The end of April marks one of the most eagerly-awaited weekends in the Rocktalk calendar the Shetland Folk Festival.
Not just because it heralds the start of the festival season in Scotland, but because the “grandaddy” of UK folk is quite simply a fantastic five days of wonderful live music, great craic, amazing impromptu sessions and the best camaraderie you’re ever likely to see at a music festival.
After all, where else would you catch dozens of superb musicians partying into the night, creating world-class sessions in every nook and cranny of the festival club, in side rooms, on the stairs and landings and even in the lift?
The partying starts tonight and goes right through the night, every night over the weekend and beyond, culminating in the near 24-hour Final Fling, starting on Monday night, where the musicians, organisers and special friends of the festival just don’t go to bed until after the ferry leaves at teatime on Tuesday.
This year’s Shetland Folk Festival, celebrating its 30th anniversary, sees yet another eclectic and innovative line-up of visiting artistes comprised of both first timers and festival favourites from the years gone by.
Around 20 visiting bands headed over to the isles this week from Scotland, USA, India, Germany, Sweden, Ireland, France, Slovenia and England, while Shetland’s own Fiddlers Bid will be one of the main attractions of the entire festival.
Since their formation in 1991, Fiddlers’ Bid have played an extremely important role in the success of numerous Shetland Folk Festivals.
They have acted as global ambassadors for the festival and Shetland as a whole as they’ve astounded audiences all over the world with their expressive, high-energy music and performances.
The line-up includes Dundee’s Catriona McKay on clarsach and piano and former Abertay student, fiddler Maurice Henderson.
For more information visit www.shetlandfolkfestival.com