The traditional January blues were swept away when The Black Cat Jook Band and Zander Duffy braved the elements and played for an equally brave audience. The worst/best snow fall in years was a bit of a worry with regard to ticket sales/attendance, but the fantastic Letham Nights audience came out in force on the night.

We were treated to two rip roaring sets from The Black Cat Jook Band, interspersed by Xander Duffy and his quite unique style.

TBCJB returned as headliners after supporting The Black Oil Brothers in May 2009. One Black Oil Brother was heard to say to another “Wow, they are more American than us!!”
Playing songs off their albums and some classic Americana covers they soon warmed up the punters, Move That Thing, Long Tall Mama, Cocaine Habit, C C Rider, Kansas City and Scoop soon had some dancing going on. Doug took on most of the vocal duties, backed by Jan, Dave and Rod
The musicianship was spot on for the flavour of the songs, particularly the “Tea Chest Bass” and mandolin.

After a small break Xander Duffy, all the way from Glenrothes, ambled onto the stage, and played through his set. Some self penned numbers along with a surprising choice of covers were the mainstay of the set, Jungle Mood, Dragons and Forgiveness showed us a fine songwriter was on stage, Lilac Wine, Crazy and Halo showed us a unique voice and guitar style, truly superb. He had a bet on with his wife that he would play the Beyonce song Halo and asked us to log onto his MySpace site to confirm to her that this was played. She had had surgery recently and was unable to attend to see/hear for herself. Gnarles Barkleys Crazy was also superbly rendered.
Another example of the really good talent we have locally, the main act and the support are less than 10 miles from Letham.

TBCJB re-entered the fray notching up the tempo a little, Midnight Steppers, Digging my Potatoes, Winnie the Wailer, Diddy Wah Diddy and Walking Blues as a well deserved encore. There was much dancing and from my short duties on the bar had a chance to gauge the audience’s mood. No worries there, and hearing the applause at the end of each song was all I needed to know. Everyone went home with January firmly put in it’s dreary place.

Once again the Clap and Tipple were on hand to provide a fine selection of the best local beers and some excellent wines. Luvians, we thank you

We are delighted to announce that the MIBI award-winning, Kirsty Keatch will join the Bevvy Sisters at Letham Nights #11.

Have a listen… (If you are using the Firefox browser, this may not work- use the links on the right hand side instead . I prefer Chrome myself)

Firstly, if you didn’t already know, the wonderful Bevvy Sisters are coming to Letham Nights on 13th March

Hi folks – a wee update….

Tickets
Ticket sales for Saturday are going really well with nearly 70 pre-booked. If you are thinking of coming along and have not yet booked a ticket, please can you let me know so that we can get a good idea of numbers on the night. At the moment it is still fine to pay at the door but it helps to know who is intending to come…
For a sneak preview… (If you are using the Firefox browser, this may not work- use the links on the right hand side instead . I prefer Chrome myself)

Oh, and tickets for the Bevvy Sisters on March 13th are also selling so don’t hesitate to contact me to book those too!

Taxis
If you don’t want to take the car or intend getting a taxi home, here are some local numbers:

Sandy 01337 830256
Milburn 01337 828928
Freuchie 01337 858722
Falkland 01337 857485
A&J 01334 654049
MTS 01334 655644
B&M 01334 652900
M&M 01334 655930

Setting up/ Clearing up
As usual we would appreciate any help with setting up, staffing the bar on the night and clearing up afterwards both on the night and the following morning. If you are able to help, please let me know. We will be at the Hall by 5pm to set up and 10.30 on Sunday morning to clear up,

Look forward to seeing you there for another great Letham Night,

Mike

The ingredients of what makes a good Letham Night are hard to define but on 28th November, we got it right once again. The raw energy from the Bum-clocks and the sheer joy of Luva Anna combined with the irreverent humour of both bands gave us all another fantastic evening.

Is Tam Burn, lead singer of the Bum-clocks barking? Well he certainly was at Letham Nights #9. With a howl and a wuff , he introduced the first number in their brilliant repertoire in the guise of a demented dalmation and away we went – Iggy Pop meets Rabbie Burns in ‘A Tail O’ Twa Dugs’. “Noo ah wantae be yer dug” chants Tam, as Malcolm Ross’ jagged guitar and Russell Burn’s driving rhythm on the drums carry the song along. To our delight, we find that the relationship between the bard and other contemporary musicians is a strong one – ‘Lang Lang the Night – Panic in Detroit’ turns out to be a collaboration with Burns and Bowie.

Who the heck are the Bum-clocks anyway? And what is a Bum-clock? Here is the definition: A humming beetle, that flies in the summer evenings. (from Jamieson’s Scottish Dictionary -Edinburgh 1867). “So we are the Scottish Beetles” declares Tam – boom boom! All the band members have strong credentials in the Scottish alternative music scene of the 70’s and 80’s. Tam and Russell playing in the Dirty Reds and the Fire Engines, whilst Malcolm is an ex-member of Josef K and Orange Juice (Remember “Rip it Up and Start Again”?)

The band have been supported in their musical and poetic venture by the Scottish Arts Council as part of the Homecoming Celebrations. And what a brilliant way to weave together a simultaneous tribute to Burns and the godfather of Punk, Iggy Pop! No tired tartan formulas here but creative, genuinely poetic, entertaining and very, very funny . Thanks to the Bum-clocks for gracing the stage at Letham Nights.

Now over to Roy for the Luva Anna review….

Whilst sorting out the music for the Dundee College fashion show in June, Claire handed me a CD that one of her students had submitted for review and asked me what I thought. I popped it in my HiFi and within two tracks we knew that the answer was a no for the Fashion Show but an absolute, indisputable YES for Letham Nights. A wee bit of ‘tinternet trawling confirmed my suspicions. This is a young band with a unique sound and exuberance that most established stars would kill for. Finalists in the Channel 4 “Orange Unsigned Acts” show, playing 200 gigs over the last two years, they played festivals like T in the Park, the Wickerman, Rock Ness, and Connect. They also supported The View on the Acadamy Tour. Busy boy’s indeed.
It took a bit of ducking and diving to find suitable dates as they and Letham Nights have full books for some months ahead.

That date was the 28th November and I will remember what I did on this momentous night for, well, a very long time….

The set started with Sea Shanty, a fabulous four part vocal harmony with a folky twist, seamlessly moving into Hold On, an amazing vocal delivery from Dave Webster reminiscent of both the Buckleys, Jeff and father Tim. Truly goose bump stuff.
They then fired into a set of rhythm, pace, subtlety and harmony. Delivering each sonic ingredient with power and charm, catchy melodies and solid riffs, they played songs from the self titled Luva Anna and Made Without Compromise CD’s. Amongst Coma Girl, Dumba Dumba, Angry Fat Bouncer, Sober, The ballad of Boaby Smith, Arthur McBush, Bonny Little Girl and Granton on Spey they dropped in a few new numbers like Time to Laugh and Postcards.
Dave and Drewboy Gray shared the main vocals and Guitar parts, Robbie Ward on bass, bouzouki and bass pedals (the latter two, simultaneously), and Billy Fisher’s fantastic percussion. Superb musicians and vocalists, one and all.

Almost two hours later we were all wondering two things, why is the band not totally massive and where are they playing next? I’m not sure but I’m told that all the CD’s for sale were snapped up within 10 minutes of the gig ending.

Once again Geoff the PA man supplied us with superb sound for the gig. The “Clap and Tipple” provided the bar, keeping the thirsty crowd suitably quenched with a fine selection of organic, local and fair trade beverages and buxom serving wenches.

Letham Nights 10,  16th January 2010. See the flyer below for the details…..

Download (PDF, 249.14KB)

I can’t believe 2 weeks have passed since the last Letham Nights. Here is a wee update:

Letham Nights #9 – 28th November 2009 – Luva Anna and the Bum-clocks
Reviews will shortly be posted on letham.org.uk and on smartcommunityfife websites. In short, we had another brilliant night with everyone leaving the hall glowing with pleasure and buzzing with excitement – and in some cases a little tipsy!

Video Clips
You can view some video clips of the evening and previous ones at our Facebook Group Letham Nights or on letham.org.uk. We would also love you to join the group and add any comments. Clips can also be found on youtube by searching for Letham Nights.

Photos
If anyone has any photos (or indeed video clips) of the evening we would be happy either for you to upload these to the group or send them to me by email.

Letham Nights #10 – The Black Cat Jook Band – 16th Jan 2010
This will be the band’s second slot at Letham Nights – this time as headliners. We are all looking forward to this winter warmer with their unique brand of southern ragtime blues. You can add your name to the list of folk attending on the Letham Nights Facebook Group Event and send me an email to book your tickets.

Letham Nights #11 – The Bevvy Sisters – 13th March 2010
We have only gone and managed to book the magnificent Bevvy Sisters for Letham Nights #11!! Not only that, the band would like to invite you to their gig at Celtic Connections in January in Glasgow where they will be launching their debut album ‘The St James Sessions’. This bunch are headed for great things – just take a look at the reviews below. See the end of this email for details then get your tickets booked for Glasgow and Letham!

Cupar Blues & Beyond Club
On Friday 4th December a small group of Letham Nighters had a night oot at the Cupar Blues & Beyond Club. On show were the magnificent Baby Isaac. We will keep you in touch with all their events in the coming months.

The Friends of Collessie Church are holding a fundraising concert in Collessie village hall on 12th February 2010

It features a Scottish folk band called “Cabrach” (please have a look at their website there are also sound clips!) and tickets will be £6 per person available from Andrew McCafferty on 01337 810440 or alternatively from bridgmccafferty@btconnect.com

Any profit made will go towards the upkeep of the Collessie Church building.

Thanks a lot for all your support, have a great Christmas and roll on January 16th!

Mike

THE BEVVY SISTERS ? ST JAMES SESSIONS
DEBUT ALBUM LAUNCH
CELTIC CONNECTIONS FESTIVAL, JANUARY 30TH 2010
CLASSIC GRAND, JAMAICA ST, GLASGOW 7.30PM
Read the rest of this entry »

Just to let you know folks that there are still tickets left for Saturday night for Luva Anna and the Bum-clocks. We have around 60 pre-booked so there will be a good crowd. The ‘Clap and Tipple’ bar will be there to serve you mostly local and organic drinks and snacks. It is going to be a fantastic night. So if you have still not decided, now’s the time to get in touch and reserve your tickets.

Just reply to this email or phone me or send a text to the mobile no. below.

If you really can’t make up your mind until Saturday, then still come along… We’ll let you in!

Come on! You know you want to!

Take care and hope to see you there,

Oh, and we would still welcome any help with setting up, on the bar and clearing up…
Set up starts at around 4.30pm, clearing up at end of night is good – and the following morning from 10.30am.

Thanks,

Mike

Less than two weeks to go now to the Luva Anna show on 28th November with the Bum-Clocks. Luva Anna continue to get rave reviews across the country and were crowd pleasers on bonfire Night at Baxter Park in Dundee to a huge audience though we missed it due to the heavy traffic. Here are some clips on youtube should you feel inclined to have a look.

We have had to put the price up a little to £7.50 (£5). Under 12’s are free. We think that this is still a good deal for the entertainment on offer.

Tickets are selling steadily but there are still plenty left so just get in contact either by replying to this email, phoning or texting the mobile no. below. We will put you on the list and then you just pay on the door.

Tell your friends, neighbours and family. Print and display the posterin your area. Get in touch now!

We have also now confirmed:

16th January – Letham Nights #10 with the Black Cat Jook Band – Country blues and ragtime – Yee-ha!

13th March – Letham Nights #11 with the Bevvy Sisters – very exciting news!

See you on the 28th,

cheers

Mike

The stunning Luva Anna are coming to Letham Nights bringing their unique blend of sea shanty-folk-punk to shake things up. From Dundee, they forge folk-tinged 4-part harmonies with catchy melodies and riffs, to deliver one of the most incendiary live shows currently on the circuit to both amuse and beguile fans and critics alike.

Listen

In little more than two years, the band has played over 200 gigs, taking in the Academy tour with The
View(1500 + Capacity venues) and several Festivals including T in The Park, Rock Ness, Belladrum, The Wickerman Festival, Live at Loch Lomond and Connect.

They will be joined by the magnificent Bum-Clocks, Edinburgh-based 3-piece band whose
show combines the energy of Iggy Pop with the inspiration of Rabbie Burns. It’s post-punk
wi’ a touch o’ folk.
BUM-CLOCK, A humming beetle, that flies in the summer evenings. (from Jamieson’s
Scottish Dictionary -Edinburgh 1867). You don’t believe what you are reading?

Take a peek:

Saturday 28th November 2009, 8pm till Midnight
Tickets: £7.50 (£5 concs/ under 12 free) – book in advance to be sure of a ticket!
To reserve: email lethamnights@btinternet.com tel. 01337 810372

Bar by

Featuring Luckie Ales from Dunshalt, Wines selected from local bottle shop Luvians and other locally sourced and organic beverages and snacks.