Orkney Blues Weekend 2011

Tony Winfield and
Sue Hickling

Respected blues enthusiasts, photographer Tony Winfield, and writer Sue Hickling, made their way north last week for the 2010 Orkney Blues Festival.
Here, they share some of this year’s festival experi­ences with The Orcadian.

Each year we enjoy visiting many blues festivals, but we look forward, especially, to the Orkney Blues Weekend.

The warm, friendly welcome from the Orcadians, together with the fantastic music on offer from local bands makes it very special. (more…)

Behind the scenes at the 2010 blues weekend

With the 2010 Orkney Blues Festival now a fond memory, festival committee member, Walter Gorman, looks back at his festival diary . . .

We had a very interesting and unnerving week leading up to the blues weekend itself.

Early on in the week, we got the news that the Smokie Blues Festival, in Carnoustie, which was due to take place on the same dates as the Orkney Blues Weekend had been cancelled, due to low ticket sales, and we wondered how that might affect us — with up-and-coming budget cuts, and a very nervous public sector and all. (more…)

Northsyde

WHEN Northsyde started into their set on the Saturday night in the Royal, I immediately paid attention. They were upbeat, and offered up a great sound.

I wouldn’t call them a blues band as such, more a mix of jazz fusion, rock and blues, but they played a master stroke with me. I love Stevie Wonder’s Songs In The Key of Life album and when Northsyde offered up their rendition of Wish from that album I was won over.

Blues band or not, picked by the public or not, they played a blistering set; I was captivated from start to finish. (more…)

The event’s organising committee’s WALTER GORMAN gives his take on this year’s Blues Weekend.

We had a very interesting and unnerving week leading up to the blues weekend itself. Early on in the week we got the news that the Smokie Blues Festival in Carnoustie, which was due to take place on the same dates as the Orkney Blues Weekend, had been cancelled due to low ticket sales and we wondered how that might affect us, with up and coming budget cuts, and a very nervous public sector and all. (more…)

The second annual Poppy and Blues Motorbike Show, held in Stromness on the Saturday of Orkney Blues Weekend, has raised £1000 for charity.

Organiser Paul Sambrook, who lives in Stromness and is a member of the Royal British Legion Riders Club and the Orkney Bikers Forum, said he is over the moon with the amount, which is double what they made last year.

BIKES ON SHOW: A selection of the motorbikes at the pier head in Stromness on Saturday.

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Victoria Olson

STROMNESS always comes alive at festival time, and last weekend’s dip into the blues was no different. I’ve always thought this event was amazing value; the finale concert is the only ticketed gig of the whole weekend and the free gigs in pubs throughout the town gave the 13 acts performing this year the chance to show what they could do to a large number of people.

The highlight for me – and many other people I’ve spoken to – was definitely Gerry Jablonski and the Electric Band. I caught him as a solo artist a few years back and recognised his skill on the guitar then, but with the band backing him it took the show to a whole new level.

CASTING A SPELL OVER THE CROWD: Gerry Jablonski and Peter Narojcyk from the Electric Band performing at the finale concert.

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By Mary Duncan

Those who were there will agree, the line-up was terrific at this year’s Orkney Blues Weekend. Organiser Walter Gorman, said: “The blues committee is really thrilled – we all do it because we love it, so when we see the public enjoying it too, it’s just brilliant for us.” (more…)

Victoria Olson

THE FASTLINERS: Don Holderness and Kevin Coffey belting out the blues at the finale concert

THE best way to finish off a Blues Weekend experience is to attend the finale concert in the Stromness Hotel on Sunday night.

The only ticketed event of the whole festival, which helps pay for the weekend, it attracted a big crowd who packed out the function room to hear all the visiting acts and one local group in one concert.

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Victoria Olson

Naomi Mather

BLUES songstress Naomi Mather certainly knows how to hold an audience in the palm of her hands, with a combination of first-class musicianship and songs that tell stories about her life and loves.

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Victoria Olson

BEST DRESSED BAND: From left, Andrew Want, Mike Henderson and Lorraine McBrearty.

THE award for best dressed band at this year’s event goes to The Bad Liars, who made a special effort to get the Rockabilly look right for their gigs with their clothes, shoes and hair.

I caught their Saturday night gig in the Ferry and it was fantastic – the crowd’s reaction was overwhelmingly positive and the band also felt it was one of their best performances ever.

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Victoria Olson

BAD TASTE: From left, Marcus Cordock on bass, Dylan Pepper on drums, frontman Ian Craigie and guitarist Andrew Taylor, playing in the British Legion.

THIS talented young band have picked up quite a following since their debut at last year’s Blues Weekend and they certainly kept up their reputation this time around, attracting one of the biggest crowds of all the bands playing Stromness on Friday night.

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Victoria Olson

Bad Business

Two local bands joined forces for this year’s Blues Weekend, with members of Bad Taste and Mean Business rocking it out in The Ferry Inn and the Stromness Hotel on Saturday and Sunday. Pictured, from left, is Kenny Swinney on keyboard, Marcus Cordock on bass, Walter Gorman on vocals, Dylan Pepper on drums and John Pettigrew on guitar.

Victoria Olson

Miss Noma and Mr Ree

Pictured above are Blues Weekend stalwarts Catherine Grivas (vocals) and Mike Moldau (guitars and banjo), who played their unique brand of delta and Mississippi blues at the Gable End theatre on Hoy on Friday, the Stromness Hotel on Saturday and the Royal Hotel on Sunday. As well as classics by blues greats Robert Johnson, Mississippi John Hurt and Blind Blake audiences heard numbers by Tom Waits. The duo were accompanied by other musicians during their sets, including Emma Thomas and Mark Shiner on fiddle and Mike Fairbairn on harmonica.

Victoria Olson

SONGWRITING SISTERS: From left, Emma and Katy Thomas, accompanied by their dad Pete on bass, playing in the Café Bar on Saturday afternoon.

DUO Blueberry Jam made their first official appearance at the Blues Weekend, having played in the festival’s blues jams in previous years. (more…)

Victoria Olson

MISSING CAT performing in the Ferry Inn. From left; Gay Jack, Paul Montague, Kenny Miller and Keith Scott. Below, Paul belts it out.

EDINBURGH band Missing Cat weren’t officially part of the Blues Weekend line up but that didn’t stop them winning some new fans in Orkney last weekend.

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By Tony Winfield & Sue Hickling

Friday 19th – Sunday 21st September 2008

The Orkney Isles, off the north coast of Scotland, host one of our favourite Blues festivals. Based mainly in Stromness at three venues – The Stromness Hotel, The Ferry Inn and The Royal Hotel – there were four artists from the mainland and six Orkney bands. As always, the bands performed in more than one venue during the weekend. The first act for us was festival survivor Keith Christmas. (more…)

By Leah Seator

It was then through to the function room, where the event we’d all been waiting for, the Grand Finale Concert, was about to kick off. (more…)

By Leah Seator

The sound of the twelve-bar blues wailing out on to the streets of Stromness was a welcome calling for music fans in the county, who were out in full force at the Orkney Blues Weekend.
Screeching guitarists, lap steel players, and men with “moothies”, took residence in many of the Stromness venues, but let it be said, it was the local bands who stole the show this year.
As good as the visitors were – and they were really good – the sheer, awe-inspiring, performances of the local bands, who performed, blew everyone away.
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Victoria Olson

GERMAN VISITORS Ralf Gotz and Frank Thien enjoying a blues jam in the Ferry Inn. Picture Orkney Photographic.

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Victoria Olson

BLUES WITH BALLS. Sinclair Bremner, the group's energetic front man. Picture Tom O'Brien.

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