Peatbog Faeries and Fullsceilidh Spelmanslag

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

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

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.