News & Reviews

Whooping it up at The Legion

On the second night of her maiden voyage through the finest folk festival in the world, Olivia Abbott headed for Lerwick.

The second night of the folk festival began in rip-roaring Shetland style at the British Legion, with the nearly-all-girl band Birls Aloud.

Visiting folkies applaud “amazing” landscape and festival hospitality

Islanders once more turned out in their droves to see over a dozen visiting acts fiddling, strumming, picking and singing their way through 24 concerts over four days at the Shetland Folk Festival.

Organisers have hailed the 33rd festival as one of the best yet, with local performers sharing the bill as artistes, including five talented North American acts, brought a diverse blend of genres to Shetlanders’ welcoming ears.

The Clickimin crescendo

It’s been a long weekend for our stalwart reviewer Olivia Abbott, but she made it through to the end and, as a veteran of folk festivals elsewhere, she offers her verdict on ours.

Gig review: Shetland Folk Festival

The fiddles were out and the tunes in the bar got started pretty much the minute the Shetland ferry left Aberdeen last Wednesday night, the 12-hour voyage serving as a time-honoured preamble to the islands’ world-famous annual four-day orgy of music-making.

Festival’s newest member arrives

Shetland Folk Festival has it’s newest member – little Hamish McLeman.

Committee member Mhari Pottinger gave birth to him at 2.16am on Sunday.

Up for it at Whiteness & Weisdale

Three nights in and our reviewer Olivia Abbott’s stamina is being stretched, but the west side audience are really getting in the swing of it.

The isles gather at Mareel

Saturday night saw one of the highlights of the weekend take the stage at the North Ness, sending a packed house and our own correspondent Davie Gardner into raptures of delight.

Roaring crowd revels in the Isles’ Gathering.

It’s difficult to know where to start when describing such a fantastic night of music.

Brought together by musical directors Margaret Scollay and Douglas Montgomery the Isles’ Gathering at Mareel last night saw 20-odd of Shetland and Orkney’s most talented musicians collaborating.

Politically incorrect polkas prove a treat for Legion crowd

"You’re in for a treat." That was the prediction from the bar staff at the Legion in Lerwick who’d heard the sound check ahead of last night’s concert.

There was an Irish theme running through the evening but it was down to locals, Birls Aloud, to kick things off with the splendidly-titled Orcadian tune I Have Never had Pumpkin Soup Before, which soon warmed the audience up.

Hillswick audience impressed by visiting festival acts

Arriving at Hillswick on Friday evening the popularity of the forthcoming concert was obvious.

At just after 7pm, with the doors still closed, at least 50 people were queued outside and cars parked all along the main road.