The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Festival will be reelin’ and rockin’ for Berry
Tribute: Southern Fried stars set for special salute to late rock and roll legend
Rock and roll pioneer Chuck Berry will get a very special tribute at a Courier Country festival this summer.
An all-star salute to the guitar hero, who died last month aged 90, will be among the top draws at Perth’s Southern Fried Festival, which gets under way in July.
Self-professed “Jesus of Cool” Nick Lowe has also been revealed among the headliners.
The line-up also features Loudon Wainwright III and Texan country music star Rodney Crowell.
Named Scottish Event Awards’ Best Small Festival 2014, the live music extravaganza takes place in Perth Concert Hall and other venues around the city.
It opens on Thursday July 27, with Rock n Roll Music: The Songs Of Chuck Berry, when a mix of festival artists and guests will perform tracks from the singer’s songbook.
The show will be anchored by guitarist and former Amen Corner singer Andy Fairweather Low, who appeared last year alongside Nick Lowe and Paul Carrack.
And to address grumbles that there weren’t enough Nick Lowe songs that evening, the man himself will return this year for a solo gig.
The singer has been performing for more than four decades and has put out 28 albums of roots music, country, bluegrass, rhythm and blues and rock.
Along the way he has worked with Elvis Costello, Solomon Burke, Lucinda Williams and John Oates.
Loudon Wainwright III will play on Saturday July 29.
Since his 1972 breakthrough hit Dead Skunk, he has had his songs recorded by Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt and his son Rufus.
He will be supported by Rodney Crowell, who counts Bob Seger and Keith Urban amongst this fans.
The festival will draw to a close with North Star: Scotland Sings Canada, a specially put together show to mark the 150th anniversary of Canada’s founding. It will feature songs by the likes of Neil Young, Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell.
Southern Fried will also feature a series of smaller gigs, open mic sessions, a free outdoor stage and services of soul food.
Festival director Andy Shearer said: “The song has always been the beating heart of Southern Fried and that’s more the case than ever as we celebrate our 10th birthday.
“We open and close the festival with two ambitious one-off concerts.
“We’re working hard on the guest singers for our Chuck Berry and Canadian shows and putting the finishing touches to a great mixture of artists who will appear on our free stages over the weekend.”