Glasgow Letter - January 27 2022

With restrictions lifted throughout the country, Celtic Connections well under way, and music back on in the Park Bar and Islay Inn, it finally seems like the appropriate time to reintroduce the traditional What’s On and Pub Scene sections of the Glasgow Letter after a near two-year absence.

 

As always, this is only a small snippet of what I felt may be of most interest at Celtic Connections so please check the website for more extensive coverage.

 

I will also be heading along to one or two shows in order to give readers a taste of the festival. Usually a momentous week like this for the music industry would be headline news in the Glasgow Letter but all top journalists will tell you that sometimes a news item lands on the table that just trumps all others.

 

And so it was this week - that item being a phone call from Fergie MacDonald! Yes, the Cèilidh King has a new record out and this one has quite a remarkable story attached.

 

Back in his 1960s’ hey day, Fergie and his band were playing in Barra. While they were on the island, there began an eight-day seamen’s strike which inevitably affected the CalMac crew and meant Fergie and his band were stuck on the island.

 

For eight days and eight nights, the lads kept the music going across all the halls in Barra (Castlebay, Northbay, Borve to name a few) even when the whole island ran out of booze and a fishing boat was sent to Mallaig for supplies. It sounds like a scene from Whisky Galore!

 

Early one morning, a young man by the name of John Evans stood up and sang a self-penned song entitled Lovely Barra.

 

If my memory of Fergie’s story serves correctly, John Evans was not a native Barrach but had been boarded out to the Western Isles as a child during the Blitz.

 

At some point later in life, he emigrated to Australia where I believe he has since passed away.

 

His music, however, still lives on in this record with Fergie’s excellent rendition of Lovely Barra.

 

On rediscovering the song during lockdown, Fergie immediately sent a mobile phone recording up to Addie Harper in Wick - and the catchy song now sits deservedly as track one on a superb album that contains a lot of classic Fergie sets. It is available to buy from Fergie himself at fergiemacd@hotmail.co.uk

 

 

What’s On (this weekend) at Celtic Connections

 

Thursday January 27: Fara and Michael Biggins in The MacKintosh Church at 7:30pm

 

Friday January 28: Mànran and Moxie in the Tramway at 7:30pm

 

Friday January 28: Mec Lir with Kinnaris Quintet in Saint Luke’s at 7:30pm

 

Saturday January 29: The Paul McKenna Band with HEISK and TRIP in Saint Luke’s at 7:30pm

 

Saturday January 29: Talisk and JigJam at the Old Fruitmarket at 8pm

 

 

Pub Scene

 

Park Bar

 

Thursday: Seisean-ciùil Gàidhlig

 

Friday: John Carmichael and Friends

 

Saturday: Rhuvaal

 

Sunday: Ruairidh and Friends

 

Islay Inn

 

Friday: Better Days Coming

 

Saturday: The Raggaels