Ben and I met a rad old timer named Sandy from Inverness who was a fan of Orkney and was mates with some of the members of one of the bands playing at the festival. We stayed up chatting with Sandy for a while. He used to work for Tourism Scotland so he shared stories about all the wonderful places in Scotland to visit (which I did with mum this week just gone!) We had a few beers at the front bar (as opposed to the back bar where more of the action takes place) and listened in on a lots of fiddle sessions and impromptu jams with double basses, accordians, fiddles, drums, mandolins, etc.Ben and I didn't have a cabin (too poor) so we pulled cushions off the seats and laid them on the floor. We undid a few light globes and hid under my big coat to sleep. It wasn't too rough so we managed to get a few hours sleep. We arrived Thursday morning and had a snoozie to prepare for the rest of the festival.
Lerwick is the main town on the main island of Shetland. It's a pretty town, quite small, all stone in the old part, based around the harbour.
Met a local with an amazingly thick accent on a cliff atop the ocean. He told us we'd just missed sighting some seals. Shem shem. He was building a dry stone dyke wall. I want one of these when I grow up:
I didn't get any pics from the festival gigs. I thought about it but couldn't be bothered. You'll just have to get yourself a ticket for next year!
The gigs started the same night we got off the ferry. Ben's mum and dad have been going to the festival for ever and know the protocol well of ensuring you get good seats. Basically you arrive bloody early and get the front spot in the line until doors open, then you head straight for the front table. Easy. On the Thursday night we saw 5 bands.
Friday night was our 'night off', which we spent with Ben's old Shetland friends drinking and playing guitar and singing and speaking French and just being silly. That was lots of fun. Ben took me to the Sooth End for some puffin spotting. Success!
Ben and his dad lined up 2 hours before doors opened on Saturday. My, did we have good seats! It was a much bigger concert than the small town hall venue on Thurs- there were about +400 seats. After the gig Ben and I went to the 'Festival Club'. The Festival Club is at a big town-hall kind of place in Lerwick where all the musos go to after their gigs. There's a bar there open til 1am. There are 2 main stages on 2 levels and bands just jump up and play a set. Then there are half a dozen rooms off to the side that are 'session' rooms. Musicians just wander in with their instruments and start jamming. We were in a Jazzy Charleston room for a while with some honky tonk piano and some clarinets and fiddles. We watched Fiddler's Bid for a bit (Shetland heroes) and talked to one of the members from The Wiyos for ages about New York and music. Big night! Home before 5am, and the sun was well and truely up by that time. Only about 3 hours of proper darkness this time of year. In mid summer the sun only just dips below the horizon. It's call 'simmer dim'.
Sunday was a another epic stake out by Ben's dad. Almost 3 hours this time. The last night of the festival is the Foy. All the visiting bands come round to the venues and play a short set of about 20 min. Snuck in whisky and wine so got very merry.
I was fed very well by Ben's folks. Shetland hospitality is great! We saw a new born Shetland pony, which was weird. And the sun coming out at 3am was also very odd.
My festival faves were:
The Unwanted
Irish/American south blues and traditional music. The mouth organ man was dressed old school like the chemist from a Spaghetti Western, and the woman was in a red satin corset with black lace.
Bodega
Young kids, all did a folk music course at uni. Really talented and very energetic, they've won a shite load of awards. Good mix of old and new style music, with some Gaelic and some English songs. Ben went to school with the fiddler Ross, who was mostly pissed every time we saw him.
Swedish band Vasen where great. They had an old traditional Swedish instrument called a Nicelharpa (spelling?) which is like gnarly fiddle held at the hip with keys rather than toughing the fret board. Very funny and happy guys who've been playing together for over 20 years!
The Wiyos. Rad. Spoke to the guitarist on the ferry up and festival club at about 3am, and he managed to remember mine and Ben's names on the ferry back! The singer was so charismatic and had a strong voice for a little bloke. He'd put on this little black hat and push it down his face and take on this swaggering bluesy character. Cajun, blusey music. Foot stompin'. Can someone please help me get them to Australia?
The New Rope String Band were a comdey/folk act that where extremely clever and entertaining. Check their website of Youtube or something. Have a giggle.
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