Montrose Folk Club

James Keelaghan has been described as “Canada’s finest Songwriter” by Dave Marsh, the award-winning American music critic and historian of Bob Dylan and The Band. Those few but powerful words of praise say it all about an artist who continues to set the bar at a lofty height.

For almost a quarter of a century now, James Keelaghan, the poet laureate of the Folk and Roots music world has gone about his work with a combination of passion, intensity and curiosity.

Keelaghan’s brilliantly defined craftsmanship and artistic vision make him one of the most distinctive and readily identifiable voices of not only the Canadian music scene but of the international singer-songwriter community.

In his concert at Montrose Folk Club, James Keelaghan will be playing new material in addition to some of his timeless classic songs such as Fires of Calais, Cold Missouri Waters, Jenny Bryce and Hillcrest Mine.

Accompanying himself on guitar, James Keelaghan will be appearing in a duo with Hugh McMillan on bass guitar and backing vocals.

Peter Bruntnell has been described by the Guardian as a cult hero and also by them as “the Alternative Country genius from Surrey”.

Over many albums, Peter Bruntnell from Kingston upon Thames has produced rich and refined Songwriting, but is almost unknown to the mainstream media.

Despite his lack of public profile, Peter Bruntnell has received ringing endorsements from the likes of Peter Buck of REM and many rave reviews for his Nine CDs.

The songs produced by Peter Bruntnell really are exceptional. They constitute a canon of classically constructed, melodically rich, lyrically ingenious and emotionally affecting songs that bears comparison with many of the great Songwriters.

The most recent album release of Peter Bruntnell, entitled “Nos da Comrade” featured a lead Single release called “Mr Sunshine”, a rollicking deconstruction of a certain U.S President and the Golf Course which destroyed an Aberdeenshire Site of Scientific Interest.

Claire Hastings won the prestigious BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Award in 2015. Originally from Dumfries, and a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Claire Hastings is currently living and working in Glasgow.

As well as being an outstanding Singer of both Traditional and Contemporary material, Claire Hastings has also developed into a fine Songwriter. The cream of her Songwriting featured on her debut album called “Between River and Railway”, which was released in 2016 to critical acclaim. It was described as an exquisite album in Songlines Magazine.

Claire Hastings has made numerous appearances on BBC Radio Scotland and on the BBC Radio 2 Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe, as well as on BBC Alba. In addition, she features prominently on the Soundtrack for the Anthony Baxter documentary called “You’ve Been Trumped Too”.

Claire Hastings will be accompanied at Montrose Folk Club by Master Guitarist and “right hand woman” to Professor Phil Cunningham at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Jenn Butterworth.

By popular demand, Sinderins are returning for their annual visit to Montrose to play an Acoustic Set at Montrose Folk Club following upon their very successful concerts at the Club in 2015 and 2016.

Sinderins are cult heroes in their native Dundee, where they have enjoyed no less than seven sold out shows at the Gardyne Theatre and one at the Dundee Rep Theatre, since their initial appearance in 2012.

The Band features a front line of no less than three Singer Songwriters in Stevie Anderson, Gavin McGinty and Dave Webster, together with Tom Barbour on Bass Guitar. Their music combines Rootsy elements of Blues, Rock and Country, with ethereal vocal and instrumental soundscapes, creating a genre-defying sound.

After the success of their debut Album, Sinderins released in 2016 their long awaited follow up Second Album, funded by a Pledge Campaign to which many among the grass roots following of the Band throughout Scotland contributed. The Second Album highlighted the development in the overall sound of the Band and in their Songwriting since their debut.

This is certain to be a popular night and a great end to the 2017 season of the Club.

Roberto Cassani as a Songwriter is a true Original, undoubtedly “Scotland’s favourite Italian” and the funniest performer currently working on the Scottish Music Scene.

Born and brought up just outside Milan in Italy, but resident for many years in Perth, the songs of Roberto Cassani are both clever and side-splittingly funny.

As reported by the Comedy Café of BBC Radio Scotland they offer – “wry humour, life affirming lyrics and all in a second language!  Italian born musician and songwriter, Roberto Cassani’s, humorous songs are pitch perfect in their razor-sharp observations of daily life”.

Martin Stephenson, one of the best UK song writers and Indie legend, calls Roberto “a charming genius” and “one of my all-time favourite performers”.  Frank Hennessy of BBC Wales has described Roberto as “an extraordinary talent” with “a fantastic sense of humour, a great comedian a great player and a great performer”.

Roberto Cassani was formerly a member of the Folkish Super Group Kilmarnock Edition, but now performs as “Roberto Cassani & The Tickety 2”.  Roberto plays bass guitar and sings with accompanist and Guitar God, Owen Nicholson, on electric guitar.

The music and songs of The Jellyman’s Daughter stands squarely in the middle of a strange crossroads between Bluegrass, Post-Rock, Folk and the best kind of Pop.

The Jellyman’s Daughter are the divine voice of Emily Kelly, on guitar and vocals, together with Graham Coe on cello, mandolin and backing vocals.

The debut album of The Jellyman’s Daughter achieved a huge amount of Radio exposure and was nominated by the Sunday Herald as one of their Top Albums of the Year.  Their appearance at Montrose Folk Club is as part of a Spring 2018 tour to promote the release of their Second Album.

Emily and Graham share a unique affinity in their vocal harmonies, whilst the cello of Graham Coe can be percussive as a Drum, grounded as a Bass or as sweet as a Fiddle.

The Jellyman’s Daughter received a nomination for Best Acoustic Act in the 2016 Scottish Alternative Music Awards, whilst 2017 brought them an invitation to the prestigious Folk Alliance International in Kansas City.