A Night for Dick Gaughan at Celtic Connections 2026

Gaughan is a voice of deep humanity in our present dark world. 

And a Message from Chicago, that spoke of playing Gaughan’s songs on the long drives to work to remind him of our shared humanity, in these dark times facing Americans today 

 

Gaughan brought many of the traditional Irish and Scots Celtic songs to new life. I’d never heard Robert Burns Westlin Winds before Gaugan introduced this as one of the best songs ever written. Guaghan searched through the Scottish national archives for the best traditional ballads. Like Burns and Dylan before him Gaughan has been a genius song collector and remaker of the old songs. Gaughan drew on his Scots and Irish traditions to develop his song craft and performance. 

 

I first heard Dick Gaughan in the 70s at the Police folk club Edinburgh. A musician friend raved about how incredible and distinctive his guitar playing was. Many years later (after being in America for nearly ten years) I heard Gaughan again at Milngavie Folk club in 2007. This was an intimate gig where his chat and stories between songs while he tuned his guitar, was worth going for alone. In his own distinctive voice, Gaughan hammers and speaks with his acoustic guitar.

 

Testament to Dick’s fame and widespread appeal among legends of the folk music scene, several had travelled far and wide to perform tonight from Ireland, England and Scotland, to perform Gaughan’s well loved songs. 

Mike Harding

**The CONCERT

What a joyful celebration of the legend that is Dick Gaughan – the most influential folk artist, musician and singer of the folk song of the 20^th century. 

 

The Dick Gaughan tribute concert was amazing! So emotional, so many folk icons. He’s the most respected Scots folk artist, song collector and awesome guitarist of the past century. The concert began with a black and white video of Gaughan performing at a folk singing session back in the 70s. 

Tonight’s concert was hosted by presenter Mike Harding and comedian Stewart Lee. Harding read warm messages from fans and from several folk icons – Ralph McTell, Peggy Seeger and more. And a Message from Chicago, that spoke of playing Gaughan’s songs on the long drives to work to remind him of our shared humanity, in these dark times facing Americans today 

 

There was a lot of love and camaraderie in the room tonight! The quality house band boasted Michael McGoldrick, Euan Burton, Innes White, Dave Milligan, Megan Henderson, Louis Abbott, They played an energetic opening performance of Workers’ Song, sung by Paul McKenna, Karine Polwart, Kris Drever, and Siobhan Miller.  

Karen Matheson

Ross and Lorraine Macintosh 

Karine Polwart

This was followed by the song Erin Go Brach sung by Paul McKenna. There were performances by accomplished guitarists – Martin Simpson, Kris Drever, Brian McNeill, Paul McKenna and Seamie O’Dowd.  And moving singers - Karen Matheson with the song Language of the Gaels, Karine Polwart sang an intimate Craigie Hill. While Ricky Ross and Lorraine Macintosh of Deacon Blue, sang Wages Day.

Lisa O'Neil

Seamie O'Dowd

The Irish folk artists impressed – Lisa O’Neil sang two of her own songs: Rock the Machine, and The Wind Doesn’t Blow This Far Right.Karen Casey who performed The haunting The Snows they melt the Soonest.

There was a powerful performance by Billy Bragg, with the song The World Turned Upside Down. The second set began with Kris Dreversinging Gaughan’s most loved Burns song, Westlin Winds. The Irish guitarist Seamie O’Dowd who performed Song for Ireland was so good, one of those hushed silence moments….  And an emotional performance by Martyn McCarthy of the song Bonny Woodha carefully assisted by Eliza McCarthy, and given warm applause by the audience. 

Dick Gaughan was there towards the end and sang a bit – the song The Shipyard’s Apprentice as a tribute to Archie Fisher. The passing of a generation. The concert finished with the rousing community singing of a Gaughan favourite Both Sides the Tweed, a song of unity and hope, led by Matheson, Casey, Bragg and Polwart. And after by Hamish Henderson’s social call Freedom Come all Ye. 

Martyn McCarthy & Eliza McCarthy

Dick Gaughan

Billy Bragg

Siobhan Miller

Billy Bragg, Karen Matheson & Karen Casey

Songs of social conscience and of contrast, quality and sincerity. Gaughan has became a legend on the Scottish and world folk circuits for more than 40 years. He is an interpreter of Scotland’s traditional folk ballads with his distinctive style of guitar playing, with open chords and timing that he learnt from guitarist Davey Graham. 

 

Gaughan is Scots/ Irish and has spent his life in Leith Edinburgh. He’s a social protester, a profound storyteller who crosses boundaries, forges alliances through the depth of his story telling, song and dramatic guitar playing. His songs don’t flow easily to the shore and they also share the full range of emotions.  Gaughan is plain spoken and holds firmly held beliefs on the rights of everyman. 

 

Tonight was a wonderful tribute and celebration to Gaughan’s genuine authenticity. He cares about the truth of things and of digging below the surface for the stories behind the songs. What an excellent song list and cast of musicians, a veritable who’s who of the folk scene, for what proved a most memorable, poignant and quality concert. The joy and enthusiasm of the performers was palpable. 

 

So glad to hope the younger generations are carrying the stream. (More so in Ireland perhaps?). I have to admit the most emotional Celtic concert I’ve been to. So many memories….You come away from his gigs questioning and renewed in the faith of our shared humanity. 

**SONGS – Erin Go Bragh, Workers Song, The Snows they Melt the Soonest, No Gods, Wages Day, Language of the Gaels, Song for Ireland, Westlin winds, Daughters and Sons, Craigie Hill, What you do with what you’ve got,  Both Sides the Tweed.

Gaughan is plain spoken and holds firmly held beliefs on the rights of everyman. Gaughan had a stroke in 2016, which means he can no longer play the guitar. He’s not been able to play for nearly ten years. Gaughan’s album Handful of Earth became an iconic folk album. 

·       (R/evolution: 1969–83) was released in January 2026 along with 

·       Live at the BBC: 1972–79 (vinyl). 

 

* The concert was recorded by BBC Radio Scotland. (Celtic concerts used to be recorded by the BBC Scotland tv.)

GUITAR  Earthy, real and powerful guitar playing, an incredible presence and depth. Gaughan says his guitars is an integral part of his singing. The Song has a tempo all of its own. The guitar has to follow the song. His distinctive style of guitar playing, with open chords and timing that he learnt from guitarist Davey Graham which was tuned differently. 

 

Karine Polwart, 

Ricky Ross and Lorraine MacIntosh, 

Billy Bragg, 

Kris Drever, 

Paul Mckenna, 

Siobhan Miller, 

Karen Matheson, 

Martin and Eliza Carthy, 

Michael McGoldrick, 

Martin Simpson, 

Tommy Sands, 

Karan Casey, 

Brian McNeil, 

Seamie O'Dowd  

Lisa O'Neil 

From Ireland – Karen Casey, Tommy Sands, Lisa O’Neill, Seamie O’Dowd.

From England  - Billy Bragg, Martyn Carthy, Martin Simpson, Michael McGoldrick

From Scotland – Ricky Ross, Lorraine Macintosh, Karine Polwart, Kris Drever, Karen Matheson, Siobhan Miller, Brian McNeill, Paul McKenna.

(Gaughan is challenging Celtic Music over the copyright ownership rights of of his music. Colin Harper has set up Go fund Campaign. Gaughan has never been paid any royalties. With Photography I allow people to ‘use’ to my photos, but I never loose copyright ownership. His music has been held back from streaming and Celtic Music claims ownership of eight albums from 1972. Other musicians have also battled over ownership of their music.)

Dick Gaughan’s appearance at Red Clydesides John Maclean concert

 

Billy Bragg & Dick Gaughan at concert Celtic Connections 2024

 One aspect of folk music is its inclusive, open culture – its for everyone. Its not about a few musicians on stage. All can sing the choruses, dance or clap along. 

 

This year traditional Scots musician Dick Gaughan made a surprise appearance at the concert for Red Clydesider John MacLean to a standing ovation. Gaughan had a stroke a few years back and has been unable to perform or play his guitar. Gaughan has become something of a legend on the Scottish and world folk circuits for more than 40 years. He is an interpreter of Scotland’s traditional folk ballads with his distinctive style of guitar playing, with open chords and timing that he learnt from guitarist Davey Graham. 

John Maclean socialist reformer 1879 - 1923

 

I remember Dick Gaughan standing near the Celtic Connections press office. He was happy to chat, maybe he remembered me from the intimate Milngavie folk club concerts, where some musicians there said he was a living Scots legend. My younger son came to hear him and was impressed with his dramatic guitar playing, and the strength of his guttural voice on his highly memorable and meaningful folk songs. 

 

Dick Gaughan is a song collector, songwriter and traditional ballad singer and musician. I remember Gaughan singing telling his stories and songs -  The Yew Tree, What you do with what you’ve got, The Flowers of the Forrest, Westlin Winds,

 

In 2018, Celtic Connections held a tribute concert for Dick Gaughan at the Old Fruitmarket. With the Wilson Family, guitarists Tony McManus and Martin Simpson, Karine Polwart ,The Bevvy Sisters, Mary Macmaster, Patsy Seddon and Dougie MacLean, They performed songs with a social conscience – of Grenfell tower monument to greed and selfishness, Aberfan disaster, miners strikes, Jute mill songs, Neil Gow’s fiddle. Where are the young voices of protest today to stand up for people’s rights?  DickGaughan Tribute concert 2018

 

The first time I heard Robert Burns Parcel of Rogues was Gaughan’s interpretation at the festivals Auld Lang Syne concert in 2009. I had no idea before this that Burns was such a radical reformer and like many, I had thought he mostly wrote his love songs and poems. 

Certainly an Outlaw and Dreamer like no other! An inspiration.

I have taken photos at Dick Gaughan’s concerts over the past years since 2006 and here are some of them. 

Many of this generation of folk singers are now getting older and I wonder who among the younger musicians can replace them? In 20 we lost Dundonian character songwriter Michael Marra (more later), in 2012 the iconic Scots songwriter Gerry Rafferty (I took photos at a concert to his memory at Celtic Connections) and just last year the wonderful Rab Noakes, who I knew well from his concerts and taking his photos there. What an interesting gentleman and creative songwriter he was. I remember in my twenties in my folk days, we would often sing in harmonies his early songs – Branch, Clear Day, Eden’s Flow -  Happy Days indeed! Another massive Bob Dylan fan. Noakes started out playing with Gerry Rafferty in the Humblebums.

 

Dick Gaughan Tribute Concert at Celtic Connections 2018

Mary Macmaster, Patsy Seddon

Songs of Defiance and social conscience and an evening of contrast, quality, and sincerity

Gaughan has become something of a legend on the Scottish and world folk circuits for more than 40 years. He is an interpreter of Scotland’s traditional folk songs with his distinctive style of guitar playing, with open chords and timing that he learnt from guitarist Davey Graham. Fans beside me had heard Gaughan over in California.

The concert was a tribute to Gaughan’s authenticity. He cares about the truth of things and of digging below the surface for stories behind the songs. We live in shallow times, where false greed and facades matter more than being open hearted or honest. Gaughan is not only angry – he was furious at injustice and he spoke and sang of this with unequalled passions. In-between songs, while tuning his guitar Gaughan, would tell his stories.

Tonight’s performers sang political and social songs of the poor state of things – that tell of Grenfell tower monument to greed and selfishness, Aberfan disaster, miners strikes, Jute mill songs, Niel Gow’s fiddle. Where are the young voices of protest today?

Wilson Family

Tony McMannus

**The concert was a celebration of the music and politics that matters to Gaughan. Host Elaine C Smith sang Michael Marra’s Mother Glasgow, and introduced an incomparable line-up of Gaughan’s long time friends and collaborators. 

The Wilson Family sang Baker Hil - “close the mineshaft door” - and other songs, with powerful male harmonies. The accomplished guitarists Tony McManus and Martin Simpson paid tribute and Simpson performed Bob Dylan’s Blind Willie McTell and other songs. Karine Polwart sang Craigie Hill’ and told the moving story of being given Dick’s album a Handful of Earth the night before her grandfather’s funeral - a song about immigration and leaving. The Bevvy Sisters sang Marra’s Like Another Rolling Stone. Mary Macmaster, Patsy Seddon sang Gaelic songs (Clan Alba) .

Dougie MacLean closed this very special evening with a moving climax with his song This love Will Carry. Gaughan, who has has been ill the past year appeared on stage to a standing ovation. I was glad he had been persuaded him to appear for his devoted fans and that he didn’t remain a ‘presence’ behind the curtain. Dick said he hoped to be back to sing next year for us and we hoped too!

I first heard Gaughan back in the 80s at an Edinburgh folk club and I have met him at Milngavie folk club and he is always friendly and unassuming. He would open his set with the Si Kahn song, What you Do With What You’ve got. I’ve heard many folk singers live and Gaughan is by miles the most moving and powerful. Like Dylan, he doesn’t smooth over the Big Issues of our time,

I took my guitarist son a few years back to hear him and he was hugely impressed. I will always remember sitting enthralled to this Westlin Winds, his impassioned and defining interpretation of the Robert Burns song, when he would say, “One of the best songs ever written, it says all there is to say. Certainly an Outlaw and Dreamer like no other!

DICK GAUGHAN BLOGS -  http://www.musicfootnotes.com/2011/07/dick-gaughan-milngavie-folk-club-june.html

Did anyone record a full set I wondered with his chat between songs? Folk singers know the depth of things – as Dylan wrote – Folk songs were my guide to a new republic.’

Maybe he is, but Gaughan should write his thoughts for a book. Like Burns and Dylan before him Dick trawled the archives in the national library for the rich tapestry of the old ballads and brought many back to life. His personal heritage mixes Celtic traditions of both Ireland and the Scottish Islands.

(Clan Alba, A folk supergroup, featured Dick Gaughan. Mary Macmaster, Brian MacNeill, Fred Morrison, Patsy Seddon, Davy Steele, Mike Travis and Dave Tulloch. With guitars, harps, pipes, fiddles and percussion, and distinctive collective harmonies. Their 1996 debut album - included ‘Bye Bye Big Blue’, a lament for the closure of the Ravenscraig Steel Works, and Gaughan’s evocative ‘Childhood’s End’.)

Scotia's Bard Dick Gaughan - NEW album Harvard Tapes

I am proud to have taken photos at Gaughan’s concerts and met him a few times. He spoke of singing with Emmy Lou Harris and was totally unassuming. I was sad to hear he had a stroke in 2017, and I attended a wonderful tribute concert for him at the Old Fruitmarket, during Celtic Connections 2019. 

Since the 70s, Gaughan has been one of Scotia’s most powerful, authentic and honest Bards. He does this through an open chord tuning on his Stratocaster, and an unerring, defiant and hard-hitting voice. Like Burns before him, he believes we all deserve an equal chance in life. Like Burns he draws on the old traditions and adds his own verses and tunes.

He digs deep into our social heritage of the voices of ordinary folks, unrecognised folk and of those who labour for a better world. He also includes the voices from further afield – America, England, Ireland, France, more . He was a central figure in 1970s Celtic folk revival with Boys of the Lough and his early classic album, Handful of Earth. He also worked with Billy Bragg, Andy Irvine, Five Hand Reel and Clan Alba. Gaughan is half Irish and Half Scots. 

**I first heard Gaughan back at a folk club in Edinburgh in the 80s, when he stood out as so different to the often romanticized view of soft, Scottish folk pop. I’d never heard folk music that challenged in this way. Since then I have heard Gaughan perform at the Celtic Connections concert hall his powerful version of Burns Parcel of Rogues to the Nation. I heard him take it intimate and emotional with Burns Westlin Windsat my local folk club, when he said, it was the best song ever written and says all there is to say really. He challenged with Outlaws and Dreamersand life on the edge. He told stories of old soldiers and miners, such as the powerful Why Old Mew Cry. Gaughan often starts his set with the honesty of the song, What You do With What You’ve Got.

He speaks of the English Diggers - "I tend to side with people like the Diggers, those English revolutionaries who fought without weapons for a fair share of the land that rightfully was the property of everyone to begin with," says Gaughan, summing up his philosophy, and smiling.

Between songs and while tuning his guitar, he tells his stories, often with dark humour and pathos. He talks of the real Scotland, the one he knows in Leith. “We used to elect our king in Scotland, you know. The last one we elected was Macbeth.”

**I heard an interview with Dick on radio Scotland when he spoke of his guitar playing being influenced by Davy Graham,

“When I heard of the murder of Chilean folk singer Victor Jara, by the fascist Pinochet. I knew, I couldn’t just play the old tunes, you had to speak out, and really that is what the tradition is all about. “

"I knew then I couldn't just play old tunes. You had to speak out. And, really, that is what the tradition is about. Traditional music--which to me has always meant just the songs that people sing and listen to, be that rock 'n' roll or old ballads--it has always had to do with politics. People's music, folk music if you will, is very dangerous stuff! It is subversive to acknowledge that ordinary people actually have a culture with artistic merit. This gives the lie to those who would like us to think that the poor are poor because they are stupid! There is a lot of wisdom in some of those old songs, and no reason I can see why songs about the politics of today are not part of The Tradition! I sing 'em, anyway, and that's the tradition I know."

Traditional music - It has always had to do with politics.”

Dick Gaughan at Milngavie folk club

Check out Dick Gaughan’s website -  NEW LIVE ALBUM The Harvard Tapes - https://www.greentrax.com/music/product/dick-gaughan-the-harvard-tapesI

http://www.dickgaughan.co.uk/

Concerts at Celtic Connections and Milngavie folk club - all Photos copyright Pauline Keightley.

**Dick Gaughan Interview with Phil Cunningham Radio Scotland March 2012

Dick chose five songs that have influenced him –

(1) Big Bill Broonzy – Glory of Love

(2) The Shadows – Apache

(3) The Beatles – Love Me Do

(4)  Bob Dylan – Subterranean Homesick Blues

(5)  Davy Graham – 67