The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
James Yorkston
Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy, December 3
As Christmas shows go, there will be no other like it.
The latest Tae Sup Wi’ a Fifer programme will be less festive, more a gathering of friends to celebrate the wonderful, eclectic music of some of world music’s finest exponents.
Headlined by Fife’s own King Creosote, the event will also feature Kadialy Kouyate and Laura Cannell.
King Creosote, aka Kenny Anderson, has become one of Scotland’s most acclaimed and prolific singer songwriters – a squeezebox Casanova and a seafaring pop heart-breaker – after setting up and heading Fife’s famed Fence Collective.
Kadialy Kouyate is a singer songwriter and kora player, born into the great line of Kouyate Griot in Southern Senegal.
Laura Cannell plays fiddle, overbowed fiddle, double recorders, sometimes percussion and other rarefied wind instruments “exploring the space between experimental, medieval and improvised music.”
Tae Sup Wi’ a Fifer is organised by another former Fence Collective stalwart, James Yorkston, who himself has gone on to a fair degree of success in his solo career.
The singer songwriter turned author has released a dozen albums through Domino Records. This year he also published a novel, Three Craws, as well as his most recent album, Everything Sacred.
Having spent time in Edinburgh, he is now back living in a wee cottage in Cellardyke, where he divides his time between songwriting, recording and performing, and occasionally organising these semi-regular gatherings.
His latest club night is tomorrow’s Christmas show, but don’t expect too much tinsel or many sparkly baubles. “When I was a kid my parents only put Christmas stuff up on Christmas Eve,” James laughs.
“This show is a fun thing to do but there won’t be too many Christmassy things about it, it’s still a long way from December 25.
“I’ve got Kenny for this one. I think he is extraordinary, the songs on his more commercial albums are amazing and I think he is one of the best-ever songwriters Scotland has produced.
“You’ve got to keep it interesting, so it’s made up of people I have met over the years.
“I think with Kenny performing plus the goodwill I’ve built up over the year, it should be a good crowd.
“I’ve also got another few Tae Sups coming up next year and I hope the lineups will be just as strong.”