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Bonnie "Prince" Billy Playing Aberdeen in April


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I wonder what he'll be doing? It's listed as being with Harem Scarem and I wonder whether that's together with or supported by?

And it's about time he came back.

http://www.tuneup.org.uk/bands/will_oldham.html

Tune up: Will Oldham (Bonny Prince Billy) and Harem Scarem

This tour will see US singer songwriter Will Oldham team up with traditional band Harem Scarem...

Harem Scarem consist of five fantastic young traditional musicians from all over Scotland.

Eilidh Shaw has moved back up North and is now living in the beautiful area of Arisaig on the West Coast. Real ceilidh dance country. While still playing regularily with her Fathers dance band' date=' Eilidh is becoming increasingly busy with her own The Squashy Bag Dance Band, which features Tam the Banjo and Donald Drummy Hay amongst others. Eilidh is also busy with the hugely successful Unusual Suspects, The Poozies, John Raes Celtic Feet and Keep it Up.

Sarah McFadyen is currently enjoying the life of a pop star, being as she is one of Aberfeldy the latest phenomenal pop success from Scotland. Their brilliant album Young Forever, and a steady stream of chart singles, have been released on the esteemed label Rough Trade. Sarah has also been working on a duo album with the fantastic Kris Drever, they can be found hosting a session in Edinburghs Royal Oak on Sunday Afternoons.

Inge Thomson has recently joined The Karine Polwart Band; winner of three 2005 Radio 2 folk awards. They look set to be touring world-wide this year, being just back from Oman and preparing to go to Armenia imminently. Inge has become the latest guest singer with esteemed Danish duo Fromseier-Rose, who are touring Scotland in April and Denmark in the Autumn. You can also catch her touring England with Shetland heroes Drop the Box.

Nuala Kennedy has been living in Inverness this year where she has been studying Gaelic by day, and elevating the local session scene by night. Not someone who is short of energy, she has still found time to join Anam, form various ceilidh bands and release Fine Fridays second album Mowing the Machar. Fine Friday were nominated for best up-and-coming band at the 2004 Scottish Folk Awards, and can be seen at various international festivals this year, including Orkney and Tonder.

Ross Martin has moved back to his birthplace of Arisaig where, aside from giving over 20 local kids weekly guitar tuition, he is also dabbling in crofting, fishing, fencing, painting and cutting down rhodedendrons. He has recently been touring with the Julie Fowlis Band, is due to record a new album with Cliar, and is still regularily head-lining huge festivals with Diamh.

Dates and venues are still to be confirmed.

For more information have a look at the Harem Scarem website

[url']http://www.haremscarem.co.uk/

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Here's a bit more info on the show. It will be a collaboration with Harem Scarem performing with Will for most of the performance. It's early days but the repertoire will probably be mainly BPB songs, old and new, and possibly some traditional and Harem Scarem pieces too.

Bonnie Prince Billy with Harem Scarem

Kentuckys Will Oldham is among the worlds most unique and influential songwriters and the latest chapter in his restless mission to explore new ground brings him together with the superbly creative Scottish-Irish traditional band, Harem Scarem in a tour co-produced by Horsecross, Perth and Aberdeen's The Lemon Tree and funded under the Scottish Arts Councils Tune Up scheme.

Bonnie Prince Billy

As hinted by the latest (and longest- lasting) of his many aliases, Bonnie Prince Billy, Will Oldham has a long-standing connection with Scotland and its music. Seduced by the sounds of Silly Wizard, Dick Gaughan, The Corries and more during a teenage holiday in Perthshire, his first single, as Palace Brothers, was an almost direct cover of The Loch Tay Boat Song.

Since then, his pioneering mixture of ancient atmospheres, arcane language and lyrical fearlessness has embraced many different styles, sounds and collaborations while remaining utterly individual. Recordings with Steve Albini, PJ Harvey, Bjork and Johnny Cash, who recorded his I See A Darkness, among many others give some insight into the strength and depth of Oldhams unrivalled musical vision.

"the best songwriter to come out of America in the last ten years. And the most challenging." The Observer

"not only one of the most distinctive and fascinating musical talents to emerge in the last ten years but a figure as compelling as any in the whole history of rock'n'roll" Mojo

www.bonnieprincebilly.com

Harem Scarem

Harem Scarem are arguably the most interesting band currently performing on the Scottish folk scene and the ideal partners in crime for Will Oldham. A superb instrumental group, they also boast four fine female vocalists and stand out due to their open-mindedness and consistently inventive arrangements on songs and tunes, many self-penned. Harem Scarem are:

Inge Thomson - vocals, accordion, percussion

Eilidh Shaw - fiddle, vocals

Sarah MacFadyen - fiddle, vocals

Nuala Kennedy - flute, vocals

Ross Martin - guitars

www.haremscarem.co.uk

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just thought I'd mention that I was in 1-Up at the weekend and they had virtually all the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy cd's on special offer at £7.99 each (except 'Summer...' which is a tenner). Apparently VITAL has a campaign on at the moment.

If you ain't got them, then it's a perfect opportunity to stock up. Perfect christmas present material (not).

And tickets are on sale at £15/£10 (but not in 1-Up).

Roll on April...

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Don't know if it'll sell out as not sure how big a 'following' Will Oldham has. By rights it should do though.

I've been listening to the live album a lot (and I mean a lot). I was never overly enamoured with 'Master..' and 'Ease on..' but the live versions are right up my street. Plus saw BPB/Matt S in London in August (phenomenal) and as it was the same band then brings me back...

daveofficer - Blood Embrace live (right after I see A Darkness) made the trip all worthwhile :love:

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  • 3 months later...

woooo! that was fun!

once again though i'm not a fan of overly long sets and that was one looooooooooong set. it was affy good though and there was some sweet sweet songs in there like a minor place and mary barnes(think that's what it's called, alasdair roberts did a version of it too). great version of i see a darkness as well and some crackers off superwolf.

harem scarem were pretty good too, lovely vocals.

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Guest bluesxman

That was an amazing gig. I wasn't too sure about the whole Harem Scarem as backing band thing before the gig, and after their set I still wasn't convinced although they were obviously a talented bunch in their own right, I just wasn't sure how their style would be as backing to BPB. But as it happened it all worked extremely well and the female vocals added a huge amount to certain songs, Wolf Among Wolves and I See A Darkness spring to mind the most.

The set did seem long but that was probably due to the unbearable heat in the venue coupled with seats that must have been recovered from some shut down Borstal, the most uncomfortable I have ever been at a gig.

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That was an amazing gig. I wasn't too sure about the whole Harem Scarem as backing band thing before the gig' date=' and after their set I still wasn't convinced although they were obviously a talented bunch in their own right, I just wasn't sure how their style would be as backing to BPB. But as it happened it all worked extremely well and the female vocals added a huge amount to certain songs, Wolf Among Wolves and I See A Darkness spring to mind the most.

The set did seem long but that was probably due to the unbearable heat in the venue coupled with seats that must have been recovered from some shut down Borstal, the most uncomfortable I have ever been at a gig.[/quote']

ha ha, got to agree! after 100 mins of BPB my arse was numb with those seats!! glad I got in early though and got a seat about 5 rows from the front. Great set though, and a nice pair of sandals worn by Oldham!

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A really great show last night, despite the uncomfortable arrangements. What's wrong with good old fashioned standing? In fact I actually was standing, or maybe crouching, at the back - trying to crane my neck round the pillars whilst avoiding entering a dodgy menage-a-trois with the canoodling couple next to me.

I suppose we should all be thanking those nice Scottish Arts Council folks for making it all happen. It's dead clever what they do with that money of theirs.

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mary barnes(think that's what it's called' date=' alasdair roberts did a version of it too). [/quote']

Molly Bawn.

Great night. Harem Scarem were superb. Lots of fun and amazing musicians.

BNB though. Wow. Didn't look completely comfortable until Harem Scarem joined him onstage but from then on it was awesome. The Celtic sound worked really well with the songs. Gig of the year so far.

Would have liked to hear Madeleine Mary though...

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