Tolbootha&e jan apr lores

Stirling’s venue for music | performance | classes | arts

JAN – APR 2016

Jimeoin

James Yorkston The Pictish Trail & Withered Hand Paul Jones & Dave Kelly

Altan Manran China Crisis

Martin Taylor & Martin Simpson

Bella Hardy Box Office 01786 27 4000 tolbooth.stirling.gov.uk

Box office 01786 27 4000

Dogstar Theatre Presents: The Tailor of Inverness p6

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Welcome to our new season full of delights to brighten up the most wintry day …

We welcome for the first time from the Blues Band Paul Jones and Dave Kelly, alongside other highlights including the return of legendary guitarists Martin Taylor and Martin Simpson – the two have performed solo at the Tolbooth before of course, but this time come together for an evening which is sure to be memorable. We are also delighted to welcome one of Ireland's top bands Altan, as well as some of Scotland's best traditional musicians.

Outwith our music programme, take a moment to read about the incredible and moving story behind the play The Tailor of Inverness …

Mark Thomas brings his show ‘Trespass’ and don’t miss stories taken from the career of Phil Differ, and Stuart Cosgrove in conversation with Graham Spiers.

Take a moment to look at The Albert Halls website as we start off 2016 there in glorious style. For the first time ever the RSNO has brought their Viennese Gala evening to Stirling.

To see our national orchestra on the stage of The Albert Halls is truly magnificent – and this is a hugely popular way to celebrate Strauss’s music. Later in the year the glorious harmonies of The Puppini Sisters hit the road, along with two great adventurists in different ways – the mountaineer Simon Yates and cyclist and explorer Mark Beaumont is back.

Don’t forget to check out our classes in case you decide to bring in the New Year by trying something new.

The Tolbooth Team

The dust has begun to settle after this year’s Strange Behaviours Festival, when every corner of the Tolbooth reverberated wtih the best of Scottish indie, electronic and experimental sounds. 2016’s monthly Strange Behaviours nights get off to a flying start with the mighty Hector Bizerk raising the roof, and the lush, folky musings of Randolph’s Leap.

Meanwhile, our singer-songwriter platform ‘Think Thoughts’ sees politically charged Scottish rapper Loki return to the venue.

The Tolbooth is owned and operated by Stirling Council. The redevelopment of the Tolbooth was funded by

Box office 01786 27 4000

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January

Paul Jones & Dave Kelly 4 James Yorkston, The Pictish Trail & Withered Hand 4

February

Jimeoin 5 Dogstar Theatre: The Tailor of Inverness 6 The 4 Elements’ multi-arts hip-hop 7 Mr McFall’s Chamber 8 Fiona Hunter Band & Ewan McLennan 9 Opus Duo 9 Strange Behaviours: Hector Bizerk 10

TICKETS & ACCESS Conditions: tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded unless the event is cancelled.

We reserve tickets for a maximum of three days. No reservations will be taken within three days of an event. Concessions apply to some events; check individual event.

Online booking fee applies.

Tolbooth is fully accessible and can accommodate a number of wheelchair users at each performance. Please mention at the time of booking if you require a wheelchair space. The Tolbooth has an induction loop system, please ask at Box Office for more details. If you need information on tape, large print or Braille, contact 0845 277 7000

Box office 01786 27 4000 Open Tuesday – Saturday 10am-6pm Closed Sunday and Monday

March

Lakin McCarthy: Mark Thomas 10 Workshop: An intro to music journalism with Nicola Meighan 11 Think Thoughts: Loki 11 Ross Ainslie & Jarlath Henderson 12 Rock for Strathcarron Hotel California 12 Day of Song / Karine Polwart 13 City Music Live 14 Schools Battle of the Bands 14 The Dime Notes 15 Bella Hardy 16 Strange Behaviours: Randolph’s Leap 16

April

Mànran 17 Distil 17 Altan 18 Martin Taylor & Martin Simpson 18 Railsplitter 19 An evening with Phil Differ 19 China Crisis 20 Partikel’s String Theory Quartet 20

Courses and Classes 21

Tolbooth, Jail Wynd, Stirling FK8 1DB tolbooth. stirling.gov.uk tolbooth.stirling.gov.uk

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Paul Jones & Dave Kelly DATE Friday 22 January TIME 8pm TICKETS £20 (reserved seating) Original members of The Blues Band, Paul Jones and Dave Kelly’s tangled and colourful roots go way back into the true undergrowth of the tradition. As well as their own original material, they not only know and perform the work of the greats, ranging from Howling’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker through to Sonny Boy Williamson – they actually played alongside them!

Jones’ thrilling singing and harmonica wonders combined with Europe’s leading bluesman, Dave Kelly and his superb blues vocals and guitar virtuosity ensures a live acoustic set by this dynamic duo is an occasion you’ll remember. If you’re a true Blues fan, everything you need is here.

James Yorkston, The Pictish Trail & Withered Hand DATE Sunday 31 January TIME 8pm TICKETS £14 Three of Scotland’s finest songwriters join forces sharing songs and stories ‘In the round’. Original member of Fife's famous Fence collective, James Yorkston emerged as a solo artist in 2001 and has since released 8 acclaimed albums the most recent being the rapturously received ‘The Cellardyke Recording and Wassailing Society’.

‘Poetic genius at work … the flawless record that Yorkston has long promised’ Q

Box office 01786 27 4000

Johnny Lynch, aka The Pictish Trail could give many comedians a run for their money with his on-stage banter. But once he begins to sing, Lynch's extraordinary vocals reveal hidden depths that can subdue the most rowdy audiences into a blissful silence. Withered Hand is Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter Dan Willson. With a wayward tenor and unaffected charm onstage he has come to be hugely celebrated

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“Brilliant … It gets no better than this … Hilarious!”

Time Out

Live Nation in association with MZA present

JIMEOIN – YEEHAA! DATE Thursday 4 February TIME 7.30pm TICKETS £12.50 / £10 Age recommendation 14+

Jimeoin is internationally acclaimed as one of live comedy’s masters. Now the Irishman from Australia and star of TV’s ‘Sunday Night at Palladium’, ‘Live at the Apollo’, ‘Royal Variety Performance’ musters his ever-evolving live show and the most famous eyebrows in comedy to the Tolbooth to bring you an unforgettably hilarious evening of world-class stand-up. Mosey on down and lasso your tickets early!

‘Brilliant … It gets no better than this ... Hilarious!’

Time Out.

www.jimeoin.com Photo by James Penlidis / Design by Steve Ullathorne tolbooth.stirling.gov.uk

‘If laughter is the best medicine, Jimeoin is a course of steroids … Brilliant wit and razorsharp take on the absurdities of life. This is the comedy of one who truly perceives human behaviour, breaks it up, puts it all together again in all its ridiculousness, to leave you with your eyes streaming … Comic genius’ Edinburgh Evening News 5

“… a brave biographical piece … that has succeeded in turning a deeply personal family story into a universal work of theatre” Mark Brown, The Sunday Herald Time Out

An ardent, deeply personal play … compelling, impassioned … a fine actor New York Times

Dogstar Theatre Presents:

The Tailor of Inverness

DATE Friday 5 February TIME 8pm TICKETS £13 / £11 (£7 under 18s) Age recommendation 10+

Matthew Zajac’s multi-award-winning Tailor of Inverness is a story of journeys, of how a boy who grew up on a farm in Galicia (Eastern Poland) came to be a tailor in Inverness. Taken prisoner by the Soviets in 1939 then freed in an amnesty before joining the thousands of Poles who travelled to Tehran to be integrated into the British Army and resettling in Britain in 1948.

Written and performed by Matthew Zajac, with music by fiddler Jonny Hardie. Don't miss this outstanding award-winning production which had a sell out run in Brits Off Broadway in New York in April 2015.

Box office 01786 27 4000

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© Alan Clark of the Stirling DIY Press Collective

The 4 Elements’ multi-arts hip-hop performance project DATE Saturday 11 & Sunday 12 February TIME 11–4pm each day & performance

at 4pm on Friday TICKETS FREE (booking required) Age 14 years+

tolbooth.stirling.gov.uk

Based on the four founding principles or ‘elements’ of hip-hop culture – rap, break dancing, graffiti and DJing – this 2-day multi-arts workshop introduces you to a genre of music which can be freeing, powerful, positive, full of self-expression and truly fun.

Employing the immense knowledge and expertise of leading Scottish hip-hop outfit Hector Bizerk (see page10) and their group of dancers and artists, come try your hand at lyric writing and emceeing, break dancing, graffiti art and digital music making, before coming together to perform for family and friends.

With lots of great Scottish hip-hop coming through our doors this season, come be inspired and get involved!

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Mr McFall’s Chamber All of the Above DATE Wednesday 17 February TIME 8pm TICKETS £9 / £6 under 16s Free

As part of their 20th birthday celebrations this year, this wonderful ensemble brings their trademark mix of old favourites and new work.

The programme includes Zappa and Zawinal, alongside Jazz compositions by Tim Garland and Martin Kershaw, Piazzolla tango and a new work for bassoon by Jeremy Thurlow!

The line-up includes a number of stellar guests – clarinettist Maximiliano Martin, bassoonist Peter Whelan, violinist Cyril Garac, pianist Paul Harrison, percussionist Iain Sandilands and drummer Stuart Brown join the members of McFalls; Robert McFall, Brian Schiele, Su-a Lee and Rick Standley.

Robert McFall was awarded the Ignition award in 2015 for his contribution to music in Scotland – so well deserved.

Tickets are a special price to enable more to celebrate this ensemble’s 20th year...

Box office 01786 27 4000

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Fiona Hunter Band & Ewan McLennan DATE Friday 19 February TIME 8pm TICKETS £13 / £11

“One of the most exciting singers to come out of Scotland in recent years” Mike Harding

Tonight we feature an exciting double bill ... Formerly of Malinky, Fiona Hunter is one of Scotland’s foremost traditional singers and a highly gifted song interpreter, releasing her debut solo album in 2014. Tonight she is joined by her band, Mike Vass, Innes Watson, Euan Burton and Gillian Frame.

‘Hunter’s strengths lie in a vocal tone that she varies to suit the mood of the song while always sounding like the real deal’ Rob Adams, The Herald Whether singing haunting Scottish ballads or weaving the powerful stories that make-up his own songs Ewan McLennan’s unique voice is always compelling. Having been taught by a number of world-renowned guitarists, his own playing is recognised as outstanding.

Opus Duo DATE Saturday 20 February TIME 2.30pm TICKETS £9

There will be an interval during which time tea and cakes can be purchased at the cafe/bar. tolbooth.stirling.gov.uk

Opus Duo was formed when two friends, Jane Colvin and May Halyburton joined forces. They have enjoyed discovering the repertoire for cello and double bass alongside commissioning new works from composers at home and abroad. Their performances include original works and arrangements for cello and double bass in all genres. Opus Duo have performed throughout Scotland giving recitals, education workshops for children and taken part in various Enterprise Music Scotland events. Their recital this afternoon will include works By Dragonetti, Elgar, Gounod, Keyper, Neher, Romberg and Rossini.

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Strange Behaviours: Hector Bizerk DATE Saturday 27 February TIME Doors 7.30pm TICKETS £7 adv. tickets / £9 on the door A huge influence behind Scotland’s now rich hip-hop scene and undoubtedly one of the most thrilling indie/grassroots acts our country has to offer. A creative juggernaut led by founding members Louie and Audrey, they’ve burned through bucket-lists at an alarming rate, opening for the likes of Public Enemy / Wu Tang Clan / Jurassic 5 / Alt-J.

A Scottish Album Of The Year nomination for masterpiece ‘Nobody Seen Nothing’ was followed by 4 themed EPs in 12 months, a short film, and a place at South By South-West.

They blew the roof off of 2014’s Strange Behaviours Festival, one not to be missed.

Scotland’s best hip-hop export NME … not just a band, a progressive cultural movement – BBC

Lakin McCarthy presents Mark Thomas – ‘Trespass’ DATE Wednesday 2 March TIME 8pm TICKETS £15 / £13 Age recommendation 16+ Mark Thomas’ Trespass carries on from 100 Acts of Minor Dissent left off. In his usual odd mix of theatre, stand up, activism, a dash of journalism, and dollop of mayhem. Mark asks the question: How do we turn the skyscrapers and corporate squares into our playgrounds?

He sets out to try and carve a small space in the urban world where mischief and random chance can lurk. No one knows where this show is going to end up.

Box office 01786 27 4000

‘With its typically passionate Thomas-ian mix of theatre, anger and hilarity, Trespass is a riveting, and very funny, call to action from our top comic on the front line’ Bristol Post 10

Stirling DIY Press Collective presents:

An intro to music journalism with Nicola Meighan

DATE Friday 4 March TIME 5.00pm / 8.00pm TICKETS FREE (booking required) Age recommendation 14+ Music journalist, radio presenter and blogger Nicola Meighan leads a workshop designed to give insight into the world of music journalism and help develop your writing skills. Running alongside our ‘Think Thoughts’ night with Loki (see below), Nicola will present a snapshot of

the industry at present, give advice on how to draft an engaging review of the evening’s show, before giving constructive feedback on your writing. Nicola’s experience spans work for The Herald, Q Magazine, MOJO and The List amongst others, so it’s guaranteed to be an informative and interesting night!

See stirlingdiypress.tumblr.com for more information on the Stirling DIY Press Collective.

Think Thoughts: Loki + support from Bella & The Bear DATE Friday 4 March TIME Doors 7.30pm TICKETS £6 adv. tickets / £8 on the door Age recommendation 14+ Darren ‘Loki’ McGarvey is an artist with many strings to his bow. A multi-skilled, eloquent voice on modern Scotland’s socio-political landscape, his work as a rapper, community arts leader, public speaker and journalist has placed him in front of TV cameras, public meetings and music industry showcase audiences. With 17 (!) albums under his belt, including the entirely crowd-funded ‘Government Issue Music Protest’, Loki tears tolbooth.stirling.gov.uk

through personal experience and political rhetoric set in an imagined dystopian future Scotland, co-written by partner and musician Becci Wallace (a familiar face to Pump Up The Jam goers!) who will also be joining him live.

‘Scottish hip-hop's Chairman of the Board’ The Skinny. ‘A powerful grassroots political orator of resonant lyrical ability’ The Scotsman 11

Ross Ainslie & Jarlath Henderson DATE Saturday 5 March TIME 8pm TICKETS £13 / £11 Collectively Ross and Jarlath create a chemistry which is magical. Joined by Ali Hutton on guitar they have fast become one of the most talked about combinations on the circuit.

They have created a sound bursting with emotion and energy - a fusion of pipes and flutes which pushes the boundaries of what the instruments can achieve in a performance that is a vibrant mix of original compositions, songs and traditional tunes.

Rock for Strathcarron Present Hotel California

2015 has been busy with tours of Australia, US, Canada as well as the UK. And award nominations from BBC Young Musician of the Year, Best Live Act and musician of the year at BBC Scots Trad awards to Best Duo at the BBC Radio 2 awards ‘Ridiculously talented’ * * * * Glasgow Herald

“You guys are pretty good you really know your stuff !” Don Felder

DATE Friday 11 March TIME 7.45pm TICKETS £18 Rock For Strathcarron presents Hotel California, a six piece band of musicians who will perform, for the first time in Stirling, their critically acclaimed tribute to the music of The Eagles. The band has played to packed houses at home and abroad and have twice been chosen by former Eagle Don Felder to be his backing band at the prestigious Dunhill Cup.

Box office 01786 27 4000

You’ll return to a dark desert highway, cool wind in your hair, or stand on that corner in Winslow, Arizona when you join Hotel California as they re-create the classic sound of The Eagles.

All profits from the night go to Strathcarron Hospice.

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“Polwart writes music for social change, with lyrics that articulate their values poetically and succinctly, obliquely and persuasively” The Guardian

“One of our most lyrically striking, and significant, artists” The List

“An unflinching social eye” The Observer

Day of Song

Karine Polwart

DATE TIME TICKETS

DATE Saturday 12 March TIME 8pm TICKETS £14 / £12

Saturday 12 March from 10.30am £15 day only £23 day & evening performance

We are delighted that we can bring you a Day of Song once again. And this year the main workshop will be led by Karine Polwart. The format will again offer workshops in different styles earlier in the day, before coming altogether for a workshop with Karine, and ending the afternoon with group and individual performances. Please give your email to the Tolbooth box office if you would like to receive details of the full programme of events.

There will be tickets reserved for the evening performance by Karine for those taking part in the Day of Song, for attendees wishing to come to both. tolbooth.stirling.gov.uk

A firm Tolbooth favourite, tonight Karine will perform solo. Singer-songwriter Karine Polwart is a multiple BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards winner and has earned a deserved reputation in recent years as an adept musical collaborator, with artists such as LAU and Roddy Woomble.

A singer whose powerful and moving songs reflect the human emotion and experience which she observes so keenly. Her talent for crafting enduring melodies, her gift for saying just enough without overstating her case, the range and dynamism of her arrangements, have established her as one of the foremost songwriters on the Scottish and UK folk scenes.

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City Music Live DATE Friday 26th February, The Tolbooth

7 – 9.30pm

March, The Information Station,

date TBC

Friday 29th April, The Tolbooth

7 – 9.30pm TICKETS Free AGES 12-19 Running alongside our Friday evening band workshop The City Music Project, these nights are organised, promoted and engineered by young people to create a platform for youth music bands and artists in their own vision.

The small team is supported by the Tolbooth and Stirling Council Youth Services to host monthly live events in the

Tolbooth and Information Station, showcasing some of the best emerging artists alongside some performers from TCMP and providing a hang-out for like-minded music fans.

For more information or if you’re interested in playing one of the City Music Live events, drop a line to the team on citymusiclive@gmail.com.

Schools Battle of the Bands DATE Friday 18th March TIME 7.30pm TICKETS £5, available from bands

and Box Office

Our annual schools’ Battle of the Bands will return in March, with local secondary schools holding heats to decide on their candidate for the grand finale. Some of the best young bands in Stirling will be performing in front of classmates, friends and family to decide on this year’s winner. For many young musicians, these events are a fantastic first taste of live performance in a band setting, and a number Box office 01786 27 4000

of past competitors have gone on to play City Music Live events in the venue as a result.

Working in conjunction with some great local businesses, each competitor will walk away with a music prize, whilst the winner will snap up a day’s recording in the Tolbooth Studio.

For more information or assistance in setting up a heat in your school, get in touch with Kenny on batesk@stirling.gov.uk 14

The Dime Notes DATE Wednesday 23 March TIME 8pm TICKETS £12 / £10

The Dime Notes dig back into the blues-drenched sounds of clarinet-driven 1920’s New Orleans jazz, unearthing a repertoire of stomps, blues, and forgotten gems of the era from musicians such as Johnny Dodds, Jelly Roll Morton and Red Nichols.

Fronted by Chris Barber’s long-time clarinetist David Horniblow, an established figure on the European jazz stage and American pianist/ composer/musicologist and Jelly Roll Morton specialist Andrew Oliver, a recent arrival to the UK, the band is anchored by the unstoppable pulse of the UK’s finest rhythm guitarist Dave Kelbie and the swing and versatility of London bassist Tom Wheatley.

The Dime Notes present a fresh take on a timeless style, emphasizing the propulsive grooves and sultry melodies which made early jazz revolutionary, controversial, and wildly popular.

tolbooth.stirling.gov.uk

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Bella Hardy DATE Thursday 24 March TIME 8pm TICKETS £13 / £11 2015 was a breathless year for Bella Hardy which saw the release of her seventh solo album, With The Dawn, to great critical acclaim.

A summer of opening appearances across the UK and Ireland for Grammy Award winning Mary Chapin Carpenter was topped off by a main stage performance at the prestigious Cambridge Folk Festival and headline tour.

(Blazin' Fiddles) and Tom Gibbs. A rare opportunity to hear Bella in the more intimate setting.

Now she heads out for a selection of special, scaled back performances, Performing as a trio with regular stage companions Anna Massie

5***** fRoots

‘Nothing short of a masterpiece’ The Sunday Times 5***** The Financial Times

Q Magazine ‘… a credit to her and the genre’

Strange Behaviours: Randolph’s Leap DATE Saturday 26 March TIME Doors 7.30pm TICKETS £6 adv. tickets / £8 on the door Age recommendation 14+ An indie/folk band who wriggle free of any melancholic or forlorn connotations, set on producing lush and melodic songs with the right sparkle and bounce to set even the most timid toes tapping.

A troupe of brass, keys, strings and guitars eagerly crowd around the delicate but humorously self-aware songwriting of Adam Ross, at times hoisting songs by the arms into the fanfare of Rufus Wainwright territory, but Box office 01786 27 4000

not scared to tear it all down with a little Bright Eyes cacophony and uproar. All in all, a guaranteed good night out and song in your head for days.

‘Masters of melody … lo-fi indie-pop gems’ The Metro ‘The next generation of witty Scottish indie pop’ The Quietus

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Mànran DATE Saturday 2 April TIME 8pm TICKETS £14 / £12 Two albums under their belt and four years of blowing audiences away with passion, poise, virtuosity and vigour, Mànran are established as one of the most exciting live bands on the scene today.

Built around the band’s traditional Celtic roots, fiery tunes from fiddle, accordion, flute, uillean and Highland bagpipes bind powerfully to a rhythm section awash with funk, jazz and rock. Now a five-piece band together they create some of the most innovative,

uplifting instrumental music around.

Coupled with songs in both Gaelic /English it’s easy to understand why Mànran are in such high demand.

‘Mànran are an exceptionally talented bunch … taking the music world by storm with their high energy, stomping tunes and phenomenal Gaelic/English songs’ Donald Shaw, Celtic Connections

Distil DATE Friday 8 April TIME 8pm TICKETS £10 The annual Distil returns for the 10th anniversary performance featuring compositions by some of Scotland's leading traditional composers. The project, run by Hands up for Trad, has acted as a catalyst for many to develop their compositional skills.

The composers’ work will once again be performed in inimitable fashion by the wonderful Mr McFall's Chamber. Each year the atmosphere is very special as each composer hears their work realised on stage for the first time.

Look out on our web-site for the list of composers whose work will be featured this year. tolbooth.stirling.gov.uk

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Altan DATE Thursday 14 April TIME 8pm TICKETS £16 / £14 As Ireland’s foremost traditional folk act, the group have toured internationally, sold over a million records and acted as flag-bearers for the Irish tradition. As Ireland’s foremost traditional folk act, the group have toured internationally, sold over a million records and acted as flag-bearers for the Irish tradition.

Their most recent Nashville recorded album ‘The Widening Gyre’ joins the list of exquisitely produced award-winning recordings. Their music, strongly rooted in Donegal, ranges dynamically from the most sensitive and touching ballads featuring the mesmerising vocals of Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh to powerful foot-tapping reels and jigs, played with an empathy and perfect timing that comes from a band totally attuned to one another's playing.

Altan’s special strength is the clarity and coordination of its ‘textures’ The New York Times

Martin Taylor & Martin Simpson DATE Saturday 16 April TIME 8pm TICKETS £18 seated / reserved

Award winning Jazz guitarist Martin Taylor teams up with acoustic and slide guitar virtuoso Martin Simpson to play selected dates in the UK. The pair will perform together for half the evening, with each taking a solo spot within the performance. Martin Taylor was recently name-checked on BBC Radio 2’s Breakfast Show as being considered THE best guitarist by no less than Jeff Beck.

Martin Simpson is one of the finest acoustic Box office 01786 27 4000

guitar players in the world, his interpretations of songs are masterpieces of storytelling.

‘Martin Simpson’s performances elicit powerful emotions and subtle, understated beauty’ Guitar Player ‘Martin Taylor is one of the most awesome solo guitar players in the history of the instrument. He’s unbelievable’ Pat Metheny 18

The Railsplitters DATE Thursday 21 April TIME 8pm TICKETS £13 / £11 Renowned across America for their exhilarating performances and great playing, The Railsplitters, working out of the Colorado Rockies, have made a huge impact.

Playing with grace and confidence they have a real depth of character and formidable talent, drawing influences from all the greats – including Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs.

When they released their latest album on this side of the Atlantic, it received widespread acclaim.

Acoustic magazine declared: ‘They have the kind of raw power that can raise mountains.’

Americana UK summed it up this way: ‘The band was ridiculously infectious and a total delight.’

On their home turf, they had already proven their worth, winning major and highly prestigious Best Band titles.

An evening with Phil Differ DATE Wednesday22 April TIME 8pm TICKETS £12.50 Comedy writer, producer, director and comedian Phil Differ presents an evening of two halves. In the first, stand up comedy and in the second, showbiz tales from a career spanning thirty five years. In his own inimitable laid back style, Phil reminisces on his misspent youth, discusses the problems of being a middle-aged man trapped in a 20 year old’s body and reveals how you go from being a failed accounts clerk with British Telecom to becoming Senior Producer in BBC tolbooth.stirling.gov.uk

Scotland's Comedy Unit and being part of the team responsible for such television shows as Naked Video, City Lights, Rab C. Nesbitt, Scotch and Wry and Only an Excuse? So, what's it like working with comedy icons like Rikki Fulton? Who is the funniest of all the performers he has encountered? What might be the pitfalls of filming in Cumbernauld Town Centre with Robbie Coltrane dressed as the Pope? Tonight Phil will reveal all ... provided there aren't any lawyers present.

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China Crisis Tolbooth DATE Saturday 23 April TIME 8pm TICKETS £16

After a highly successful tour of the UK in 2015, China Crisis return in support of their release ‘Autumn in the Neighbourhood’, their first album of new material in 20 years. Eddie Lundon and Gary Daly are the founder members of the band which started in Kirkby, Merseyside back in 1979. Known for their string of hit singles through the 80s, including

African & White, Christian, Working with Fire and Steel, Black Man Ray and Wishful Thinking, the band tonight (Eddie, Gary + keys) will be performing these classics and more, alongside tracks from the latest album.

Partikel's String Theory Quartet DATE Saturday 30 April TIME 8pm TICKETS £13 / £10 www.partikel.co.uk Partikel have forged a reputation as one of the most forward looking groups to emerge on the European jazz scene. The nucleus of Partikel is made up of three London based musicians led by saxophonist Duncan Eagles with Max Luthert on double base and Eric Ford on drums, who have come together to combine musical elements to create a sound of their own and tonight they are joined by Benet McLean on violin.

Box office 01786 27 4000

2015 is a landmark year for the band as they released their third album, String Theory to great critical acclaim from both the UK Europe; already it has made the ‘best jazz album’ lists of 2015 according to the Telegraph and Marlbank. Recently back from Shanghai Jazz Festival this is a wonderful opportunity to see the much acclaimed quartet.

‘Listenable and inventive jazz from a band not content to rest on their laurels …’

London Jazz News 20

COURSES & CLASSES Adults KNITTING & CROCHET BEE Tue 26 Jan – Tue 29 Mar, 5:30-7:30pm An informal gathering for chatting, swapping patterns, techniques and tips.

All levels welcome, no booking required. £1 per session, includes refreshments.

BODHRÁN Tue 2 Feb – Tue 22 Mar Beginners 7-8pm £42/£34 for 8 sessions Intermediate 8-9.30pm £50/£42 for 8 sessions Come along and try the most brilliant of instruments and check out your rhythmic flair … please let us know if you need a Bodhrán.

Tutor: Martin O’Neil / Amen Nugent FIDDLE (INTERMEDIATE LEVEL) Wed 3 Feb – Wed 23 Mar, 7-8.30pm For fiddlers with some repertoire, who can play at a reasonable pace in several keys. As well as looking at popular session tunes, focus will be on developing tone, fluency of notes, along with more intricate bowing techniques and ornamentation. Not for fiddlers at the early stage of learning to play. Tutor: Marie Fielding £50/£42 for 8 sessions

ART/PAINTING Wed 13 Jan – Wed 16 Mar Fri 15 Jan – Fri 18 Mar 10-3pm , with 1 hour for lunch A chance for artists with some experience or beginners to challenge their definition of painting in a supportive social environment.

Participants to bring their own materials.

Tutor: Peter Russell £140/£120 for 10 sessions TOLBOOTH SINGERS Thu 4 Feb – Thu 31 Mar, 7-9pm (not 3/10 Mar) A fun, friendly, informal singing group. Learn a varied repertoire including world music, chants, spirituals, contemporary material, harmonies and traditional songs. You don’t need to have sung before – everyone welcome.

Tutor: Susie Kelly £52/£42 for 8 sessions

GUITAR Thu 4 Feb – Thu 31 Mar (not 3/10 Mar) Beginners 7-8pm £42/£34 Intermediate 8-9.15pm £48/£40 Beginners will journey through the basics easy chords, scale tones and rhythm building blocks. Intermediates will explore the major scale and chord construction along with group CERAMICS – IN THE COWANE CENTRE playing and popular tunes. Bring your own Wed 3 Feb – Wed 23 Mar, 7-9pm guitar. Tutor: Lorne Ralston Demonstration and tuition for mixed levels in a wide range of hand-built ceramic techniques including use of glazes, but not potters’ wheel.

Tutor: Lorraine Robson. £60/£50 for 8 sessions (Includes materials & firings)

tolbooth.stirling.gov.uk

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COURSES & CLASSES Children & young people TRADITIONAL MUSIC WORKSHOPS Monday Nights: From 25 Jan – 21 Mar Age 10–18, FREE Traddies, for complete beginners: 5–5.30pm Fiddle, guitar, whistle Folkus, min 1 yr experience, 5.30-6.15pm Session for fiddle, guitar, whistle, flute The Session* Intermediate level, 6.20–7.20pm The Session Extra* Intermediate+level, 6.20-8pm Tolbooth Trad Band* advanced level, by audition, 7-8.15pm *All trad instruments welcome An opportunity to play traditional music for the first time or to develop and improve playing and performance skills. No music grades or previous experience of trad music needed.

Tutors: Lori Watson, Innes Watson, Claire Mann STIRLING & CLACKMANNANSHIRE YOUTH JAZZ ENSEMBLE Monday Nights: From 25 Jan – 21 Mar Age 10-18, FREE Jazz Big Band/access, Complete beginners to intermediate level, 5–6 pm Youth Jazz Ensemble, Intermediate to advanced level, 6–7.15 pm All instruments and abilities welcome.

No music grades or previous experience of jazz needed. Sessions look at improvisation, various jazz styles and performances in a fun and friendly environment. Tutors: Laura Macdonald and Kevin Mackenzie

Box office 01786 27 4000

PUMP UP THE JAM Wed 20 Jan – Wed 9 Mar Age 11+, 4.45–7.15pm FREE The songwriting and band workshop PUTJ returns for another 8 week block, taking a squad of young musicians and songwriters and transforming them into 4 fully-fledged bands with their own set of original music. Songs are recorded in the Tolbooth Studio, and the full live final performance takes place on the 9th March. Led by Davie Scott CITY MUSIC PROJECT Fri 20 Jan – Fri 11 Mar Age 12–19, 7–9pm FREE Our Friday night music club is open to all, designed to improve your instrument skills, get you writing and performing with others, learning cover versions and socialising.

FIDDLE, CLARSACH, GUITAR, ACCORDIAN & WHISTLE Sat 16 Jan – Sat 26 Mar (11wks) Popular trad music classes run by Fèis Fhoirt for all levels, for times and fees, and to book please contact John MacNeil, feisfhoirt@aol. com / 07770930295 ART – IN THE COWANE CENTRE Sat 6 Feb – Sat 26 Feb Age 6-9yrs: 9.45–11am Age 10-14yrs: 11.30–12.45pm £36 for 8 sessions (inclusive of materials) Explore painting, printing and drawing – learn about colour, design and composition and have fun creating your own works of art.

Tutor: Lori Anderson

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COURSES & CLASSES Children & young people CERAMICS – IN THE COWANE CENTRE Sat 6 Feb – Sat 26 Mar Age 10-14yrs: 9.45-11am Age 7-9yrs 11.30-12.45pm Learn different hand-building techniques using clay and colour glazes to make your own original objects to be fired in the kiln (not using potters’ wheel). Tutor: Lorraine Robson £38 for 8 sessions (inclusive of materials) The Trad and Jazz Monday workshops are free thanks to funding from the Youth Music Initiative.

tolbooth.stirling.gov.uk

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ARTS NEWS Open Invitation: Pump Up The Jam Final Performance A quick reminder that one of our longestrunning and most successful music workshops at the Tolbooth, Pump Up The Jam, forms 4 brand new bands each block, and culminates in a final full live performance in the auditorium. This is a great chance for those interested in joining the workshop to come along and get a taste of what is achieved in just 8 short weeks! Free entry and open to all on Wednesday 9th March at 6.15pm.

See page 22 for full details.

The Stirling DIY Press Collective 2015 was a great year for the Collective, set up to document and promote Stirling’s grassroots arts and music scene. This year saw the publication of the first 2 issues of the print fanzine and the regularly updated blog has covered a range of great EP and single releases, exhibitions of artwork, and previews and reviews of festivals and events, all created here

by Stirling-based musicians/artists. There have even been festival ticket giveaways courtesy of Doune The Rabbit Hole! Professional arts/ lifestyle photographer Brian Sweeney came by earlier in the year to tutor our members in live events photography, and Nicola Meighan will be joining us to talk music journalism in March (see page 11 for full info). You can view a digital version of the fanzines and find out more about getting involved at stirlingdiypress.tumblr.com!

Box office 01786 27 4000

Creative Apprenticeship The Stirling culture team are excited to be welcoming Gregor Flynn on board in a creative apprenticeship role at the venue over the next 14 months. He's come through the ranks of Pump Up The Jam and performed at the venue a number of times in the past, in bands Deep As Grass and Soft Drinks Club. His hours spent volunteering with the technical team and helping get the City Music Live events off the ground have demonstrated a real passion for the arts, so we're confident he'll make a great contribution towards the delivery, management and promotion our events and arts activities.

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Creative Approaches to ‌ Thanks to funding from Artworks Scotland and a partnership between Hidden Giants, Forth Valley, West Lothian and Perth and Kinross Creative Learning Networks the Tolbooth was host to one of three days of training for creative practitioners. The networks have engaged in conversations and projects to explore the discourses surrounding creativity, creative practise and the role of the participatory artist. We have begun toexplore the role of artist as creative catalyst within learning environments, shifting from deliverer of arts skills to a strategic collaborator with pupils and teachers. The programme of training was developed and delivered by Paul Gorman of creative producing company Hidden Giants.

Contacts Carolyn Paterson Senior Programmer & Arts Development Officer 01786 274023 patersonc3@stirling.gov.uk Kenny Bates Music Development Officer 01786 274002 batesk@stirling.gov.uk Clare Hoare Senior Practitioner (Creative Learning) 01786 274014 hoarec@stirling.gov.uk

tolbooth.stirling.gov.uk

Will this be in the test?

A day long ruckus exploring the changing role of the participatory artist within education.

With the return of national testing what space is there in a cluttered and fragmented curriculum for art, culture and creativity? We invite you to spend the day with a diverse range of practitioners to wrestle with the complex issues surrounding the changing role of the participatory artist within education. We will facilitate workshops, panel discussions and stage acts of creative disruptions to better understand who we are and what we offer within Scotland’s future education system.

Tolbooth, Friday 26th February 10am-3pm FREE to book tickets call Tolbooth Box Office 01786 274000

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The Tolbooth studio a high-spec creative space for recording projects big and small

Contact Kenny | 01786 274 002 | batesk@stirling.gov.uk

Box office 01786 473 544 Open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm

www.stirling.gov.uk/alberthalls

Coming Soon RSNO Viennese Gala 14th January The Puppini Sisters 11th March Simon Yates 18th March Mark Beaumont 2nd April Nathan Carter 3rd April Bryan Ferry 18 April

COMING SOON … IN 2016!

Thu 5 May Stevie Nimmo & Ben Poole

Sat 7 May John McCusker Thu 19 May Cosgrove Spiers

Wed 25 May The Unthanks

© Eddie Middleton

Fri 10 Jun Adam Holmes & The embers Mon 10 Oct Vonda Shepard

tolbooth.stirling.gov.uk

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JAN, FEB, MAR & APRIL AT A GLANCE Friday 22 January, Paul Jones & Dave Kelly 8pm Blues

Saturday 20 February Opus Duo 2.30pm Classical

Sat 12 March Day of Song / Karine Polwart from 10.30am / 8pm

Thursday 4 April Altan 8pm Trad

Sunday 31 January James Yorkston, The Pictish Trail & Withered Hand 8pm Indie

Saturday 27 February Strange Behaviours: Hector Bizerk 7.30pm Hip-hop

Friday 18th March Schools Battle of the Bands 7.30pm

Saturday 16 April Martin Taylor & Martin Simpson 8pm Jazz/blues

Thursday 4 February Jimeoin 7.30pm Comedy

Wednesday 2 March Lakin McCarthy presents Mark Thomas ‘Trespass’ 8pm Comedy

Wednesday 23 March The Dime Notes 8pm Jazz

Thursday 21 April The Railsplitters 8pm Bluegrass/Americana

Friday 5 February Dogstar Theatre Presents: The Tailor of Inverness 8pm Drama

Friday 4 March Stirling DIY Press: an intro to music journalism with Nicola Meighan 5 / 8pm Workshop

Thursday 24 March Bella Hardy 8pm Trad

Wednesday22 April An evening with Phil Differ 8pm Comedy

Sat & Sun 11/12 Feb The 4 Elements’ performance project 11–4pm Hip-hop

Friday 4 March Think Thoughts: Loki + support 7.30pm Hip-hop

Saturday 26 March Strange Behaviours: Randolph’s Leap 7.30pm Indie/Folk

Saturday 23 April China Crisis Tolbooth 8pm Pop

Wednesday 17 Feb Mr McFall’s Chamber All of the Above 8pm Classical

Saturday 5 March Ross Ainslie & Jarlath Henderson 8pm Trad

Saturday 2 April Mànran 8pm Trad

Saturday 30 April Partikel's String Theory Quartet 8pm Jazz

Friday 19 February Fiona Hunter Band & Ewan McLennan 8pm Trad

Friday 11 March Rock for Strathcarron Present Hotel California 7.45pm Rock

Friday 8 April Distil 8pm Trad

Box office 01786 27 4000

tolbooth.stirling.gov.uk