Shetland Folk Festival Podcast

Latest sold out shows

james.carlyle@gmail.com (James Carlyle) — Fri, 3 Apr 2009 08:57:00 +0100

The current list of sold-out shows for this years festival are

Lerwick Legion : Thu, Fri, Sat and Sun Foy
Shetland Hotel : Thu and Sun Foy
South Nesting : Thu
Sandwick : Fri
Voe : Sat

The festival shop will be open from Thursday 16th April, Saturday 18th, Thursday 23rd and Saturday 25th April at 5 Burns Lane, Lerwick. Telephone (01595) 694757.

Opening times are Thursdays 6pm - 8pm, Saturdays 12 noon - 5 pm

Good luck !

SFF podcast 2009 01

james.carlyle@gmail.com (James Carlyle) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 07:05:00 GMT

The first podcast for 2009 featuring four of the bands that will be playing at this years Shetland Folk Festival between 30 April and 3 May 2009.

or download for your mp3 player here

If you use podcast software click on this icon to use the Feedburner feed or use the iTunes feed

Please follow the links to the artists websites or MySpace sites to learn abit more about them, hear more music and leave a comment.

Shooglenifty - McConnell's Rant from Troots (Shoogle Records) 2007
Emily Smith - Sunset Hymn from Too Long Away (Spit and Polish) 2008
Emily Smith - As I Was A Wand'ring from Too Long Away (Spit and Polish) 2008
Vishtèn - Shediac Bridge from Live ( ) 2008
Vishtèn - Reel Du Pendu from Live ( ) 2008
Madison Violet - The Ransom from No Fool For Trying 2009
Madison Violet - Best Part Of Your Love from No Fool For Trying 2009
Shooglenifty- She's A Keeper-The Lead Break- The Trim Controller from Troots (Shoogle Records) 2007

New Rope String Band

james.carlyle@gmail.com (James Carlyle) — Wed, 4 Mar 2009 09:44:00 GMT

Here are a three of videos from YouTube of the New Rope String band in action

Live at the Shrewsbury Folk Festival 2008

Musical Tennis live at the Shrewsbury Folk Festival 2009

Duck Shoes Rag, from the BBC4 Cambridge Folk Festival Special

Shetland Folk Festival 2009

james.carlyle@gmail.com (James Carlyle) — Wed, 4 Mar 2009 09:28:00 GMT

The Shetland Folk Festival 2009 takes place over the whole of Shetland on the following dates Thursday 30 April through to Sunday 3 May 2009.

The major acts appearing this year are Cara Dillon and Shooglenifty. A list of all the visiting acts can be found here.

The program is available here.

Expect the preview podcasts to start this week.

Peatbog Faeries and Fullsceilidh Spelmanslag

james.carlyle@gmail.com (James Carlyle) — Sat, 3 May 2008 07:29:00 +0100

What a night in the Clickimin Centre here in Lerwick last night.

Shetland band Fullsceilidh Spelmanslag played a blinding set of reels, polkas and waltzes to a packed out crowd who were up for a bit of dancing. Five fiddles, double bass, guitar and drums certainly started the feet stirring and by the end of the set the dance floor was not empty anymore.

Maurice Henderson (he of Fiddlers Bid fame) showed his musical prowess during an Inga Thomson Tune, Jock's nearly 40, switching from mandolin, to mandola and finishing up on button accordion. Not just an excellent fiddler.

My only feeling was that the shed that is Clickimin loses some of the subtly of the music by being so acoustically bad and therefore the PA has to be loud, either that or there is something wrong with my hearing which is a possibility.

The main event was the Peatbog Faeries and boy did they deliver. One and a half hours of folk, rock, african jive guitar, funk, soulful horns, fiddle, bagpipes - just bloody great music all blended together to get folk dancin and put a smile on your face.

Not really any stand out tracks although the guitar and drum duel towards the end was definitely a highlight.

Again the hall started emptying out with folk opting to try and get into the club, it was certainly apparent that the dance floor had thinned out a bit as well as more empty seats than should have been.

Saturday beckons with a day in the club and off to Whiteness and Weisdale tonight.

Cannae wait.

Vidlin Hall, Thursday 1 May 2008

james.carlyle@gmail.com (James Carlyle) — Fri, 2 May 2008 15:24:00 +0100

It came a beautiful sunny night before the kick off of the concert in Vidlin last night.

The evening started with a set from young Shetland fiddler and guitarist Ryan Couper supported by his mam and dad on piano and double bass. Definitely someone to watch for the future.

Next up was Rory Ellis all the way from Australia accompanied by Tim Hatchett on slide guitar. What a great set with some really strong songs as well as great slide work from Tim.

After a short break for raffle tickets to selt and more drink to be bought the Henrik Jansberg Band hit the stage and nearly lifted the roof. This great Danish band - with one Swede, the madman Per - played a set mixing folk music with jazz guitar and thumping rhythm section of double bass and boom box percussion. At one point per got the whole audience on their feet for one song which lifted everybody up. Excellent.

Brother Mule from America played a bluegrass set around a single mic. A three piece band of fiddle, guitar and double bass, they sang some excellent songs and the harmonies could not be faulted.

last on the French-Canadian band Le Vent du Nord from Montreal. A storming set including the appearance of a hurdy gurdy. Mixing hi tempo fiddle tunes with songs that without knowing the language came across well. With everyone upstanding for the walking song.

To hear a taster of the concert nip on over to Zetcast.com to hear the first live podcast of the 2008 festival

Shetland Folk Festival 2008

james.carlyle@gmail.com (James Carlyle) — Thu, 1 May 2008 06:56:00 +0100

The "greatest little folk festival in the world" kicks off today.

I'm hoping to be blogging live during the festival from the club, but that hasn't been confirmed yet.

Sorry for no preview podcasts this year, haven't had much time with being busy at work, but look forward to plenty of live music and interviews in the coming weeks.

Off to Vidlin tonight to see Henrik Jansberg Band, Brother Mule, Rory Ellis, Le Vent du Nord and Ryan Couper with Adam Johnson and then back to the club to see the Rumshack Blues Band playing with a new line up.

Shetland Folk Festival 2007 live shows 1

james.carlyle@gmail.com (James Carlyle) — Wed, 6 Jun 2007 19:05:00 +0100

We'll start the series of shows featuring live recordings from the 2007 festival with recordings of Crooked Still and Terrafolk at the Ollaberry Hall on the Friday night.

or download for your mp3 player here

If you use podcast software click on this icon to use the Feedburner feed or use the iTunes feed

Both of these bands went down a storm at the festival.

Joining me this year is Marvin Smith and we will be presenting shows hopefully in every two weeks, their is plenty of music to listen to as well.

I'd just like to take this opertunity to thank the Shetland Folk festival committee for putting on the best little festival in the world, all the artists for giving us permission to record them and a big thanks to all the soundmen who helped out espcially Gavin for lending me some much needed cables for my recorder.

Here are a selection of photos from Jarveye Sim's Flickr site of Terrafolk in action at this years festival. Have had a search of Flickr and can't really find any photos that match up to this collection.

Links

Crooked Still MySpace Site

Terrafolk MySpace Site

Rushad Eggleston MySpace Site

Shetland Folk Festival 2007 review shows

james.carlyle@gmail.com (James Carlyle) — Thu, 10 May 2007 20:26:00 +0100

Well that is the SFF over for another year.

My darling daughter asked if it could happen every month but I had to tell her my body couldn't take a weekend like that every month. When we told a committee member about this comment they reckoned they could do it every six months...food for thought.

Anyway what a weekend of great live music in the isles. Due to the cutting of the festival by one day couldn't see as many full sets as I would have liked, but I can tell you we have some amazing recordings from all the bands that appeared over the festival and if I can bear to let folk hear my voice some conversations with the bands as well.

Not a bad band at all over the weekend, maybe the only low point might be Mary Black's concert on the Saturday night at Clickimin, which seems to be getting some mixed reaction from folk. It also didn't help that people left the venue early to get back to the club, very disrespectful no matter who the artist is.

I'd like to give a big thanks to all the sound guys that have helped myself and Marvin out over the festival, the committee and all the artists at this years festival.

A review podcast will be out next week and then a new show should be seeing the light of day every two weeks, until we run out of material.

It seems strange that the festival only started for me this time last week when I went along to The Lounge for a few drams and to hear some of the best local musicians pay a session and 4 Men and a Dog paid a visit to the pub as well.

Also if you live in Edinburgh get along to the Queens Hall on Friday the 11th to see Terrafolk, a Slovenian band who went down a storm at the Festival.

Shetland Folk Festival 2007 preview show 3

james.carlyle@gmail.com (James Carlyle) — Tue, 1 May 2007 21:19:00 +0100

The 2007 Shetland Folk Festival starts on Friday the 4th May this year. Have a good one.

or download for your mp3 player here

If you use podcast software click on this icon to use the Feedburner feed or use the iTunes feed

Mary Black - Stand Up from Full Tide
Cushtie
Troy MacGillivray - KNITTIN' & DRINKIN' from Eleven
Troy MacGillivray - DREAM AT DAWN from Eleven
Ray Bonneville - Tiptoe Spider from Roll It Down
Ray Bonneville - You Know What I Mean from Roll It Down
Jamiesons Big Pockets - Harry Hay
Sharon Shannon - The Penguin (Retour de Hirondelles & Tune For A Found Harmonium) from Live At Dolans

The following concerts are now sold out: Bressay (Friday), Ollaberry (Friday), Clickimin (Friday & Saturday), Bigton (Friday), Lerwick British Legion (Friday & Saturday), Aith (Saturday). All Festival Foys are also now sold out.

The program

The beer list

All the posters for this years festival

Shetland Folk Festival preview show 2

james.carlyle@gmail.com (James Carlyle) — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 19:09:00 +0100

The 2007 Shetland Folk Festival starts on Friday the 4th May this year.

or download for your mp3 player here

If you use podcast software click on this icon to use the Feedburner feed or use the iTunes feed

SOLD OUT VENUES - Bressay (Friday), Clickimin (Friday & Saturday), Bigton (Friday), Lerwick British Legion (Saturday).
All Festival Foys are also now sold out.

The tracks in this weeks show are

Terrafolk - When U Dance N'TAKA (2004)
TerraFolk - Liver Dance - Nori Veter Live at Queen’s Hall (2006)
Shine - la bikina
Lazy Boy Chair - Dragons Blood
Lazy Boy Chair - Folky Gibbon
Bodega - Bodega - 9-8s
Bodega - Bodega - Greenland
Sharon Shannon - Hogs & Heifers
Mary Black - Full Tide - Siul A Run

MySpace links

Lazy Boy Chair, Sharon Shannon and Mary Black.

2007 Shetland Folk festival Preview show 1

james.carlyle@gmail.com (James Carlyle) — Mon, 9 Apr 2007 19:09:00 +0100

The 2007 Shetland Folk Festival starts on Friday the 4th May this year.

or download for your mp3 player here

If you use podcast software click on this icon to use the Feedburner feed or use the iTunes feed

This show features the following tracks

The McDades - Pull The Anchor
The McDades - The Silver Platter
Baghdaddies - We Try
Baghdaddies - Sweet Girl
Crooked Still - New Railroad
Crooked Still - Come On In My Kitchen
A Cadiera Coixa - Polcas del gaitero errante
A Cadiera Coixa - Como quiere Lola
Four Men and a Dog - I'm Walkin'
Four Men and a Dog - The Kilfenora Sexy Jig
The Toy Hearts - If The Blues Come Calling
The Toy Hearts - Leave This Heart Alone

MySpace links

The Toy Hearts, Crooked Still, the McDades, the Baghdaddies, Shetland Folk Festival,

Elana James and the Continental Two

james.carlyle@gmail.com (James Carlyle) — Wed, 7 Mar 2007 19:43:00 GMT

Elana James and the Continental Two recorded at the Boddam Hall on the Thursday night of the festival.

This was an excellent line up for the first night and was definitley the pick of the bunch. Elana and the boys really got stuck into the sessions on the Sunday and Monday nights of the festival which were amazing.

I think I can say for certain that they will most certainly be back in Shetland for the festival at some point.

or download for your mp3 player here

Click here to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

Additional information

Elana's website

Elanas's MySpace

2006 Shetland Folk Festival highlights

james.carlyle@gmail.com (James Carlyle) — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 07:27:00 GMT

This is the first in a series of podcasts featuring some of the recordings I made at the 2006 Shetland Folk Festival.

We'll kick off with a set from Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan recorded on the 30 April 2006 in the Brae Hall. A beautiful night of weather with a clear sky and the sun creating a hue of deep reds, purples and oranges in the sky as it went down.

I'd like to thank the sound man for recording this for me and Tom and Kenny giving me permission to release it. Also thanks must go out to the festival committee for allowing me the access I had to the artists.

or download for your mp3 player here

Click here to subscribe the podcast in iTunes

Additional information
Tom and Kenny have been bringing their unique blend of guitar and harmonica blues, rags and good time music to widely diverse audiences for more than 25 years. Their live performances include concerts, clubs and festivals all over the world, and they were the only musical act in America to play all four venues of the 1984 Olympic Games.
Together and separately they have worked on countless film scores, TV soundtracks, commercials and sessions. They've appeared on television internationally, were featured on the "Levi's 501 Blues" commercials (which incidentally is banned from YouTube for copyright reasons, for shame ), have played for audiences of 300 million via Voice of America and are frequent guests of National Public Radio. Their eight duo albums have garnered much critical acclaim throughout the world, and their music from the film "Over The Edge" won the duo the prestigious Telly Award in 1994.

At home wherever they go, Tom and Kenny fit in at blues, folk, bluegrass and jazz festivals, and their extensive teaching backgrounds make them a natural choice for college campuses or venues which feature workshops. Because their music is a blend of American roots styles, they are regulars overseas, drawing rave reviews wherever they go.
Link to Kenny's signiture Martin guitar

Link to a site dedicated to the Ashgrove the club that Tom and Kenny speak about in the interview.

Tom and Kenny's own website

2007 Festival news and line up

james.carlyle@gmail.com (James Carlyle) — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 12:57:00 GMT

News

The Shetland Folk Festival Committee have taken the decision to shorten the 27th Festival by one day next year - so instead of it starting on Thursday 3rd May 2007 (as originally planned and is the norm), it will start with a BANG on Friday 4th instead - culminating with the Foys on the Sunday night (6th).

The podcasts will start up next month starting with live recordings from last years festival and carrying on with previews of the visiting bands and news of this years festival.

Line Up

Mary Black	Sharon Shannon
Four Men and a Dog	Crooked Still
The McDades	Mauvais Sort
Ray Bonneville	Troy MacGillivray
The Toy Hearts	Baghdaddies
Shine	Terrafolk
A Cadiera Coixa	Bodega
Martin Curtis	Steve Cousins
Frank Robb	Peter McCallum
Lazy Boy Chair

james.carlyle@gmail.com (James Carlyle) — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 15:41:00 +0100

Just been to the opening of the Festival at Islesburgh.

Boy are we in for a treat.

A right good mixture of trad scottish, bluegrass, western swing and eastern european music.

Wouldn't you credit it the batteries in my camera were knacked so busy recharging them just now. Off to Boddam tonight so hopefully get some photos of that up on here tomorrow.

Also I will post the workshops and concerts that are on at the club on Saturday and all being well, I will be posting live from the club on Saturday night. That'll be fun, not to many drams !!!

james.carlyle@gmail.com (James Carlyle) — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 11:02:00 +0100

Club Lates
All times approx

Thursday	Upstairs	Cushtie	11:15
		Moonshiners	00:00
Friday	Upstairs	Jordon Ogg	11:15
		Moonshiners	00:15
		Fiddlers Bid	01:15
	Downstairs	Stockdogs	00:00
		Bitumin River	01:15
Saturday	Upstairs	Sheila Henderson Band	11:15
		Cushtie	0:15
		Fullsceilldh Spelmannslag	01:15
	Downstairs	Wayfarer	00:00
		No Sweat	00:15
Sunday	Upstairs	The Quintett	00:00
		Rumshack Blues Band	01:00
	Downstairs	Mahogany	00:00

james.carlyle@gmail.com (James Carlyle) — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 22:02:00 +0100

Podcast number 3

A Shetland band special.

Sorry for the delay but I was waiting for some tracks to be submitted.

Download the podcast here or if you use podcast software click on this icon to use the Feedburner feed or use the iTune feed

NOTE: The following venues are now sold out:

Boddam (Thursday)
North Nesting (Thursday)
Lerwick British Legion (Thursday)
Walls (Friday)
Tingwall (Friday)
Lerwick British Legion (Friday)
Clickimin Centre (Saturday)
Clickimin Centre (Sunday Foy)
Lerwick British Legion (Sunday Foy)
Shetland Hotel (Sunday Foy)

Tracks played

Intro and outro Hom Bru - Coopers Reels

Saw Doctors - Out For A Smoke - The Cure (2005)
Vägilased - Klopandi
Hom Bru - Da Trowie Song - No Afore Time (2003)
Ellie Mulhern - So If You Want Me
Johnny and the Notions - Complete and Utter History of Rock n Roll - Complete and Utter History of Rock n Roll (2006)
Fiddlers Bid - Da Kirk Stack - Naked and Bare (2005) Greentrax Records
Shoormal - Too Late - Migrant (2003) Greentrax Records
Stoorie Srtings Sextet - Sticky Macaroni;The Retinal Reattachment;Sticky Macaroni
May, Mackie and Rhona Band - Carolina Moon
Shetland Fiddlers Society - Shetland Reels
Fridarey - Da Noorwa Wheel - Across The Water
Malachy Tallack - Perfect Complication - Edges and Spaces (2005)
Rumshack Blues Band - Hard Drinking Man

Launch of Here by Lise Sinclair on Friday 28th at 1pm in Room 10 at Islesburgh. OPEN TO ALL. Poetry reading by Lise Sinclair and Alex Cluness. Music by Malachy Tallack.

james.carlyle@gmail.com (James Carlyle) — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 22:41:00 +0100

Podcast Number 2

Not long too go now - 2 weeks. Please leave a comment and let me know where you are listening from and also if you are having any problems with the podcast.

Download the podcast here or if you use podcast software click on this icon to use the Feedburner feed or use the iTune feed

The following venues are now sold out:

Boddam (Thursday)
Lerwick British Legion (Thursday)
Walls (Friday)
Tingwall (Friday)
Lerwick British Legion (Friday)
Clickimin Centre (Sunday Foy)
Lerwick British Legion (Sunday Foy)
Shetland Hotel (Sunday Foy)

Shop opening times are as follows

Thursday 13 April 6pm - 8pm
Saturday 15 April 12pm - 3pm
Thursday 20 April 6pm - 8pm
Saturday 22 April 12pm - 3pm

Tracks played as follows

Intro and Outro - Hom Bru - Cooper Reels
1. Tannhill Weavers - The Ewie Wi' The Crookit Horn - Arnish Light (2003)
2. Serguei Pachnine - Dorogoi dlinnoyu
3. Danny Barnes - Waterways Journal

Podcast number one

james.carlyle@gmail.com (James Carlyle) — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 19:50:00 +0100

The 26th Shetland Folk Festival takes place over the last weekend of April. The festival kicks off on Thursday 27 April with an opening concert in the Festival Club at 1:00pm. All the visiting artistes will be playing at this concert. As it is usually packed out get there early so you can get a seat.

Download the podcast here or if you use podcast software click on this icon to use the Feedburner feed or use the iTune feed or indeed play it here

Shownotes

Intro and Outro - Hom Bru - Coopers Reels - No Afore Time (2003)

1. Carmel Sheerin and The Ravens - Without You - Runaway (2005)

2. Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan - Perfect Woman - 20th Anniversary (2000)

3. Back Of The Moon - Voodoo Chilli - Luminosity (2005)

4.Elana James and the Continental Two - Another - Demo CD (2005)

5.Finniston- It Angers Me So

6.Tim and Mollie O'Brien - Away On The Mountain - Away Out On The Mountain (1994)

7.Dougie McClean - Seventh Sea - Inside The Thunder (2005)

8.Tim Edey - The Reculver Polcas - Daybreak (2001)

I would like to thank all the artists above for giving me permission to use there tracks in this podcast. Please support the artists and buy a CD of there music.

If you have enjoyed the podcast please let me know what you thought of it, yes I know I don't have the best speaking voice.

Plans for the future include a follow up festival podcast hopefully with live recordings and interviews and another one featuring the local artists.

Till the next time, have a great festival.