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…)
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.
By Tony Winfield & Sue Hickling
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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GERMAN VISITORS Ralf Gotz and Frank Thien enjoying a blues jam in the Ferry Inn. Picture Orkney Photographic.
BLUES WITH BALLS. Sinclair Bremner, the group's energetic front man. Picture Tom O'Brien.
THE only gig people had to pay for over the whole Blues Weekend was the finale concert in the Stromness Hotel, but the chance to see all four visiting acts, plus local band Blue Rooster, was worth the ticket price.
Along with the raffle and collection buckets going round the pubs, this event is also one of the only fundraisers for the mini-festival, so it was good to see it being well supported by visitors and locals.
Singing The Blues: From left, Dave Stevenson, Lorraine McBrearty and Mike Henderson. Picture Tom O’Brien
Bad Taste at The Ferry Inn. Picture Tom O’Brien
BLUES weekend favourites for many were local lads Bad Taste who impressed even the visiting professional bands with their stunning sets.
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