MUGDOCK Music Festival 2008

The second Mugdock music festival June 2008 was a big success with sell out events for the Red Hot Chilli Pipers and Michael Marra.

The Walled Garden Concerts - were a huge success. On Saturday the perfect harmonies of Prelude from Newcastle ( hit song Neil Young's the Goldrush) After which the Red hot Chilli Pipers rocked it with their pipes and drums and had the crowd on their feet. The Chilli Pipers are talented young men who can play those pipes! AND also dance and rock with the addition of a rock band. They had lots of colour and personality, and the crowd loved them. Their music ranges from the Beatles to traditional Scots tunes. The Chilli Pipers were followed by the colourful Massia Warriors in brightly decorated costumes who managed to smile their way through the rain (which started during their set) and  with jumping and getting the audience involved asking them questions. 

On Sunday the East Dunbartonshire Swing band brought jazz and sunshine, followed by the fun West African beats of smiling Samba Sene and Diwan, and the Beats of Brazil.

For the FREE Courtyard event we had a marquee this year, and it buzzed all afternoon on both the Saturday and Sunday with a strong line-up and variety of artists and dancers. The dancers brought colour and drama and included flowing Chinese, stately Indians and the power of Flamingo. Ben the Hoose from New Zealand (winners of the traditional album). Two young men originally from Scotland on fiddle and guitar who played some top tunes and got everyone’s feet tapping. Ayawarra with funky African drums had the children dancing on the stage. Great fun.

Seylan and Cheyanne played their classic traditional music on harp and cello along with Seylan's rich vocal. The refuges children of the Sighthill Project were a delight both singing and playing their fiddles. Plus festival director Erne Parkin and the Crossborder band entertained with upbeat folk/bluegrass song.  http://pkimage.co.uk/mudockfestival2008

Hobopop Collective Tall Ship 2008

Kirsty McGee & Mat Martin (Karine Polwart & Inge Thomson supporting) Tall Ship 8th June 2008.
The gig had a calm feel good vibe. These artists are soul-warming and moving. Mat kindly invited me to this gig months ago – it seems odd it has rolled around now. I had a magical evening…
On the most perfect June day - I made my way to the Tall Ship that sits on the River Clyde

Karine Polwart! Tall Ship Gig June 2008

Tall Ship Gig Karine Inge Kirsty and Mat magic evening -  Karine Polwart! I had a chat with Karine. She writes brilliant songs –and has a wonderful voice. One of the best. She keeps it simple. Also Kirsty & Mat Martin wonderful fun young duo who do acoustic blues-jazz tunes. After the gig the sky was the most perfect deep blue, the street lights like fairy lights, the moon a tiny sliver. It was light a dream or like a Picture book cover.

*Karine is an astute, caring and thoughtful writer of memorable tunes. Her songs, with their direct yet careful simplicity hit home with her clear unaffected soothing tones. Karine has an engaging voice. She sang songs from her wonderful new album – ‘This Earthly Spell’ – Firethief ‘down where I cannot go’ , ‘Rivers Run’ and the touching ‘Sorry.’ Karine sang a song ‘ Bonecrusher’ that she said she had written for her favourite Tv series Deadwood. She also sang 2 of my favourites ‘ Daisy (‘There are people in this world who don’t think like you do.’) and the moving Hole in my Heart. Karine finished her set with a haunting lullaby songs ‘Beow’ which means ‘Alive’.  Her music has joyful moving directness and sincerity. As Karine’s sings - ‘hearts can sing.’ Thank you guys for such a memorable evening.

MICHAEL MARRA at Mugdock Festival theatre

The theatre highlight was Michael Marra. Marra is a Scottish songwriting legend from Dundee. Out of this small grey haired man with the weather beaten face came this huge gravely voice and clever songs, with a strong Scottish and American favour to them. With his clever wit and playful way with words, his songs talk about the eccentricities of the Scottish character. He writes about women’s choirs, meeting artist Freda Kahlo at the pearly gates -well more exactly at a pub on the Tay Bridge because she’s held up! He sang ‘If Dundee was Africa’ ‘Maggie Shae’ ‘Wa can Tell the Difference’ Jersey Kitchen Partner’ ‘Hamish’ and Dylan’s ‘Tomorrow wasn’t such along Time’. He’s the real deal! He finished his set with a perfect version of a Burns classic - ‘Green Grow the Rashes O’

While Marra’s voice draws from jazz, blues, pop and folk with the likes of Tom Waits, Randy Newman and Dylan, he keeps it essentially Scottish in flavour. In 1985 he released his solo album, Gaels Blue, on his own label. .’.

MARRA's music is soaked in the Scottish experience, strained through a gauze of ragtime blues-piano and shot with filaments of traditional folk and American voices ... ‘; Scotland on Sunday