Celtic Connections 2020

The Hobbledehoy needs your help today

~ Michael Stevenson ~ Leave a comment

On the day England leaves the European Union and The Trump Crime Family pisses all over the U.S. Constitution – The Hobbledehoy needs to do something – anything – to help somebody out.

We heard Scottish musician Kris Drever had his equipment stolen the other night at Celtic Connections in Glasgow. The Hobbledehoy loves folk music from Britain, and Kris’ music brings people much happiness.

There’s a GOFUNDME page set-up to help Kris purchase new equipment. Let’s help him out, please. Music and the arts will help us all find a way out of these dark times.

CLICK to help Kris with your donation

And fuck Donald Trump.

Celtic Connections to scale back on overseas acts to fight climate crisis

~ Michael Stevenson ~ Leave a comment

The festival’s creative producer said limiting the number of artists who fly in to perform was ‘the responsible thing to do’

A Scottish festival celebrating international folk, roots and traditional music has said it may have to limit the number of overseas artists it invites to perform in response to the climate crisis.

Celtic Connections’ creative producer, Donald Shaw, described the issue as “the biggest challenge” facing the festival. “We cannot bury our head in the sand. It’s not really enough to fly 300 artists from all around the world and justify it on the grounds that art is important. Festivals like this one are going to have to think very seriously about whether we can do that any more.”

Speaking at the opening of Celtic Connections 2020, Shaw said he anticipated that the festival would have to “make a statement” about reducing international travel. “The number of international artists will be reduced unless someone comes up with a solution which appeases the climate emergency.”

He said the move was necessary because it is “the right thing to do. It is the responsible thing to do. We all have to take responsibility for what is happening at the moment.”

Shaw said that artists performing at the 2020 edition of the festival had been asked to avoid air travel in order to attend, but the limits of that suggestion are evident in its heavily international bill: artists from Canada, Mali, Portugal, Lebanon, America, France, Guinea, Spain, Finland, India, Senegal, Burma and Cameroon will perform across 300 events in Glasgow this week, with the Malian stars Fatoumata Diawara and supergroup les Amazones d’Afrique among the most anticipated acts.

Closer to home, Shaw said the festival organisers had been assessing the environmental impact of the CalMac ferry, compared to flights. “We’ve already discussed what the difference is between using a CalMac ferry from Stornoway to Ullapool and flights between Stornoway and Glasgow. If it is very clear that as flights cause by far the worst damage to the environment, then we have to reduce them.”

One potential solution, he suggested, was to plant “acres of trees” for every artist that flies in for the festival and to encourage alternative ways to travel from Europe.

 

Source: Celtic Connections to scale back on overseas acts to fight climate crisis | Music | The Guardian

Ivor Cutler: The king of fantasy island

~ Michael Stevenson ~ Leave a comment

Many of the biggest names in Scottish music have gathered to explore the imaginary kingdom where Ivor Cutler’s career began, discovers Sean Guthrie

I asked Paul McCartney,” says Matt Brennan, eyes lighting up. “I found an email for his manager and I thought: you know what? We’d collected so many musicians we’d never thought there would be any chance of getting. Very generously his manager did reply and said: ‘Paul is working on his own projects right now, but he’s a keen supporter of Mr Cutler.’ I thought: good on him.”

Mr Cutler, of course, being Ivor Cutler, the Scottish humorist, poet and songwriter who appeared in the Beatles film Magical Mystery Tour at McCartney’s behest and whose influence on the Fab Four is indisputable (more of which later). He is also the inspiration behind Return to Y’Hup, a thrillingly picaresque compendium of Cutler’s songs and poetry driven by Brennan and friends, and featuring a lengthy list of the great and good of contemporary Scottish music. Continue reading →

Walking with Storm in Glasgow

~ Michael Stevenson ~ Leave a comment

Who knew that finding and walking with a Storm was so much fun. She stands at 10 meters tall and weighs around 1 tonne, this fine girl was the kick off entertainment to the music festival – Celtic Connections. For Scotland this is the year of Coasts and Water and this old girl was made from items recycled from the beaches and Scotland’s coastline. The team involved took 2 years to make her I couldn’t wait to go and see her on my doorstep. I wasn’t disappointed at all in fact I thinking about our environment and the beauty Scotland has in its coastlines and water it really is so important that we all do our bit for climate change and protect these wonderful place. At ten metres tall, her eyes are the colour of oyster shells, her hair thick strands of kelp, her voice the chorus of the waves. Aided by eight puppeteers, Storm will visit the heart of towns and villages across the country, gazing down at the beauty of our coastlines, urging care for the environment every step of the way. – Scotts Land