The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Live festival back with line-up of fresh talent
Normal service is being resumed at the Solas festival this weekend, with a host of leftfield bands taking to the stage.
The Perthshire-based midsummer cross-cultural gathering last enjoyed a full outing in 2019 but managed to make a partial return last August in a seriously scaled-down form as pandemic restrictions started to ease.
Now Solas is back at its usual slot on the calendar, and there’s a diverse selection of performers involved on the three-day Carse of Gowrie event’s music stage.
The main attractions include Mediterranean disco-funksters Don Kipper, alt hip-hop outfits Stanley Odd and DopeSickFly, acclaimed folk exponents Kris Drever, Iona Fyfe and Mairi Campbell, and fast-rising talents including modern jazz trombonist and vocalist Anoushka Nanguy – aka Noushy 4tet – Glasgow soulstress Ruby Gaines and ScottishSudanese popster Eliza Shaddad.
Other highlights on a strong bill include the Tinderbox Orchestra collective – known for their work with Dundee-based Scottish Album of the Year winner Kathryn Joseph – plus genre-defying Edinburgh songsmith Callum Easter, Iranian musician Aref Ghorbani with friends, fusion favourites Glasgow African Balafon Orchestra, choir leader Debra Salem, brass streetband Brass, Eye? and alt-folk performer Lewis McLaughlin.
With stand-up comedy, storytelling and discussions on social and environmental issues also available, the Solas takeover of Errol Park is likely to be well attended from today until Sunday.
Elsewhere, American indie rocker Joan Wasser – better known, perhaps, as Joan As Police Woman – is at Beat Generator in Dundee on Thursday for a gig that’s been switched from the Gardyne Theatre.
The Connecticut-born performer started out in The Dambuilders three decades ago, before joining Black Beetle and then late ‘90s avant-pop offering Antony And The Johnsons.
Guitar and keyboards turn Wasser’s first solo album was 2002’s Real Life and she’s gone on to release a further eight JAPW LPs since, the most recent being last year’s The
Solution Is Restless, a collaboration with late Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen and The Invisible frontman Dave Okumu.
Her latest live band features ex-Jeff Buckley drummer Parker Kindred, Cuddle Magic bassist Benjamin Lazar Davis and keys and sax wiz Eric Lane.
Separately, there’s an uncompromising session in prospect at Conroy’s Basement tonight, where Kakihara, Bed Of Wasps, Demonstration Of Power and Nothin’ But Enemies are set to provide a real show of metal force.
The gig is the latest offering from the Dundeebased Jute City Hardcore, with doors at Meadowside opening at 7pm.
Over in Fife, meanwhile, it’s a relatively quiet week coming up on the gig scene, but there is the small matter of a visit to the East Neuk by punk legends The Skids to look forward to.
Richard Jobson, Bruce Watson and Jamie Watson are heading to the Aurrie in Lower Largo on Thursday to play the latest in an occasional series of acoustic shows – and it’s a relatively quickfire return to the beachside ex-church building for the nononsense trio.
The Into The Valley hitmakers played a sold-out show at the same venue as recently as April 21 and it looks like next week’s gig could be going the same way sales-wise.
A Facebook post from the unplugged gig’s organisers says: “This is an additional return date to The Aurrie for Richard and the boys.
“You will be treated to an acoustic set of classic and latest material from our local boys who were THE punk vanguards and are still going strong. Not to be missed – high demand expected!”
Meanwhile back in Dunfermline – The Skids’ place of origin – PJ Molloys has a session featuring top DJs tonight.
The latest in the Canmore Street venue’s High Tea club nights features a host of jocks “doing their thang” on the decks, including Musika and Nightvision resident Laurie Neil.
In total contrast, PJ’s has Morrissey and Marr tribute Smiths Utd tomorrow.
That gig goes up against another posse of soundalikes appearing at the same time at Beat Generator, where there’ll be a chance to catch Weller, Foxton, Buckler homage The Absolute Jam.