Calasaig - Quality Scottish Folk Music

L to R: Jim Malcolm, Murray Coull (lighting), Ian Clelland (sound), Keith Easdale, Kirsten Easdale, Gordon Middler, Fergus Muirhead (MC), Rod Morisson, Celine Donoghue

Much work for everyone in January and February with Celtic Connections Festival and Burns season. The band were once more, invited to perform at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for Celtic Connections concert for schools. We always have fun and enjoy doing that very much.

Among the more notable Burns suppers - Celine and Keith were off to Brussels to take part in the European Parliament's Burns supper while Celine played at Glasgow City Council's Burns supper in Nuremberg. I had a great time producing my first show at Denny Civic Theatre in Dumbarton (see pic.) Thanks to everyone who helped to make it such a success. Celine and myself played at the 'best Burns supper in town' at The Babbity Bowster this week - I think thats the last one for this year!

The band are continuing to rehearse in Saint Andrews in the Square. Don't forget to drop into the Star Club in SAINTS if you are in town. The Star has various concerts taking place every Thursday night and SAINTS' cafe Source makes the best soup in Glasgow!

Andy finally left for Canada last week and will be back in Scotland briefly in April for his 'Stag Night' which I'm sure all the guys will enjoy!

Apologies for anyone trying to view Rod's webpage. There are some technical difficulties with the links to his page which I hope to have resolved soon.

As you know by now, Andy is getting married and he is off to Canada in the New Year so we have another new guitarist. Well, an old guitarist really (in every sense of the word and he'll kill me for saying that!) It is Calasaig's original guitarist - Rod Morison. Although we will all miss Andy, we are delighted to welcome Roddy (or 'Rotty' as we like to call him because of his soft West Highland accent!) back into the fold. John is particularly pleased about it because he might have a chance of getting back that £11.75 that he still owes him! Ha ha ha ha! I will post pictures as soon as we have them but in the meantime, if you can't wait then you can have a look at him in the original 1999 line-up photo by clicking here

John finally returned from touring in Europe with John Wright and so we have some more good pics of Memphis from him.

Celine auditions for 'Anchorwoman' while Andy does a good impression of 'Weathergirl'....

Our trip to Memphis last month was a highlight of the year for all of us and we enjoyed our busy weekend schedule. On Friday morning we had an early rise to play live on TV show 'Live At Nine' from the Peabody Centre and that night we attended a sponsors' reception in Rhodes College. Later at our hotel, we listened to original 'Platters' member James Austin with his band who were just great (even managed to get him to sign the album I bought) and he even got Andy and I up for a song!

Saturday night was the concert and I think everyone enjoyed themselves going by the entries in the guestbook - Thanks to all who wrote such nice stuff about us. We would love to go back to Memphis!

On Sunday, we had a day off to do some sightseeing before going in to record in the famous Sun Studios. We had lunch in the Fourways Restaurant which was popular with Martin Luther King (and where he ate one of his last meals). Then it was on to Graceland for the total Elvis experience including the compulsory purchase of tacky souvenirs! We then went to the studios to record a few tracks. We had to wait until after 6 before we could have the studio to ourselves as it is open for guided tours during daylight hours. It was quite something to record in the same room where so many legendary names recorded and where 'Rock n Roll' was born! You can feel the ghosts!

Thanks so much to Robert and Renata for taking care of us and showing us such great Southern hospitality and thanks to Ken and Jane Baigrie and Renata for the photos.!

Kirsten, Steve Byrne, Jamie McClennan and Anna Massie bring new meaning to the word 'Quartet'

August saw us back at Goderich in Ontario. The week long Celtic College and Festival was fun and it was nice to see some old and new faces from Scotland there this time (Brian McNeil, Anna Massey, Steve Byrne and Emily Smith) as well as a lot of familiar faces that have become friends. We all had a terrific time and were really sad when it was time for us to leave. We got some terrific video shots from our Saturday night concert featuring a very special show from the '4 Redheads' (Norita, Mary, Sinead and Sid). Keith E and Andy wrote a tune specially for the occasion entitled 'The 4 Red Heads' so look out for it on our next DVD/CD release. Thanks to William Sellier for the great photos of the after show party at 'The Livery'! A great time was had by all well into the wee sma oors!

Andy's fiancee Naimh & Celine dance while Andy, Steve,and Jamie provide the music at the Livery party, Goderich

Andy also had some exciting news for us. He is getting married to Naimh Myers from Ontario. They met each other while at Goderich in 2002. Niamh is a dancer and runs her own school in Kitchener, Ontario. Andy will be moving there after Christmas and the band don't look at it so much as 'losing a guitarist' as 'gaining a dancer'!

Returned from a very wet and windy Portpatrick Festival last weekend but thankfully the welcome was warm and so was the village hall. Portpatrick is one of those old villages by the sea that doesn't appear to have changed very much (and a good thing too!) Visit it if you get the chance - 2 1/2 hours from Glasgow by car and 1 hour by ferry from Belfast.

The Orkney festival was great and Keith E. and I travelled there on his new motorbike and sidecar which was fun! At one point we had the whole band on it - it's a big Russian URAL. John Sikorski took some great photographs which we hope to be able to put up on the site when he developes them. We played most of the main festival venues including the Island of Rousay, which was recorded for the BBC and went out on air last week on BBC Radio Scotland.

Unfortunately, none of us heard it as we were in Denmark for the Skagen Festival - and what a fantastic festival it was! With venues ranging from a huge marquee on the harbour front to the Badminton Hall. The weather was lovely which enabled everyone at the festival to take advantage of the long Scandinavian mid-summer nights and the harbour was just stuffed with yachts and 'gin palaces' (a Scottish sailing term for 'motor yachts' Ha ha ha!).

We had a day free on Sunday so hired bikes and cycled up to the very Northern tip of Denmark where the North Sea meets the kaategatt which runs into the Baltic Sea. It was amazing to watch the meeting of the waters at the top of the sand bar and search for amber in the sand (didn't find any though!). This also provided us with our funniest moment of the month when Celine fell off her bike into a bush at the side of the cycle track - Keith J. even managed to film her as she was helped back onto her feet! She wasn't hurt and saw the funny side of it herself!

We all enjoyed the gigs and it was great to play on stage with the Oysterband, Keith Hancock, The Dubliners and Donovan. We had the chance to catch up and play with fellow Celts 'North Cregg' from Ireland (who also played at the Orkney festival). Also there, were the very young 'Give Way' - 4 sisters from Edinburgh who won the BBC Young Folk Award last year (even Celine felt old! Ha ha ha !) They are a very nice bunch of girls who will do well. Go see them!

Andy's mum is a big fan of Donovan who showed us what a great guy he is when he phoned and spoke to her on Andy's mobile!

We liked Denmark and are all looking forward to returning there next year to play Skagen Festival again alongside Tonder, Aarhus, Alberg and Copenhagen festivals.

Calasaig also took part in Celtic connections education day this month at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall (see picture above).

Keith Johnston and myself were invited to Abbey Road Studios in London for PPL's 70th Birthday on the 11th June. PPL licences radio, TV, shops and anyone else playing sound recordings in public.

The gathering took place in the famous studio A. Paul Gambacini give a video run down of the top 70 most played tracks of the last 70 years and Gary Brooker of 'Procul Harum' was presented with an award for the No. 1 most played track of the last 70 years "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" and we were given a special 'Seventy Years Of PPL' commemorative CD alongside some other cool stuff in our 'goody bags'.

Special guest speaker was The Rt. Hon. Geoffrey Hoon, Secretary of State for Defence, who spoke about his life-long love of music and how he counts The Beatles and the Beach Boys among his favourite bands. The day was rounded off with a BBQ in the studio gardens and, of course, I just had to film Mr J. walking across the most famous zebra crossing in the world!

We are all looking forward to working on other projects in July (as well as having a good holiday!) Celine is off to Washington D.C. to intern at The Smithsonian Folk Life festival for 6 weeks (she'll join us in Goderich while she's over there). Andy will be gigging with Brolum and I'll be working in the studio with S.A.G. doing backing vocals

We enjoyed our gig at the Manor Park in Monkton last month. V. posh, we thought - it is the only folk club to be advertised in Country Life magazine!

Also in April, Celine & Keith played some duo gigs around the country and were off to the States again. This time it was Philadelphia to promote Glasgow and Clyde Valley Tourist Board's new campaign, Glasgow - Scotland With Style. Keith had a bit of a mad dash when he got back. His flight landed in Manchester on the Saturday morning and he had to make it back to Glasgow and then up to Aberdeen for a gig with the SFO that same night. I think he must have slept for about 2 days when he got back on Sunday.

Andy has been recording with Brolum on their second album at Castlesound Studios in Pencaitland and I was with the Burns crew up at the Rootin Aboot festival in Aberdeen. There was a whole crowd of us on stage this time (Wendy Weatherby, John Morran Marc Duff, Sandy Brechin, Gus Lyon, Gillian MacDonald, Pete Clarke, Ian Bruce, Ross Kennedy, Malcolm Stitt, Dr Fred) and it was a bit of a tight squeeze at the Lemon Tree but the gig was great and we all enjoyed playing together.

Looking forward to the Orkney Festival at the end of this month. The band were there in 1999, not long after we'd got started. It's a totally unique atmosphere at the festival as it takes place over most of the islands and you never know where you will end up! Orkney is also a very beautiful and mysterious place with a history going back 1000s of years. Friends from Scotland, Canada and the USA are travelling up to Orkney for the festival. Some of the other artists who are playing at the festival, we haven't met up with in quite a while so it will be good to see everyone.

Our tour in Holland and Belgium was a great success - thanks in no small part to our agent there, Dave Tearney and terrific promoters. The audiences were fantastic and we completely sold out of our new CD 'Merchants' City'. Thanks to everyone who came to see us play and a special thankyou to Jean-Pierre, Karin and everyone at de Fagot in Ingulmunster, who made our day (and night) off in Belgium such a memorable one and whose hospitality was just immense! We visited Ypres while in Flanders and were priviledged to hear 'The Last Post' at The Menin Gate (which is sounded there every night).

Celine & Keith continue their duo concerts this month with dates at Stonehaven, Stonehouse and Edinburgh folk clubs - check their individual web pages for a full list of their scheduled gigs.

Copies of Music News Scotland are free and can be found at most music venues and events. You can find out more by visiting www.mnscotland.co.uk

It's been a busy couple of months for everyone in the band as we all had various dates as well as as our Calasaig concerts. Burns kept myself, Celine and Keith E. busy with Keith & Celine off to New York to play for the Robert Burns Memorial Lecture given by Kofi Annan at the United Nations (where they 'rocked' the UN) while I was gigging in Scotland and Ireland with Deaf Shepherd's John Morran and ex- Capercaillie member Mark Duff on the 'Burns - The Complete Songs' tour.

Celine was also busy playing at several RSAMD concerts while Andy was playing at several Brolum gigs, including Celtic Connections.

As a Glasgow girl, I felt privileged to be invited by Glasgow City council to sing for their Burns celebrations in our twin city of Nuremberg alongside musicians - John Gahagan, fellow singer Aileen Carr, Pipe Major Dr Ian MacDonald (some of you may know him as 'Finlay's dad!), accordianist Frazer McLelland, Gordon Middler (one of the best pianists I've ever heard in my life!) and Dancer Phil 'International celebrity' MacHugh. We all had a wonderful time and I was 'dead chuffed' to recieve a beautiful pendant from Glasgow's Lord Provost, Liz Cameron (a design of the Glasgow coat of arms in silver).

The UK launch of our latest album, 'Merchants' City' happened last week in St Andrews in the Square. Thanks to everyone who came along. It was a great night and we all enjoyed it. Music News Scotland were there and you will be able to read all about it in their next issue. To read a review of the album click here.

The band also played our 1st gig in Holland (Zwolle Festival) and we are all looking forward to seeing some of you who were there over the next couple of weeks as we are leaving for a tour in Holland and Belgium tomorrow.

Thanks for all your kind messages in the guestbook. We love reading them - keep 'em coming!..........................Kirsten

The band are playing once again for the Celtic Connections education programme's 'Concerts for Schools' series in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, while Celine & Keith Easdale will be up at the Piping Centre on the 1st February for the Young Tradition concert.

Celine & Keith are also off to New York on Saturday to play for Kofi Annan and invited guests at the Burns memorial lecture at the United Nations and I'll be doing a couple of concerts in Scotland and N. Ireland with Dr Fred Freeman's 'Burns - The Complete Songs'. I'll also be going to Germany at the end of this month with John Gahagan, Aileen Carr and Frazer McLellan for the Glasgow / Nuremberg twin city Burns night celebrations.

You can read all about Celine in a feature in the January/February edition of Irish Music Magazine.

Our album, 'Merchants' City' will be released in the UK in February......Kirsten

Look forward to seeing everyone over Christmas and New Year at our gigs in Stirling and in Lockerbie!

Keith Easdale was interviewed by the Kirkintilloch Herald recently - click here to read the article.

The band had a great time at our concert for 'Live At The Star' in St Andrews in the Square in Glasgow. It was a special gig for us as Glasgow is our home town and SAINTS is our 'home ground' (we rehearse there every week).

It was fantastic to see so many people turn out (the club later told us that it was the busiest night they'd had), and we all got a buzz when original Battlefield Band members John Gahagan and Brian McNeil both joined us on stage for the last number (and came up again half-way through an encore)! John said that it must be at least 27 years since he and Brian had played on a stage together. Thanks guys - It was great fun!

Look out for Celine and Keith E who will be coming to a folk club near you soon as a duo. They have a few dates in the diary for next year, including one at the United Nations in New York. (Check their individual biog pages for their duo gig dates).

Anyone who is planning to come to see the band in Ayrshire, please note that the Music At The Manor date has been switched from 6th Feb to 2nd April. We look forward to seeing you there.

September saw us off to Russia. This time we were in Moscow and so managed to visit Red Square and The Kremlin in between our busy schedule, which included a lot of early morning TV and 2, or sometimes 3, gigs per day. The audiences were wonderful and they all DANCED. We also enjoyed a visit to a school outside of Moscow, where the children all spoke English to some extent and they knew a lot about Scotland. We also had the opportunity of hearing a wonderful vocal group in the Kremlin, called Anima - made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

Last weekend, we played at the Jura Folk Festival. Jura is a beautiful island and the weather was perfect. The village hall also has one of the best views from a stage I've ever come across - the hall is right on the beach and when you look out of the window at the side of the stage, you can see most of the natural harbour, which was dotted with yachts anchored up for the night.

The band was involved in a photo shoot for 'Glasgow & Clyde Valley Tourist Board' a little while ago and they are now using it for a 'Visit Scotland' / 'Ryan Air' poster campaign in Sweden - so look out for it if you're in Sweden.