The Chair
They are back! Shetland Folk Festival is delighted to welcome to the stage again Orcadian ‘super-group’ The Chair - an 8 piece riot of fiddles, banjo, accordion and drums.
With Orcadian tunes at the core of the sound but mashed up with blues, dub and klezmer, they are a true party band that we’re simply addicted to. 2017 is a poignant year to return as it also marks the 10 year anniversary of the band’s Shetland Folk Festival debut performance as the then Lazy Boy Chair. Voted Band of the Year at the 2008 MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards, this will be The Chair’s fifth Shetland Folk Festival appearance. The Chair on-stage is an experience that will have even the most reserved audience beating a path to the dance floor. Formed in 2004 to fill a schedule gap at the Orkney Folk Festival, the group has been bringing its unique frenzy to events the length and breadth of the country ever since. The band members for this year's festival are Douglas Montgomery (fiddle), Kenny Ritch (fiddle), Brian Cromarty (banjo, vocals), Bob Gibbon (accordion), Gavin Firth (guitar), Connor Malloy (bass), Erik Laughton (drums), and Robbie Thomson (percussion). Collectively, the sound approaches the energy levels of a rock gig, yet remains acoustic at heart. The band continue to tour major festivals nation- and Europe-wide, gaining swathes of new fans on each stop. With a forthcoming new album in the pipeline we are excitedly anticipating some new material while also looking forward to hearing our favourite Chair classics again!
