Darvel Music Festival

Darvel Music Festival | Hamish Stuart Band | Richmond Fontaine

Darvel is emerging as a "hot spot" for exciting and dynamic music. The festival just gets better and better each year and is playing a vital role in the continued resurgence of the town.

This years "Scottish Power Renewables", "Darvel Music Festival" had a great line up of concerts over a seven day period and all were very well attended , especially by visitors from out with the area and abroad.

The festival, which is now the largest in East Ayrshire brings top international, national and regional performers to the Irvine Valley town and gives a real boost to the local economy, with many visitors coming from places as far and wide as Portsmouth, Manchester, Edinburgh and Japan !

One young Japanese lady called Emi, travelled thousands of miles to hear and meet top folk artist Karine Polwart. She was made most welcome by the organisers and recently contacted Neil McKenna of the festival team to say how much she had enjoyed the show, everyones hospitality and will tell all her family and friends to visit Darvel !

The committee of music loving volunteers place special emphasis on making this event a "friendly festival" and the organisers go out of there way to make the bands feel at home, and in some cases have them to stay overnight at there homes.

The first concert of this years festival actually took place at Morton Hall, Newmilns. The reasoning behind this was to make the event inclusive and celebrate music with our neighbours in the Irvine Valley. Provost Jane Darnborough opened proceedings and the first half of the show featured the stirring pipes and drums of the Kilmarnock Pipe Band, the dancing prowess of four times World Irish Dance Champion, Ronan McCutcheon accompanied by his sister, then a homecoming of sorts for top South African singer-songwriter, Robin Auld who gave a strong emotional performance in front of many of his family who still reside in the Valley. After a short break the audience were treated to the wonderful combined Windband of Loudoun and Grange Academies, under the musical direction of teacher John Boax. The final act included renowned Gaelic singer and Clarsach (small harp) player Maggie MacInnes joined on stage by equally fine fiddle player, Charlie McKerron (of Capercaillie fame) and keyboard player and accordionist Brian McAlpine.

The main festival at Darvel Town Hall began on Tuesday 3 October. Darvel born musicians, Iain McKinnon and John Davidson led their bands Wild Oscar and racingreen through blistering sets. John's band were making a welcome return to the festival having performed the year before. Headliners, the Primary 5 were excellent. Fronted by ex Teenage Fanclub member, Paul Quinn they were the icing on the cake for what was a great night.

On Wednesday afternoon the upper school of Darvel Primary were treated to a wholesome, uplifting and entertaining performance from Scotland's leading musical minstrel, Alastair McDonald. This show was funded through the Youth Music Initiative from the Scottish Arts Council.

Wednesday evening and a wonderful hybrid of folk/rock from Galston musician, Brian Reilly, superb jazz guitarist Iain Forbes, highly talented Irish singer-songwriter, Richard Gilpin plus an exquisite performance from the Klezmer band, Moishes Bagel.  The audience were mesmerised by the sheer energy and technical ability of these wonderful musicians.

Thursday night, and the welcome return to the festival of Flanagan's Bar of Prestwick , Roll n'Jam night with Paul McCluskey and his many friends (up to thirty musicians). There was a capacity crowd at this ever popular evening of Rock and Blues and the crowd was given an added bonus by way of a fantastic tribute section to the late, great Irish bluesman guitarist, Rory Gallagher and Taste.

The organisers would like to pass on special thanks to John Potts (Musical Director) for masterminding this evening and to all the musicians for making the evening so memorable.

On Friday, in keeping with a diverse programme of musical styles, the audience was treated to multi-award winning folk artist, Karine Polwart and her highly talented band. Karine had great support provided by the excellent Finniston (Stephen Finnie and Jolene Crawford) and impressive singer-songwriter, John Alexander.

A real treat was in store for fans of soul, funk and r&b, on Saturday night. Founder member of the Average White Band and Paul McCartney band member, Hamish Stuart had flown up with his band from London to perform his first concert in Ayrshire for twenty five years. It was a fantastic night and in fact, Hamish's birthday and he was treated to an improntu "happy birthday" rendition from the packed crowd. Two support acts from Glasgow backed Hamish Stuart and they were the superb, The Catherine O'Halloran Band and Jo Mango.

The event finished on a high note on Sunday, with an Alt-country rock spectacular featuring four fantastic acts. Top US Band, Richmond Fontaine were supported by homegrown talent, The Endrick Brothers, plus two great performances from new Irish sensations, Amazing Pilots and Texan singer-songwriter, Ian Moore.

Festival Director, Sheila McKenna would like to thank all the local residents and visitors who supported the festival. She would also like to thank all the key sponsorship received from Scottish Power Renewables (main sponsor), The Big Lottery Fund (Awards for All), Scottish Co-op, Scottish Arts Council, East Ayrshire Council plus all the local companies who gave financial and in-kind support;
Mair Matheson Solicitors & Estate Agents, Noble Dental Laboratories, Hugh Morton BDS, Raewinds of Galston, J H Donald Limited, Gibson Wight Engineering, McConnells Pharmacies, IVRP, Flanagans of Prestwick, Loudoun Castle Theme Park, Vesuvius UK, Gerald Eve Chartered Surveyors, Loudoun Gowf Club, Andely Wine Stores, Allseasons of Galston, Full Moon Studio, Darvel, Alasdair Fraser Photography, Mike Ritchie Media, Crooked Rain, and James Watt College.

Last but not least thanks to the festival production team of Neil, Harry, Lynda, Linda, Alasdair, Mike, Sandy, John, Peter, Alan, Ian,Alison, Maureen, Joyce and the Darvel Town Hall staff (Davie and David).

The festival organisers hope to see you all again at the 5th Festival in October 2006.

If you weren't there, you missed a superb night on Saturday. Hamish at Darvel Town Hall.

The line up was as per the 'standard' HSB - Ian Thomas : Drums; Bosco D'Olivera : Percussion, Steve Pierce : Bass, Graham Harvey : Keys, Adam Phillips : Guitar & Hamish of course. I'm not quite sure what the rest of the band would have made of Darvel, a former coal mining and weaving town in north East Ayrshire. I have to take my hat off to the event organisers, the Darvel Improvement Group, who have put on a week of music events in their local town hall. Their efforts to 'kick start' the renewal of this once thriving town should make our politicians at national level hang their heads in shame. I can only 'tip my skip' to them and wish them well.

The band started off with Makin' It Up, and it just got better from there on in. It had it all ... La La Land - with an amzing solo from Adam - and during Atlantic Avenue we had to witness Bosco doing what I could only describe as sexually abusing a small rodent he had trapped in a wee hexagonal box ! I'm sure the police should have been involved, but we'll gloss over that quickly.

Hamish was in playful mood as some of his old mates from the Dream Police days were in the audience. Well you can take the guys out of Glasgow, but ... so there was a bit of playful banter going on. It maybe helped that the man was also celebrating his birthday.

The guys played without the usual 'half time' break, and before we knew where we were they had run through a whole range of favourites from Queen Of My Soul to Joni Mitchell's 'Circle Game' to the late great Ray Charles' Just For A Thrill, and were now getting 'Person To Person' after which the band strode off for a beer -no doubt to celebrate Hamish's Birthday. The crowd was having none of it however, and out came Hamish and Steve P for the best version I've yet heard of Leon Russell/Donny Hathaway's Song for You, which Hamish played on his Telecaster as opposed to the more usual Yamaha Silent guitar. It would have brought a tear to a glass eye, with Hamish's soulful falsetto at it's heart wrenching best. Hamish, you once said you felt some of us were trying to turn you into a tribute artist when we enquired if you would consider doing a Ray Charles EP in the way you did 'Solo' to honour Donny. Well, can you blame us ? It's not our fault that you interprit a song so well that we  want to hear more. Don't shoot the messenger, there are a lot of other fans out there who think like me. [no comment needed Harry or Louis]

Anyhow, after that the guys blasted into a rip roaring version of 'Pieces' which generated just enough heat to send us out into a cold Ayrshire night, and off on our way home happy.

Finally, and I know it's not the done thing, because both factions have gone their seperate ways, but I've been lucky enough to see AWB in Perth & HSB in Darvel over the last 8 days. I enjoyed both gigs, but for me at least, the HSB win by a knockout in the first round. Just an opinion ... we all have them.

Cheers,
Robert [the 'other' Mr Stuart]

Review by Mike Ritchie

A year ago I wrote my very first live review for this website – the band covered was Richmond Fontaine, the venue was this one and I declared then, as an enthusiastically, "gigs don't come much better than this..." On this first anniversary occasion I will repeat, without hesitation, that view as RF have done it again, yet another special show from these four guys whose time on stage was a sheer joy. Can you get any better than brilliant? Their alt.country moods, swerving through the rock-based songs to minimalist lyrical offerings, are effective on CD but here they are equally compulsive listening. They were the final act of this year's Darvel Music Festival – no-one could surely follow them - and had readily added the town (population 3,700) to their latest tour simply because they know how the locals love their music – and music generally - and they needed another dose of hospitality at the home of Festival organisers, Neil and Sheila McKenna. They took to the stage well fed and we then gorged on a captivating performance that kept an appreciative and knowledgeable crowd transfixed throughout.

Composed, confident and warm, they opened the door to the losers and loners who populate their latest CD "The Fitzgerald" with Willy Vlautin's fine vocals carried by acoustic guitar and hints of muted bass notes. These are songs to listen to and the crowd hushed in case any of the storylines were missed. Exit 194B, Casino Lights, Warehouse Life, Black Road are bleak but compelling, as dark as the sky over Darvel, and drenched with Willy's sincerity as he makes every word register. At one stage he apologised for the songs gloomy nature but the applause showed no-one objected. These are not easy songs to perform but they were carried off memorably. Of course, the up tempo tracks were bursting to be released and when they were you look around the hall to see smiling faces, nodding heads, total contentment. Richmond Fontaine rock with a civilised swagger and an impish, sweet-sounding grind that seems to tickle them as well as their fans. They breezed joyously through the rollicking Always on the Ride while Post To Wire and Polaroid were standouts as always. I reckon if this tight band did a three or four-night run you'd never tire of their offerings, which are varied, inventive, just great - a bit like story-telling Springsteen jamming with ass-kicking maestro Steve Earle. They work damn hard and it's paying off, although Willy admitted that he still hadn't given up his painting job back home yet. Indeed, a recent job was made a bit easier as he was listening to songs from the excellent Endrick Brothers, who provided a tender acoustic support set here. Two years on the trot RF have graced this festival and boosted the numbers who enjoy their music - so who's to say how far they can go? On this form and, based on the strength of their CDs, I'd suggest they'll go from strength to strength. Another question is who will be on the bill for the fifth festival next year? At the moment it's anyone's guess but we're looking forward to it already.