MNS FESTIVALS!

Festivals!

Scotland's Music

the Scottish music festival supplement from MUSIC NEWS Scotland

Duncan Chisholm (pictured) takes part in the inaugural SEALL 'Festival of Small Halls' this week on Skye - read more on page 6 www.duncanchisholm.com www.seall.co.uk/small-halls :: photo by Craig Mackay

INSIDE: AGP Christmas :: Celtic

Connections :: SEALL Festival of Small Halls :: Glasgow Summer Sessions :: Big Burns Supper :: The Gathering .....

PLUS our Scottish music festival listings www.musicnewsscotland.wordpress.com

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www.celticconnections.com

www.celticconnections.com web @ www.brookfield-knights.com tix @ www.celticconnections.com

web @ www.brookfield-knights.com fb @ www.facebook.com/BrookfieldKnights

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Mini Christmas Festival for Aberdeen Aberdeen :: 7 December :: www.facebook.com/agp.aberdeen TICKETS @ www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Aberdeen/The-Tunnels/AGP-Christmas-Party/13308523/

An inaugural Christmas Party being held by music promoters AGP Aberdeen and it's set to take place at Aberdeen's Tunnels venue on Friday 7 December with plans in place to make this a yearly event.

Aberdeen at ÂŁ15 for adults or ÂŁ10 for ages 1417.

The night will run from 6pm-3am and is open to everyone over 14. The evening will feature some of the best indie/alternative artists around at the moment with the aim to showcase them to an Aberdeen audience.

Zoe Graham :: www.facebook.com/ZoeGrahamMusic

Ross Calder, AGP owner and organiser said: "We spend all year bringing great new and established bands to Aberdeen and around Scotland and this year felt that we would like to end the year with a bang and hold a special full night event that has some of our favourite bands playing. We're really excited for a diverse line up showing off some amazing talent. We're really excited for the music but also for an end of year party that has something for everyone".

The Party is being hosted by Vic Galloway from Radio Scotland and BBC 6 Music who will also perform a DJ Set to close the night.

There are nine bands playing - Catholic Action, The Ninth Wave (both Glasgow), Indigo Velvet (Edinburgh), Nieves (Glasgow), Peaness (Chester, England), The 101 (Aberdeen), Apache Darling (Glasgow), Zoe Graham (Edinburgh) and Steven Milne of The Little Kicks (Aberdeen) Tickets are available from www.skiddle.com and See Tickets or in person from Drummonds,

www.twitter.com/agpaberdeen www.facebook.com/agp.aberdeen

www.scottishmusiccentre.com/services/audio-services/

info@scottishmusiccentre.com

web @ www.scottishmusiccentre.com fb @ www.facebook.com/scottishmusiccentre plus other links @ www.musicplus.org.uk + www.hittheroad.org.uk

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www.hittheroad.org.uk info@hittheroad.org.uk

www.scottishmusiccentre.com www.manran.co.uk fb @ www.facebook.com/hittheroadscotland/ tweet @ www.twitter.com/HitTheRoadTours

fb @ www.facebook.com/ManranOfficial tweet @ www.twitter.com/ManranOfficial

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Another Strong Line-up at Celtic Connections 2019 for Brookfield-Knights as they keep standards high Glasgow :: 17 January - 3 February :: www.celticconnections.com TICKETS + FULL PROGRAMME @ www.celticconnections.com With a strong reputation to uphold, having introduced artists of the calibre of The Stray Birds, The California Feetwarmers, The Fretless, The Mike + Ruthy Band, Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards and 3hattrio to the event in recent years, Scottish roots music agency, Brookfield-Knights is determined to impress yet again with another superb line-up involved at Celtic Connections.

Sam Reider and the Human Hands :: www.facebook.com/samreidermusic

Those who enjoyed The Mike + Ruthy Band last time around or who saw them when they lit up the main stage of Cambridge Folk Festival in that same year, will get a chance to savour them again when they return, having reverted to the band’s former name as The Mammals.

A new album, “Sunshiner,” was issued in 2018 and universally well received. The hugely influential No Depression magazine said they were “as thrilling and rocking as any band currently subverting folk traditions.”

Coincidentally, one of the bands that played They are fronted by Mike Merenda and Ruthy their debut there in 2018 was Sam Reider & The Ungar, who are seen as folk royalty on the other Human Hands, recognised as one of the hottest side of the Atlantic, and run their own very young Stateside bands on the circuit right now, successful festival, The Hoot, in the Hudson and Donald Shaw, renowned for having his Valley, which attracts all of the best up and finger on the pulse, snapped them up when they coming talent as well as many household names became available to make the trip over for the each year. Ruthy is the daughter of Jay Ungar 2019 bash. who wrote the great fiddle tune, Ashokan Reider and his 6-piece band caused a sensation Farewell, which is played around the world. when they released their Too Hot To Sleep album earlier this year, having apparently appeared from nowehere to take everyone’s May Erlewine breath away. Since then, they have gone on to :: www.facebook.com/mayerlewinemusic become one of the busiest bands in America and have toured almost constantly in the run up to their Glasgow debut.

Brookfield-Knights’ main booker, Loudon Temple, says that he is lucky to be able to keep up to date on all of the hip and happening acts that are creating a buzz on the other side of the Atlantic, as well as closer to home, thanks to the network of contacts he has built up over the years, who all act as “Scouts.”

miss them!’”

Brookfield-Knights had begun to represent Canadians, The Andrew Collins Trio, long before others began to rave about them in Europe.

Donald Shaw had wanted to bring them in for the 2018 event but it was not possible to make it work, so they became a top-of-the-list choice for the 2019 programme.

“They are a multi Juno Award-winning (that’s the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy) outfit and renowned for putting on very classy shows.

The music has been described as “chamber grass,” and when they played the big MerleFest event in North Carolina this year, they took it completely by storm,” said Temple.

Also from Canada is The Lonesome Ace Stringband, widely believed by those in the know to be one of the best old-time bands in the world. “These guys are just breathtaking,” enthused the man responsible for bringing them in for their Celtic Connections debut.

“Once the circuit, particularly in Ireland, got wind of this, we were inundated with offers from “I heard about the buzz that Sam Reider was other venues all wanting to grab them for a creating long before the band had even released show while they were here, so they will be the album,” he said. touring for a full two weeks after playing a pair of shows in Glasgow.”

“We made contact and Sam gave us privileged access to the tracks. We got it straight away and Temple says he is also very excited to be I knew they were a band we absolutely had to providing an opportunity for May Erlewine to bring over for Celtic Connections – they will be a appear at the event. Known on her home patch perfect fit. as “The Michigan Songbird” she has an extensive back catalogue of something like “We just heard this week that there’s a party fifteen albums, yet she has only recently begun travelling up from Cornwall to catch them in to be appreciated on this side of the Atlantic. action – THAT’S how far the word has spread!”

May had appeared in the UK previously with That same word-of-mouth recommendation led musical sidekicks Lindsay Lou and Rachel Davies the agency to hook up with the hot Irish band, when they appeared at various summer festivals cua and when Temple brought them over to as The Sweet Water Warblers. “She is in a Scotland for a warm-up string of dates, once league of her own,” states Temple. “It’s SO again, he had it confirmed that he had been led great to see her getting a chance to shine at to solid gold pedigree. “Everyone raved about Celtic Connections too.” them,” he explained.

To book tickets for any of the shows or find out “Fiona Forbes who has been involved in the more about individual venues and performance running of the Kirkcaldy Acoustic Music Club for times, visit www.celticconnections.com close on three decades, said after they played there that cua had been one of the best bands www.brookfield-knights.com she had ever put on. “She was telling others www.twitter.com/BobTheHepCat ‘They are truly wonderful. We’ve got club members reeling at their magnificence. Don’t www.facebook.com/BrookfieldKnights

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Europe's First Festival of Small Halls is Underway on the Isle Of Skye Isle of Skye :: 23 November - 1 December :: www.seall.co.uk/small-halls TICKETS @ www.ticketsource.co.uk/seall The first festival of small halls in Europe launched on the Isle of Skye on Friday 23 November bringing big music to ten remote village halls around the Island and Lochalsh until Saturday 1 December.

The SEALL Festival of Small Halls will run for eight days and includes concerts, cèilidhs and public and music workshops in halls and schools by some of the nation’s finest traditional musicians, including Jarlath Henderson, Duncan Chisholm, Mairearad Green, Innes Watson, Donald Shaw, Mike Vass and Seán Gray, culminating in a mammoth St Andrew’s Night Big Cèilidh for all at the Sligachan Hotel on 30 November.

encouraging. Highland Council is committed to harnessing the energy and traditions of our remote rural communities and connecting them to the rest of the world.”

Karen Dick, Creative Scotland’s Place, Partnerships and Communities Officer, said: “SEALL has created an ambitious programme which is international in its outlook but rooted in the traditions and culture of Lochalsh and the Isle of Skye. We hope local communities and visitors enjoy the diverse range of performances and events taking place across the festival.”

SNP MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Kate Forbes, said: ““SEALL has a great track record of organising excellent events and this latest initiative is no different. There is a network of small village halls across Skye, built to bring people together to enjoy the talents of musicians and performers. There is no reason why friends and neighbours in rural areas should not enjoy Scottish music right on their doorstep.

The new festival was inspired by the Festival of Small Halls in Prince Edward Island, Canada, and “I love SEALL’s vision of bringing music and the SEALL’s desire to develop a new touring structure to take great music into smaller venues arts to the very heart of communities. Some of the smallest villages have great halls where so within their extended community. many folk musicians in particular first started The global Small Halls family includes Festivals out. It stands to reason these halls should of Small Halls in Australia and Ontario where continue to be used for the reason they were communities host traditional artists in halls, built.” inspired by the spirit of community, hospitality, The event kicked off in Elgol Hall on 23 exceptional music and fun.

November with an exciting double bill of music SEALL Festival of Small Halls is the first of its with an emphasis on celebration. The evening kind in Europe and aims to provide a platform included a festival dinner and cèilidh dance. for global recognition of the north west Concerts will then take place in Breakish, Highlands as a significant player in Scotland’s Edinbane, Elgol, Kilmuir, Minginish, Plockton, cultural development. Last month, SEALL Raasay, Tarskavaig and Waternish, when creative director Duncan MacInnes was invited to between two and four of the participating Small Halls events in Prince Edward Island and musicians will share the stages. Each of the hall Newfoundland to begin the development of an committees are celebrating in different ways: international connection with venues and some with food and a bar and some with tea and musicians across the world over the coming cake or a cèilidh dance to close the evening. years.

There will also be music workshops in halls and Highland Councillor John Finlayson said: “It schools and late sessions after the concerts. is exciting to note that SEALL, through this During the festival, Glasgow-based writer project, is creating international links with the Elizabeth Reeder and artist Amanda Thomson global small halls community and that this winter will be responding to people, place and festival on Skye is the first of its kind in Europe. performance via blogging, gathering information “The fact that our small halls festival could, with the right amount of support, become a truly international event is both inspiring and

Mairearad Green :: www.facebook.com/mairearadgreen

Innes Watson :: www.facebook.com/innowotso

bringing the event to Skye and Lochalsh. We are, therefore, very busy with fundraising for the rest and we have been bag-packing at the Portree Co-op and have coming up an auction at the Old Inn, Carbost, on 9 November.”

People, place and performance are the themes of the festival which focuses on community spirit and civic engagement and promotes the relevance of Scotland’s traditional culture to present and future generations.

Marie explained: “Our musicians are tradition bearers, committed to the development of traditional music. They have a wide appeal and will engage audiences young and old.

“Festival events will expose young people to their traditional cultural heritage by allowing them to participate in a fun, old-fashioned community event, encouraging an appreciation The Big Cèilidh takes place on St Andrew’s Night of the traditional performing arts, strengthening in Seumas’ Bar, Sligachan Hotel, as part of social bonds with their communities and Scotland’s Winter Festivals celebrations. The St enriching their life experiences.”

Andrew’s Day event will be a unique and very special celebration of community life and Celebrated fiddle player Duncan Chisholm is friendship when the musicians take to the stage looking forward to taking part in the event. for a one-off spectacular concert and good, old- He said: “My journey started by playing the fashioned cèilidh dance. small halls around the Highlands and Islands, connecting with small communities and being SEALL’s Festival Producer, Marie Lewis, inspired by people and place. I witnessed the said: “We are both delighted and humbled by collective excitement and the enrichment of the amount of support and enthusiasm we have people’s lives on their own doorsteps.” received from funders, local businesses, hall committees and communities towards the first “Our music and culture rely upon our young SEALL Festival of Small Halls. people being inspired, not only in our towns and cities but in our rural communities as well.

“People are genuinely excited about having the rare chance to experience a group of Scotland’s “I strongly feel that the wellbeing of all people in high calibre traditional musicians playing our rural communities relies upon a robust and together in their hall. The mood is one of positive arts presence in their lives and the celebration, friendship and inclusiveness and SEALL Festival of Small Halls aims to bring everyone is invited to take part. exactly that to the communities in and around Skye and Lochalsh.”

“The funding we have secured from the generosity of our major funders and local www.seall.co.uk/small-halls businesses has been gratefully received and www.twitter.com/SEALLEventsSkye accounts for 50 per cent of the overall costs of www.facebook.com/SeallEventsSkye and documenting the event with a view to producing a multi-artform record for the future.

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www.summerhall.co.uk

fb @ www.facebook.com/nothingeverhappensheresummerhall tweet @ https://twitter.com/NEHHSH

artist @ www.facebook.com/CamPennerMusic promoter @ www.brookfield-knights.com

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www.stealthrecordingstudio.com eddiemacarthur@yahoo.com web @ www.stealthrecordingstudio.com fb @ www.facebook.com/Stealth-Recording-Studios-Glasgow-139120912802457/

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Foo Fighters Join The Cure As 2019

the Glasgow Summer Sessions Headliners mns Glasgow :: 16 + 17 August :: www.smmrsessions.com collection ….

TICKETS @ www.smmrsessions.com/glasgow/tickets

:: www.facebook.com/foofighters

Glasgow Summer Sessions have today announced the festival’s second headliner for 2019 with the incredible Foo Fighters set to take the stage on Saturday 17 August in the city’s Bellahouston Park.

Neighbourhood’ and ‘Run’, Foo Fighters have been keeping rock well and truly alive for over two decades, bringing spontaneity and enthusiasm to every show in sold out stadiums around the world.

The eleven-time Grammy Award winners will once again entertain the Glasgow crowd with hits bringing their euphoric, rock-fuelled set to Bellahouston Park for a Saturday night to remember.

Foo Fighters are the second headliners announced for 2019’s edition of Glasgow Summer Sessions, as The Cure make their return to Scotland after 27 years, on 16 August 2019. With two of the biggest bands in the Foo Fighters, a band whose live shows are renowned world confirmed for the festival, Glasgow Summer around the world, will play Glasgow Summer Sessions Sessions looks set to be truly unmissable. for the first time ever, on Saturday 17th August.

Following a run of stadium shows in England in 2018, Glasgow Summer Sessions, now in its 7th year, is part of the Summer Sessions series which this year Foo Fighters will make a welcome return to Scottish soil, ending a four year absence from the Scottish live added the brand new Edinburgh Summer Sessions festival which saw incredible artists including Sir Tom scene. Foo Fighters truly never fail to deliver an outstanding live set, showcasing over twenty years in Jones, Kasabian, Paloma Faith, and more perform against the iconic backdrop of Edinburgh Castle. the music industry as one of the premier rock bands of their generation. From classic anthems like ‘The Geoff Ellis, CEO of DF Concerts said: “To welcome Pretender’ and ‘Everlong’ to their latest rock-heavy Foo Fighters to Bellahouston Park for the first time is releases ‘The Sky Is A so exciting for music fans all over Scotland, as they are, to this day, one of the best festival headliners in the world. With their outstanding back catalogue, this is bound to be an unmissable show.

This announcement, as well as the previous reveal that legendary band The Cure will make their return to Scottish soil after 27 years on Friday 16 August, truly cements Glasgow Summer Sessions as an integral part of the Scottish live music calendar for 2019. With more to come, fans should stay tuned for the full line-up!”

The 2019 edition of Glasgow Summer Sessions already looks bigger than ever, with The Cure and Foo Fighters set to ensure the Scottish festival season goes out with a bang.

GIGnotes ..... Friday 16 August - The Cure + Mogwai + The Twilight Sad + The Joy Formidable :: Saturday 17 August - Foo Fighters.

www.smmrsessions.com

www.twitter.com/smmrsessions www.facebook.com/SmmrSessions

Read the three MNS digital publications from links at .. www.musicnewsscotland.wordpress.com

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Celtic Connections ........... a new generation of musicians celebrated with - 'Above the Surface' Glasgow :: 17 January - 3 February :: www.celticconnections.com TICKETS + FULL PROGRAMME @ www.celticconnections.com From Thursday 17 January to Sunday 3 February 2019, musicians from across the globe will take part in over 300 events in venues throughout Glasgow to celebrate Celtic Connections.

After last year’s 25th celebrations, when the festival recognised how far the 'Scottish Music Scene' has come in the last quarter of a century as well as paying homage to the stalwarts who began the resurgence, Celtic Connections 2019 will consolidate the vibrant new music strands evolving from a new generation of musicians; music that defies any kind of genre category but explores the role of folk music as a universal language.

This series of concerts is entitled ‘Above the Surface’ and they are supported through the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund.

SIAN :: www.facebook.com/SIANceol

together, with no less a backing band than the songs inspired by Robert Burns.

Scottish Chamber Orchestra, plus further guest Duncan Lyall will also perform his new show musicians, performing brand-new arrangements Milestone as part of the Above of the Surface of their respective repertoires. strand.

Today both Karine Polwart and Kris Drever rank Alan Morrison, Head of Music at Creative among the UK’s foremost singer-songwriters.

Scotland, said: “Sharing our arts and our Onstage together, alongside the fantastic culture is an essential part of what makes us Scottish Chamber Orchestra, they will premiere human. In Scotland, we believe that our music orchestral versions of songs old and new, is particularly strong and distinctive, and we arranged by Pippa Murphy and Kate St John. want the world to hear it and be inspired by it.

Breaking new collaborative ground across genre We also want to welcome musicians from Europe boundaries, this final weekend show will be a and beyond to Scotland, where we can On Friday 25 January, the Old Fruitmarket will world première featuring Scottish rising stars collaborate, create exhilarating new ideas and welcome a double-bill that brings together two Snuffbox – comprising fiddler Charlie Stewart learn from each other. This powerful notion of distinct but closely related traditions, when being citizens of a wider, richer world goes to Mali’s Bassekou Kouyate and his band Ngoni Ba (2017’s Radio Scotland Young Traditional perform alongside Gaelic group SIAN. Both well- Musician of the Year), cellist Rufus Huggan, and the heart of Celtic Connections. In the years since it began, this festival has broadened its recognised as tradition bearers, Bassekou is one guitarist/singer Luc McNally – with MOBOwinning, Mercury-nominated, British/Bengali horizons and the musical genres it embraces. of the true masters of the ngoni, an ancient traditional lute native to West Africa, as well as jazz pianist Zoe Rahman, flanked by bassist Alec Creative Scotland is proud to support a programme that reaches out a hand of simultaneously being an innovator and a master Dankworth and drummer Gene Calderazzo.

Connections between the two trios include friendship to artists and audiences everywhere.” of Malian folklore, while SIAN showcase the Stewart’s studies in jazz alongside folk at the strength and beauty of Gaelic Song.

RCS; Rahman’s own part-Irish heritage and her www.celticconnections.com Two of Scottish folk music’s most distinctive longstanding interest in the great Bengali writer/ www.twitter.com/ccfest contemporary artists, Rachel Sermanni and www.facebook.com/CelticConnections composer Rabindranath Tagore, who wrote Jarlath Henderson, take to the City Halls stage The first concert in this series is a night’s entertainment from Scotland’s singing royalty Kathleen MacInnes and one of Iceland’s most original and inventive collectives, amiina. The beautiful tone of Kathleen MacInnes’ Gaelic song will be enhanced by the string section that featured for ten years with avant-rock band Sigur Rós – with a sound somewhere between sophistication and innocence, amiina will be the perfect musical partners for one of the great voices of this era.

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www.eddireader.co.uk fb @ www.facebook.com/eddireader gigs info & tickets @ www.eddireader.co.uk/gigs

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KT Tunstall, Frank Turner, Ed Byrne and Craig Charles come and play in Dumfries for Big Burns Supper 2019 Dumfries :: 24 January - 3 February :: www.bigburnssupper.com TICKETS @ www.bigburnssupper.com

Come and Play! Festival organisers launched the Big Burns Supper 2019 festival programme with a warm invitation to audiences old and new from near and far to join them alongside a host of top Scottish and international artists for the biggest contemporary celebration of Scotland’s national poet in town he called home, Dumfries.

Big Burns Festival 2019 runs from 24 January - 3 February with over 111 events transforming the historic town with a blistering cultural celebration and a warm welcome for all. Burns Night Live (25 Jan) is very far from the traditional formalities of a Burns Supper, as Scottish rocker KT Tunstall, award-winning contemporary Scottish folk band, The Peatbog Faeries and psychedelic cult rockers, Colonel Mustard & the Dijon Five join comedians, celebrity hosts and some of Scotland’s top party animals to blow the roof off the world famous Spiegeltent for a Burns celebration quite unlike any other in the world! That’s just for starters, the party doesn’t stop after Burns Night at Big Burns Supper.

KT Tunstall :: "I’m delighted to be a part of 2019’s Big Burns Supper"

Music ..... The festival plays host to a hugely exciting array of musical talent to suit every possible predilection. Acoustic-folk extraordinaire and one of the UK’s finest singer/songwriters Frank Turner (31 Jan) shares classic hits and tracks from his new album with an intimate solo performance. Actor, presenter, DJ, funk and soul icon, Craig Charles (1 Feb) will keep the dancefloor packed into the wee small hours followed by a very special afternoon celebration of Scottish trad music as one of the fastest rising bands on the UK Folk scene, Talisk join Tide Lines (2 Feb) an upcoming powerful 4-piece from the Highlands for a proper foot-stomping workout!

The London Gospel Community Choir (26 Jan) one of the UK’s leading gospel choir who have performed alongside the likes of Tina Turner, Puff Daddy and Sting bring their stunning harmonies followed that night by an entirely different musical experience with Ibiza Live (26 Jan), think a collision of DJ’s, sax, live bands and circus for a late-night party. Leading contemporary chamber ensemble, Hebrides Ensemble (28 Jan) who have established themselves as one of the foremost chamber music collectives in the UK delight audiences with celebration of trios, and quintets including Bach and Mozart.

:: photo by Piper Ferguson

Cabaret ..... Cabaret is the frantic beating heart of the festival and no stronger example of its ability to provide a contemporary reflection of Burns can be found than through that of the home-grown cabaret smashhit, Le Haggis. Expect a heart wrenching Celtic rock harmony laid on rhythmic tribal anthem from an incredible live band of Scottish musicians alongside an international host of variety acts. It’s not La Clique and it’s not La Soiree, it’s Le Haggis and it’s a Scottish national treasure.

Returning after last year’s storming success is Queer Haggis (26 Jan) which this year welcomes a brand-new cast of the nation’s most celebrated LGBT artists peppered with a tight bondage of cabaret, aerial acrobatics, drag and disco.

Family ..... Big Burns Supper 2019 ensures that audiences of all ages are welcome to celebrate together. Kicking off with the Youth Beatz Take Over (24 Jan) when for one night only Scotland’s biggest free youth music festival will take over the BBS Spiegeltent for a brilliant night of live music and DJs. Following a hugely successful run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2018, strap on your safety goggles and get ready of science’s greatest and most volatile show, Brainiac Live! (2 Feb). A fabulous Family Roller Disco (26 Jan) and the return of last year’s hit Baby Loves Disco (27 Jan) alongside a very special Family Sunday (27 Jan) featuring a blend of locally sourced bands including up and coming Kasama, and Juke Box Bingo which is in interactive musical quiz for all the family and completely free. The festival retains its popular kids go free at music shows offer, as well as the students go free offer to help encourage audiences of the future.

“2019 marks the eighth year of the Big Burns Supper and we are hugely grateful to our loyal local audiences who support every aspect of the festival, from buying tickets to performing themselves. This local support, coupled with the thousands of visitors and new audiences our festival attracts gives Big Burns Supper it’s heart. It’s the sense of togetherness, of coming together to celebrate culture in the dark winter nights that Burns himself held dear and which Burns Supper’s all over the world seek to mark, we just pride ourselves in doing it a bit differently here in Dumfries!”

KT Tunstall said: “I’m delighted to be a part of 2019’s Big Burns Supper.

It’s always fun to celebrate Burns Night, but it’s been a long time since I spent one in Scotland, so I’m definitely doing it right in 2019!”

Minister for Europe, International Development and Europe Ben Macpherson, said: “The Big Burns Supper is a great occasion to bring together audiences from far and wide and showcase Scottish and international talent.

“Burns Night is one of Scotland’s most well-known and best loved national days, and an opportunity to celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of what it means to be Scottish. This year, I invite everyone in Scotland to join the celebrations as a fitting finale to Scotland’s Winter Festivals.”

2019 marks the eighth edition of the festival which created by festival organisers in 2012 as a coming together of people and culture, centred around the core meaning of a Burns Night celebration, togetherness. The Big Burns Supper 2019 will conclude with an interactive arcade game festival has enjoyed steady growth in audiences year on year through projected through centre of Dumfries with computer games being played passionate local support and innovative programming, bringing top UK on buildings as the finale light show to the festival which will run from the and international talent to Dumfries, performing alongside the finest local 31 January– 3 February, titled, Arcade and co-produced by live art artists and providing a vital platform for emerging Scottish artists. Big agency, D-Lux. Burns Supper is the local festival that opens its heart to the world.

Executive Producer, Graham Main said: “Our 2019 Festival is packed full of surprises, featuring big names acts alongside quirky and interactive moments for everyone to enjoy. There isn’t a Spiegeltent programme in the world that beats our artistically diverse and intimate programme, offering local audiences and visitors a warmly authentic winter festival experience.”

Big Burns Supper Festival is a non-profit event, produced by local charity Elektronika and has received support through Scotland’s Winter Festivals.

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MUSIC FESTIVALS - MUSIC FESTIVALS - MUSIC FESTIVALS - MUSIC FESTIVALS

Brand New City Centre Festival Announced for Inverness in June Inverness :: 1 June :: www.thegatheringscotland.com TICKETS @ www.skiddle.com/festivals/thegathering

A brand new one day festival celebrating the very best of The Highlands and Scotland has been announced for Inverness. The Gathering is set to take over the historic Northern Meeting Park in The Highland capital on Saturday 1 June.

The family friendly, city centre festival will feature a host of the most exciting traditional and folk based bands from The Highlands and Scotland alongside a line-up of the finest craft food and drink suppliers from the region.

Headliners for the inaugural event are a band on a meteoric rise in the contemporary folk world, the Highlands own Tide Lines. Growing a fanbase entirely organically Tide Lines have racked up nearly 3 million single track streams on Spotify. Their videos play to hundreds of thousands on youtube and their social media accounts number followers in the tens of thousands. Earlier this year with the buzz growing and their shows selling out all over the place Mark Radcliffe gave the band their first national radio airplay for Far Side of the World.

Legends in their own village hall (and across Scotland) The Vatersay Boys will be making a very welcome and overdue return to Inverness.

The band sell out shows up and down the country including their annual Glasgow

Tidelines :: www.facebook.com/wearetidelines

Barrowland Ceilidh and make any size of venue feel like a true village hall Highland Gathering.

Full details of our food and drink suppliers will be announced shortly but rest assured there will be no run of the mill generic products, with We are also delighted to be welcoming the multi everything being of the highest quality and award winning Neo-trad quintet Elephant exclusively sourced from the Highlands and Sessions who are one of the most exciting Scotland. young trad acts on the planet right now.

Winners of MG Alba ‘Album of the Year’ 2017 for ‘We are delighted to be launching a brand-new their second album ‘All We Have Is Now’, their city centre event for Inverness and hope The infectious live show is guaranteed to make them Gathering becomes a permanent fixture in the a highlight of the festival.

Scottish event calendar. We have a wealth of musical talent and incredible food & drink Other acts appearing include, Hò-rò who are producers across the Highlands and Scotland gradually becoming a force to reckoned with in and through The Gathering we aim to bring the Scottish music scene, holding their everyone together and celebrate the very best audiences spellbound with their energetic our region has to offer.’ said promoter Dougie performances and musical tune arrangements Brown everywhere they perform. The only ever threetime winner of Scots Singer of the Year and BBC Tickets are on sale on link above or in person at Radio 2 Young Folk Award winner Siobhan Eden Court Theatre & Ironworks Venue Miller will take to the stage and show why she (Inverness). is widely regarded as one of the foremost vocalists in Scotland. Firm favourites across the www.thegatheringscotland.com Highlands and further afield Torridon are an act www.twitter.com/TheGatheringSco that never fail to get the crowd going and will be www.facebook.com/thegatheringscotland joining us also.

Finally, young Moray musician Calum Mackenzie Jones will bring his Scottish folk outfit The Trad Project to the Gathering, while City Of Inverness Youth Pipe Band will open up proceedings in true highland style.

Siobhan Miller :: www.facebook.com/SiobhanMillerMusic

The bars at the event will feature exclusively Highland and Scottish based craft suppliers with The Black Isle Brewery providing the draft beer, Tomatin Distillery being our whisky partner and Dunnet Bay Distillers bringing their Rock Rose Gin and Holy Grass Vodka as our exclusive partners on the main bar. We are working alongside top Scottish wine and spirit retailer/ whole seller Woodwinters to source a full range of other craft products from Highland breweries and distilleries which will also be showcased across the festival’s second bar with full details announced shortly.

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SCOTTISH MUSIC FESTIVALS to be included in our festival listings email details to: musicnewsscotland@gmail.com NOVEMBER Aberfeldy Festival

greater accessibility and space options, enabling the Scots Fiddle Festival to take place in one location.

Aberfeldy 2-3 November

www.scotsfiddlefestival.com

A wee cultural, music, poetry, drama and arts festival in the wonder of Highland Perthshire. The festival takes place the first weekend in November every year and the majority of it is held in Aberfeldy Townhall.

The Line-up focuses on bands and music on the Scottish music scene that are maybe under represented but still have a good following or have had critical acclaim and played on radio stations like BBC6. Although that's not always the case nor an exclusive ruling on who we invite but we do try to include bands that have made an impact on the music scene in Scotland in that year. Ian Rankin has helped to curate for a number of years now and always has a good handle on what bands are worthy of a listen. We would love for you to come along - hang out and have a grin or a gin - laugh, cry and just feel the rhythm.

Edinburgh 16 November - 5 January

Edinburgh's Christmas The sixth season of the world-famous Edinburgh’s Christmas! It takes place between 16 November 2018 and 5 January 2019 and remains one of the most popular Christmas celebrations in the UK. 2018 will see the biggest, brightest and best programme of events and entertainment to date. This year’s Edinburgh’s Christmas lights up with the spectacular Silent Light and sparkles with La Clique Noël – Part Deux’s metres of sequins! www.edinburghschristmas.co.uk

SEALL Festival of Small Halls

Tickets are now on sale with 10,000 Street Party tickets reserved for Edinburgh residents at discounted price of £20. After a successful Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 18 which saw festival goers snap up all tickets to events across the 3 days, and terrific feedback on the revamped Street Party, Underbelly today announced tickets for this year’s Edinburgh’s Hogmanay will go on sale at 10am on Monday 21 May. Tickets can be bought online or on 0131 510 0395.

Recognising the importance of support from those who live in the city, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is discounting 10,000 tickets for EH postcode holders, twice the number of last year. These tickets will be £20. www.edinburghshogmanay.com

JANUARY 2019 Celtic Connections Glasgow 17 January - 3 February

From Thursday 17 January to Sunday 3 February 2019, musicians from across the globe will take part in over 300 events in www.aberfeldyfestival.co.uk venues throughout Glasgow for the largest The first festival of small halls in Europe winter music festival of its kind and the UK's Perthshire Amber launched on the Isle of Skye on Friday 23 premier celebration of Celtic music. The 18 The Dougie MacLean November bringing big music to ten remote days of entertainment will brighten up the village halls around the Island and Lochalsh dark, wet January nights with a mixture of Festival until Saturday 1 December. The SEALL concerts that include a host of one-off Perthshire Festival of Small Halls will run for eight days musical collaborations alongside talks, 2-4 November and includes concerts, cèilidhs and public workshops, film screenings, theatre and music workshops in halls and schools by productions, ceilidhs, exhibitions, free The Perthshire Amber Festival brings some of the nation’s finest traditional events and late-night sessions. together many musicians and entertainers musicians, including Jarlath Henderson, from different parts of the world. This www.celticconnections.com Duncan Chisholm, Mairearad Green, Innes unique festival shares Dougie’s inspiring music, celebrates the history and culture of Watson, Donald Shaw, Mike Vass and Seán Gray, culminating in a mammoth St Big Burns Supper Perthshire and showcases the beautiful Andrew’s Night Big Cèilidh for all at the Dumfries scenery. The concerts are staged in a Sligachan Hotel on 30 November.

24 January - 3 February variety of wonderful venues from prestigious theatres to atmospheric Dunkeld Cathedral.

Isle of Skye 23 November - 1 December

www.seall.co.uk/small-halls

www.perthshireamber.com

Dundee Jazz Festival Dundee 14-18 November

Dundee Jazz Festival will thrill music fans with more performances than ever before, covering many styles of jazz, including blues, afrobeat, soul, funk, big band and Latin. The record sales of 2017 especially to a younger audience, has encouraged the organisers to commit to extra events, and not just to maintain the standards set in 2017, but to improve on them with a variety that will thrill audiences. www.jazzdundee.co.uk

Scots Fiddle Festival Edinburgh 16-18 November

DECEMBER AGP Mini-Christmas Festival Aberdeen 7 December

An inaugural Christmas Party being held by music promoters AGP Aberdeen and it's set to take place at Aberdeen's Tunnels venue on Friday 7 December - with plans in place to make this a yearly event. The night will run from 6pm-3am and is open to everyone over 14. The evening will feature some of the best indie/alternative artists around at the moment with the aim to showcase them to an Aberdeen audience. The Party is being hosted by Vic Galloway from Radio Scotland and BBC 6 Music who will also perform a DJ Set to close the night. www.facebook.com/agp.aberdeen

Fiddle 2018 is moving to The Pleasance the well-known music and Fringe venue, Edinburgh’s owned by The University of Edinburgh. It has recently had a £6 million refurbishment, Edinburgh 31 December taking its facilities to a new level, with

Hogmanay

Festival organisers launched the Big Burns Supper 2019 festival programme with a warm invitation to audiences old and new from near and far to join them alongside a host of top Scottish and international artists for the biggest contemporary celebration of Scotland’s national poet in town he called home, Dumfries. Big Burns Festival 2019 runs from 24 January - 3 February with over 111 events transforming the historic town with a blistering cultural celebration and a warm welcome for all. www.bigburnssupper.com

JUNE 2019 Oban Live Oban 7-8 June 2019

Early bird tickets for Oban Live 2019, Argyll’s biggest outdoor music concert, are to go on sale on Saturday November 10, the event team has announced. The event, started in 2016 by one of Scotland’s finest musical exports Skerryvore, takes place on June 7 and 8 next year at Mossfield Stadium in Oban, Argyll, on the west coast of Scotland. www.obanlive.com

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SCOTTISH MUSIC FESTIVALS

JULY 2019 HebCelt

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Hebrides 18-20 July

Advance weekend tickets for next year’s Hebridean Celtic Festival, to be held from 18-20 July 2019, are available from the festival website. Day tickets and those for opening shows, late night activities and community events in Lewis and Harris go on sale next year when the full festival programme is finalised.

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www.hebceltfest.com

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