Darvel acts raise the bar ... again!
After a fantastic start in September the second part of this year’s 15th anniversary Darvel Music Festival not only matched the great performances by the Hamish Stuart Band, Red Sky July and Roddy Hart, they managed to eclipse them.
The Colin Kennedy Band opened proceedings last Friday with a cracking set of melodic blues and country based rock tunes from their Paint the Grey Sky Blue album.
By contrast the award- winning Irish traditional trio Socks in the Frying Pan delivered a stunning collection of reels, jigs and airs.
Skerryvore’s love of playing the Darvel Music Festival coupled with their exemplary live performances guaranteed a win- win situation.
The band were simply amazing and the town hall was bouncing to the unique hybrid of Celtic- rock, traditional music and pop.
The night after the gig the band went on to win the prestigious Scottish Traditional Music Award under the category for ‘ Best Live Band Performance for 2016’.
One hour and an encore later Skerryvore had delivered one of the best sets Darvel had ever witnessed – and when you consider the festival has hosted the likes of Grammy award winning guitarist Larry Carlton and Paul Carrack that’s no mean musical feat.
Friday was a hard three acts to follow, but follow it Darvel did, with a four band finale on Saturday night that started with local band The Railwaymen ( featuring Darvel man David Paterson, who acted as MC on the Friday) and ended with another champion of the festival, JJ Gilmour. Anyone walking in on The Railwaymen’s set could be forgiven for thinking they had travelled through a musical portal to a Nashville music bar promoting the best the famous music town has to offer, such was the countrified rock style of the quartet’s set and pop tinged harmonies.
Next up, the excellent First Charge of the Light Brigade ( the enigmatic duo, Yorick Cormack and Kenny McGregor of Endrick Brothers fame) gave a reflective yet memorable set of alternative country ballads.
Dropkick lifted the volume back up with a well- crafted set of soft voiced, melodic pop numbers.
This excellent east- coast band remind the listener of the Byrd’s infused with a hint of the Jayhawks and a smidge of Teenage Fanclub.
The Festival Festive Finale came courtesy of Darvel Legend, JJ Gilmour, ex Silencers and one of Scotland’s finest melodic pop/ rock singer songwriters. His magnificent band included Ross McFarlane of Texas and the Proclaimers, guitarist, Brian McFie of the Big Dish, keyboard player extraordinaire Phil Kane of the Silencers plus very special guest Northern Irish singer and Adventures front man Terry Sharpe.
If this is indeed to be the final curtain call on the Darvel Music Festival ( the victim of ever- reducing funding but kept alive through the exceptional dedication of Neil and Sheila McKenna and a tireless team of passionate volunteers) it’s hard to conceive of it going out on a bigger and better high.
That said plans are already afoot to ensure live music is heard in Darvel in 2017 which means, much like Terry Sharpe’s appearance, musical Adventures in the East Ayrshire town will hopefully continue.