[Our monthly correspondent Paul Castle is a songwriter and journalist from London, England. Even if you aren't there to follow these concerts and tours, this column is goldmine of information about the British folk scene and of URLs for artist and venue websites. Enjoy.-HB]
Anyone living in the UK will tell you that the place to be on 'any' New Year's eve is in Scotland for 'Hogmanay'.
If I could choose to be anywhere I like on that night, other than home, I would probably choose Edinburgh - more specifically, the Waverley Stage Hogmanay celebrations for "a wee bit a' Quebecoise cajun 'n jazz" (try saying that after midnight) with the nine-piece folk band 'La Bottine Souriante'. You really get the feeling that they have finally cracked the UK this year. Their name is all over the place, with major UK chain stores like Our Price getting behind them in their Christmas advertising campaigns, boldly quoting the 'Folk Roots' review "the tightest and most exciting band of any nature anywhere". I'm pleased to see they're on their way down to London in January, so already the New Year is lookin' up! Can't find their own site but this gets you somewhere: http://www.millepattes.com/Anglais/bottine/index.html
To find out more about 'Hogmanay' in Scotland go to http://www.caithness-mm.co.uk/discover/essential/esshogm.html or if you want the words to 'Auld Lang Syne' go to http://home1.gte.net/malcolm/Hogmanay.htm
Personally I prefer John Lennon's 'Across the Universe' for
my midnight song. This Beatles lyric site worked well for me:-
http://members.home.net/sherlockh/beatles/beatles.html
and click on the 'Let it Be' album cover and then Across the Universe.
Here's this month's gigs, with Lucy Kaplansky and Ani DiFranco over from America and Maddy Prior on the South Bank to get us all in the mood.
Fri 3rd Dick Gaughan
http://www.dickalba.demon.co.uk/main.htm
(Cecil Sharp House)
"One of Scotland's finest folk voices.." - The [London]
Times
"A truly masterful performer." - Folk Roots
Fri 3rd &
Sat 4th The Saw Doctors
http://www.enterprise.net/sawdoctors/
+ Lunasa
http://www.house-of-music.com/susan/lunasa/index.html
(Shepherds Bush Empire)
"If they could bottle the sort of bonhomie that can make
an entire concert hall feel better, the Saw Doctors would have
the medicine show to end them all." - Paul Sexton, The
[London] Times
Lunasa, described by the Irish Voice as "the hottest Irish
acoustic group on the planet" include Trevor Hutchinson (formerly
The Waterboys) and Donogh Hennessy (formerly the Sharon Shannon
Band).
Fri 3rd Muzkikas & Marta Sebestyen
http://www.slowriver.com/3/catalog/artist/158.html
"Sebestyén is one of the finest singers on the European
folk scene, and her lovely voice has the high, lonesome sound
of the great traditional singers." - The Boston Globe
(Blackheath Halls)
Sat 4th Bill Caddick
http://wkweb1.cableinet.co.uk/realisations/Pics/BCaddick.html
(Cellar Upstairs. O'Reilly's)
"Bill has been one of the great figures of the British music
scene over the last two decades. The subtle, powerful poetry of
his songwriting is matched by the fire and technique of his singing
and the brilliance of his instrumental work - all illuminated
by his sheer charisma in performance." - Redditch Festival
1999
Mon 6th Robb Johnson.
http://www.folkmusic.net/htmfiles/webrevs/irr029.htm
(Herga Folk Club)
"There is no doubt that Robb Johnson is up there with the
best of our contemporary muses..." - Mike Raven
Tue 7th Leadbelly - The Celebration of a Legend
http://www.blueflamecafe.com/
featuring Ramblin' Jack Elliott
http://imusic.com/showcase/contemporary/ramblinjackelliott.html
Taj Mahal
http://www.guitarsite.com/newsletters/991011/22.shtml
Ralph McTell
http://www.folkcorp.co.uk/mctell
Lonnie Donnegan
http://www.harbour.sfu.ca/~hayward/van/glossary/skiffle.html
(Royal Albert Hall)
A veritable host of legendary performers out to celebrate the
50th Anniversary of the passing of Huddy Leadbetter, aka Leadbelly
- "The King of the 12 String Guitar". Should be a wonderful
night.
Thur 9th &
Fri 10th Ani DiFranco
http://www.columbia.edu/~marg/ani
(The Forum)
I found an interesting letter from Ani to Ms Magazine bemoaning
the fact that even they seem more interested in her business acumen
than her skills as a 'folksinger'. http://www.columbia.edu/~marg/ani/letter.html
Sat 11th Lucy Kaplansky
http://www.folkartists.com/kaplansky/
(Borderline)
Touring the UK promoting her new album, '10 Year Night', before
returning to the States for the farewell performance of Cry Cry
Cry (in Boston on 2nd January) (See UK tour dates below)
Sun 12th The Two Duos Quartet
Ian Carr & Karen Tweed,
Chris Wood & Andy Cutting
http://www.cutting-tweed.demon.co.uk/cutting.htm
(Cecil Sharp House)
Two of the UK's most influential traditional music duos
combine to create one outstanding quartet.
Tue 14th New Deal String Band
http://www.wildwood-records.co.uk/NDSB.HTML
Originally formed in 1966 by Tom Paley and Joe Locker, two banjo-and-guitar
playing ex-New Yorkers living in London. Their repertoire comes
from material recorded by early country stringbands in the 1920s
and 1930s. (Cecil Sharp House)
Tue 14th &
Wed 15th Billy Bragg
http://www.billybragg.co.uk/
+ Kate Rusby
http://www.purerecords.demon.co.uk
(The Forum)
Billy's latest album "Reaching To The Converted" is
a collection of B-sides and rarities spanning his entire 16-year
career. A recent champion of lost Woody Guthrie songs on the 'Mermaid
Avenue' album, Billy is supported by the truly wonderful Kate
Rusby, whose version of Iris Dement's 'Our Town' is one of the
many highlights of her latest 'Sleepless' album. See full tour
dates below.
Wed 15th Van Dyke Parks
http://www.rykodisc.com/rykointernal/Limited/vdp/default.htm
+ The High Llamas
http://www.cabinessence.com/high-llamas/
A musical career spanning four decades of working with artists
like Randy Newman, Phil Ochs, Little Feat, Ry Cooder, Arlo Guthrie
etc
Thur 16th Maddy Prior
http://www.soldigit.net/gaudela/prior/
(Queen Elizabeth Hall)
Celebrating her 35 year career with a special evening, visiting
the earliest days of Steeleye
Span through to her latest album Ravenschild [Park Records],
with a band that includes Tim Hart, Peter Knight, Rick Kemp Nick
Holland, Troy Donockley and Teri Bryant.
Mon 20th Shane McGowan
http://www.bcpl.lib.md.us/~lpettijo/1rstpage.html
(The Forum)
Ex-Pogues singer with his current band The Popes' and their latest
album "The Crock of Gold."
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