Butefest [28-30 July 2023] was a bit of an experiment for me as I only knew one of the bands on the line-up. However, that of course also meant I was going to discover lots of new to me music, hurrah! Butefest was dreamt up by a group of islanders in 2015 and is a very community-oriented festival, which is also reflected in the extremely diverse line-up ranging from rock, to traditional Scottish music, country, ska and many others in between to suit a variety of musical tastes.
The festival site is located in a field right next to Ettrick Bay on the west coast of the beautiful Scottish Isle of Bute and there are two stages, one larger and one slightly smaller tent, which was a godsent as it allowed the music to go on pretty much uninterrupted even though the weather was fairly windy and rainy on two of the three festival days.
There was also a fun disco tent, which functioned as a crafts tent for the younger festival goers and often had some kids staggering about in giant minion, big bird and similar costumes [pic below], which was the funniest, cutest thing I had seen in ages.
All three headliners, The Lafontaines, Skerryvore & Big Country, drew a big crowd and I was especially excited to see Skerryvore [pic below] again. With their bagpipes, powerful rocky sound and exquisitely crafted songs, they are a reliably great Scottish live band who seem to just get better every year.
A band I discovered at Butefest and instantly liked were Edinburgh-based indie rock outfit Wrest [pic below]. I generally tried to switch between the two tents to catch lots of different acts, but these guys simply had me glued to the spot, well, dancing in the main tent, for their whole set.
Other acts I personally enjoyed included Austral, country singer-songwriter Robyn Red, The Dughoose Ska Band [second pic from the top], James Harper, Pilgrim Society and Cody Feechan, but there were also much rockier bands on all weekend, so the line-up worked for a diverse audience and age groups.
I was volunteering with the marshall team for the weekend, which was both fun and due to the windy, rainy weather also a bit of a challenge. I ended up wearing all the warm clothes I had brought and was still freezing my backside off guiding cars to the right place to park on arrival. At least there were a few of us to share the pain, we kept the cold off with hot drinks and there was the energetic Skerryvore set to look forward to at the end of the wet Saturday night.
I slept really well in my cosy wee tent despite the rain hammering down on it pretty much the whole night, but awoke on Sunday morning to a water-logged and fairly depressing-looking site. I was so glad we had a crew catering tent, run by a cheerful couple from Yorkshire, to hang out in with hot water on tap and yummy snacks. I spent the morning guarding a gate by the beach, cuddling lots of wet festival dogs and humming the previous night’s Skerryvore songs to make the time pass faster. By the time the afternoon came rolling around, the wind and rain had finally let up a bit and the sun even came out for a while. The site filled with festival goers again, who made the best of the last day of Butefest.
Food-wise there was a good few stalls with chips and burger type offers, but maybe pizza or noodles would be a nice addition for future festivals. I loved the Japanese food [pic above] and Rothesay town was just a short bus shuttle [hourly from late morning to late evening] trip away for getting extra veggie supplies and for visiting the cafes and charity shops, like Musicker Cafe and Bute Oasis shop. I even spotted the Waverley paddle steamer go by [pic below] on Friday afternoon.
Travelling to Butefest by public transport was easier than I had initially thought. You can take a train or bus from Glasgow Central to Wemyss Bay and then catch a ferry from there to Rothesay. The festival shuttles are timed to meet the boats and there are also regular bus services across the island which serve Ettrick Bay. The campsite is right next to the beach where you are getting off the bus and the festival site just a two-minute walk further up the road. All in all it was a fun weekend of live music despite the weather and the island is well worth a visit any time of the year for its beautiful scenery and friendly community feel.
Disclaimer: All photography Ⓒ Life is a Festival.
Community Spirit Meets The Finest Scottish Music: Speyfest 2023
Speyfest [21-23 July 2023], which is based in the picturesque village of Fochabers on the banks of the River Spey between Inverness and Aberdeen, is the best example why you don’t need to be a mega event to deliver a brilliant festival experience. It’s firmly rooted in the local community and everyone pitches in to make it what it is today: a vibrant celebration for all ages showcasing traditional Scottish music in all its facets from young fiddlers from the local high school to well-known headliners, who often play much bigger stages at other events.
The friendly festival, which has been running for 26 years, boasts a diverse line-up of world-class musicians, ranging from traditional Scottish folk artists to more contemporary performers. Over 30 live music acts across the July weekend plus lots of music, song, dance and children’s craft workshops as well as a prosecco afternoon tea and whisky and gin tastings ensured there’s something for every taste.
The very impressive, packed weekend schedule of live music across two stages was more akin to one at much larger festivals. Friday’s line-up featured the much-loved John McCusker, Michael McGoldrick and John Doyle trio, Orkney fiddle sensation Fara and Skipinnish singer Norrie McIver and band. I was told the last act on Friday night would always be a little different and while ska ‘godfathers’ Bombskare strayed maybe a bit too far from the crowd’s musical comfort zone to really fit in, they nevertheless gave it their all until the early hours.
Saturday’s acts included highly acclaimed flautist and piper Calum Stewart, Scottish singer-songwriter Siobhan Miller, genre-defying Talisk [pic above] plus Scotland’s folk-rock superstars Mànran.
On Sunday afternoon Glasgow-based five-piece Ímar got the crowd going on the main stage and was followed by innovative female folk band Kinnaris Quintet plus energetic trad-fusion quartet Mec Lir. Celtic rock supergroup Skerryvore [pic below], who were joined on stage for a surprise tune by the Gordonstoun Pipe Band, closed the night and the festival with a brilliant set which had everyone singing and dancing along.
It was my first time volunteering with Speyfest and there was plenty to do for the various teams of mostly local helpers of all ages. Who needs a gym when you can keep fit by setting out and taking down hundreds of chairs a few times a day in the main tent and making sure the site stays nice and clean. Selling bar tokens and raffle tickets were also all in a day’s work and by the end of the weekend I felt like I had met half of the village’s population, which is definitely an advantage with smaller events.
Apart from great music, dancing and singing, Fochabers also has other interesting sights on offer. You can visit the small but very well organised Folk Museum on the main street or take a walk around Gordon Castle gardens and stop by the attractive café with indoor and outdoor seating and excellent food. Greenacres Café is a nice place for a cuppa, too, and I found some great vegetarian food at The Quaich Café [pic below] plus there are several pubs with restaurants to try, a few takeaways and two Co-op shops for snacks and other supplies.
There is also an extensive network of lovely woodland and river walks, which I highly recommend, especially if the weather is good. I camped at leafy Burnside Caravan Site, which was a five-minute walk from the festival and had great shower facilities. Fochabers is surprisingly easy to reach by public transport, simply catch a train or bus to Aberdeen or Inverness and then hop on the hourly 10 Stagecoach bus to the village, which takes about 2 hours one way.
If there ever was an underrated Scottish festival for trad and folk music lovers, Speyfest might just be it, so put it in your calendar right now for an unforgettable weekend of music in a very beautiful part of Scotland!
Disclaimer: All photography Ⓒ Life is a Festival.
A Celebration of Classical Music – Mozartfest Augsburg 2023
I was visiting family in Bavaria on the way back from my interrail trip when, by chance, Mozartfest was happening in Augsburg while I was there. I only caught the tail end of the programme, which consists of about a dozen individual concerts in May, but attended three outstanding evenings of music, which actually motivated me to give more classical music concerts a try in future. Full disclosure at this point [and most readers will know this, of course]: classical music isn’t one of my usual genres. However, as this blog post will go to show, it’s always a good idea to stretch your musical comfort zone. Like me, you might find that you’ve discovered a new interest that will expand your cultural horizons.
If you’re not that familiar with Germany, you might be wondering what the connection with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Augsburg is. In fact, his father Leopold Mozart was born in the historic Bavarian city and the house, which is now a museum, is open to visitors. The festival has been around for a few decades and has existed in its current format since 2015 when Simon Pickel took over the role of head of Augsburg’s Mozartbüro as well as becoming the festival’s director. I must admit I expected the atmosphere to be a lot more stuffy, but it turned out to be fairly relaxed with attentive and extremely appreciative audiences each night.
The first event I attended was called Mozart Evolution and it showcased the continuous evolution, individuality and innovation of Mozart’s compositions. As someone who is not very familiar with classical concerts, I was pleased to be seated by chance next to a professional classical musician, who provided me with lots of useful background information before the show. Apparently the Freiburger Barock Orchester is one of Germany’s top chamber orchestras, playing instruments and a style which showcases the works in an authentic format largely resembling the way they would have been played at the time they were composed. The evening also included a trio for clarinet, piano forte and viola, which emphasised the chamber feel of the music even further. Another highlight that night was a concert aria sung by Germany-based Ukrainian opera singer Kateryna Kasper.
All the concerts I attended took place in a stunning late baroque ballroom, the Little Golden Hall, dating back to the mid-18th century. It has tall windows on both sides, which meant the sky went gradually darker during the course of each evening, only adding to the already festive mood. The second night I had a seat beside one of the city’s previous mayors and also next to a retired teacher who knew a lot about the historic building. She pointed out two quirky additions to the hall, a mouse relief on the wall behind the stage and a painting of a robin near one of the windows. The second night’s performance was by another excellent chamber orchestra, this time from Bavaria, the Bayrische Kammerphilharmonie as well as the charismatic Swiss tenor Mauro Peter. The theme, Solo Mozart, focused on Mozart’s catchy compositions and Peter’s voice and personality brilliantly matched the exuberant character of the arias presented. The extended and heartfelt applause each night was proof of just how special the concerts were – what a privilege to enjoy such extraordinary performances in such beautiful surroundings.
My last concert was completely different from the other two, but most definitely not less intriguing. Entitled Many Loves One Voice, it featured countertenor Bejun Mehta accompanied by Jonathan Ware on piano, both from the US, but based in Germany. The programme was a fascinating selection of various pieces by Mozart, Purcell, Haydn, Britten and Beethoven, sung in Italian, German and English and all dealing with themes of love – passionate, secretive, unrequited, betrayed. As on the other two nights before, the audience responded to the performers with rapturous and continued applause, prompting encores on each occasion. On the last night it was a beautifully interpreted version of the Scottish traditional folk song The Water is Wide. When Metha had sung the last note and it was absolutely quiet in the hall, suddenly faint but joyous birdsong could be heard from outside – the perfect ending to an extraordinary performance and to my own festival experience.
Disclaimer: Life is a Festival was provided with review tickets for the festival events. All pictures taken by and used by kind permission of the official festival photographer, Fabian Schreyer.
30 Years of Celtic Connections in Glasgow – Where Tradition Meets Future Talent
There were times during the pandemic when I thought the Glasgow I loved and cherished for its brilliant atmosphere on a night out might never return. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I’m very pleased to report, there was nothing to worry about! As soon as the thirtieth edition of Celtic Connections had got on the way, the familiar buzz of past festivals was restored with visitors as far as Boston, Berlin and Bergen joining local audiences for another 18-day party in Scotland’s most vibrant live music city.
I was so pleased to see so many sell-out concerts this year [altogether over 300 events, 25 venues, 100k audience] and a bumper line-up, which to most of us music fans means tough choices to be made when you have 7 or 8 fantastic acts from different countries and genres playing simultaneously in venues across the city. This year I also had various different hats, volunteering behind the scenes, working at some shows [incl. Carol Laula & Yvonne Lyon at the Glad Café] and reviewing a few in between – plus a short radio interview on BBC’s Good Morning Scotland [pic below].
So here we go, let’s dive right into what it’s been like this year and all the fabulous musicians you might want to add to your playlist. My first volunteer shift was helping backstage for the huge opening concert celebrating 30 years of Celtic Connections with an amazing group of musicians from Scotland and abroad, a pipe band, poets and even a contemporary dance ensemble. As an audience member, it is hard to imagine just how much work goes into putting such an event together and how tirelessly the people behind the scenes are working to make it all go smoothly.
Soundchecks go on all day, people get fed in the belly of the concert hall, musicians sit and rehearse together, get interviewed, tech staff finetune every performance and I was super impressed how absolutely everyone on and off stage worked together with so much respect for each other while also having a lot of fun. It really was an incredible experience to be part of. Further volunteer shifts involved repping shows in other venues, including Roddy Woomble of Idlewild at the beautiful Mackintosh Church, one of my favourite spaces for live music in the city, as it’s basically like being inside a giant piece of well-designed furniture.
Billed as ‘Tomorrow’s Talent Today’, the popular Danny Kyle Open stage is a free in-person event plus it also gets live-streamed by Celtic Music Radio. Up to 5 up and coming acts perform in the Exhibition Hall of the GCRH every day from 5-7pm [queueing btw. 4-4.30pm highly recommended as less than 200 seats]. Previous winners include Karine Polwart and RURA and for once I managed to make enough time to attend a few of the sessions. The DKOS website has a list of all the participants and I highly recommend giving them a listen, the quality is very high and they hailed from all corners of the UK, Europe and beyond. A really delightful mix of genres and instruments and every one of them talents to look out for in future.
At this year’s festival I also managed to catch a few artists I had had on my ‘to see’ list for a long time. These included US folk music legend Judy Collins, who is still going strong at 83, had us all sing along to her classics and whose stories of working with Leonard Cohen and other greats were thoroughly fascinating. I had always somehow missed Amadou and Mariam, the famous husband and wife duo from Mali, at festivals before. Their show at the GRCH, seated at the start, which soon turned to everyone dancing in their rows, was a vibrant, life-affirming night of music. Having been going for 20 years, Transatlantic Sessions has been a winning formula of Celtic sounds from both sides of the Atlantic and Amythyst Kiah [pic below], Martha Wainwright and Liam Ó Maonlaí plus several others were fantastic additions to this year’s line-up.
While it’s wonderful to see so much talent on one stage in one night, you often only need a single, spellbinding performer to completely captivate an audience. I hadn’t seen Lisa O’Neill from Ireland live for a few years and her voice and creative songwriting are just so impressive. So was the concertina playing by Cormac Begley from West Cork, an instrument I had never truly appreciated, but most definitely do now. It is also used skilfully by Mohsen Amini of genre-bending trad band Talisk, who I had the pleasure of looking after during one of my volunteer shifts. Their sold-out show at SWG3 proved yet again just how popular traditional music also is with younger audiences. This was also true for the festival club sessions at the Glee Club. Imagine a late-night crowd partying to whistle and bagpipe tunes of Project Smok [pic below], the beautiful sounds of Kinnaris Quintet or last year’s battle of the folk bands winners Deira from Spain.
As Americana is always a big focus for me, US singer songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman’s concert was such a joy to experience, 20 years after I first saw her live when I was still living in Dublin. I also made it to a Canadian night at the Drygate with two more of my favourites [we were truly spoiled this year!], William Prince and Madison Violet, both from Winnipeg and glorious in their own way. The closing night of the festival was yet another big treat, Anais Mitchell with Bonny Light Horseman, filling St Lukes in the East End with the most beautifully crafted songs.
Glasgow is well known for its great listening audiences. We know our favourites, appreciate their work, influences, even tiny details, and there is generally a really congenial atmosphere at live shows. Celtic Connections has a way of bringing out the best in music lovers from Scotland and abroad who bring a powerful intensity to the listening experience, which normally tends to be seen as more of a passive activity. Not so in this city. Here in Glasgow, it is alive and vibrating with a shared humanity, which can be hard to pinpoint, but is most definitely evident at every single event.
Disclaimer: Life is a Festival was provided with a number of review tickets for this event. All photography Ⓒ Life is a Festival
Posted in Music Festival Reviews
Tagged americana, Celtic Connections, celtic connections festival, celtic music, festival review, folk music, Glasgow, music festival, Scotland, scottish music, volunteering
40 Years of Global Sounds – WOMAD Festival 2022
As I happened to be in London for a few weeks this summer, I finally made it to WOMAD Festival, which took place from 28 July until 1 August 2022 at the Charlton Estate near Malmesbury in Wiltshire. It was the festival’s 40th anniversary celebration and it didn’t take me long to see why people love it so much. The site is beautiful, the line-up includes artists from all around the globe and many different musical genres and on top of that there are so many other activities to try and enjoy, my main problem was to ignore all the things I was missing, because it was impossible to experience them all. Here are some tips how to get the best out of your festival weekend, if you’re attending WOMAD for the first time.
Travel and Accommodation
I took a train from London Paddington to Chippenham [ca. 1 hour] and then caught a shuttle [ca. 30 mins] to the festival [used to be £5, now £10 per leg/person]. It’s great to have this car-free option, but car parking is completely free, so it would be fantastic if eco-friendly travel could be prioritised in future. Tip: Make sure you get to the shuttle bus stop very early if you have advanced train tickets as there was such a delay [despite queueing early] that I missed my train by a few minutes and had to buy a new ticket. There was plenty of space for camping and a mix of portaloos [most of which sadly got pretty grotty overnight] and composting toilets [by far the cleaner and more eco-friendly choice, from Compoost Solutions], showers [make sure to choose a spot near them if that is a priority] and some drinking water outlets/sinks. Glamping options and more ‘fancy’ [i.e. sinks/mirrors/flushing loos] toilet facilities were also available at an extra charge.
Music Line-up
WOMAD has several larger and a few smaller stages spread around the festival site, about half of them in the open air and the rest under cover. It might take you a couple of hours to find your way around the place, so if you want to see particular bands, make sure to get there early for a good spot in the front. The line-up covers a huge cross=section of genres, so you can experience fantastic music from different continents without leaving the UK.
My highlights included Gilberto Gil & family [Brazil, pic above], Cimafunk [Cuba], Fantastic Negrito [USA, pic below], Folknery [Ukraine], Angelique Kidjo [Benin], Sam Amidon [USA], Johanna Juhola [Finland], Les Amazones d’Afrique [Mali, Benin, Guinea], Mariachi Las Adelitas [Mexico], Sonah Jobarteh [The Gambia], Elaha Soroor & Kefaya [Afghanistan/Italy/London], Osibisa [Ghana] and The Dhol Foundation [UK]. Many of the sets and talks also had British sign language interpretation, which was great to see.
Other Activities on Site
The World of Words tent was probably my favourite non-music venue as it offered a great choice of talks from Ukrainian band Folknery [pic below] telling us about their global bike travels and folk traditions, to a humorous review of the papers on Sunday morning and even a screening of a very good documentary film, Hostile. Right next to it was the Physics Pavillion and the Cosmodrome that were super popular with science fans of all ages throughout the festival weekend [so queue early].
I also attended a fascinating ‘forest walk’ [pic below] during which our knowledgeable guide showed us various tree species around the arboretum, including a beautiful cork oak. There was also an extensive area with children’s activities for all ages from babies to teenagers, with crafts, theatre and even a climbing wall. Adults could while away a few relaxing hours getting a massage in the World of Wellbeing area or join a yoga or a singing class in the forest. The Taste of the World tent was also quite unique. Artists from around the world cooked traditional dishes in front of a live audience while chatting about their music and culture. Apart from all these offerings there was also a more traditional ‘funfair’ area with a ferris wheel and bumper cars, and lots of stalls with beautiful handmade crafts, clothing and other products.
Food & Drink
There was a huge choice of food available, including plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. I had a delicious vegan burger [pic below], a large salad/deli plate and a plant-based curry the three nights I was there and bought enough other food in the nearby Aldi [on the way to Malmesbury village, maybe a 15 min. walk away] for my other meals. Cuisines included Asian, Mediterranean, Eastern European, British, Caribbean and many more plus cooked breakfast, a cider tent, lots of coffee stalls and dessert options, too, so you will definitely never go hungry.
Experiences Not to be Missed
I particularly enjoyed the All Singing All Dancing tent as it offered some brilliant dance workshops, including raggaeton, Jamaican dance hall and banghra, with some of this year’s festival artists. You also don’t want to miss the ‘secret’ Museum of the Moon stage [pic below] hidden in a beautiful clearing surrounded by greenery off the camping area, which was especially atmospheric after the sun had gone down. I always finished my festival nights at the small but perfectly formed Lunched Out Lizard Rajasthani tent, which not only served excellent chai, but also the freshest tropical, latin and raggae sounds curated by the Racubah collective and other DJs and was a really chilled place for dancing.
Posted in Music Festival Reviews
Tagged festival, festival review, festivals, live music, music festival, summer music festival, uk festival, Womad, Womad 40, womad festival, world music
One-Day Music Party in the Highlands: The Gathering 2022
I haven’t been to many one-day festivals, but The Gathering in Inverness, a fairly new event that started only in 2019 and focuses on traditional Scottish music, had such a packed line-up of bands I really liked, I just decided to go for it. I took a train [3.5 hours direct] up to Inverness on 28 May, arrived midday and the venue, the Northern Meeting Park, was less than a 10 minute walk from Inverness station. There was a main stage and a much smaller stage 2 and plenty of enticing local food and drink [including enough meat-free options] on offer to keep everyone going from lunchtime until 10.30pm, which was the cut-off time, presumably as the event took place right next to a residential city centre area.
The festival had a really relaxed vibe to it and I met lots of friendly people of all ages. I liked how it suited everyone from groups of youngsters out with their friends to families with babies sitting around on blankets to real music fans dancing in the front. It seemed to really bring the local community together and everything appeared well organised [also top marks for whatever company ran the portable toilets, they did an amazing job keeping them clean all day, something often neglected at largish outdoor events].
Now to the live music. I managed to catch most bands on the day and the sets were spaced out with half hour breaks in between acts, so I also had time to head over to stage 2 for short sets by Lairig and Heisk, both fantastic, will definitely look out for them in future. They had the audience on their feet dancing in no time and the fact that it was quite a small tent made for an especially nice atmosphere.
The mainstage line-up offered one highlight after another. Alas, I missed Project Smok [hoping to catch them in Glasgow sometime], but really enjoyed Heron Valley with band members from all over Scotland, like Oban, Lewis, Cowal, Glasgow and Stirling. Torridon from Ross-shire brought some more rocky Scottish sounds to the event and around mid afternoon it was time for Manran, who I had only discovered last December in Aberdeen and then seen at this year’s Celtic Connections in Glasgow. It was a great set as usual, even though the quieter songs got a little bit lost in the boisterous outdoor gig atmosphere.
Up next were The Peatbog Faeries from the Isle of Skye, who combine traditional Scottish music with some very danceable grooves, which seemed to work perfectly for the mixed-age audience. Their set was followed by Skerryvore, a Scottish force of nature who had everyone dancing and singing during their whole set [see pic below]. Capercaillie are always a joy to listen to, but had similar issues as Manran. Their quieter songs got mostly drowned out with the drizzle and wind during their set, definitely a downside to outdoor shows, even though it was luckily really sunny for most of the day. Still a fantastic band that I would highly recommend seeing live. The final act of the night was indie folk band Elephant Sessions, whose mix of trad, funk and electronica was a particular favourite with the many younger attendees. All in all a fantastic day. I just hope a few more female musicians can be added to future festival line-ups. There are certainly enough talented candidates to choose from on the Scottish music scene and beyond.
Having missed out on festival ‘practice’ for two years during the pandemic, at the end of the evening I was so tired from being on my feet and dancing most of the day, that I was just glad my B&B and my cosy bed were a mere 5-minute walk away. On Sunday I went for a nice brunch and a wander around town and was back in Glasgow by Sunday evening. If you fancy giving festivals a try, but do not feel up to camping or travelling far, this is a great event that is totally doable with public transport and also on your own. You won’t feel like a stranger for long, I certainly didn’t.
Disclaimer: All photography Ⓒ Life is a Festival.
Posted in Music Festival Reviews
Tagged festival, festival review, folk festival, folk music festival, Highlands, Inverness, music festival, One-Day Festival, outdoor festival, scottish music, The Gathering, The Gathering 2022, The Gathering Festival
Ringing in the New Decade with Celtic Connections 2020
Time flies when you’re having fun and so the 18 days of brilliant live music that was the 2020 edition of Celtic Connections [16 January – 2 February] went by way too quickly, as usual. The popular winter music festival with its mix of folk, celtic, trad, Americana and world music once more attracted large audiences from the UK and abroad. What’s more, there seem to be new fans joining the stalwart CCFest fans flocking to Glasgow every winter to see world class acts jam together and discover the freshest talent of young musicians from Scotland and further afield.
I managed to get quite a few good concerts in again this year starting with volunteering as an artist liaison for a fantastic double show at the Tron Theatre by US Indie-folk artist Noah Gundersen, supported by Brighton-based Bess Atwell. The event also included a short presentation by suicide prevention charity TWLOHA. The same day I witnessed the emergence of STORM, a stunning 10m tall moving puppet [see pic above] made of recycled materials to commemorate the festival’s Coastal Connections Day. The night after I headed down to St. Lukes for Kentuckian Tyler Childers, who has a strong fan base in the UK and came recommended by friends, but somehow didn’t hit the right notes for me. Iris Dement, on the other hand, who I had wanted to see for a very long time, was a real revelation. While her unusual voice might not be everyone’s cup of tea, her witty and intriguing stories and beautifully songs made me feel more like being at a house concert rather than in a large concert hall.
Probably my favourite gig this year was Canadian Frazey Ford and one of my favourite Scottish bands, Adam Holmes and the Embers from Edinburgh, at St. Lukes. Whoever booked those two as a combo should be congratulated as their unique styles complemented each other extremely well. It was a beautiful night with lots of happy people in one of the nicest venues in town. On the second Saturday I volunteered at the Drygate looking after the Folk Circle consisting of English folk singer Reg Meuross with Scottish singers Lori Watson and Kim Richards and some of their musician friends. Their melodic music would have probably been better suited to a quieter venue, but it was still a lovely concert. The night after I had been invited by a friend to join him for the Phil Cunningham 60th birthday bash at City Halls [pic below]. We had pretty good seats and the line-up kept getting surprise additions, such as Eddi Reader, Karen Matheson as well as a children’s sibling duo playing traditional instruments almost like pros. The nearly three-hour show was a fun-filled celebration and a night to remember.
My third week started with the first of two Seirm recordings for BBC Alba, which this year took place at The Arches next to Central station [rumbling train sounds included!]. The best thing about being part of a recording for TV is always being so up close to some of the most amazing musicians, while it also requires a lot of patience as the set-up between artists takes quite a while. On that night’s bill were Dervish [pic below], RURA, Aoife Scott [Irish singer Frances Black’s very talented daughter], the very entertaining The Poozies and Della Mae from Boston [now Nashville]. I had to drag myself away just before it finished to catch the tail end of The Milk Carton Kids in the RCH, who I had never seen live before and whose harmonies and beautiful, quiet melodies were truly mesmerising.
The night after, at The Old Fruitmarket, was another one of my favourite festival shows: Brooklyn-based Anais Mitchell [pic below] and her newly formed trio Bonny Light Horseman with fantastic guitarist Josh Kaufman and singer Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats. Seven months pregnant and having recently won eight Tony awards and a Grammy for her folk opera ‘Hadestown’ a few days earlier, Mitchell was positively beaming on stage and I loved every bit of it. The last night of the festival was another highlight for me: the Translatlantic Sessions, this time featuring Tenessee mandolin virtuoso Sierra Hull [whose songwriting workshop that morning was fantastic], Dervish singer Cathy Jordan and young Edinburgh-based songwriter Rachel Sermanni as well as a host of amazing festival musicians.
While 18 days of music seem fairly long to those used to 2-3 day music events, it is somehow never long enough once the festival gets going. One thing is for sure though: Celtic Connections is a fantastic way for visitors to experience all the friendliness and hospitality Glasgow has to offer and a chance for locals to welcome the new year with a bang!
Here are my reviews of previews editions of the festival in 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and some practical tips for your first visit to Glasgow during Celtic Connections.
Disclaimer: Life is a Festival was provided with review tickets for some events. All photography used in this blog post was taken by Life is a Festival.
4 Reasons Why Shrewsbury Folk Festival Is Simply Unmissable [incl. 2019 Review]
Even though I only made it to two festivals this summer, I made sure one of them was Shrewsbury Folk Festival. It was my 8th time in a row and it’s always a fantastic weekend of live music, dancing and fun. This time we managed to have another heat wave coincide with the bank holiday weekend, like in 2017, which made for a completely rain-free festival, hurrah.
If you’ve never been to SFF, here are the best reasons to join us next year and the next and the one after that…
The quality line-up
Even though there wasn’t enough Americana on the bill this time around for my liking, I’m always amazed at the great variety of brilliant musicians who play the festival. Now being based in Scotland, I was particulary excited to see the fabulous Skerryvore make a return as the Monday headliners [who just about made it from the airport coming from the US leg of a tour] as well as the always excellent Capercaillie. The festival also showcases up and coming local artists on the Launchpad stage, which this year included young guitar talent George Nash.
While I enjoyed the sets by US artists Amythyst Kiah, Birds of Chicago, Rev. Seckou, Cajun Country Revival and Aine Tyrell from Ireland, I was most impressed with the world music collaborations this year. These included Michael Messer’s Mitra [jazz/blues/classical Indian], AKA Trio [musicians from Brazil, Italy & Senegal] and Mankala [see pic above], all well worth checking out. I also always enjoy Kate Rusby, Oysterband and the While & Matthews duo had several sets, with guest musicians like Belinda O’Hooley, to celebrate their 25th musical anniversary. New to me Jiggy playing traditional music from Ireland with a modern twist were probably my fav new find this year, indeed I was surprised I had never heard of them before.
The additional activities
I always pick up my festival programme [one of the best ones around, really detailed and beautiful with band descriptions and everything you need to know] when I arrive on Thursday and aim to make it to a few other things than ‘just’ listening to music. But every single time I have to admit that there just isn’t enough time to get to everything – which is also a nice problem to have as it means there is so much on, you’ll absolutely never get bored. How could you?
Included in your festival ticket are songwriting workshops, you can learn every instrument you can think of from scratch [incl. bodhran, mountain dulcimer, flute & ukulele], browse the market stalls, join a yoga session or spend a whole day in the dance tent. One of my favourite things this year was the children’s parade with dozens of beautiful animal paper lanterns and proud youngsters showing them off to the sound of the crowd singing ‘Yellow Submarine’ as this year it was a maritime theme – just magical!
I’m proud to say I at least managed to make it to one ceilidh [with John Spiers playing live for us, no less], which was a lot of fun. And ceilidhs are so inclusive, you don’t need to know what you’re doing or bring a dance partner, you can simply join in and that includes wheel chair users and people of all ages [the youngest dancer was probably four years old].
The historic town of Shrewsbury
The town of Shrewsbury is a shortish walk from the festival site, so I often head there along the river to stock up on food supplies, have a coffee and browse the charity shops. You can explore the town’s heritage, join a walking tour or enjoy a river cruise. They also have a number of good outdoor shops, which is handy if you’re camping. You might even bump into some festival musicians, some of whom stay in town if they don’t get put up in homestays nearby. You’ll also run into lots of other festival goers [easily recognisable by their wristbands or festival t-shirts] and everyone usually has a good story about previous years or favourite acts.
The friendly atmosphere
SFF is largely staffed by [hundreds of] volunteers who tend to join the same team every year, so they really know what they’re doing. This makes for a calm, relaxed atmosphere and you’ll hardly notice the festival security team [who are really just there as a back-up]. There are plenty of tables and chairs to sit and chat over a coffee, people practise their instruments in the bar, hub or outside their tents and are generally respectful of each other. I have hardly ever come across anyone drunk and/or rowdy, it’s just not that kind of place.
Having said that, the festival attracts people of absolutely all ages, from families with toddlers [the youngest I met this year was a 5-week old baby!] to retired folks and everyone in between. Compared to more crowded festivals [e.g. the also excellent Cambridge Folk Festival] there is a lot of space, almost never much mud, even if it rains persistently like in previous years, and hardly any queues [maybe apart from peak lunch & dinner times]. Oh and the festival is dog-friendly of course and even the pooches like to join in like beautiful Bramble [see pic above]. All of this guarantees a stress-free, super relaxing weekend of music!
So join us, sign up as a volunteer or grab a festival ticket, bring your guitar and be prepared to talk to strangers. Like a woman I met on the train on the way home to Glasgow remarked: It’s so nice when people still talk to each other. It is, isn’t it? SFF is one of those places where you’ll get a friendly hello back when you smile at a stranger. Wouldn’t it be lovely to take this attitude back home with you, especially in these times when we seem to be sorely in need of a little more kindness?
Posted in Music Festival Reviews
Tagged americana, festival review, folk festival, folk music, folk music festival, live music, music festival, music festival review, shrewsbury folk festival, Shrewsybury, shropshire, summer festival, world music
Banjos vs Bagpipes: Oban Live 2019
I first came across Oban Live [7-8 June 2019] founders Skerryvore at Shrewsbury Folk Festival last summer and as I was moving to Scotland shortly after I was excited to hear that they had their very own festival. The sold out two day event [capacity 5000] has been taking place in the beautiful seaside town of Oban on the West Coast of Scotland since 2016 and has been going from strength to strength ever since.
On Friday morning I hopped on a very crowded [as way too short] train from Glasgow and arrived three hours later in Oban together with lots of other excited, mostly repeat, festival goers. And yeah, despite having had some terrible weather all week, the open-air festival stayed blissfully rain-free during the whole weekend.
Oban Live takes place at Mossfield Park Stadium, a short, well-signposted walk from the town centre and unlike most of the other festivals I usually attend there is just one big stage. This meant there is no difficult choices to make or music schedules to plan. We could simply enjoy all the bands without having to worry about missing any of the live acts.
Both days’ line-ups consisted of six bands. First up on day one was young local trad musicians Argyll Ceilidh Trail, followed by JigJam from Ireland and Be Charlotte, an up and coming Dundee-based artist. After sampling the festival food on offer, which included wood-oven pizza, Asian noodles, Mexcian food, fish & chips and a stall with some traditional Scottish dishes, all of which had veggie options, plus a coffee, tea and ice cream stall, it was time for the evening acts starting with popular trad fusion band from the Highlands, Elephant Sessions.
My favourite set of the night was billed as Celtic Brotherhood, which in fact consisted of festival bands We Banjo 3 from Galway and Skerryvore joined by some additional local pipers for extra oomph. The Friday headliners were Red Hot Chilli Pipers with dancers of Flings & Things, an appearance by Soul Nation choir and of course bagpipes galore.
Day two started out with Edinburgh based rock band DMS followed by Scottish trad virtuosos Talisk and spirited singer songwriter Lucy Spraggan. The Caman Connection, a super group of Scottish musicians with an association with the Scottish sport of Shinty brought together by Gary Innes and included band members of Runrig, Capercaillie and Manran. The rest of the night was another energetic set by Irish ‘Celtgrass’ band We Banjo 3 and a fabulous closing set by Skerryvore, who had everyone up on their feet for the last hour and a half.
Besides the main event there was also a varied programme of Fringe happenings taking place from Thursday onwards and both the main festival as well as the fringe had informative little print-out programmes with all the info needed. From daytime pub sessions to a craft market and two after parties at the View Oban late into the night, there was something for everyone whether you are a morning lark or a night owl.
I was very impressed with the organisation of the festival on the whole. The security checks at the entrance were thorough but not over the top [it is OK to bring in food, just no liquids] and there were clearly layed out areas for putting up your own camping chairs with a great view of the stage, while most people opted for dancing right in front. There was also a VIP ticket option with a separately cordoned off area, their own bar and perks like food vouchers and priority entry into the after party each night. The entire festival was very relaxed and had a mixed age audience from families with children to groups of local teenagers and lots of Skerryvore fans of all ages from around Scotland and beyond.
As there is quite a demand for local accommodation during the festival weekend, I would highly recommend booking your hotel or B&B as early as possible. Having initially thought I would be camping [around £30 including a shuttle to and from the festival], I opted for a hostel in town instead, Oban Backpackers, which was walking distance, comfy, very clean and, of course, full of other Oban Live folks, so a very pleasant base for the weekend.
In terms of eating out, Oban has plenty of options for everyone: fresh seafood from a stall by the harbour, trying local delicacies at the Food From Argyll café in the ferry terminal or starting the day off with a sweet breakfast at the airy Chocolate Café with a waffle & ice cream special [see pic below]. There are also a Tesco, Lidl & Aldi on the way to the festival for supplies and some cheap camping chairs [Tesco], which came in handy as my friend had hurt her foot just a few days earlier.
During the day you can explore the town itself and for instance enjoy the fantastic view over the bay from McCaig’s Tower, hike or cycle to one of the nearby beaches [can recommend Ganavan [see pic below], about 2 kilometres along the seafront with a food stall and public toilets] or take a 1-2 hour wildlife spotting boat trip from the harbour.
Oban really is a beautiful corner of Scotland and Oban Live a festival which is big enough to have an excellent time listening to top Scottish and international musicians while being small and friendly enough to have a relaxed holiday weekend. Best of both worlds!
Disclaimer: Life is a Festival was provided with a weekend pass for the 2019 festival in exchange for a personal review of the event. Opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily the same as the official views of the event organisers. All photography used in this blog post was taken by Life is a Festival apart from those labelled courtesy of Oban Live/Stephen Lawson.
Transcending Traditions: Celtic Connections 2019
I’ve been coming to Glasgow for Celtic Connections every January since 2016 and ever since first arriving in the city I felt it might be a good place for me to live. So last autumn I finally made the move from London and it was fantastic to be in town for the whole 18 days of the festival [17 Jan – 3 Feb 2019] for the first time!
Being the largest winter music festival in Europe, the event has been a success story for many years now. It not only attracts a huge number of locals who enjoy outstanding music from different parts of the world, it has also become a magnet for visitors from other countries who brave the winter weather in order to experience the unique atmosphere of Glasgow city.
This year was no different and the festival boasted a bumper programme of acts from the worlds of folk, Americana, classical, Indie, roc & blues, spoken word and many exciting cross-over collaborations.
Week 1
The festival started for me with a celebration of Tiree music festival [see pic above] at the Old Fruitmarket including Trail West and Skerryvore. On Saturday I was looking after two very different bands as a volunteer artist rep, May Erlewine, melodic Americana from Michigan, and the Como Mamas, three fabulous gospel singers from Mississippi, at Mackintosh Church [one of my new favourite buildings in the city, well worth a visit]. On Sunday I was at King Tuts for the first time for an afternoon session of up an coming artists part of Hazy Recollections. Later that night I popped into a couple of gigs that were happening around the corner from each other: Irish trad musician Daoiri Farrell and friends playing ‘The Dublin Session’, Charles Esten of the Nashville series fame, sold out, but alas not my kind of thing and a bit of The Roaming Roots Revue at the Royal Concert Hall including the always excellent KT Tunstall. After taking a much needed break for two nights I was back on Wednesday with a session of lovely Welsh music including songwriter Gwyneth Glyn in the Strathclyde Suite of the RCH. On Thursday I very much enjoyed seeing Americana artist Caroline Spence again who supported US musician Steve Forbert at St. Andrews.
Week 2
My second festival Friday was a night of old-time and more modern Appalachian tunes and songs with Canadian trio The Lonesome Ace Stringband. On Saturday I was looking after two more bands for the day: Andrew Combs & Charlie Whitten from Nashville and Amy Helm from New York. They played Oran Mor and both were excellent, Andrew & Charlie complemented each other perfectly while Amy and band played an energetic set for an enthusiastic audience. The day after I went to see Madison Violet form Canada at the Fruitmarket and then headed over to St. Luke’s for Tennessean Ashley Monroe. On Monday I was at the Rhiannon Giddens show at the RCH [with surprise support by Kaia Kater]. With such an outstanding voice she can really sing anything well, but although the orchestra arrangement was fascinating, it didn’t touch me as much as her other work usually does. Midweek I caught Canadian Leeroy Stagger at King’s Theatre [a new venue for both the festival and me] and then headed over to the Mitchell Theatre for Emily Smith and her husband Jamie McClennan, who I hadn’t seen for years and who was as good as I had remembered, a more Americana sound this time around. I only caught one of the BBC Seirm recordings at Hillhead Bookclub this year, but it was again a wonderful line-up including Tim O’Brien and Blue Rose Code, one of my Scottish favourites of recent years.
Week 3
The third Friday of the festival I was so tired after a long week at work and constant concert going that I just wanted to get some sleep, but a friend abroad messaged me to say check out the line-up at St. Luke’s tonight. So I reluctantly ventured out into the cold and was pleasantly surprised the venue was seated for the night, hurrah. The first band up, Pretty Archie from Cape Breton pretty much woke me up within five seconds and I also really enjoyed Chance McCoy’s first solo set at the festival. Nashville-based headliner Nicki Bluhm and her band were excellent, but I was too sleepy by then to really appreciate it. Saturday was my last time looking after festival bands this year and I was at the Old Fruitmarket [see pic above] again for a very exciting collaboration by Karine Polwart and a selection of other musicians [Shetlander Inge Thomson, Graeme Smilie, Louis Abbott of Admiral Fallow etc.]. Her ‘Scottish Songbook’ consisted of a diverse selection of popular songs by Scottish bands of the past and present from Annie Lennox to Frightened Rabbit with a lot of humorous banter thrown in. My final gig of the festival was at the O2 Academy across the river, another great listed building and impressive former cinema. The show started with Canadians Pretty Archie [see pic below], followed by the very rocky Hooten Hallers from Missouri [both bands’ first visit to Scotland] and the popular The Dead South, Canadian bluegrass with an edge.
You might be reading this and wonder if you have been to a completely different festival. Around a dozen different musical offerings on many nights make it a tough choice for festival goers. This year I often simply went by what hadn’t been sold out yet or was easy to get to if the weather was particularly adverse [it was in fact, fairly OK for this time of the year, phew]. I also tried to make it to a few venues I had never been to in the years before.
You don’t need to move here like I did to enjoy what Glasgow has to offer, but this exciting Scottish city is definitely worth a visit, especially during Celtic Connections. Read more about previous editions of the festival [2016, 2017, 2018] and a guide to Glasgow during Celtic Connections. Hope you’ll join us next year!
How do you write a review of an event?
You are presenting your opinion of what you have seen and are seeking to persuade the reader to share that opinion. Like any argument, a review must have a clear logic [based on a firm opinion, or thesis], with an introduction and a sequence of paragraphs presenting well organized evidence.
How do you rate a festival?
Music festival event feedback survey questions in this example.
How would you rate your overall experience at the music festival? ... .
What was your favourite part of the festival? ... .
Was there anything you did not enjoy about the festival? ... .
How would you rate the quality of the music at the festival?.
How do you write a good concert review?
Be honest about whether you individually enjoyed the concert and how, in your opinion, the audience as a whole responded. Also, include in your review the acoustic quality of the music - if the live music deviated from studio versions of music as well as the effect of the music on the crowd.
How do you describe a festival in writing?
Festivals are larger than life celebrations of various things. They occur at regular intervals and helping in breaking the monotony of life. Furthermore, they give you the chance to celebrate the little and big things in life. Festivals are the carriers of peace and joy in the communities.