.paddykeenan.com/
Ceol Castle, Birmingham 0121
440 4278
Generally acknowledged as the most accomplished uilleann piper
performing today - over from Boston for a brief UK
tour with
County Kerry guitar ace and vocalist, Tommy
O'Sullivan. A founding
member of 70's Irish super-group 'The
Bothy Band' (whose name
was a reference to the migrant Irish laborers who worked in England
and Scotland and were housed in stone huts known as "bothies").
Paddy's virtuosity on the pipes, combined with the ferocity of his
playing, made him, in the opinion of many, its driving force, once
described by fellow band member, Donal
Lunny as "the Jimi Hendrix
of the pipes". His most recent album 'Na Keen Affair' (Hot Conya
Records), co-produced by keyboard player Don
Walsh in
Newfoundland, includes guest appearances by guitarists Tommy
O'Sullivan and Arty McGlynn,
fiddler Tommy Peoples,
and
concertina player Niall Vallely
of Cork-based band 'Nomos', among
others. According to John O'Regan in Rock'n'
Reel Magazine , "In
Irish music there are legends and legends and then there's Paddy
Keenan...[his] playing is now at its peak. 'Na Keen Affair' is one
hell of a comeback."
Tue 1st Malinky
http://www..stoneyport.demon.co.uk/bio/malinkybio.html
Trinity Arts
Centre, Gainsborough (01427 810710)
Vibrant young quartet based in Edinburgh, featuring singer Karine
Polwart, now also with Battlefield
Band and macAlias,
who is one
of the foremost Scots ballad singers of her generation. Their debut
album 'Last Leaves' (Greentrax) was described
by Folk Roots
Magazine as "one of the most memorable and refereshing debuts
that's passed this way for a long time. " The title is an ironic swipe
at
the influential Greig-Keith song collection 'Last Leaves of Traditional
Ballads and Ballad Airs', which prophesied the imminent demise of
the Scots folk-song tradition.
Mon 2nd Tanglefoot
http://www.tanglefootmusic.com
Ely Folk Club, Ely Maltings,
Cambridgeshire 01353-740999
May UK tour
for this dynamic five-piece band from Canada,
described by the Halifax Herald/Mail Star as "Superior musicians
who are able to play with utter abandon and still achieve an
exceptionally high musical standard...a genuinely super band of
vigorous, head-shaking, hair-tossing wildmen." Their most recent
album 'Full Throated Abandon' (Borealis
Records) is, according
to Victory Review "A fitting title for the unabashed, jubilant delivery
of this upbeat, driving album...fun stuff!"
Thur 3rd The Cast
http://www.culburnie.com/artists/TheCast/thecast.htm
Cockermouth Folk Club
From Edinburgh, Mairi Cambell (fiddle,vocals) and Dave Francis
(guitar, vocals). In 1999 they performed in Washington, USA in front
of The President performing their classic rendition of Auld Lang Syne,
as heard on their debut album, 'The Winnowing' (Culburnie
Records)
on the U.S. television special Kennedy Center Honors, honoring fellow
Scot, Sean Connery, where they were described in the Washington
Post as, "One of the high points of the evening". Mairi trained at
the
Guildhall School of Music and has spent time in Cape Breton studying
traditional music and dance. Together they represent the best in
Scottish music with a fine blend of Traditional Scottish and Cape
Breton music. According to Rock 'n' Reel Magazine, describing their
latest album 'Colours
of Lichen', "A regal grace pervades their work
and an eye for creating moods and melodic textures remains their ace
card."
Thur 3rd Ralph McTell
http://www.folkcorp.co.uk/mctell
Chequer Mead Arts Centre, East
Grinstead 01342 302000
According to Christy Moore, "When
Ralph McTell walks out on stage,
he brings just two things with him. His incredible talent and humanity
through his work." Probably still best known internationally for his
classic song 'Streets of London', Ralph has long been one of the UK's
finest songwriters and country blues fingerpickers - he took the
surname 'McTell' after US bluesman Blind
Willie McTell at the
suggestion of friend Wizz Jones
in 1966. His 1976 album, 'Right Side
Up', containing two of his most popular songs, 'From Clare to Here'
and 'Naomi', has just been re-released on CD (including a bonus track,
'Song For Ireland', recorded later in 1982, but not before available
outside of Ireland) and the first volume of his two part autobiography,
'Angel Laughter'
was published recently by UK imprint 'Amber Waves'
(Volume 2 is due in Jan 2002). His latest studio album is 'Red Sky',
described by Q Magazine as "McTell's
best record in 25 years". See
this recent interview
with Ralph discussing 'Red Sky', his recording
process and influences with Andy Langran.
Thur 10th Bob Davenport
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~tinvic/news.htm#may10
The Royal Oak, Station
Street, Lewes
According to Martin Carthy, in a recent interview, Bob Davenport
"remains one of the great singers of the entire revival". Originally
from
Gateshead, Bob started singing publicly in the late 50s when he was
invited to join the now legendary sessions at the Bedford Arms in
Camden Town where the cream of London's Irish musicians played
at the time - the likes of Michael
Gorman, Seamus Ennis,
and
Margaret Barry,
- and where he first met The Rakes, a band with
whom he still performs over forty years later, releasing 'The Red
Haired Lad' CD, produced by BBC folk DJ Mike Harding, in 1997
- see this Music
Traditions review. According to biographer Clinton
Heylin, Dylan's 'Masters of War' and 'Only
a Hobo', took as their
respective sources 'Nottamun Town' and 'Poor Miner's Lament',
both based on versions played by Bob Devenport. Over the years
he has performed and recorded with the 'Bolden Banjoes', 'Webb's
Wonders', the 'Marsden Rattlers' with Jim
Bainbridge, and most
recently with 'Flowers and Frolics'
on their reunion CD "Reformed
Characters" .
Thur 10th Eric Bibb
http://www.ericbibb.com
Newcastle Opera House
First date on a May UK tour
for top US acoustic bluesman promoting
his latest album 'Just Like Love'
(Opus). According to London's Time
Out Magazine, "Smooth, subtle, soulful and sophisticated, his is a
beautiful and moving take on classic, coolly laidback acoustic blues",
whilst the LA Times says he creates "some of the most untroubled-
sounding blues this side of the Rev.
Gary Davies. Bibb is just about
stunning."
Mon14th Julian Dawson & Kimberley Rew
http://www.juliandawson.com/ http://www.kimberleyrew.com/
The Greys, Brighton 01273 680734
Respected UK singer songwriter, Julian has worked with the likes of
Richard Thompson, Plainsong,
and Lucinda Williams, amongst many
others, producing country legend Charlie
Louvin's album 'The Longest
Train' in 1996. Julian's last studio album, 'Under The Sun' (Fledg'ling
in the UK, Gadfly Records
in US) was co-produced by Kimberley
Rew, a member of Robyn Hitchcock's
'Soft Boys' in the 70's (recently
reformed to release a new album 'Underwater
Moonlight'). Julian
guested on his first solo album, last year's 'Tunnel into Summer' (Gadfly)
which, according to Q Magazine, "overflows with quintessential
Englishness...superb"
Tue 15th Hans Theesink
http://www.inode.at/theessink/
Dartford
Folk Club, Kent 01322 222553
Dutchman Hans Theesink (pronounced Tay-sink) is generally regarded
as one of the leading white blues singers/guitarists and most sought-after
live performing artists on the international blues scene. Described by Bo
Diddley as "One helluva guitar player", and by Guitarplayer Magazine
as "Dazzling! Armed with a smokin' repertoire he breathes new life into
acoustic blues", he has made 15 albums since 1970, his most recent
being 'Lifeline' (Blue
Groove), which includes guests The
Holmes
Brothers , the late Charles
Brown and saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis.
Fri 25th Blazin' Fiddles
http://www.blazin-fiddles.co.uk/
Trinity Arts Centre, Tunbridge
Wells, Kent 01892 678678
Heart-melting airs, fiery strathspeys and raging reels from six of the
hottest young contemporary fiddle players from the various regions
of the highlands and islands of Scotland. The band features Shetland
Island fiddler Catriona
MacDonald, Bruce MacGregor (also a member
of the Gaelic group 'Clair', Iain MacFarlane
(also a stand-in for Aly
Bain in The Boys of the Lough,
Aidan O'Rourke (also a member of
'Tabache', Duncan Chisholm (of 'Wolfstone'),
and fiddler/composer
Allan Henderson, accompanied by pianist/ accordion player Andy
Thorburn and guitarist Marc Clement. They have just returned from
their first trip to the States promoting their latest album, 'Fire
On'.
Sat 26th Beyond The Bars
http://www.beyondthebars.com
The Druid Inn, Goginan
Nr Aberystwyth, Wales
South Wales based band whose roots spread from The
Incredible
String Band, Dylan and traditional
Celtic music. Listed as one of 'The
10 best bands you've never heard' in April's edition of 'thenet
magazine',
The Gwent Gazette called them "A cracking cocktail of celtic wizardry
and electro-acoustic folk rock charm which transcends the ordinary and
brings listeners a beat closer to the extra-ordinary. With their reverie
invoking songs and music, they transported the audience to faraway
dreamscapes with magical melodies" whilst according to Buzz Magazine,
their latest album 'Far Off Things' "can take its seat confidently at any
folk-rock table."
Thur 31st Felicity Buirski and Peter Knight
http://www.rhiannonrecords.co.uk/text/fb.html
http://www.ndirect.co.uk/~chrisconway/page17.html
Cockermouth Unplugged Cumbria
(01900 826448)
UK singer songwriter whose debut album, 'Repairs and Alterations',
was 'Which CD' magazines 'Best Folk Album of the year' in 1989,
paired with Peter Knight, renowned
fiddle player with Steeleye
Span
and, for a few gigs each year, 'Feast
of Fiddles', five of the UK's finest
fiddle players who tour with a stellar backing band. According to
'Get Rhythm' magazine, Peter is "a
player who blurs the line between
fiddler and violinist...dextrous double-stopping, left hand pizzicato,
arpeggios, vibrato and colouring. Highly impressive!
Thur 31st Carmina
http://www.carmina.co.uk/
The Gantry, Southampton 023 8022 9319
According to Jazz Journal, "This fusion of Celtic music and
contemporary jazz works particularly well, because it builds on the
solid structure of a celtic songwriting duo - the leaders Pippa Marland
and Rob King - augmented by Irish musicians and supported by the
classic jazz quartet of piano, saxophone, bass, and drums. Textures
and timbres from the different disciplines complement each other, and
Pippa Marland's crystal clear vocals and the soft, lilting saxophone and
piano solos carry all before them. Good on record, I suspect Carmina
would be even better live." Their 1997 debut album 'Weather in the
Heart', produced by Donal
Lunny, was described by Colm O'Hare in
Dublin's 'Hot Press' Magazine as "a
brilliant debut from an outfit we'll
be hearing more from in the near future. Count on it", whilst the UK's
Folk on Tap Magazine called
it "a five star album that is utterly
indispensable." Pre-launch copies of their new album 'Love Like Angels'
are now available at a budget price by mail order via their website
guestbook or e-mail for details.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Go to:
Back to Page 1
London gigs
Best of the Rest of the UK
Festival Listings
Browse the index of Previous Articles