16th July 2011 - The Big Gig

[Kintyre Forum News]

The Big Gig
Carradale Village Hall
Saturday 16th July 2011

The term ‘supergroup’ is probably over-used these days, being mentioned every time two or more well-known artists collaborate, but anyone finding themselves within reach of Carradale Hall on Saturday 16th July will have the opportunity to find out what the word really means when the Tron Band play one of their very rare but highly-acclaimed concerts in the East Kintyre village.

First put together to record a first live solo album for former Clydesiders singer/guitarist Duncan McCrone in 2001, the band features some of the most outstanding young talent in the Scottish traditional scene sharing a stage with a few of the most-experienced and accomplished players around today. The band lineup is :

Duncan McCrone : Duncan was a member of the much-loved traditional folk band The Clydesiders for eighteen years before embarking on a career with his own band in 2001. Together with fellow Tron Band member Cy Jack and others, he has written or co-written some of the best-known songs from Scotland in the past 30 years, including ‘Always Argyll’, ‘Home to the Kyles’, ‘Inveraray Summer Nights’ and the poignant ‘The Surf and the Silver Fishes’ which he and Cy wrote at the end of 1990 as a tribute to the West of Scotland fishing community.

Chris Stout : Chris, in the opinion of many, is quite simply the finest fiddler to have emerged in the past twenty years. Still only 35, he leads the legendary Shetland fiddle band Fiddler’s Bid, famous World-wide for its unique, high energy sound. His acclaimed work as a composer and as a solo performer, together with his international tours with harper Catriona McKay and the Finlay Macdonald Band mean that Chris gets very little time to himself - he’s hoping to get some fishing done during his weekend in Kintyre!

Cy Jack : Cy’s quiet and laid-back demeanour can be deceptive. He’s one of the most talented musicians in Scotland - a superb keyboard player and one of the very finest bass players around. Most of the original songs played by the Tron band were written by Cy and Duncan, and they run their own music production company, Ranza Music, which produces music for film and TV.

Finlay Macdonald : Finlay, like Chris, is a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and currently Head of Music at the National Piping Centre - a ‘piper’s piper’ who has taught many of the current young players on the scene. Few, if any, however, can come close to him as a player or a composer. Finlay’s one of the most inventive and exciting player of the highland and lowland pipes, and a masterful whistle player.
Ray Laidlaw : The only member of the Tron Band to have a raft of top five singles to his credit, Ray was a founder-member of legendary Newcastle folk-rock band Lindisfarne, and played drums with the band throughout their entire long career. Nowadays, Ray is a successful TV producer, while still touring with former Lindisfarne band-mate Billy Mitchell. He’s looking forward very much to his first visit to Kintyre, having heard so much about Carradale from Duncan!

The concert will be a mixture of well-known, traditional and original songs from Duncan, Cy and the band, with a feature performance by Chris and Finlay in the middle. “The band is a fusion of traditional and contemporary styles” says Duncan. “Whether you’re looking for high-energy instrumental music, songs with a local Argyll connection or something to sing along with, it’ll be a cracking night. We’re planning to make a weekend of it, and we can’t wait!”

Tickets £8 available from Rolling Wave Promotions (Shelagh & Lachie) 01583431345