Bob Wood – 9th August

Tight harmonies, sizzling fiddle and percussion plus monstrous guitar – all adds up to My Sweet Patootie being the special guests at Irvine Folk Club on Wednesday 23rd May. The Band’s name is a slang term of endearment popular in the 1920s and was chosen by them to capture their vintage flavour and the satirical edge to some of their songwriting.

My Sweet Patootie first played in Irvine in 2013 and have been back a couple of times since, including headlining at a Marymass concert in 2014. The Band started off in Canada in 2007 as a duo with Sandra Swannell and Terry Young. They were both former members of the terrific Canadian Band Tanglefoot of fond memory, and so their CVs were always going to be decidedly good! In 2012 they added a percussionist and of late, for UK tours, My Sweet Patootie has Devonshire man John Jackson in the line-up.

Terry Young is a jaw-droppingly good acoustic guitarist, classically trained Tenor and in general, he is a talented multi-instrumentalist. Sandra Swannell is a classically trained violinist and violist and was Principal Violist with the Georgian Bay Symphony. She and Terry share a mutual love of Swing, Americana and Country.

My Sweet Patootie have been described as two parts exemplary musicianship and one part vaudeville comedy. They tell tall tales and corny – really corny – jokes. A kind of modern day music hall. The Irvine audience can expect to hear heart-breaking ballads in between finger-snapping tunes.

Pandemonium, their most recent CD was released in August last year and was recorded at their own Nowheresville Studio near Meaford in Ontario. Their second CD was called Pattootified and not to labour the description, the Irvine audience might well be Patootied-oot, such is the abundant energy and energy of the trio.

My Sweet Patootie are touring the UK in May & June and the Irvine Club is a venue that they enjoy. So, to hear this thoroughly entertaining Band, get along to Irvine Folk Club on Wednesday 24th May for 8pm to Vineburgh Community Centre in Quarry Road where it’s BYOB.

Elsewhere, the 35th Orkney Folk Festival dates are 25th – 28th May. Based in Stromness, it’s apparently one of the Festivals on the ‘Go if you can’ list. Closer to home, the annual Folk Night organised by Ardrossan Highland Games is at the town’s Lauriston Hotel on Friday 9th June starting at 7.30pm. The guests will be Andy Chung and Stephen & Pernille Quigg. Phone 07949 811115 for tickets priced £10.

Tom McConville, regarded by many as one of the finest Fiddle players in the British Isles, is the very welcome guest at Irvine Folk Club on Wednesday 10th May. This is one most definitely not to miss.

Tom McConville is a performer, session musician and Fiddle teacher – and is in great demand on all three fronts. Born in Tyneside, his first experience of traditional singing and fiddle music was in The Globe pub in Newcastle where he was brought up. It was ‘the watering hole’ for many in the local Irish and Scottish communities on Tyneside and explains why Tom’s repertoire although deeply rooted in his native North East, has strong Scottish and Irish influences.

A scintillating Fiddler, Tom also has rich, warm vocals and a dry Geordie wit. The Irvine Club audience should be prepared for a rollercoaster of fast rhythmic dance tunes through to beautiful slow airs and great singing – with, at all times, his inimitable droll sense of humour in tow.

As well as performing solo, Tom tours with a variety of line-ups and accompanists including Guitarists David Newey & Andy Watt, acoustic Bassist Phil Murray and Accordionists Shona Kipling & Leonard Brown. At the Irvine Club, Tom will be accompanied by Andy Watt. Originally from Callander in Perthshire, Andy is now based in Newcastle upon Tyne. Andy is a star pupil of Guitar maestro Chris Newman and he is also a Mandolinist – which is a new description of saying someone plays the Mandolin! In Andy’s case though, he plays it to an exceptionally high standard! Such are his musical skills that Andy is in much demand and plays in various bands.

After playing the Irvine Club, Tom will be off to Germany for three days of gigs. So, do your very best to be in the Irvine Folk Club audience on Wednesday 10th May at Vineburgh Community Centre in Quarry Road for 8pm. It’s BYOB.

Elsewhere, Moniaive has its Folk Festival this Friday 5th May. One day only but full of good stuff and Moniaive is worth visiting in any case. And one week later on 12th May, the Fife Trad Singing Festival – Fifesing 2017 takes place in the glorious surroundings of Falkland. Moniaive and then Falkland plus music and good company. Excellent!
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Ewan Wilkinson & Sandy Brechin are at Irvine Folk Club on Wednesday 26th April and it will be the first time that the Irvine audience has heard this duo – although they have been playing for over ten years.
They sing a mix of Scottish, Irish and English trad songs as well as some contemporary material and some of their own compositions. Ewan is a powerful baritone who also plays Guitar and is increasingly well-known for his self-penned songs written in the folk idiom. Sandy Brechin played at the Irvine Club a number of years ago as the lead in the ‘Heavy Folk Rock’ band Burach. He can play the Accordion unbelievably fast – but it’s not all fiery and frantic fingering of keys. Sandy can do subtle and sensitive accompaniments and was part of the ‘uber-classy’ instrumental line-up at a Songs of Robert Tannahill concert at this year’s Celtic Connections.
So, get along to the Irvine Club on the 26th to hear for yourself the talented music of Ewan Wilkinson & Sandy Brechin. The Club starts at 8pm in Vineburgh Community Centre in Quarry Road and it’s BYOB plus there is a good café.
Last call for Auld Hats, New Heids on Friday 21st April at Vineburgh Community Centre. It starts at 7.30pm. The Friel Sisters are the headline guests at Girvan Folk Festival taking place from Friday 28th to Sunday 30th April. Visit www.girvanfolkfestival.co.uk for details. Scotland has a wealth of Folk Festivals throughout the year, all helping to keep music live. Full info on what’s on where from www.tmsa.org.uk

A wee reminder that the Auld Hat New Heids Show will be appearing in Vineburgh this Friday at 7.30pm. Same format as club night – BYOB but café open for teas/coffees etc.
The show will last from 7.30pm – 10pm. Should be a good night. Tickets are £10 available at door. The club is not running this show only helping out and the raffle profits will go to Irvine Folk Club.

Sunjay made his debut appearance at Irvine Folk Club three years ago, and such was the impact he made that he was immediately booked for Marymass and has had repeat Club bookings. If you haven’t heard Sunjay, make sure you are in the audience on Wednesday 12th April at the Irvine Club to hear this very talented and immensely likeable performer.
From Stourbridge in the West Midlands, Sunjay is a rising star on the Folk and Acoustic circuit. Such are his guitar skills, that some reviewers say he is reminiscent of Ralph McTell and John Martyn. Match that with an authoritative voice that belies his 23 years years and the reasons for the glowing reviews become apparent. Sunjay picked up the guitar aged four and hasn’t put it down since. As a youngster he was introduced by his Dad to the sounds of Don McLean and Buddy Holly and now Sunjay’s guitar picking skills are said to be among the very best. The material played by Sunjay is heavily influenced by the Blues but also draws from Folk, Country and Rock. He also writes some of his own material.
He has a confidence, maturity and ease on stage and is held in high regard by folk world luminaries such as Steeleye Span. Hear Sunjay at Irvine Folk Club on Wednesday 12th April in Vineburgh Community Centre in Quarry Road. The Club starts at 8pm and it’s BYOB.
Looking a bit ahead, on Friday 21st April, Auld Hat & New Heids is at Vineburgh Community Centre. It’s a specially arranged show featuring Ian & Fraser Bruce, Pete Clark & Gregor Lowry and concentrates on well-loved songs that the audience can join in with. Tickets priced £10 are available from Joyce on 551047 or at Irvine Folk Club.
And finally, from 26th April – 7th May, Tradfest is on in Edinburgh. Described as a feast of folk arts and seasonal customs, there are 131 events over 34 venues. The Box Office is at 0131 556 9579 or visit tradscotland.org/tradfest.

The dates for the 50th Marymass Folk Festival were agreed at the AGM last night.
Thursday 24th August – Sunday 27th August
Full details soon.

(The following is a review from Celtic Music Radio of Auld Hat New Heids’ recent performance at St Andrews In The Square on Sunday 29th Jan 2017).

Throughout the years that Celtic Connections have been running there have been many memorable concerts. This concert will go down as one of them! It was a truly memorable night and up there with the best concerts over the years. A show designed to rekindle the songs and atmosphere of folk clubs of yesteryear with audience participation it did exactly what it said it would.

Seasoned performers and brothers Fraser and Ian Bruce, accompanied by Gregor Lowrey (accordion) and Pete Clark (fiddle) put on the show of their lives. Starting the night with Doon In The Wee Room they immediately increased the bands vocal support by over 300 as every member of this sell out audience joined in with the singing. This continued throughout the night and is exactly what this show is all about. Every single song was a well known one and passionately delivered by Ian and Fraser. There was hardly a dry eye in the house at their renditions of the Loch Tay Boat Song and Silver Darlings.

Another inspired part of this show was the showing of slides onto a large screen paying tribute to musicians, alive and dead, who had been major influences and inspirational to many up and coming musicians. Also included in the slides were the choruses of many of the songs to assist the eager audience with the words and to encourage their singing. Much of Scotland’s’ working past was also remembered with songs such as The Jute Mill Song, The Shoals of Herring and The Wark O’ The Weavers. Of all the songs performed few had a rousing reception as great as that given to The John MacLean March.

In between the songs the wit and humour from the Bruce brothers was excellent. These guys put the fun back into music. It was hard to believe that Fraser Bruce had taken a near 30 years sabbatical from performing only returning to stage in 2014. His enthusiasm in getting this project up and running puts a lot of artists half his age to shame. The ultimate accolade I could give them is to liken them to The Corries in their heyday. The interaction with the audience, the humour and their rendition of many of the songs reminded me so much of Ronnie Brown and Roy Williamson.

This was one of those nights you did not want to finish. People left this historic venue with huge smiles on their faces raving about how good the evening was. At the start of the evening Fraser recited a poem listing the many folk clubs that used to be open over the length and breadth of the country. Sadly the majority of these clubs are no longer however Auld Hat New Heids is doing everything in their power to bring back those heady days. This show continues around the country, it would be foolhardy to miss it. For songs and laughter this is the show to go to.

Danny Matheson (celticmusicradio.net)

On Wednesday 29th March at Irvine Folk Club, the very special guest will be Geordie man Bob Fox. A man with a busy gig list and who is much respected by the likes of Ralph McTell among many others.
Bob started his singing career around the then busy folk scene in the North East of England. It was while playing at The Davylamp Club in Washington where he was resident, that he met Fiddler Tom McConville. They formed a duo which toured all over the UK and from then Bob’s musical career never looked back.
He plays Guitar, Piano, Dulcimer and Button Key Accordion and his clear voice has a rich, velvety tone which he puts to good use on a range of traditional and contemporary songs. As well as the aforementioned Tom McConville, Bob has had a number of musical collaborations throughout his career. They include an enduring partnership with Stu Luckley, plus The Hush, ex-Lindisfarne frontman Billy Mitchell and The Pitmen Poets who are Jed Grimes, Benny Graham, Billy Mitchell and of course Bob. All the collaborations have been very successful.
In recent years, Bob played the invisible spirit character in the National Theatre’s much acclaimed production Warhorse. So successful was the production that Bob recorded an album of the songs which he now presents on tour in An Evening with the Warhorse Songman.
In short, this amiable and humorous man is worthwhile going along to hear at Irvine Folk Club in Caldon Road on Wednesday 29th March. The Club starts at 8pm.
Elsewhere, on Sunday 26th March at the Woodlands Centre in Irvine’s Kilwinning Road, Maggie MacInnes features in A Tapestry of Gaelic Song. The event starts at 3pm and tickets are £5 at the door or email uwsjimsmith@gmail.com for further info. At The Star in Glasgow on 28th March, the Adam McCulloch Ban will top the bill. The Star starts at 7.30pm in The Admiral Bar.

Fraser Bruce is bringing his show Auld Hat New Heids to Vineburgh Community Centre on Friday 21st April at 7.30pm. Tickets priced £10 are available from Joyce 01294 551047. You are advised to get your tickets early as space is limited and this should be a very popular show. Went down well as Celtic Connections and getting good reviews around the country. The Folk Club are not running this show – merely helping out with the door and ticket sales. Looking forward to it.

The AGM of Irvine Folk Club will take place in Vineburgh Community Centre on Wednesday 22nd March 2017 at 7.30pm. If you have not yet renewed your membership please do so before the AGM. Hope to see you all there.