Concert Reviews
Le Vent Du Nord Our Mother Tongue was a celebration of language in the trad world with a big cast – hence the lengthy review. Here are the artists in order of performance: É.T.É: From Québec, É.T.É take their name jointly from the French word for Summer and the initial letters of the names […]
The most celebrated citizen from Monkey’s Eyebrow in Kentucky packed in a whole load of spirited country honky-tonk warmth and joy into this dazzling and uplifting hour-long set. KELSEY WALDON, buoyed gloriously by her superb band The Muleskinners, delivers her honest-to-goodness, heartfelt songs in her Kentuckian drawl honestly and with bags of style, and […]
I’ve only recently discovered the music of SAM CARTER. His latest EP, The Oakham Poacher, was sent to me and I’ve been playing it on my show, FOLKnSTUFF. Then I saw he was at Celtic Connections and contacted him to perform at Celtic Music Radio’s Live Broadcast from the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. As he […]
Martin Simpson This was an evening of fine singing coupled with pure guitar magic supplied by both artists. LIAM DOCHERTY is a 19-year-old Canadian guitar prodigy now resident in Scotland. He’s been playing in public since he was seven years old and is an official partner of Taylor Guitars. He’s also a Danny Kyle Open […]
We arrived at the venue to join family, friends, former bandmates and fans of the music of Gordon Duncan to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Live ’N’ Well, the groundbreaking album that broke the mould and re-shaped modern piping. ‘Why are we at a pipe band concert!’ although he didn’t actually say this, I […]
They are regular winter visitors to these parts bringing music that’s gentle, thoughtful, intricate and glorious. There’s a refined wonder to the music Watchhouse creates, the kind that doesn’t clamour for attention, rather its seeps smoothly into your pores and continues to mesmerise long after they leave the stage. Watchhouse (formerly Mandolin Orange) are […]
The anger was tinged with grief when Humbird’s Siri Unlind briefly mentioned her hometown of Minneapolis and recent events on the streets there, and the effect on her family and friends. But she’s finding solace in her music and her chance to share it here at this powerful, absorbing and, at times, playful show […]
A big thank you to Skelpt for a great night last night at Van Winkles. Greg Summers was on top form as MC – full of energy and enthusiasm as always, keeping things moving with his usual good humour. Martin Stephen Jones and Stuart Arnott got the evening off to a brilliant start with some […]
LOUISE ROGAN possesses a wonderful voice, reminiscent of Joan Baez, and is also a skilled keyboard player. Following on from the well-received duo release Things That Matter, recorded with her father songwriter Chris Rogan, she has now released her first solo album Give Me A Day. The reception accorded the earlier release and a […]
This was the last concert of the 2025 Orkney Folk Festival for me, and, after leaving the packed-out Ferry Inn session with my ears ringing from the sound of some 40+musicians crammed into a small space, I was ready for more a gentler, more relaxed ambiance. I found it at Stromness Parish Church. The […]
