Fri 29 Jul - Late and Southern Fried - SOLD OUT Sun 31 Jul - Nick Lowe, Andy Fairweather Low, Paul Carrack - SOLD OUT
With tickets for this year’s Southern Fried Festival, in Perth from Friday 29 to Sunday 31 July, flying out of the door at record speed, organisers are urging music lovers to move quickly to book tickets for their favourite artists as several shows are nearing sell-out.
Announcing the final musical line-up, a veritable who’s who of top Americana influenced musicians from home and abroad supporting main stage gigs, performing intimate sessions, rocking the free outdoor and brand-new Acoustic Stage (sponsored by John Ross Hi-Fi in association with Goldrush Records and Naim Audio) and playing club gigs in city centre venues, festival director Andy Shearer said:
“We were already very happy with our headline line-up and it seems like audiences agree, given our record sales to date, but the strength and depth of the rest of the programme we’re announcing now probably makes it the best bill we’ve ever put together for the festival. I know from customer feedback that for many regular attenders, one of the great joys of Southern Fried is discovering new artists and this year will be no exception. There’s a fantastically healthy UK Americana scene at the moment and we’re very pleased to bring some excellent artists up from England in Jo Harman, Robert Vincent, The Dreaming Spires and Peter Bruntnell. Here in Scotland, we punch well above our weight in the number of top-quality acts playing authentic American roots music and we’re able to present even more of them this year across all our venues including the Perth & Kinross Council-funded Outdoor Stage and our new Acoustic Stage, sponsored by John Ross Hi-Fi. Artists to look out for include Daniel Meade & The Flying Mules, Joe Nisbet Jr, Norrie McCulloch, Dean Owens, The Strange Blue Dreams, Mairi Orr, Véloniños, Tenement & Temple, The Bevvy Sisters, Andy Gunn and Doghouse Roses. I’m also looking forward to hearing what Findlay Napier and Blue Rose Code will do for us - they’re both brilliant songwriters and more known in the folk world but have promised us special Southern Fried sets for the occasion! Perthshire acts are always a priority too and we’re very pleased to have The New Madrids headline our first-ever show at The Green Room and we welcome Trees Don’t Travel, Shady Pete & The Blues Concessions and Longstay to the Outdoor Stage for the first time. Longstay have graduated from playing with the excellent Southern Fried Rock Shop youth music project and young people from that project will open the Outdoor Stage on both Saturday and Sunday. Their week-long workshop is now booking and there’s also a great opportunity for adults to get onstage during the festival as part of Southern Fried Voices community choir, who’ll perform with professional musicians and singers as part of our new Sunday Morning Coming Down concert, which promises to be a highlight of the weekend.”
Headline acts already announced include Nick Lowe, Paul Carrack & Andy Fairweather Low, Imelda May, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Gretchen Peters.
Blue Rose Code will support Mary Chapin Carpenter in the opening Southern Fried Festival concert on Friday 29 July in Perth Concert Hall. Edinburgh-born Ross Wilson, has gone from the obscurity of an East London flat to being celebrated as a legacy artist and will perform with a stripped-down countrified trio, the perfect appetiser for Mary Chapin Carpenter’s beguiling and thoughtful blend of folk, pop and country.
Perth’s own The New Madrids will be joined by 2-time winner of The Best Acoustic Act at the San Diego Music Awards Colin Clyne at 9pm in The Green Room on Friday 29 July for an intimate country rocking gig.
The lucky festival-goers with tickets for the sold out Late and Southern Fried gig in The Salutation Hotel on Friday 29 July are in for a night of funk, folk and intimate acoustic sets. Jeb Loy Nichols, a unique and compelling character, just like his music, a rich, mix of hip hop-schooled, soul-drenched country, folk and funk gets the party started at 10.45pm and legendary trombonist Fred Wesley and his funk band The New JB’s will rock the room from 12.15am.
Dean Owens returns to host the late-night Songwriter Sessions at Late and Southern Fried. Friday night’s intimate acoustic sets in The Salutation Hotel include award-winning Liverpool singer-songwriter Robert Vincent, and a Southern Fried debut piano-vocal set from Jo Harman, one of the UK’s finest blues and soul singers. Completing the Friday Songwriters Sessions bill is Texas native and former marine Chuck Hawthorne with songs sometimes deadly serious, sometimes raucous and always passionately written.
Current holder of the inaugural UK Americana Awards International Album of the Year and Song of the Year, Gretchen Peters was recently inducted into the hallowed Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. She will be joined by Appalachian duo Anna and Elizabeth for an afternoon gig on Saturday 30 July in new Southern Fried Festival venue North Church, Mill Street.
Back by popular demand RPM Rumble presents the Southern Fried Rockin’ All-Dayer in The Twa Tams from 2pm on Saturday 30 July as the perfect appetiser for Imelda May that night. The Peas and The Buick 55’s are joined by Gordon Watson and Neil MacInnes on the decks for a big rockabilly event which will also see Phantom Kruisers hot-rod and custom cars cruise the city centre.
Southern Fried favourite, force of nature and an incredibly talented singer-songwriter, former Phantom Limb frontwoman Yola Carter will support Imelda May in Perth Concert Hall on Saturday 30 July. Gospel, country and soul have always been her passion and these come to the fore in the latest chapter of her solo career. With raw, fiery rockabilly at the heart of her wide-ranging sound, the rise and rise of Imelda May has been unstoppable with sold out tours, guest spots with Jools Holland and Jeff Beck, platinum records in Ireland and a UK Number 1 album.
Saturday night’s Late and Southern Fried takes place, for one night only in Perth Concert Hall. Ticket-holders can wander freely between main stage acts Texas Martha and Red Pine Timber Co and the Songwriters Sessions in the Norie-Miller Studio.
Based in Texas and Bordeaux, Texas Martha and her band have been storming stages across Europe. They kick off Saturday’s Late and Southern Fried with their Americana cocktail of country rock, Texas boogie and honky-tonk. They are followed by one of the UK’s foremost Americana bands, Perth’s own Red Pine Timber Co. and their great live act of country, soul, blues and southern rock.
Joining Dean Owens in Perth Concert Hall’s Norie-Miller Studio for the Songwriters Sessions on Saturday 30 July will be multi-instrumentalist Anna Gevalt-Roberts & traditional singer Elizabeth Laprelle. As Anna & Elizabeth they gather Appalachian songs and stories imbuing their mountain tunes and ballads with deep authenticity. Husband and wife team Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis combine great songwriting and country singing talent for a joint performance that is truly greater than its parts. Fine English singer-songwriter Peter Bruntnell has the magical ability of locking into one’s emotions in an intangible but deeply affecting way.
Southern Fried Sunday gets off to a soothing start with free concert Sunday Morning Coming Down at 12 noon in Perth Concert Hall. Guitarist, songwriter and bandleader Joe Nisbet Jr. and Yola Carter will be joined by the Southern Fried Voices choir for an uplifting hour of songs, spiritual and secular, familiar and new, just right to work up an appetite for some Southern Fried soul food!
A Sunday afternoon double bill at 2.30pm in The Salutation Hotel features two of the best Americana artists in the UK, never mind their native Scotland. With major festival slots and tours, Daniel Meade & The Flying Mules have established themselves among the very top tier of UK Americana artists with their blend of hillbilly, swing, blues and folk. Southern Fried regular Dean Owens sings some of his favourite songs by the Hillbilly Shakespeare, Hank Williams along with the Celtabilly Allstars, ace double bassist Kevin McGuire and guitar maestro Stuart Nisbet.
Sunday night’s sell out gig with Nick Lowe, Paul Carrack & Andy Fairweather Low in Perth Concert Hall will see the trio perform their vast combined catalogue of greatest hits heavily influenced by their love of American R&B, soul and country, albeit with a strong British accent. Support comes from husband and wife country duo Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis.
Running throughout the weekend, the free Southern Fried Outdoor Stage, funded by Perth & Kinross Council compered by Bruce Fummey features an exciting line up of local and visiting musicians. Given the popularity of our Outdoor Stage over the past two years its programme has been extended to include a teatime launch event on Friday. Local guitar legend Pete Caban kicks off the festival at 5pm on Friday 29 July with feelgood band The Blues Concessions followed by rockin’ country, blues and rock ‘n’ roll from Texas Martha and band The House of Twang.
Saturday’s Outdoor Stage introduces the young musicians from Southern Fried Rock Shop, country and bluegrass from Highland Perthshire’s Trees Don’t Travel, old time high-fidelity pop music lovers The Strange Blue Dreams, Highlands Americana 4-piece, Mir, one of Scotland’s finest ever blues players Andy Gunn and his band and Celtic and American roots fusion from The Black Diamond Express.
On Sunday, Perth youngsters Longstay perform their uptempo acoustic country, rock folk blend, Honest Sam & the Dealers, including Perth’s Steve Caban play a fantastic mix of country covers, Glasgow’s Véloniños perform music inspired by Hank Williams, Gene Vincent, Carl Perkins and more. Jess & the Bandits from Houston and the UK, bring their accessible country-pop-rock and Oxford’s The Dreaming Spires anchor roots, pop and indie rock with distinctive brotherly harmonies.
Running in parallel to the Outdoor Stage on Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 July, indoors in Perth Concert Hall’s Norie-Miller Studio, The Acoustic Stage sponsored by John Ross Hi_Fi in association with Goldrush Records and Naim Audio will be compered by Findlay Napier. It will include performances on Saturday by singer, guitarist, fiddler and mandolinist Skip Gorman, guitarist/producer Johnny Smillie’s new venture Tenement & Temple, engaging creative force Norrie McCulloch, an Americana set by Acoustic Stage compere Findlay Napier, and Mairi Orr’s distinctive take on Scots and American folk traditions. Sunday’s Acoustic Stage will open with young soul blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Reece Hillis, continue with Doghouse Roses featuring Paul Tasker’s superb finger-picking and the distinctive voice of Iona MacDonald. The Bevvy Sisters bring a lusciously harmonious marriage of vintage Americana and classy original songwriting. A big hit at last year’s festival, Amythyst Kiah combines rhythm and blues and old-time covers alongside startling originals with an angular modern twist. Austin-based duo Brennen Leigh & Noel McKay create classic-sounding songs that call to mind the great country duets of decades past.
Named Scottish Event Awards Best Small Festival 2014, the Southern Fried Festival takes place in Perth Concert Hall and other city centre venues from Friday 29 until Sunday 31 July. As ever there will be a Sunday Open Mic session and fringe events plus a generous serving of legendary Southern Fried soul food. Look out for special ticket deals that give reduced entry on non Festival Pass gigs for pass-holders.
For tickets and info contact Horsecross Arts box office on 01738 621031 visit www.southernfriedfestival.co.uk. Make sure you are a Southern Fried Facebook and Twitter buddy for all the back stage chat.