Folk veterans bring back Sixties scene
The glory days of Rutherglen’s folk music scene will be revisited next week in a show coming to the Town Hall.
Folk foursome Ian Bruce, Fraser Bruce, Gregor Lowery and Pete Clark will perform next Wednesday, October 19.
Both Fraser and Ian have their roots in Rutherglen and they developed an interest in folk music while studying at Rutherglen Academy, where the famous ballads club developed a huge number of acts that later flourished in the thriving Scottish folk scene of the 1960s.
Fraser said: “The whole thing was incredible.
“Norman Buchan was the teacher, who left to become an MP and ended up as the undersecretary of state for Scotland.
“Even while teaching he was very involved in CND and movements like that so he ended up pals with people like Pete Seeger, the American folk singer.
“I remember that whenever Pete was across he’d come over to the school to see us play.
“There would be all sorts of people who would come to see us from across the folk scene in Scotland.
“Among the teachers there were Adam McNaugton, who later wrote the ‘ Jeely Piece Song’, and Ian Davidson, who was also involved with CND.
“I think they might have actually come to the school because it was so well known for the ballads club.
“It created a lot of ties there that still last to this day. There was a singer called Anne Nielson who still organises a folk event and that shows the influence it had.
“People like George Craig, Ian Nelson and Gordeanna McCulloch all played there. Gordeanna became one of Scotland’s finest ever traditional singers.
“It was a really big thing and introduced so many of us to folk clubs. We actually started a former pupils club at the Guides Hall on Clincarthill Road so that we could keep playing.”
That meant Fraser and Ian were determined to bring this show called ‘Auld Hat, New Heids’ to the Town Hall.
Fraser said: “We’ve taken this show on the road because it’s been a big success and people miss the old days of the folk clubs.
“We had to come to Rutherglen because of all the history that’s here.
“We were all entertainers and did it for the fun of it all back then and that’s what we try and do with this show too.”
Tickets for ‘Auld Hat, New Heids’ are £12/£10 and can be bought from the venue, by calling 0141 613 5700 or online at www. sllcboxoffice.co.uk. The show will start at 7.30pm.