If you go down to the BBC today the detritus of Music at The Quay will be getting packed away and trucked off to another festival somewhere. The stage, lights and PA. The little village of bars and cafes, the tables where we sat and yes…the deck chairs …all gone.
It was a quite magical down by the Clyde last week. As the sun came down last Thursday a few of us sat around, had a beer or two and chatted music. It had been a good night. Ostensibly three diverse acts (all good friends of the show) had come to entertain a gathered audience of loyal BBC listeners. And yet….there was something else in the air. Some of that was the realisation that we were all celebrating something we loved. Maybe it was Daniel Meade channeling his own influences of Gerry Lee Lewis or Red Sky July covering the Dixie Chicks and name-checking some of the finer names in country on their brand new break-up song. Perhaps too it was Andy Fairweather Low and his Low Riders who took us on the road from 60’s modness back to Duane Eddy, The Shadows and Freddie King. The result was that in two hours we gathered and we all celebrated the music that had brought us to this point. For me that makes all of that building and packing up worth the while. It means that the BBC is spending a good proportion of our money on music and doing its best to bring disparate musicians together to make something fresh and reach new audiences. I think that makes the license fee rather good value Mr Cameron.
If you didn’t make it down to any of this, fear not. Tonight from five past nine we have a special Another Country from the Quay bringing you the whole show. It looks like it’s going to be lovely weather. Sit outside and imagine you’re there! All from five past nine on BBC Radio Scotland this Tuesday evening.
On Sunday.
I’ll be spending a very good amount of time with Neil Ascherson, journalist and author of great books of national identity including Stone Voices and The Polish August. There are very few people who fit the bill, ‘National Treasure’ but I think Neil is definitely one of those.
We’ll talk to film maker Karen Guthrie about the documentary chronicling the story of her mother’s illness – ‘The Closer We Get.’ Chris Dolan will join me to talk about his new book Alliyah and we’ll chat to Ronnie Convery about his recent trip to Turin where they may not have the Champions Trophy sitting pride of place but are still rather proud of their shroud.
There will be so much more as well as music from Big Sean, Maxine Brown, Ryan Adams, Fontella Bass and so much more…..
It all starts on Sunday from five past ten on BBC Radio Scotland.
