So who's the Catskinners then?

The Catskinners are a folk band from Glasgow who perform a variety of material from the tradition and contemporary sources, as well as original songs written by John McCreadie.

Working on the principle that there is more than one way to perform a song, (hence the name) we have a flexible and adaptable approach to the music where, (depending upon the venue) we can alternate between big orchestral sounding arrangements to intimate moments where we and the audience become close confidantes. We’re able to adapt the complexity of how we present each show to best fit the performance space.

We cover a huge range of styles, including jazz/folk fusion, blues, shanties, traditional ballads, Americana and English chanson using acoustic and electric guitars, various drums and other percussion, concertina, melodeon, harmonicas, and a Roland guitar synthesiser which lets Kenny Caird conjure everything from piano to saxophone to big orchestral backdrops from his guitar.

Similarly we draw our material from a wide range of sources, including the Tradition, Robert Burns, and 20th century writers and poets such as Alistair Hulett, Henry Lawson, and Guy Clark, with a number of John McCreadie’s own songs peppered through the mix.

The current line up is:

John McCreadie: Guitarist, Singer, and Songwriter. Formerly of Diggery Venn, Radical Road, and the Govan Spoonful, and an established solo performer and festival compère, John’s involvement with Scottish folk music spans several decades.
He has a considerable reputation as a songwriter, and his songs have been covered by some of Scotland’s great singers such as Arthur Johnstone, (Doomsday In The Afternoon), and Sheena Wellington (Where Are You Now My Son?)

Kenny Caird: Multi-instrumentalist and Singer. Kenny plays acoustic and electric guitars, guitar synthesiser, chromatic and octave harmonicas, anglo concertina, and button accordion.
With a background in blues rock, Kenny came to the folk scene in the early 1980s after hearing a Dick Gaughan record and deciding he wanted to be part of this music. His use of synthesisers and electric guitars bring a certain unorthodoxy to some of the Catskinners performance.

Trish Caird: Percussionist and Singer. A relative newcomer to the world of performance, Trish has developed her skills at various singers’ sessions around Glasgow before joining forces with Kenny and John. Her percussion playing occasionally raises eyebrows among the traditionalists of the ethnic drum because of her love of using domestic utensils such as pastry brushes as drumsticks. Trish’s attitude is “If it works, why not?”

Book the Catskinners for your club or festival!

For bookings or any other queries:

Ken: 07570829683
John: 07796005934

catskinner@keromail.com

Listen at our Reverbnation Page and become a fan!

http://www.reverbnation.com/thecatskinners/

Visit our forum!

http://catskinners.myfastforum.org/

Monday, 19 January 2009

Well That Was The Wobbly concert












After a bit of a logistical nightmare we got this show on to the stage last night and started more or less on time.

Someone called MickStubbles was kind enough to write this about us on Footstompin:

A most uplifting night! It took me back to my younger days when you started to feel that songs and shared experiences could help to change the world. It is sad that (in my case at least) the optimism of youth fades away with the years - but as last night showed the flame can quickly be rekindled.

I have always been interested in the IWW, especially the background to its formation in 1905 and the role of outstanding personalities like Eugene Debs; and it was good to have a representative from the Clydeside branch of IWW at the concert to tell us about current IWW activities. The Catskinners managed to include a whole bundle of great songs of protest, social and political comment, reminders of industrial hardship and mining tragedy, etc. which I had forgotten I knew but found myself singing along with.

Congratulations to Jim McKenna and co. for putting on the show - and for the whole fortnight of the Songwright Festival.

We could have done with more of an audience, but since it was January, freezing rain outside, Glasgow on a Sunday evening, when the public transport's almost non-existent, and whatever was on at Celtic connections last night, we did alright.

Thanks to Jim McKenna and Eric Grant for hosting the show and Jim King for compering.

I'll post some sound files if what we caught on the field recorder was any good.

Ken.
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Wednesday, 14 January 2009

Wobly Concert firming up.

Eric and Jim from the Glasgow Festival of Songwriting have been busy setting up for this year's event.

Our Wobblies concert in Dow's in Dundas Street on Sunday 18th is part of the festival.

We checked the venue out last night and it's a good room - if they can find the light switch!

The line up for Sunday will be.

Ken, John, Trish Caird, Steven Clark, and Dave Featherstone

Compere will be Jim King who will do a couple of songs with us, and all being well we'll have a special guest appearance from Roisin Caird too.

The playlist and narrative are taking shape and we were sounding damn good at rehearsals last night, even if I do say it myself.

Looking forward to Sunday.

Hope to see you there.

Ken
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