This weekend: Dundee Blues Bonanza + more gigs

Apologies for lack of posting... been on holiday - great break :-)

Anyway, this weekend sees another load of live music in the city - in the shape of the 13th annual Dundee Blues Bonanza - with 30 pubs hosting free gigs on Friday, Saturday + Sunday. It's been a regular thing for me for many years now, and it's always great to discover bands in the melting pot of those couple of days... hope the weather holds up...

Alongside these gigs, Yuppies also has an array of local talent this weekend in their "Not So Blues" Festival... worth a visit on your travels... Luva Anna, The Rise, The Unknown, The Joots, The Rail, Descartes, etc...

Gig mini-review - Duncam Chisholm + Ivan Drever

What a performance! Duncan + Ivan are total professionals, and their music is gorgeous. In turns foot-stomping and sweetly singing, it was a magnificent show last night at the Whitehall Theatre... Fiddle, Guitar + Voice were the only ingredients, but they did a fine job of 2 hours worth of ancient folk ballads, reels, airs, jigs and more contemporary songs. I've seen them play as part of Wolfstone in the past, but this was my first time seeing them as a duo, and I left mightily impressed.
[video from a prior performance - give you an idea of what they're like]

I felt embarrassed for them at the low turn-out ("a small and perfectly-formed audience" remarked Duncan as they arrived on-stage) . . . mind, I don't recall any publicity round the town, even the Whitehall had no posters announcing the class music available inside.

On August 3rd Aly Bain + Phil Cunningham also appear at the Whitehall, another couple of quality Scottish musicians: I hope the turnout then is more numerous and enthusiastic... I witnessed their last gig in Dundee, where again the crowd was on the small side.