Dave's Edinburgh Comedy Awards, Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 Returning after a couple of years of pandemic related absence, this was a recording for Radio 4 to introduce the contenders for Best Show and Best Newcomer.  Each contender was given a three minute slot to give some inkling of their style and the content of their shows.  

Russel Kane, a previous winner, hosted, and did an excellent job.  Professional, calm, but swiftly able to whip an audience into laughter and improvise to fill in the inevitable gaps you get during a show of this nature.  But also moving thigs along swiftly, for time was tight.

The Best Show contenders were Larry Dean, Lauren Pattison, Seann Walsh, Amy Gledhill, Colin Hoult (as his alter ego Anna Mann), Alfie Brown, Jordan Gray, Josh Pugh and Sam Campbell.  And the Newcomers were Vittorio Angelone, Emmanuel Sonubi, Emily Wilson, Josh Jones and Lara Ricote.

You can't tell a lot from such short stints, but, for what it's worth, Dean and Pattison impressed me most in the first category, with Alfie Brown the most intriguing.  And Angelone, Sonubi and Ricote all made me laugh a lot.  While Hoult, Campbell and the timewasting Wilson seemed best forgotten.  But what do I know?  The results will be announced this Saturday.

Gnoss / Lizz Carroll and Jenn Butterworth, Scots Fiddle Festival, Pleasance

This final gala concert opened with Adam Sutherland and fifteen young fiddlers from his Youth Engagement Project.  This provides training not just in the musical aspect sof performing, but also presentation and audience engagement.  So the announcements were all made by members of the group, and the arrangements were collaborative.  A chance to watch some stars of the folk future.

Orcadians Gnoss are still young too, but  now very experienced and with a well established stage presence of three jokers and the one quiet man.  Fiddle (with a bit of mandolin), flute/whistles, guitar and fast thumping bodhran combine with some sweet vocals to deliver a stirring set that had the audience roused and laughing.

Irish-American fiddler Carroll was the headline name of this year's festival, and quickly showed us exactly why she deserves that status.  Carroll is a part of the folk elite for good reason, not just as a player but also as composer, arranger and story teller.  There's wit, invention and skill to spare in her playing.  She was accompanied by one of Scotland's most brilliant (and hard working) guitarists, Jenn Butterworth, who provided her usual imaginative backing.  Carroll had sent over the tunes for Butterworth to learn, and been generous enough to ask for some of the Scot's in return, so the set had some added variety.

The finale brought the whole ensemble on stage, Carroll leading Gnoss and the Project in a mass fiddlethon, the American taking delight in traversing the stage to encourage and praise the others.  A warm gesture to end the night on.

Twelfth Day / Ross Couper and Tom Oakes, Scots Fiddle Festival, Pleasance

Twelfth Day performed as a quartet with duo Catriona Price (fiddle) and Esther Swift (harp) backed by bass and drums.  This was the launch of their most recent album and the performance combined folk, classical and pop influences into an experimental blend that's invigorating, surprising and occasionally baffling.  But they do so with such charm, humour and musicality that the oddities can be easily forgiven.  Different, but enjoyable.

Couper (fiddle) and Oakes (guitar) are a very different proposition.  True to their folk roots, but with many varied influences - inevitable with one from Shetland, the other from Devon - and a near telepathic mutuality.  It's a fast paced show, both in the music and the patter.  Both can be extremely funny, but it's the passion and power of their playing that dominates.  They can knock out a moving slow number, but the fast stuff is certainly that - fast.  Impressively and blood rousingly so.  Hugely engaging and energising.

Kinnaris Quintet & Saltfishforty, Scots Fiddle Festival, Pleasance

Led by well the well established Highland fiddler Adam Sutherland, the Youth Engagement Project featured a dozen or so fiddlers in their early teenage years, combining to form a band that plays interesting tunes in interesting arrangements.  Clearly overawed by the size of their audience at first, they became more relaxed in response to the genuine applause, and their third and final number was free flowing and really well played.  Some stars of the future in that line up?

The Kinnaris Quintet released their first album, Free One, earlier this year, and it's the best new music I've heard this year.  Their live performance is even more exhilarating.  I knew what to expect, having seen them at Celtic Connections earlier this year, and they fully lived up to those (very high) expectations.  5-string fiddler Aileen Gobbi is a lively and entertaining personality, and she took the lead in introducing the tunes and the stories behind them.  They have some memorable melodies (June's Garden is a thing of simplistic beauty, led by Mary-Beth Salter's mandolin) and imaginative arrangements, played by a band who are clearly having a great time playing for us and with each other.  It's a joy to watch their interactions, and the music ranges through a variety of styles in tempoes, from heart tugging delicacy to driving rhythms driven by Jenn Butterworth's guitar and foot stomping.  A superb set.

They were followed by Orkney duo Saltfishforty, with Brian Cromarty on vocals and guitar and Douglas Montgomery playing fiddle.  Traditional music, modern compositions, songs of death and songs of love, with a common Orcadian theme throughout.  Cromarty doesn't have the greatest of voices technically, but sings well to his limitations and does so with a distinctive style and a sense of humour.  Whereas there's no faulting the musicianship of the pair.  From slow airs to blisteringly fast and exciting reels their technique, interplay and mutual feel for the music produces constant surprises and delights.  They're funny guys too, even when playing, and both can tell a good story and get the crowd laughing.

The evening ended with Kinnaris and the Project joining the duo on stage for one big final number that got us clapping along and must have given the youngsters a memorable end to their big stage experience.

Gnoss, Tradfest, Pleasance

I first saw Gnoss as a young Orcadian duo, and was impressed by their mature abilities as both musicians and in talking to their audience.   The original pair, Graham Rorie (Fiddle & Mandolin), Aidan Moodie (Guitar & Vocals), have since been joined by Connor Sinclair (Flute, Whistles & Backing Vocals) and Craig Baxter (Bodhran & Stomp), the four meeting through their studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. This enhanced line up has taken them a step further into joining the top bands on the Scottish folk scene and added variety and power to their sound.

Friendly and funny, their patter and interactions keep the show moving, but it's always the music that matters.  They still play a mix of traditional and modern material, with some surprising song choices too, with Dylan in the mix.  The addition of wind and percussion allows for a deeper range of arrangements and they have developed their own unique interpretations of some weel kent tunes and songs.  Baxter's excellent bodhran work is a key element in the overall sound, and makes for an almost trock feel to the sound at times.

One of the best bands around at the moment.

Rant, Tradfest, Pleasance

With this showing being held in the Pleasance Theatre it was a surprise when the opening act filled up the full size stage.  The Young Tradition Touring Group from Vermont consists of a couple of dozen teenagers, backed up by half a dozen adult performers.  Massed fiddles, harps, guitars, mandolin, banjo, cello, keyboards and piano accordion all featured.  They play music from a mix of traditional sources, with tunes from Ireland, Canada, the Vermont area and the southern US, plus some original material, and a well constructed set also brought in ensemble singing, Quebec-style podorythmie, and step dancing.  Plus some well choreographed changeovers between numbers as musicians changed places and instruments.

The arrangements might not be overly complex, but there's a high standard of playing and there was certainly no sense of 'school band' syndrome.  These youngsters have a great deal of talent and I'm sure many of them will go on to make a career in music.  The keyboard and accordion player stood out as particularly proficient.  An enjoyable and lively introduction to the evening.

Just over a year on from the last time I got to review the band, the line up remains the same, with Anna Massie now confirmed as a welcome, and oft humourous, permanent member.  She joins sisters Jenna and Bethany Reid, and LaurenMacColl in a line up of four fiddlers of finesse and fun.  Playing a mix of traditional and modern, fast and slow, the arrangements belie the apparent simplicity of four people playing the same instrument.

There's a strong bond of understanding and sympathy running under the playing, and they clearly enjoy their interaction on stage.  Each member of the band takes a turn at introducing tunes, and providing some background to their choices.  From haunting slow airs to foot tapping reels they provided plenty of variety, but after an hour there is a sameness to the sound that made me grateful they were only playing one set.  Sometimes less is more.

Roddy Woomble, Pleasance

Support came from Kathryn Joseph (apparently).  She came on, said little, never introduced herself, played and sang.  A good, and distinctive, voice, decent piano playing, and the songs were pleasant enough.  But I found it impossible to understand what any of them were about, and they ended up sounding all the same.  It was frustrating to watch as there's clearly a good performer in there, still struggling to get out.

In the past the split between Woomble's indierock career with Idlewild, and his folkier solo albums, has been quite clearly delineated.  His latest album, The Deluder, brings the two career strands closer together, and this stage line up reflects that move.  Representing the folk element were regular collaborators Sorren Maclean (guitar) and Hannah Fisher, while drums, bass and fellow Idlewildian Andrew Mitchell on guitar and keyboards provided a rock heart to the sound.

The set was a mix of old and new from across his four solo albums, the powerhouse rhythm section giving a cohesion to the varied material.  They're a tight unit, and Woomble lets himself fade into the background when the musicians get to show what they can do.  Roddy doesn't say a lot, but his self deprecating style is the antithesis of the stereotypical rock singer and this gives him a stronger stage presence than any amount of physical antics ever could.  His singing remains of the highest quality, phrasing and timing immaculate, and immediately identifiable, while the lyrics throughout are poetic, teasing, intriguing.

Strong performances from all the band, both Mitchell and Maclean getting the chance to show of their guitar prowess, but Fisher was a real star, bending her fiddle playing across genres (and what a joy to hear some rock fiddle once again), and lending an ethereal quality to the beautiful Remember to Breathe.  Her vocals were a strong part of the overall package.

Woomble is generous to his audience, and clearly loves performing, but also gives the impression he'd be just as happy singing to an empty room, such is his love for his craft.  And what could be more joyful that that to watch?

Oh, and this being Edinburgh there was only ever one song he could possibly end the night on.  Waverley Steps remains a thing of great beauty, and Hannah was the perfect counterpoint to the Woomble vocals.

Teatro Delusio, Pleasance, Edinburgh Fringe

In a beautiful, gentle opening sequence, three stagehands backstage bring to life a ghostly puppet girl who becomes the occasional observer of their joys and tragedies, and this sets the scene for a fantasy enactment of life behind the scenery.

Whilst opera and ballet and melodrama entertain the 'audience' beyond, we watch the actors, singers and dancers come and go, interact with an impressario and stage manager and choreographer and many other characters.  There's clowning, pathos, romance, dance and petty jealousies and hatreds, played out in a world that's just the other side of unreality.  With an underlying ripple of humour that can suddenly erupt into uproarious comedy, it's an imagining that draws you in and yet seems voyeuristic too.

Wearing lovingly constructed masks and the most rapid of costume changes, an array of characters are brought vividly to life without a work spoken or facial expression.  It's all in the body language.

This is simply brilliant physical comedic drama, and the realisation that the thirty characters we've had come and go are the product of just three performers is a testament to the viruosity, and stamina, they possess.  Wonderful.

Kris Drever, Pleasance

There will be little point in reading this review if you're hoping for any hint of objectivity.  Having watched the man for more than a decade, if I were pressed to name my musical hero then Mr D's name would be the first out of my mouth.  And tonight did nothing to alter that.

Opening the gig was West Midlands singer/songwriter Dan Whitehouse and he proved to be a perfect warm up act.  He's talented, funny and his songs are interesting both lyrically and melodically.  Soft voiced vocals and some excellent guitar work, plenty of audience interaction including a bit of singalong, this was an enjoyable set and I'd like to see more of Whitehouse in the future.

Drever has put together a superb band for this tour, with three musicians who played on his recent album, If Wishes Were Horses.  On double and electric bass there's Euan Burton, and on the drums Louis Abbott, better known as the front man of Scottish indie band Admiral Fallow - a pretty decent pedigree for a backing singer!  Kris is recognised as one of the UK's finest guitarists, but the man completing the line up is his equal, Ian Carr having an impressive body of work behind him.

While the emphasis was naturally on his latest release, Drever sprinkled the set with tracks from his previous solo albums, with the odd surprise thrown in.  It's a reminder of not just how he's developed as a songwriter, but what excellent taste he has in choosing both traditional and contemporary material to interpret.  His latest collection includes some very personal lyrics, like the break up song When We Roll In The Morning, and more political themes like his commentary on our culture of greed in Don't Tell me That.

Of course there were disappointments.  The ninety minutes felt more like forty and there was no room in the set for Five Past two, a song that feels as if it echoes my own life.  Nor Poor Mans' Son, nor Wild Hurricane, nor....  You get the picture.  Another hour would have been nice!

If you get the opportunity to see Kris Drever live grab it immediately.  You won't be disappointed.

Southern Tenant Folk Union, Edinburgh Folk Club, Pleasance

Both sets opened with a trio of numbers from Orcadian duo, Gnoss (with, as they pointed out, a silent 'G'!).  Aidan Moodie on fiddle and Graham Rorie on guitar and vocals played a few sets of tunes and a couple of songs and impressed greatly in doing so.  Playing a mix traditional material, more modern tunes from the genre, and some self penned, they melded their sets well and served up constant variations and some imaginative arrangements.

There's no doubting their musical talent, and Rorie's voice is one you feel immediately comfortable with.  But my lasting impression will be of the confidence they projected on stage in explaining the background to their tunes and having a laugh with their audience, an ability often lacking in so many bands of their young age.  Gnoss have a surefooted grip on the climb to recognition and will certainly achieve greater notice in future.

 Southern Tenant's five piece line up comprises the solid rhythm section of Craig Macfadyen and Steve Fivey on double bass and percussion respectively, Katherine Stewart on fiddle, Rory Butler on guitar and lead vocals, and the banjo and vocals of band leader Pat McGarvey.  With six albums behind them they have a deep well of material to draw upon, but tonight also saw them airing a few of the new songs that will appear on their soon-to-be-recorded seventh record.

Butler's high pitched tones are a perfect match for the Union's country/folk style, but  with a distinct Scottish tinge.  Stewart clearly exhibits her background in Scottish folk music, countered by the tinkling bluegrass of the banjo.  Her instrumental set of traditional tunes gains a very different sound to the folk norm with McGarvey's contribution.  The new songs sound promising and there is every sign that the new album will live up to the strengths of it's predecessors.  Pat is a fine songwriter and his material deserves to be more widely known, especially his more political lyrics.

The band ended the night, as is their habit, coming down off the stage and playing acoustically to lead the audience in singing an old gospel song.  A great way to round of an extremely enjoyable gig.

Talisk, Pleasance

Enthralling from the off, Talisk are a highly talented young Scottish folk band playing
with verve and imagination.  With Craig Irving on guitar, Hayley Keenan on fiddle and Mohsen Amini handling that oft-underrated instrument, the concertina.  A mix of traditional tunes and more modern work from the genre, the sets are well chosen to provide a mix of the familiar and surprising.  Well thought out arrangements and clever variations make even the familiar sound fresh.

There were also hints at the sort of musical direction they follow in the future.  For me the multi layered approach to Echo provided the highlight of the gig and showed their willingness to experiment and look beyond the boundaries in which they have developed their skills.

I'd have liked a bit more interaction with the audience, a bit more background to the tune, but stage craft can be learned in time.  For now their talent must do the talking and the results are hugely impressive.  There were some delightful slower passages, but for most of the evening this was foot tapping, thigh slapping, body moving, grin inducing high energy music that had the whole room rocking.  Of all the new (to me) acts I've seen so far this year, Talisk are my favourite by far.

Blueflint, Pleasance

Deborah Arnott and Clare Neilson have been singing and playing banjo together for over a decade, either as a duo or fronting their band Blueflint.  The latter have three excellent albums behind them, with a fourth on it's way later this year, and won exposure to a wider audience when they supported The Proclaimers on tour a couple of years ago.

For tonight's gig they were accompanied by their solid rhythm section of Ruiaridh Saunders on drums and Hugh Kelly on double bass, with Jo Jeffries guesting on fiddle.  The arrangements were kept simple, bringing the quality of the songwriting to the forefront.  With influences coming from country, folk and pop, they have mastered the art of writing catchy melodies and lyrics, the latter showing both depth and humour.  Subjects range from the personal to social comment to the odd murder ballad.

Both Debs and Clare have pleasant voices, at their best when combining to create some beautiful harmonies, and both regale the audience with enjoyable stories about the origins of their songs.  A Blueflint gig is always a guarantee of a satisfyingly entertaining night out.

Moishe's Bagel, Pleasance

Where else can you listen to Jewish wedding tunes one minute and Argentinian Tango songs the next?  Moishe's Bagel play an infectious mix of musical styles with strong influences from Eastern Europe, the Jewish tradition and a side helping of North Africa, India and South America.  Throw in the jazzman's willingness to experiment and you have a five piece band that generates excitement and unpredictability.

Keyboard and accordion player Phil Alexander does most of the talking, explaining the origins of the tunes being played, whether traditional or penned by the band.  He's a joy to watch at work, full of passion and energy in his playing.  On double bass is Mario Caribe, originally from Brazil, underpinning the rhythms with his own complex melodies.  Sat cross legged on the floor, Guy Nicholson plays an eclectic mix of percussive devices with stick, brush and hand.  His his eccentric style often looks completely unrelated to the melodies, but his musical judgement is impeccable and continually enhances the overall sound.  Pete Garnett is an understated presence on piano accordion, although at first glance you do wonder when Donald Sutherland took up the instrument.  Completing the line up should have been regular fiddler Greg Lawson, but he had damaged his hand only three days before the gig.  In his stead appeared Jani Lang, from the wonderful Dallahan.

Joining the band on stage for a few South American numbers was Chilean folk singer, Valentina Montoya Martínez, a strongly sensual voice with a dramatic way of phrasing lyrics.

The band delivers a delightful mix of tempos and styles, from emotionally charged slow melodies through to wild dance music.  There is considerable complexity to the arrangements, each band member bringing a huge variety of knowledge from their respective backgrounds, which has given them their own distinctive sound.  A Moishe's Bagel gig could never be boring and the audience were enthusiastic in showing their appreciation.

A special mention is due, as Alexander and co emphasised, to Jani Lang for a truly amazing performance.  Totally unfamiliar with any of the tunes, he had only two days in which to learn enough of the band's music for a full length gig.  Lang played from the page, aided by timely visual cues from Phil and Mario, and looked mightily relieved after each number.  When the quintet returned to the stage for their encore they replayed the tunes they had played to end their first set - because they'd run out of pieces Jani had had time to learn!  And he was visibly more confident for the chance to do so.

Talking to him afterwards he said he was happy to have got through without too many mistakes, and at least they all started and finished together.  Which greatly understates what he achieved.  Fiddle frequently plays a leading role in the band's repertoire, and he fitted in brilliantly.

To round off the night, in what is the Tradfest club for the coming week, after a bit of a wait there was a set from Scottish folk fusion band Shooglenifty.  That's some double bill.

Ewan Macintyre Album Launch, Pleasance

One time singer for the Southern Tenant Folk Union, Macintyre has been living in Montreal for some time now and has recorded an album over there.  Tonight saw the UK launch and the start of a short tour.

Backing Ewan's vocals and guitar were Gavin Taylor on dobro and mandolin, Roddy Nielson on fiddle, and double bass man Conrad Molleson.  As well as songs from his own pen there were a couple from his STFU past and other oldies.  Joining in for a song apiece were singer and guitarist Chris Purcell, and the cello maestro Su-a Lee.

Macintyre's vocals have improved every time I've seen him and this album looks to be another progression, with an eclectic mix of styles and subject matter, and there's the odd catchy hook in there.  He's a relaxed performer with an friendly stage presence and plenty of humour.  The band provided a constantly changing background through their embellishments and solos, with Molleson in particularly fine form.

Worth a look if he's coming your way.

The Big Bite Sized Breakfast Show, Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh Fringe

Well, this was a civilised way to begin a day's Fringing.  Fresh strawberries brought to us as we queued to get in, coffee and croissant on the way to our seats.  If all shows did this.... I'd be a stone heavier by the end of the month.

The Big Bite Size Breakfast is running three different 'menus', each of five or six playlets, rotating on consecutive days.  Today we saw Menu Two, five short dramas shoe horned into an hour.  Six actors multi tasked the roles, all highly competent, with Owen Bleach the standout performer.

All five were very funny and enjoyable.  And there was some thought provoking  seriousness underlying the humour.  We got existential musings on people's perceptions of purpose in life, through to the corruption of professional integrity when emotion compromises judgement.  Even a chance for some audience participation when we got to select which problems some of the characters would have to face up to.

With such short scripts it's important to establish character and setting immediately and there was never a moment of confusion as each new situation was revealed.  It's a notable achievement that each one managed to convey some small message about life.  If time and budget allow we will be back for another menu before August is out.

The Big Bite Size Breakfast show is in the Pleasance Dome at 10.30 and runs until the 31st.