The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Live, Unlocked – and bringing a little country spirit to town
The long live music silence is set to end this month as loosened restrictions see outdoor gigs return to Courier Country.
One of the first events taking place is the new Live and Unlocked Summer Festival, which is set to help plug the void created by the non-staging of Perth’s massively popular Americana extravaganza Southern Fried Festival — as well as a host of other summer attractions.
Running from Wednesday July 28 until Monday August 2 at Perth Concert Hall Plaza, the family-friendly shindig will also feature theatre, classical and kids’ shows.
Highlights include the West End and Edinburgh Fringe improvised singing hit Showstopper!, which’ll be familiar to listeners of its Radio 4 namesake, as well as musical theatre offering Julie Madly Deeply — a cheeky look at the life of Dame Julie Andrews — plus broadcaster-cumsinger Jamie Macdougall performing a mix of show tunes and opera favourites.
In total contrast, the geniusly-titled singalong Sprog Rock will keep toddlers and slightly older kids amused, while the colourful Unicorn Dance Party should prove a fun jam.
THE MAIN ATTRACTIONS
The all-seated festival’s main live music programme is headed up by Grammy award-winning guitarist Martin Taylor coupled with jazz vocalist Alison Burns,
while a clutch of Perthshire talents are also stepping out on stage at Mill Street.
They include honky-tonk heartbreakers First Ladies Of Country — songwriter Ali Pibworth and singer Katie Whittaker, with sometime Proclaimers and Justin Currie sideman Stuart Nisbet, and topnotch session musicians.
The occasional project enjoyed success on its debut at a popular Fair City nightspot, providing the platform for a series of subsequent collaborations.
“We came together to do the First Ladies stuff about four years ago for a big show in the Loft,” explains Ali.
“Katie and I played at Southern Fried three years ago with the festival’s choir, and we also worked with soul singer Cindi Cain from Nova Scotia, and that was just fabulous.
“We’ve also done other bits and pieces, like the
Winter Festival a couple of years ago. Katie also put together a show for Edinburgh Jazz Festival... That was her Etta James show and I played piano.
“Stuart brings the rest of the musicians together and our line-up is all Perthbased this time.
“Our first incarnation was all Edinburgh guys, but obviously it makes it easier if everyone’s local to do some rehearsals when people maybe still aren’t travelling.”
The six-piece also includes Alan Sutherland (keys), Pete Honeyman (bass) and Matt Rogers (drums), with Ali on acoustic guitar and additional vocals.
FOR NASHVILLE FANS
She says she hopes the band’s take on favourites from country music’s classic songbook will appeal to Nashville fans disappointed by Southern
Fried’s enforced absence since 2018, and describes their planned set as “a real celebration of the ladies on the country scene”.
“I’ve known Katie for a long time — all through her spell with Red Pine Timber Company — and we always wanted to put something together,” Ali explains.
COUNTRY MUSIC TOWN
“She comes from a real country music background and Perth is such a country town.
“When you think about Dundee you think about the blues, but with Perth it’s got a real Americana following and that all stems from the bands and the artists that Goldrush Records were bringing over years ago.
“Working with Katie just seemed like a no-brainer, so we’re pulling some Dolly out of the bag, doing some Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette and all of that sort of stuff.
“It just seemed like the most natural thing for us to do and they’re all brilliant songs.
“We love singing Tennessee Waltz, it’s such a sad song. When we did it in the Concert Hall my brother cried a little bit. We also do Stand By Your Man, and Katie does a brilliant Jolene.
“There’s also Katie and Stuart’s duet on Islands In The Stream, which is fantastic fun to sing. It’s quite a high-octane set.”
The DIY Rock Shop founder says working with Nisbet has proved to be an inspiration for everyone involved.
“I get to hide behind the guitar — it’s too scary just standing there and singing!” she laughs.
“But seriously, my musical confidence has gone through the roof since I’ve been working with Stuart.
“The First Ladies was the first project that we were involved in together, but I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in other projects that he’s had going on.
“We had a rock ‘n’ roll band that used to have a regular residency at (Perth pub) the Twa Tams, and he brought together the whole Etta James show for Katie. It’s great to work with
somebody that’s so creative and so experienced.
“He’s a really professional guy and he’s been recording my own tracks as well, so it’s been brilliant to bring original material together for myself, too, with Stuart.
“We’re just trying to work out a release date for two or three tracks that we’ve been working on, so that’s really exciting too.”
THE BUZZ IS BUILDING
Ali reckons the buzz has been steadily building in Perth since the Summer Festival was first announced late last month.
“People are just itching to get back out,” she declares.
“They want live music and Perth has always had such a vibrant live music scene, so I’m really hoping people are feeling they’re ready to get back out there and ready to get behind all the amazing musicians we have in Perth.
“Hopefully it’ll be busy and it’ll be great to see people out and about again. The more people we get down to have a bit of a boogie, the better.
“No doubt my mum will be there, and my other half is the bass player in Perth band Purple Felts, so hopefully he’ll come down.
A KICK-STARTER
“We need to be confident
and feel safe about having a crowd outside, and let’s just hope we get the weather.
“The creative industries have really taken a kicking in the last year and we need people to get out and get watching music again, supporting local bands and really giving the scene the boost it needs.”
After seeing other music projects being pushed into the background due to lockdown and lingering safety concerns, Ali has concentrated on teaching piano lessons to children in recent months.
She sees the Summer Festival as a potential means of kick-starting Perth’s live music sector ahead of the arrival of a major attraction at the city’s South Inch next month.
“This is the lead-up to Party At The Park and
I’m looking forward to that because there’s a lot of local acts playing that as well.
“My other band The Sibellas are playing, along with Purple Felts, Mad Ferret and all these other great bands that have been collated by the guys at the Twa Tams.
“That’s all happening on the festival’s second stage. It’s good, but we need more live music events going on in Perth.
FILLING THE GAP
“It’s so quiet, but it’s been great working with Horsecross. They’ve always been massive supporters, with Andy Shearer really pushing the whole Southern Fried thing.
“It’s really been missed in Perth the last couple of years, so hopefully having the Summer Festival will help towards getting it back next year because it’s by far the best weekend in the calendar.
“Alabama slammers all the way for that one!” she laughs.
MORE ON THE LINE-UP
Despite making an early festival appearance at 3.45pm on Friday July 30, the First Ladies aren’t actually rocking first on the plaza.
That honour goes to soulful rhythm and blues veterans Lights Out By Nine, who’ll be joined by Perth funk maniacs Bohemian Monk Machine from 6.30pm on July 29.
July 31 has blues and boogie favourites Wang Dang Delta plus Cajun folksters Chris Woods and Sandy Stirton — the aforementioned Mad Ferret Band — from 7pm, with a trio comprising Capercaillie fiddler Charlie Mckerron, his Session A9 guitarist colleague Marc Clement and Treacherous Orchestra’s maverick Perthshire piper Ross Ainslie the main attraction the following day at 3pm.
Elsewhere, Scottish Opera will be performing Bizet, Rossini and Mozart, while Spanish guitar exponent Tim Beattie and accordian virtuoso Ryan Corbett also feature.
The festival’s rounded off by an evening of Roaring 20s works by Porter, Carmichael, Berlin and the Gershwins, courtesy of Taylor and Burns, on August 2.
Festival tickets are available via horsecross. co.uk