Duncan ready for rare gig

Stirlingshire-based singer-songwriter Duncan McCrone and friend Cy Jack will be appearing at Gartmore Village Hall tomorrow (Saturday) – and tickets are still available for the rare gig.

Duncan has been a fixture in the Scottish folk and roots music scene since the 1970s, from his early days with folk-rockers Dapplegrim through a brief period as a pop singer to 18 years of touring, recording and radio and TV appearances with the well-loved folk stars The Clydesiders.

He followed that in 2001 with the launch, with his co-writer Cy Jack, of his own band.

Since then, he has released four solo CDs although he is the first to point out that each one is the result of his creative partnership with Cy and a close collaboration with several of his good friends, who come together to work with the pair whenever their busy playing schedules allow.

His latest album Land of Gold, released on Greentrax Recordings, has radio plays and glowing reviews.

At Gartmore, Duncan and Cy will be joined by pals who played on the new album and they will be playing songs from Land of Gold.

They will also perform a variety of traditional tunes and songs and some interpretations of other songwriters’works. In addition to Duncan on guitar and lead vocals and Cy on vocals, piano and bass, the band will include awardwinning fiddler and composer Chris Stout, blues legend Fraser Speirs on harmonica and guitar and multi-instrumentalist Stevie Lawrence on bouzouki, percussion, guitar and whistles.

Playing as supprt will be internationally-acclaimed singer/songwriter Martha L Healy who will join them on a couple of songs.

Martha also lives in Stirlingshire, although she has spent a year recording and playing in Nashville, Tennessee.

Tickets priced £12.50 for can be bought at Gartmore Village Shop (tel 01877 382214) or at www. wegottickets.com.

Pic by Steve Niblock