Celtic Connections blows away January blues!
The month of January traditionally looms on the horizon of the western world like an annually recurring dark dog of doom. Over the preceding month building to the decadent double climax of Christmas and New Year, bank balances, credit cards, liver endurance and abuse of bathroom scales are all hammered to extremes. The third or fourth of January brings a brutal day of reckoning. This, combined with the lack of sunlight, the chore of dismantling the now drab decorations, and the vacuum left by departing guests, creates the predictable post mid-winter gloom. Well, not if a man from Taynuilt has anything to do with it.
Celtic Connections has changed this seasonal pattern of January blues for anyone with an interest in music! This otherwise dreaded month is now the high point of the year for any traditional music fan. Donald Shaw of Capercaillie has been at the helm as Artistic Director for nine years and has given the Glasgow-based festival an injection of energy and credibility that only a man with his talent, drive and track-record could. From humble beginnings in 1994 this festival has grown to hosting more than 300 acts attracting over 100,000 visitors annually and is now one of the biggest events of its kind in the world.
Stretching from the 1431 January, the festival provides eighteen days and nights of the very best Celtic and related music from around the globe. Among the many world-renowned acts on offer is a solid representation from the West Coast.
Highland highlights include recently- crowned Folk Band of the Year, Daimh, decade- celebrating superstars Skerryvore, fiddling and singing royalty, The Iain MacFarlane and Margaret Stewart Trio, laid-back, super-talented and very hilarious city Gaels The Urban Teuchters, fusion heroes, The Peatbog Faeries, Herald Album of the Year winners, Lau, the eclectic cross- ocean Transatlantic Sessions, the unstoppable Blazin’ Fiddles, the incomparable Karen Matheson and a very questionable shower called Skipinnish. Donald Shaw and team may be risking their hitherto unscathed reputation in giving this motley crew a headline slot in the Main Auditorium of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall! In seriousness, this is a huge honour and engenders excitement and pure terror in equal measure! As Parahandy might say, “By- chove, Dougie, it’s a big hall to fill!”
Whatever your musical taste, there will something in the program to attract and rouse you. Following the concerts and late into the night, you can go wild in the Festival Club, hearing a fine selections of acts from the earlier evening’s entertainment.
Keep your eyes on The Oban Times for reviews!
www.celticconnections.com