The Banana Sessions Mixtape Album Tour is coming to Letham Nights

Saturday 3rd March 8pm – midnight

Tickets £8.50/£7

from lethamnights@btinternet.com

Prepare yourself for an explosive live performance!

Once upon a time there was a band. Before that, there were merely five musical folk with a shared love of fruit, tea and a jaunty tune. In time, the fates brought them together. Ideas were scribbled, the kettle worked almost as hard as their strange musical minds, many curvy yellow fruits were eaten and the first songs were born. These were the Banana Sessions – and so it began…

The Banana Sessions style is… well… bendy!  They have variously been dubbed as folky, proggy, bouncy, jazzy, quirky and – our personal favourite – “acid skiffle”. The band has rapidly gained a reputation as purveyors of quality musicianship with equal quantities of humour and downright rambunctiousness, taking their unique sound to audiences across the UK from small venues to huge festivals including Knockengorroch and Glastonbury

The Banana Sessions are a live force to be reckoned with, and are now renowned for their explosive live performances both on stages and off.  The band are now UK festival favourites; and have had their Wellington boots firmly wedged into the muddy fields of such staples as Wickerman, Insider, Knockengorroch and Kelburn Garden Party. More recently, they were delighted to be named one of the highlights of Beatherder 2009/10 and in 2011, rocked the socks off Glastonbury.

The Banana Sessions’ reputable shows have gained them recognition across the UK but they’ve also managed to make an impression worldwide with their famous ‘Prodigy Medley’, which has reached over 200,000 hits (and counting) on YouTube and was posted by The Prodigy themselves on their own website.  Take a wee looky….

The Banana Sessions are:

Roberta Pia – Lead vocals, Calum Wood – Guitar/Backing Vocals, Tom Pickles (Flute, melodica & whistles), Calum McIntyre (Drums, percussion & backing vocals), Tom Donaldson (Tuba or Sousaphone)

www.thebananasessions.co.uk

At noon on 14th Jan 2012, Letham Nights became a ‘constituted body’. Phwoarr!

This means that we are now an official voluntary organisation with a chair, treasurer and secretary and a bank account.  This is very exciting.  We will now be able, if we can get our act together, to organise online ticketing.  We will be able to apply for grants more easily.  Most of all, we will be able to have committee meetings (ORDER! ORDER!) with minutes, and once a year (obviously) an Annual General Meeting!  Woohoo!

Click here to download the constitution

So there you are.  Look out for our deliberations…

More importantly, look out for details of the next Letham Nights which will be on 3rd March with the highly talented and entertaining….

Banana Sessions! – lots of wonderful details to follow…

Saturday 19th November will be

Letham Nights #21…

Letham Nights has come of age!  And we have in store for you our first proper SUPERGROUP, the amazing Sandford City Rockers.

The Sandford City Rockers are no ordinary band but a coming together of some of Scotland’s finest musicians from some of our greatest rock and pop bands of the 80′s and 90′s.  They are:  Ken McCluskey and David McCluskey of The Bluebells and The McCluskey Brothers, Douglas MacIntyre of Love and Money (and CEO of Indy Label, Creeping Bent), Campbell Owens of Aztec Camera and The Leopards, Andy Alston of del Amitri and Mick Slaven of Deacon Blue, del Amitri and the Leopards.

Formed after a marathon 19 hour jam session in an illicit shebeen in the village of Sandford, Lanarkshire, The Sandford City Rockers initially came into being to raise money for charity. ‘We need to help the kids, man’ said founder member Douglas MacIntyre. The other members agreed, and the ones who couldn’t talk raised a thumb to show that they were down with this plan. The SCR were ready for action!

The band have now done several gigs to raise money for research into Downs Syndrome and proceeds from the event will go to Downs Syndrome International.

The band will be supported on the night by Doonwatter Bros.  Prepare to be rocked!

This is no ordinary gig so in keeping with the stature of the musicians, tickets will be £10/ £7.50 concessions.  To book see contact details opposite.

After a “summer” break we started to look towards the Letham Nights triple header that was to take place on the 13^th August. We had been contacted by David Latto for a chance to play (check this link for a free download of a new recording!). He had attended a show last year and was impressed. Chloe Hall, a Letham Nights favourite, had intimated that she and Silas Palmer were to be touring the UK in the summer. Adriana Spina contacted us 18 months ago expressing her interest in the Letham Nights experience. Adriana was touring her new album “Never Coming home” this summer. So, it was easy then! All the players were on board, the will was there and the venue was waiting……Ah, but was it?

A little local difficulty…

Oops!  A minor detail had been left out – booking the hall!  Wouldn’t you know it was the same day as the Letham village Annual Flower Show – one of the biggest days in the year for the Hall and the local community.  Undaunted, and with the blessing of the Flower Show Committee, we decided to go ahead anyway realising it would be a monumental task to turn the hall round from a Flower and Produce Show so quickly to the quietly understated ambience that Letham Nights has become known for. On the day the team were on hand to help with the flower show tidy up and we were grateful to the flower show people who helped with the Letham Nights set up. Good work everybody! Geoff the sound man hot tailed it from Glen Elg where he was playing a gig in the afternoon.  With people beginning to queue outside, sound checks were completed by the skin of our teeth. We heaved a sigh of relief and the show got under way.

The David Latto Band (David and Gavin Brady) started their set with “Wait a Minute” and “Black Horse” before delivering a beautiful “3000 miles from Nashville” the story of the shy and retiring Shetlander Thomas Frazer who was recently inducted into the Nashville Hall of Fame, talked about in the same breath as Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams. “15”, “Wooden Heart”, and “Alcohol and Pills” from the newly released EP “3000 From Nashville” along with “A song you will never hear” and “Byway man” were amongst the fantastic set that David and Gavin played. There was even an encore…for the support…fantastic…The whole audience had a sense that they had just listened to an incredible performance from the David Latto Band. The guitar arrangements and vocal harmonies were truly beautiful.  A strength of voice and assured confidence with the songs were what I picked up from this performance.

After a very short break Chloe and Silas graced the stage. Chloe introduced each song with warmth, joy, sadness and humour (not all at the same time). Chloe and Silas played from the newly released “Spring Hill” album “Love songs, dedications and requests”, “Tax Office Love Song”, “Worst House” and a song with a story everyone will recognise “Third Drawer Down”, throwing in “Dance with me”, “White Street” and “I’m Still Here” from the “Outside and “White Street” albums. The addition of the gentle harmonies and the stripped back fiddle playing Silas gave to the mix was a superb backdrop to Chloe’s beautiful songs. The songs have a resonance in truth, love, humour and vulnerability. During the set Chloe asked if any one had a request, obviously some audience members who had been enthralled last year expressed their wishes and “Shipwreck” was delivered. Chloe and Silas were enthusiastically called back to do an encore as well. One couple I spoke to had driven up from Berwick. They had seen The Chloe Hall Trio last year and were determined to see them again no matter what. I was sitting with Andrew Watson, guitar player with the Adrianna Spina Band who said to me “I wouldn’t mind it at all if I were to sit here all night listening to this calibre of music.” Adriana, with a twinkle in her eye said “Thanks for putting us on after Chloe and David….no pressure!!” Bass player Mark Fleming said, “This is a brilliant thing you’ve got going here, really unique with a fantastic atmosphere, I’ve never played a venue like this in years of gigging”.

A break allowed the audience, who had been captivated by the show so far, to top up their drinks, chat, meet new people and generally reflect on the show so far. There was a lovely buzz in the room. The Clap and Tipple Bar was pretty busy as usual.

Adriana and her band took to the stage and opened by acknowledging the quality of the preceding acts. Her show started off with a couple of songs from the “Never Coming Home” album, “The Hardest Thing” and “A Thousand Lives”. These songs were a different groove and when Adriana played “Two Steps” and “Fire in me” solo, she had the crowd completely with her. The band returned on stage and “Faces”, “Let You Fall”, “Jeannie” and “Aisha” were delivered with gusto. Adriana and the band did not disappoint us, the quality of the songs along with her very tight band showed through. Despite not having played with the band for over a year, the stand in drummer didn’t miss a beat (scuse the pun!). No wonder they got rave reviews from the Belladrum Festival and Celtic Connections. The set finished with the rocking “Way Down”: foot stomping was the order of the night and another encore demanded. Adriana invited David, Gavin, Chloe and Silas to join them on stage for a rousing and triumphant rendition of “The Weight” by the Band, ably supported by most of the audience.  A great end to a great night!

And of course, thank you to everyone who contributed to the impromptu raffle for the Alzheimers Society which raised £111!

08

featuring The David Latto Band, Chloe & Silas and the Adriana Spina Band

…if you missed it but wished you hadn’t and…

…if you can’t wait until he gets into the studio to record all those great new songs…

…then here is a wee taster, FREE, on Pledgemusic, ‘Just Another Fool’

Download it now!!

Chloe and Silas give a big shout out to Letham Nights in their latest Show on the Road clip…

“The nicest, funniest people you’ll ever meet”  Yeah, we love you too!

October is Oxjam month when music events across UK are dedicated to raising money for Oxfam. Letham Nights will be supporting this campaign with a fantastic open mic night on Saturday 1st October at 8pm featuring a talented array of acts as well as a set from Edinburgh band Buckley’s Chance. If you would like to reserve a ticket, contribute to Oxjam or offer to perform at the open mic session, please use the contact details opposite to let us know!

Donate to our Oxjam campaign – click on the link below…

Please note that we are raising funds for, but do not represent, Oxfam

Nearly there!

Before we get on to Letham Nights….
For those of you who live within the magic 7 mile radius of Letham and are eligible to enter, we hope you have all your produce ready the Letham Flower Show this Saturday.  The hall is all set up and looking tip-top!  Entries can be submitted on Friday evening but must be in by 10am at the latest on Saturday morning.  Judging then takes place until the show opens from 2-4pm.

Everyone is welcome to come along and view the exhibits, have a cup of tea or coffee and contribute to the closing auction of flowers and produce.

And then Letham Nights…
From 4pm we need as much help as we can get to clear the hall after the flower show and get it set up again in time for soundchecks etc.  If you are available, please, please, please lend a hand!!!  The more help we have, the easier it will be.

You won’t be disappointed.  When the dust settles, the Clap and Tipple bar opens, you take your seat under the soft lighting with friends and neighbours and the music starts…

First up, some Americana from young local star, David Latto.  David, even in the last few months, has grown in stature and is singing better than ever – giving voice to a rich natural talent.  Just listen to his recent recordings at Annfield Studios.

Then it’s over to Chloe and Silas for more delightful heartwarming songs showcasing their new album, Spring Hill.  Check out ‘Show on the Road’, Chloe & Silas’ video diary of their tour of the UK.

Finally, to kick up a storm and get everyone up on the dancefloor we will have the wonderful Adriana Spina band, fresh from Belladrum and displaying the talent that has made Adriana one of the rising stars of the Scottish music scene.

Come and enjoy!  There are still some tickets left so just use the contact details opposite to phone or email one of us and we will get back to you – or just turn up at the door on the night!

Michael xx