Steve Temple

So that's:

Monday - Blue Lamp, bar

Tuesday - Glentanar

Wednesday - Blue Lamp

Friday - Heugh Hotel, Stoney

Sunday - Prince of Wales and The Carmelite

Not bad going. Any more?

Cheers Chris and Flossie. I was wondering whether the Globe session was still on the go, but that answers that question. I'm not sure I'm up to the standard of participating in a SCaT session, but I'll go and listen.

Stonehaven has a pretty vibrant folk scene for its size. Don't have any info to hand but I can get some for tomorrow, heard some good things about it.

Aye, I had noticed there are a few sessions there. I presume the Folk Festival must attract enough interest to sustain sessions all year round. It's incredible that the town can support two musical instrument shops as well.

Does anyone know where and when traditional music sessions happen regularly in Aberdeen or roon aboot? I believe there's one in the Prince of Wales and one in the Carmelite on a Sunday, and there's the Aberdeen Folk Club in the Blue Lamp on a Wednesday (although it's not always a session). Are there any more?

Phone Scott Gordon in Bruce Millers instrument department,he teaches accordian!

I might wait and see if this Norman character recommends him!

Phone Norman in Bruce Millers accordion/piano department on (01224) 577207. He should be able to put you in touch with an accordion tutor. I know we don't do lessons ourselves but if anyone knows a tutor it'll be him.

Thanks very much, I'll give that a try.

Does anybody know of anyone offering accordion tuition in Aberdeen? I'd hoped either Bruce Millers or ScaT would offer it, but apparently not. There's nothing in the Phone Book or on the RnB noticeboard, either.

From the Aberdeen Trades Council:

"Please note that this year there will be no traditional May Day March

down Union Street due to Aberdeen City Council imposing a 2100 charge

for the democratic right to march on our own streets. We will be

campaigning against this outrageous and unfair local taxation on the

right to peacefully march on our own streets so hopefully the right to

march free of charge will be reinstated in time for our anti-racist

and anti-facist March and Rally on St. Andrew's Day later this year."

cool, good shouts folks. i'm trying to compile a list of places to take photo's of that kind of sum up the north east. a few on there on my list and loads that i didn't have.

Dave, can you confirm you're attempting to compile a document of the geography of the north-east, rather than the region as a lived space? If it's the latter, I think it would be wrong to focus on the landscape of the region, rather than the people that inhabit the towns and villages. You would be better focusing on sites of communal behaviour, like the Turra show (as somebody mentioned), Peterhead port or Pittodrie.

But if it's the former, I'll throw my favourite vistas into the hat: Queens View, looking on to Lochnagar; the view of Aberdeen from Brimmond Hill; the view of the Loch of Skene from Skene Primary School.

Thanks to all the acts who offered their services for this event. We have now combined our event with one organised by Aberdeen Student Radio, so we have several acts involved, including CCJ, Super Six Funk Machine, Cast of the Capital and DJ Kojo. Both Tunnels 1 and 2 will be used. The night will be opened by Weyman Bennett of Unite Against Fascism at 8.00. Tickets are 3, and are available from One Up, or on the door.

P.S. It is tomorrow night!

Apologies to all those who have contacted me about this that I've yet to get back to. We have 2 acts and 2 DJs confirmed, and are deciding on the final act. I'll let everyone know who offered their services whether or not they're required, but if anyone else has any suggestions, they'll still be considered.

I would love to be involved in this in some way. However, unfortunately, one band can't do a mid-week gig cos the vocalist lives on Skye, my other band isn't ready for gigging, and a noise/organ duet is probably not what you're after.

Good luck regardless, the title of the cause pretty much somes up my entire mind set towards life.

It's not what we're after this time, but this is only going to be the first in a series of gigs. We'll probably theme them, so there'll be room for experimential noise yet.

You probably know more about putting on gigs from your time in bands than we do, so if you want to help out, then that'd be very welcome. Otherwise, just come to the event and enjoy the night.

I will check with my funk guys, we could be up for this. Need to check availability first though.

What you think?

That could work, do you have any music online?

The Socialist Worker Student Society at Aberdeen University are organising an Love Music Hate Racism event, to celebrate the city's multicultural community. It will be at The Tunnels on December 10th. We are in the process of confirming acts, but we still require some more. Are there any bands or DJs interested in performing? We are hoping to have a diverse, global array of sounds and styles, but will consider any music that is conducive to a party.

I got a new ukulele in the summer, but still haven't been able to tune it. When I try to tune it to what I think the pitch is, the keys turn back by themselves. When I try to tuning it to a lower pitch, the strings are too slack. Larsen B told me that there is a substance you can get to rub on the keys of a fiddle to stop them turning automatically. Does anybody know anymore about this, or how else to solve my dilemma?

That is not really much help now is it? Although i agree with your sentiment.

The obvious classics to go for in my opinion would be Shakra, Water Get No Enemy, Roforofo Flight and Expensive Shit. I play Roforofo Flight out quite a bit. There were some reissues on Celluloid in the early 80s that are still pretty easy to get get hold of, there is also a box set and a couple of videos.

The Femi Kuti album on Nuphonic was really good, although next to impossible to find on vinyl. The Kerry Chandler remix 12" that came out was absolutley top class as well, but again you will probably never see it. Nuphonic went out of business but started a new label recently, signing The New Young Pony Club's first single no less.

I would never use the phrase "hard-trance polyrhythms" to describe Fela's music although i can see what they were getting at. His songs tend to be 20 odd minute long percussion heavy epics that a pretentious music critic might describe as capable of putting you into a heavy trance. David Guetta this ain't.

Fela Kuti's drummer, Tony Allen, played in Aberdeen at the Lemon Tree, as did Osibisa. Both gigs were poorly attended.

Do you ever drop him in your DJ sets? I've been thinking about going to one of your nights for a while, and that would be a clincher. I imagine the capacity of his music to put you in a trance depends on what other stimulation you're combining it with. Thanks for the recommendations, I'll try to get Roforofo Flight and Expensive Shit, since the story behind the title of the latter is such a good one!

I see Tony Allen has a new compilation out called "Afro Disco Beat", which, again, is an irresistible description.

To be honest, everything I've heard by him was just awe inspiring. It just kicked into a groove and never let up.

What disappointed me about the track that Radio 6 played (live from Glastonbury) was that it did let up. I expected a locked-in groove and improvisation on top of that, but the freeform jazz experimentation extended to the percussion too. But it was just one example of his vast output.

u needing vinyl? i got it on CD a while back from fopp.

Yeah, the "Complete On the Corner sessions" was released recently, which is how it came to my attention, but I think an album that has such a depth of sound would be constricted on CD, so vinyl it is. It looks like I'll have to order from the U.S.

I stayed up for two and half hours to hear a promised Fela Kuti performance on Radio 6 the other day, and was slightly disappointed, but I'm so enamoured with the phrase "hard-trance polyrhythms" that's been used to describe his music, I'm going to persist. So which of his many releases should I get? Preferably those available on vinyl.

Does anyone have a copy of this on vinyl that they would be willing to sell, or do any of the second-hand record stores have a copy? I have raked through the Cavern, and while they have plenty of Miles, they do not have this one.

How is this club night going? I remember attending it once earlier this year, and there were about a dozen people there, but I saw a poster for the next one at university today, and I can't resist it. I hope it's popular, because it sounds like it deserves to be.

Edit: just realised it's tonight, and I'm not there. Next time, and next time I'll read the poster more thoroughly.

anon. / none : A man's a man for a' that

Dick Gaughan's Website - Songs - Notation - A Man's A Man For Aa That

A Man?s a Man For a? That

Thanks, Graham, the Dick Gaughan link is very useful. Well, it's the only one I understand, but it also has plenty of other songs I'd like to play.

I'll be rolling out Fairytale of New York and Fields of Athenry on mandolin for yuletide.

I think I'll stick to the (supposed) history of this side of the Irish Sea.

Does anybody know of a website that has tablature for traditional Scottish songs? In particular Burns' songs, but any for North-east ballads would be even better. I want to adapt A Man's A Man for melodica to play over the festive season, so if anybody knows the music for that, it would be very welcome.

What sorta recording is it? Live, rehearsal? We only recorded 1 song properly, well as properly as having no drummer would allow.

I think it's a home recording, done on an analog 4-track, perhaps? The writing on the tape is done in tippex. I'm in no position to judge its merits, but to my ears it sounds extreme.

That's Chris Reeve's on the left isn't it? He was in my year at school, good bloke. Which of these metal bands was he in again?

THAT'S Chris Reeves?!?! On close inspection, you're right. I know him as he is my sister's beau. He was in Fester, and I have tape of their stuff...unfortunately.