Perthshire Amber 2008 -The Dougie MacLean Festival
PERTHSHIRE AMBER 2008 - THE DOUGIE MACLEAN FESTIVAl
Perthshire Amber 2008 runs from the 24th October for 10 days. Created, managed by and starring Dougie MacLean and his family, Perthshire Amber 2008 is unique amongst British festivals. Held in a range of distinctive venues this quality festival manages to be both intimate and enthralling.
Dougie has developed an amazing and ‘perfectly formed' festival which shares his inspiring music and showcases his musical friends from Scotland and abroad in the very beautiful scenery of his native land.
Dougie will play at 9 concerts across the 10 days with The Dougie MacLean Band, alongside some of his musical friends, with strings in the Dunkeld Cathedral and solo with just his favourite guitars.
All the concerts are expected to sell out with ticket sales having already been received from as far afield as Australia and America.
This year's guest list is very impressive and includes Solas, loudly proclaimed as the most popular, influential, and exciting Celtic band to ever emerge from the United States, Benny Gallagher one of Scotland's best songwriters known from his time with Gallagher and Lyle and McGuiness Flint and one of Scotland's favourite bands Deaf Shepherd.
The concerts will bring over 5000 visitors to the heart of Perthshire and last year's event raised over a quarter of a million pounds for the Perthshire economy.
ENDS
Details of Perthshire Amber can be found at www.perthshireamber.com
Benny Gallagher
Benny Gallagher of Gallagher and Lyle and McGuiness Flint fame is to play with Dougie on Friday 31st October at this year's Perthshire Amber. Benny is to headline with the Dougie and the Dougie MacLean Band at Pitlochry Festival Theatre.
Benny Gallagher is one half of hit makers and blue chip songwriters Gallagher & Lyle writers of hits such as Breakaway, I Wanna Stay With You, Heart On My Sleeve, A Heart in New York, Stay Young, When I'm Dead and Gone, Malt and Barley Blues together.
On record he has worked with: Paul McCartney - Eric Clapton - Pete Townsend - Ronnie Lane - Ronnie Wood - Gary Brooker - Georgie Fame - Mary Hopkin - Elkie Brooks - Ralph McTell - Sandy Denny and Fairport Convention, as well as Blues legends Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (who wrote "That's Alright Mama" for Elvis Presley) and Champion Jack Dupree.
Dougie told us "Benny and I met up again recently at a songwriters festival in Belfast. We had a great time and I was delighted when he agreed to join us in Pitlochry.
Benny will play all of his hits and hopefully we will be able to play a few tunes together."
Solas
Since its birth in 1996, Solas has been loudly proclaimed as the most popular, influential, and exciting Celtic band to ever emerge from the United States. Even before the release of its first Shanachie CD, the Boston Herald trumpeted the quartet as "the first truly great Irish band to arise from America," and the Irish Echo ranked Solas among the "most exciting bands anywhere in the world." Since then, the praise has only grown louder. The Philadelphia Inquirer said they make "mind-blowing Irish folk music, maybe the world's best." The New York Times praised their "unbridled vitality", the Washington Post dubbed them one of the "world's finest Celtic-folk ensembles" and the Austin American-Statesman called them "the standard by which contemporary Celtic groups are judged."
The Solas sound today is anchored by founders Seamus Egan, who plays flute, tenor banjo, mandolin, whistle, guitar and bodhran, and fiddler Winifred Horan, two of the most respected-and imitated-musicians anywhere in acoustic music. They are joined by Mick McAuley from Kilkenny on accordion and whistle, and Eamon McElholm from Tyrone on guitar and keyboards. The newest is member is Mairead Phelan on vocals, who joined the band in early 2008 and can be heard on the new Solas album, to be released at Perthshire Amber.
Further information is available from Graeme White on 07734 064201
Released for Butterstone Management & Events by Foxfire Marcoms Ltd
Perthshire Amber - The Dougie MacLean Festival
Listings
FRIDAY 24TH OCTOBER 7.30PM
DOUGIE MACLEAN SOLO + "THE SEARCH" LIVE
PITLOCHRY FESTIVAL THEATRE (PFT) MAIN AUDITORIUM
SATURDAY 25TH OCTOBER 7.30PM
THE DOUGIE MACLEAN TRIO + SOLAS + SUPPORT
PITLOCHRY FESTIVAL THEATRE (PFT) MAIN AUDITORIUM
SUNDAY 26TH OCTOBER 7.30PM
DEAF SHEPHERD + THE DOUGIE MACLEAN BAND + SUPPORT
PITLOCHRY FESTIVAL THEATRE (PFT) MAIN AUDITORIUM
MONDAY 27TH OCTOBER 8.00PM
DOUGIE MACLEAN IN CONCERT
CASTLE MENZIES, WEEM
TUESDAY 28TH OCTOBER 2.00PM
DOUGIE MACLEAN
SCOTTISH CRANNOG CENTRE, 8.00PM
"FIDDLE TREE" CONCERT - SARAH MCQUAID + The Final of the The Niel Gow International Fiddle Composition Award
BARONIAL HALL, BIRNAM
WEDNESDAY 29TH OCTOBER
DOUGIE SINGS BURNS AT BLAIR- with very special guests
BLAIR CASTLE, BLAIR ATHOLL
THURSDAY 30TH OCTOBER
DOUGIE MACLEAN WITH STRINGS INCLUDING A PERFORMANCE OF PERTHSHIRE AMBER
DUNKELD CATHEDRAL
FRIDAY 31ST OCTOBER
THE DOUGIE MACLEAN BAND + BENNY GALLAGHER + SUPPORT
PITLOCHRY FESTIVAL THEATRE (PFT) MAIN AUDITORIUM
SATURDAY 1ST NOVEMBER 7.30PM
DOUGIE MACLEAN AND FRIENDS
PITLOCHRY FESTIVAL THEATRE (PFT) MAIN AUDITORIUM