Round Two

Greetings, again!

I return, as promised, to chat to you all about my second weekend down in Glasgow for Celtic Connections. This time it was just Hannah MacRae and I who got the opportunity to go through the NC Music course we're studying at West Highland College UHI in Fort William. This three day trip was actually a proper residency in all of the other students' course(s), most studying the BA in music and most based in the Uist campus, but Hannah and I were encouraged to tag along as it would be good experience for us, especially considering our preferred music genre. We had only been back home for three days since the last trip when we had another early start on the Thursday morning to get the first bus down to Glasgow.

The whole trip was virtually based in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, which I had not entered before last week and have now been in it about 23958 times. The first thing on the agenda that we managed to catch the end of was a presentation in the Lomond Foyer by award-winning actress, singer and director Gerda Stevenson. She was mainly giving advice on performance and very useful tips were given on things such as stage presence and preparation for a show. Groups of students who were performing that weekend each had a turn to enter the "stage" and present exactly what they would if it were a proper performance, then Gerda gave them feedback. Even though we didn't see the presentation the whole way through, I still took away a good few tips from this lovely lady.

Then we had some time to go for a wander, check into our hotel, grab some food (we opted for Nando's) then make our way to the Open Mic Night at the Old Hairdressers. There's a bit of a funny story there actually... You see, Hannah and I are not the most experienced with city life, and city navigation in particular. There was me thinking I was so responsible and prepared having screenshotted the simple directions to said 'Old Hairdressers' earlier in the day, and then en route just as we were thinking "yeah, we're making really good time for once!" we followed the directions down a couple more slightly shady looking streets... and right enough, as you may have been able to guess, on checking my phone once more I discovered that we were being directed not the Old Hairdressers pub and music venue but just to some random hairdressers on some unknown street! Mortified. Yet very amused. We managed to get there in the end though thankfully! The open mic night was all UHI students and contained a large variety of bands and styles of music. Hannah and I were feeling a bit tired from our early start but one act who made me really sit up and pay attention was a girl singing and playing the guitar from Colonsay I think, Caitlin McNeill. She was incredible! Not only her beautiful voice and fab guitar playing, but the songs she had written herself were just- wow. Hannah and I were sat there in envy and awe. That girl has a lot of talent and deserves recognition.

OH. Funny thing about our hotel room - by complete and utter chance, we just happened to be in the exact same room I was in the weekend before! Weeeeird... 

Anyway,

The next morning we made our way back to the Concert Hall for our wee slot on Celtic Music Radio presented by BBC Radio Scotland Young Musician of the Year 2013, Paddy Callaghan! There were UHI students going on and off from 11am till 2pm and Hannah and I were second on. We sang first a song we've arranged called Mo Ghleannan Taobh Loch Liobhainn then played a set of tunes we put together including our own composition, with questions about our playing and college course being asked in between. All went well, thankfully! Weren't too nervous or anything but dang was my mouth dry - not the best for singing, aha. Then Hannah and I stayed for the rest of the afternoon to watch all of the other groups on after us which was most enjoyable and I noted a couple of good songs I might steal for myself... mwahaha
A group I thought were particularly enjoyable were a band named Eabhal, they've just put themselves on facebook too so you should go check them out! I'm sure they'll give you all the deets about their cool new band there so I don't have to. 

Later in the afternoon there was a "Rhythm Wave workshop", a big Brazilian samba band thing led by a man who's name I've unfortunately forgotten! (if anyone could enlighten me on this, please do) He was very enthusiastic and got us all up on our feet moving, stomping, clapping then having a go of all the instruments. Then Scottish singer Aileen Ogilvie joined in and got us singing Gaelic songs. This was all topped of by a very entertaining performance featuring both the Brazilian band and Gaelic singer - very interesting indeed! Quite inspiring in a way that encouraged me to think more about mixing genres to create something which could end up being quite spectacular.

 Then as Hannah and I sadly weren't taking part in the concert on the Saturday (which I hope went well!) we had the rest of the day/night to ourselves! We had been swithering between going to see Blazin' Fiddles and co. at the Royal Concert Hall or Daimh and Skerryvore at the Old Fruitmarket - why put such great bands on on the same night?!! Decisions, decisions. We ended up getting tickets for Blazin' Fiddles and made our way there after a much needed meal at DiMaggio's and settled down for what was one of the most enjoyable concerts I've been to! It wasn't as mad as the likes of Treacherous Orchestra the week before but it was enjoyable in the way that there was a lovely balance of serenity and energy. I really, really, really liked the way they did this concert. The fact that they had Bruce MacGregor narrating it as if it were a live radio broadcast and each artist being called up when it was their go again, unlike your usual: support act, support act, main act. I also liked that there was a wee corner created on the stage with a couple of couches for those who weren't playing at the time to sit, complete with lamp. I feel this whole set up really worked for the kind of concert this was and helped to create just the right atmosphere for it. 

Blazin' Fiddles were the main attraction for most, but they had with them an abundance of fab musicians including the Inverness Gaelic Choir, Aoife O'Donovan, Adam Holmes and my absolute fave Rachel Sermanni, whom I have a particular soft spot for. Blazin' Fiddles played both lovely slow sets and very energetic ones which are enhanced greatly, I think, by their fantastic body language on the stage when they're playing. The same goes for everyone who performed there, they all just get so into it and that's what I think is possibly the most important thing about music and performing it for other people - enjoying it yourself!! 

I absolutely love Rachel Sermanni and she's been an inspiration to me for years now, and even though the other two singers were brilliant and I couldn't fault them at all, there's just something when Rachel performs. I feel like fairies could exist when I hear her drifting voice and watch her float up and down with the music on her shoeless feet. Magical.

After that wonderful performance ended with a joint heart-aching rendition of one of my favourite Scots songs ever, Ae Fond Kiss, we were left quite satisfied. However, it was only 9.50pm?! We couldn't possibly call it a night then...

To the Old Fruitmarket!

After a little more navigation with my map in one hand and compass in the other, we arrived at the Old Fruitmarket, sadly missing our slightly preferred band, Daimh, but just in time for Skerryvore starting! I'd never been inside the old Fruitmarket before but I had been told of it's beauty as a venue and this can be confirmed by our friend Eddie's reaction to the sight of it: He cried because it was so beautiful. Then he cried when telling Hannah that he'd cried. Then he cried when he told me, just at the thought of it. THRICE HE CRIED (sorry, Eddie) so if that doesn't convince you how nice it is I don't know what would. After buying some ridiculously priced drinks at the bar we wriggled our way in through the crowd down near the front where we danced away to our hearts content for the rest of the night. I've never actually felt compelled to go and listen to Skerryvore but lemme tell yi, they're a fab band live. Despite getting completely soaked through with a cup of beer by a stranger whilst wearing my nice non-washable tweed coat (woop) I had a fantastic time! We sadly didn't plan ahead enough and had to give the Festival Club a miss and head back to the hotel - there's always next year though! 

Hannah and I had a right good lie in on Saturday before we made our last way to the Concert Hall to purchase some memorabilia then scooted off home to Fort William on the 3 o'clock bus, getting back just in time to grab some food and have a quick change then head out again for our usual stint at the Highland hotel. All back to normal again...

I've most likely missed out some finer details but I hope this account of our eventful weekend has entertained you a bit! I certainly had a fab couple of weekends and can't wait to return to Celtic Connections some time in the future!