Showing posts with label Dougie McLean. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dougie McLean. Show all posts

Tuesday 17 July 2012

Dougie McLean Milngavie Folk Club June 30 2012

Dougie was magic. He was on good form and like a choir master he really got everyone singing in full voice.  

This event took place to an expectant and warmly enthusiastic Milngavie Town Hall audience. Some were clearly die-hard McLean fans and some had travelled long journeys for the gig.
Premier Scottish songwriter is best known for his song Caledonia which has become part of Scottish culture and is often performed at weddings and played by pipebands. He also wrote the theme The Gael for the The Last of the Mohicans (1992).

McLean performed songs from his 2012 album Resolution, as well as some of his large back catalogue. He gave us a full two entertaining sets of his warm thoughtful songs.
He began with the song Holding Back - 'a wee song about contentment' he said. (there may well have been a few more songs I didn't manage to get the title of).

First Set: Holding Back/ Don’t Look Down/ Another Time/ Loving One (She Loves me when I'm gone, She thinks about me when I'm gone)/ Some Hearts/

Second Set: Resolution/ Not Look Down/ Scythe Song/ In Darkness/ Broken Wings/ Caledonia/ For his encore he sang the song You Sing Loud (Shine on, oh shine on over me) 
 

He encouraged us to sing and he said that people were never passive in Scottish music - he explained that they joined in and that is why the old folk songs had so many refrains. For the song Some Hearts he conducted our singing and he suggested we sang with more harmonies.

He also spoke about how music can heal and the inspirational work of Nordoff Robbins Music therapy for terminally ill children. 
He said - I travel with my little songs. McLean has a touching compassionate voice in his songs.

His song themes appear subtle and soothing sitting alongside calming melodies but actually they carry powerful messages and emotions. McLean is something of a philosopher in his songs which offer thoughtful insights on life with a strong sincerity. He fully recognises and accepts the emotional draw of the 'song'. His songs are personal but also intimate and universal, as if speaking directly to you.

His songs have lines such as - You may fall but you must not lie down/Some hearts will fill with wonder/ Some hearts will break in two/ Some hearts will wait for summer/ Time will turn.
Price we have to pay/ Place we started from to resolution’ 
Lost in the fiddle’s sweet sound….For a moment free from one more endless day.

He said that we must make loads of mistakes in order to really ‘live’ life. He said that music wasn't always kind and it can sometimes be a heart breaking kind of thing

McLean has been a professional musician for 38 years since a chance encounter with the Tannahill Weavers.
Try Dougie McLean songs - She Will Find Me, Another Time (about his father), Broken Wings, Holding Back,

Sometimes subtle messages in song can be even more powerful
.  http://www.dougiemaclean.com/

Wednesday 6 June 2012

*Great Scottish Troubadours

Dick Gaughan
Rab Noakes
Emeli Sande

Writing this I realise I've been fortunate to have met and seen live most of these very talented Scottish Troubadours at their gigs in the past years and I have also taken photos of them  - with the exception of Annie Lennox and Gerry Rafferty. These talented artists include - Annie Lennox, King Creoste, Dick Gaughan, Rab Noakes, Karine Polwart, Emeli Sande, Dougie McLean and Michael Marra.
Some have managed to cross over to the mainstream for commercial successes, but for the likes of Gaughan does this matter if he can still tour his music? All these artists follow the music in the first instance, have great strength of character as well as being talented musicians.

*Dick Gaughan - Leads the field. He mixes his Scottish and Irish roots to great effect and draws on deep traditions of song craft.  Best songs Westlin Winds, Both Sides the Tweed
He's been touring his songs for over 40 years, while he also does song researching, and more. He is a true character in every sense with no pretensions whatsoever.  His songs have much to say about character, social inequalities, beauty, truth and more. For Gaughan it is about the song and its message - while also about his guitar and edgy voice. Worth seeing live for his chat between songs too. http://www.dickgaughan.co.uk

*Gerry Rafferty - I remember clearly listening to Humblebums and Stealerswheel small cassettes, before his solo career and to his many wonderful songs. He was the rare folk singer who managed to cross over to commercial successes - or maybe it was simply easier for talent back then? In the 70s he gave us his biggest hits - the soaring sax of Baker Street and the dancing rhythms of Stuck in the Middle With You, as well as Get It Right Next Time, Right Down The Line and The Ark. His songs cover the full spectrum of emotions, they express full-on-energy, questioning cynicism and mystic spiritualism. He was from Paisley Scotland and his music gave the folk song a new voice. He cared about the craft of the song and not celebrity or it’s trimmings. He was an artist in the true sense of the word and had a rare clarity of artistic vision. Folk pop singer songwriter Rafferty was one of Scotland’s greatest singer songwriters. http://www.gerryrafferty.com/

*Rab Noakes played with Rafferty in Stealers Wheel before going solo. He draws on 50s American rock n roll such as Buddy Holly and his hero Dylan. Noakes always sings some lesser known classic songs by respected musicians and clearly respects music back catalogue. Songs - Branch, Together Forever, Clear Day. Noakes is a straight talking and sincere man.  http://www.go2neon.com/
*Karine Polwart - Of the younger artists she has the most to say on social injustices and a lovely voice too. She writes about sensitive political issues, such as alcoholism and genocide. Songs Daisy, Rivers Run. I've met Karine and she is a lovely down to earth person too. http://www.karinepolwart.com/
*Michael Marra paints colourful images of American legends from his Scottish perspective. His songs are effective through his slanted humour. His songs include -  'If Dundee was Africa', 'Bob Dylan's Visit to Embra', 'Grace Kelly's Visit to Dundee,' 'Muggie Shaw', 'Freda Kohl's Visit to the Tay Bridge Bar', 'Lonesome Death of Francis Clarke',  'Schenectady Calling', 'Letter from Perth', http://www.musical1.com/Michael_Marra/

*Annie Lennox started out in the Eurythmics with Dave Stewart (Sweet Dreams) and has gone on to solo successes worldwide both as a song writer and performer. Annie also does a lot of work for charities -  Amnesty International and Greenpeace. She and Dave Stewart donated all of the profits from Eurythmics' 1999 Peacetour to both charities. Lennox is one of the worlds best selling music artists.  http://www.annielennox.com

*Dougie MacLean is one of Scotland’s premier songwriters and producers. His most famous music is ‘The Gael’ which was used as the main theme for The Last of the Mohicans. And Caledonia which has been covered by many other artists and called Scotland's "unofficial national anthem". He played with the bands Tannahill Weaver and Silly Wizard. http://www.dougiemaclean.com

I'm not sure where the young Troubadours are. Yes I know there is KT Tunstall and Paolo Nutini who have had successes on the festival circuit, yet I am not sure what these artists are saying to me. A mention here for talented singer songwriters Kim Edgar, Boo Hewerdine, King Keoste and Kris Drever, who tour and play at Celtic.
    
Exciting New Scottish Artists 2012
*Emeli Sande. I've followed Emeli (previously known as Adele) since 2006 at her ep launch and it has been very exciting to see her reap the rewards from all her songwriting work with the successes of her debut album Our Version of Events,due to be released in America in June. She has a powerhouse soul voice and distinctive song writing. I met Emeli at her King Tuts gig and she has such a natural warm smile and was very earnest about her music. She plays clarinet and piano. http://www.emelisande.com/
*King Creoste - His album collaboration album Bats in the Attic with Jon Hopkins won him a Mercury Prize Nomination 2011. Creoste draws from folk roots and world music influences.http://www.kingcreosote.com/ 

New Scottish Bands - Admiral Fallow, Dirty Beggars, Rura, Manran... There appears to be more creative activity in the folk/bluegrass/Celtic rock traditions than in the rock music field. Perhaps following after the success of English artist such a Mumford and Laura Marling.
Scotland boasts three world scale Arts festivals - T in the Park (second largest music festival in the UK), Celtic Connections and Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe festival. Glasgow has the most attendances at Arts events of any UK city ( this includes galleries). As well as the SubClub world famous dance club venue. 

Scottish music: Rock of the north -  Talk of independence is giving Scottish culture a boost – especially in the thriving music scene. The new bands are inspired by the country's traditional music, and they sing in their own accents too! I found this article below on the resurgence of Scottish 'pride' in our very unique Scottish heritage - and it's effect on younger musicians. Many say they now feel proud to include Scottish roots elements in their music. Plus some Scottish bands no longer feel they 'have' to be based in London an can access the wider world via a Scottish base - the Errors, Frightened Rabbit, Twilight Sad, Admiral Fallow.  London is a very over crowded city metropolis and why should Scottish bands/artists feel they have to move there to have successes. If you check the artistic breath of Scottish music its' a huge plus to be free of the 'what's the cool trend' in London. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/

Karine Polwart

Michael Marra