Venue Archives - Page 12 of 20

RAM It Down Festival 2015 – Saturday May 23

Aberdeen City, Events, Featured, Information No Responses »

May 182015

With thanks to Mark Chalmers.

Fans of heavy metal in Aberdeen are set to have their own music festival. RAM It Down is Aberdeen’s only dedicated heavy metal festival, with 10 bands playing across two indoor stages.

The event will take place on Saturday 23rd May in The Garage Aberdeen and is the result of hard work from a group of volunteers in Aberdeen University Rock and Metal Society.

Five touring heavy metal bands from across the UK are set to play alongside five local bands. The bands have been chosen from a diverse range of metal sub-genres.

Headlining the main stage is groove-metal band, Xerath, who are increasingly gaining recognition for their extraordinary musicianship and intense technical metal sound.

Vocalist of Xerath, Rich, commented,

“Xerath are hugely excited to play this year’s RAM It Down Festival. We’ve always had an absolute blast in Scotland and it’s about time we ventured further north to Aberdeen! We cannot wait to see you all there at what promises to be a really special show!”

Joining Xerath on the main stage is female-fronted symphonic metal band Winter in Eden, who are travelling up from Durham especially for RAM It Down Festival. Winter in Eden have worked with some of the big names in their style. Their most recent album was produced by Ruud Jolie, guitar player of Within Temptation.

Steve Hauxwell, who plays drums for Winter in Eden had this to say,

“I’m really fired up about appearing at ‘RAM It Down’. I’ve never been to Aberdeen before and yet have heard so many great things from other acts that have performed at The Garage, so I already know it’s going to be an event to remember. There’s a good variety of styles on the bill too, personally I’m looking forward to seeing Red Rum deliver some good ‘ol Pirate Metal.”

Travelling yet further, is Nottingham-based Red Rum, who last year played Garage Aberdeen supporting fellow pirate-metal band Alestorm. Red Rum feature a range of traditional instruments, including Flute, Bouzouki and Mandolin, which they used to add a folk dimension to their pirate-themed heavy metal.

Commenting on their return to The Garage, bass player, Steven Ryan said,

“After pillaging Aberdeen for the first time with the mighty Alestorm we are thrilled to pillage again! No body will stop us on our quest as we sail to the finest shores of Scotland to play a rum-tastic show. We are excited and honoured to bombard Aberdeen with our pirate-shantees once more!”

One of the exciting names in Scottish heavy metal at the moment, are undoubtedly Fife-based Party Cannon. Their brightly-coloured logo may resemble that of a well-known mutli-national toy shop, but this ironically contrasts with the style of their music, which is extremely heavy. Party Cannon are influenced by bands such as Napalm Death and Cannibal Corpse, but do this in an entertaining way, often lightening the mood by bringing novelty items, such as balloons to their gigs.

Chris Ryan, who plays bass in Party Cannon, commented,

“We are super excited to bring our unique mix of atmospheric black metal and Euro mega trance to this year’s RAM It Down Festival. Join us at our alter of flesh, fog will rise and gabba will live in Aberdeen this May.”

Opening the main stage, are Aberdeen-based, White Wasted Virgin. They have a psychedelic-infused metal sound, which they claim is influenced by ‘everything heavy’. They have a comparatively energetic take on a style often described as ‘doom metal’. They will be opening the show at 5pm.

Headlining the second stage, is Toledo Steel, a band who are not just resurrecting the sound of early 80’s British metal, but also the direct approach to bringing music to their fans through intense touring commitment all over the UK. Toledo Steel are travelling all the way from Southampton to play a 3-date mini tour across the main Scottish cities.

Tom Potter, guitar player of Toledo Steel said,

“We’ve always found our Scottish fans to be some of the most dedicated and loyal metalheads. RAM It Down will be our first gig in Aberdeen and it’s a great honour to headline the second stage.”

Supporting Toledo Steel on the second stage are four local bands. These include, Asylum Four Star, who, like Toledo Steel, are resurrecting the sound of 80’s heavy metal, complete with powerful lead vocals, epic guitar solos and a strong rhythmic backing. Contrasing in style, are local band Boak, named after a colloquial word for vomit. Boak’s style fuses some of the heaviest punk and metal influences into their own sound.

Heavy metal has from its creation has been a style that demands intense musicianship, Aberdeen-based Kamehameha play a ‘tech-metal’ type style where the talent in the ranks of the band is displayed through intense grooves and instrumental parts.

Opening the main stage are a jam-band drawn from the ranks of the organisation hosting RAM It Down Festival. Aberdeen Uni Rocksoc band will be playing songs from across the spectrum of rock and metal.

RAM It Down Festival 2015
Sat 23 May, Garage, Aberdeen.
Doors 4.30pm (bands from 5pm)

Tickets are £10 and are available from Seratique, Belmont Street, Aberdeen and Campus Bar, Windmill Brae, Aberdeen.

E-Tickets are also available through Skiddle.

Virgil And The Accelerators: The Tunnels, Fri 15 May

Aberdeen City, Opinion No Responses »

May 052015

With thanks to Graham Robertson, Blues Rock Aberdeen.

Virgil and the Accelerators.

With their incendiary and seemingly-telepathic live delivery, Virgil and the Accelerators will be playing at The Tunnels, Aberdeen on Friday 15 May, great news for live music lovers and aspiring local musicians.

At four years old, Virgil McMahon was playing his father’s mandolin and, by his early teens, he was absorbing the sounds of Hendrix, Billy Gibbons, Joe Bonamassa and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Joining his father’s band The Accelerators, it became apparent that Virgil’s destiny was sealed and the band was reborn as Virgil & The Accelerators.

In 2008, McMahon’s 14 year old brother Gabriel stepped up, quickly developing into a powerhouse drummer and the seeds were sown for the growth of a formidable band. The addition of Jack Alexander Timmis on bass, saw the final chapter written and the dynamics, raw energy and emotionally-charged power of this creative young act exploded on to the UK music scene.

Touring relentlessly across Europe in their own right and supporting Michael Schenker, Uriah Heep, Tracer and Wilko Johnson has built the band a loyal, growing fan base and with a 20-day tour of the UK about to start, fans are in for a real treat.

Now with two critically-acclaimed albums, The Radium and Army Of Three behind them, the band’s chemistry onstage is perfectly summed up by Pete Feenstra of Get Ready to Rock:

“One minute guitarist Virgil dredges up a few Billy Gibbons licks, the next he’s going back to Keith Richard for source classic rock riffs, before he memorably loses himself in the moment and drags the audience to another place. He’s not on his own of course, as his brother Gabriel evokes the ghost of Keith Moon with furious excursions round his kit to launch the band on to another level.

“And standing stage right is the indomitable Jack Alexander Timmis, the veritable anchor of the band, who makes sure the wild musical excesses are kept in check with some essential root notes, while his back-up vocals bring extra depth to the hooks.”

Check them out here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp5vkPKzsP0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbS-1BCMp8A

The band will be performing at The Tunnels, Carnegies Brae, Aberdeen on Friday 15 May. Doors open at 1930. Advance tickets cost £10.00 and can be bought by calling 01224 641122 or online at http://www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/events/virgil-and-the-accelerators

Links:

http://www.vataband.com
https://www.facebook.com/VATABANDhttps://twitter.com/vataband

Cahalen Morrison & Eli West – Blue Lamp, Wed 6th May.

Aberdeen City, Opinion No Responses »

May 012015

Cahalen Morrison & Eli West are to appear at the Blue Lamp, Wednesday 6th May.

With thanks to Martin Raitt.

Cahalen Morrison & Eli West are, simply put, two of the most innovative and subtle roots musicians around. Their music draws from old folk sources, but it sounds vibrantly alive.
Cahalen Morrison writes songs that sound like a Cormac McCarthy novel: simple, beautifully crafted, and seemingly formed from raw natural elements.

Eli West brings jagged, angular arrangements based in bluegrass and old-time, but refracted through a 21st century lens.

Like Ansel Adams’ photography, their music is instantly accessible and built from the simplest materials, but at the same time seems to transcend its base fundamentals. Together, Cahalen and Eli tap the root of the old country and bluegrass duets. As the sparse landscapes of Cahalen’s vocals reflect the warm glow of Eli’s voice, it’s clear that this duo was made to sing together.

See a review of their appearance at the Salmon Bothy, Portsoy, written by David Innes for Aberdeen Voice.

Tickets are £10, and it’s sure to be a busy night.

Almost Blue Ticket Link
See Tickets Link
Facebook Event Page

Traveller Has The Lampie On His Itinerary

Aberdeen City, Opinion No Responses »

May 012015

With thanks to Rob Adams.

He became a star student at one of America’s most prestigious music schools but Alan Benzie, who returns to the Blue Lamp on Thursday, May 7, was in demand as a jazz pianist while he was still at school here in Scotland.

Now twenty-five, Benzie was a pupil at St Mary’s music school in Edinburgh, where he originally studied violin, when the owner of the Jazz Bar in the capital, Bill Kyle, used to phone him, sometimes at the last minute, to come over and play with some of the best musicians on the touring circuit.

“I remember once getting a call just after I’d gone to bed,” says Benzie.

“It was Bill, phoning to say that the pianist he’d booked hadn’t turned up and asking if I could deputise. So I got up, had a quick shower, got dressed, dashed over to Chambers Street, and played the gig.”

His experiences at the award-winning venue were not always quite so impromptu. As a teenager who had shown considerable promise, he had been asked to play the Saturday afternoon slot regularly and he would later go on to play residencies at the club with musicians including the Russian trumpeter Valery Ponomarev and American vibes player Joe Locke.

Once he arrived at Berklee, after winning the inaugural Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year competition in 2007, Benzie played with other notable musicians including saxophonists Jerry Bergonzi and Joshua Redman. He also won the college’s Jazz Performance Award in 2008, the Alex Ulanowski Award for outstanding composition in 2009 and 2010, and the Billboard Magazine Endowed Scholarship, which is given to the year’s outstanding student, in 2010.

Such achievements couldn’t have been further from Benzie’s mind when he began studying violin at St Mary’s. He enjoyed playing the instrument and sat in on the school’s monthly jazz classes but when he heard Swedish pianist Esbjörn Svensson, whose trio EST enjoyed huge worldwide popularity in the early 2000s, he decided he had to become a pianist.

Svensson, who died in a diving accident aged forty-four in 2008, became a mentor to Benzie as the pair had long conversations about music on EST’s frequent visits to Scotland.

Now Benzie is leading his own trio, featuring Edinburgh-born, London-based Andrew Robb (bass) and Hungarian drummer Marton Juhasz, and releases his first album, Traveller’s Tales, this month. It features music inspired by his own travels.

“I’ve been lucky enough to spend time in different places and this has had a big impact on the way I look at the world and how I write music. I also love a good yarn,” he says.

“All of the tunes on the album have a story behind them, some of longer ones being like diary entries and the shorter ones more like capturing an image.”

And although his travels have taken him to play at some of the world’s best known venues and festivals, he still has a soft spot for the Blue Lamp, where he last appeared two years ago.

“Speak to musicians in London and from places further afield and if they discover you’re from Scotland, they almost inevitably mention the Lampie, as everyone seems to know it,” he says.

“It’s a great room with a special atmosphere and I’m really looking forward to being back there.”

Wire: Live Wires Live

Aberdeen City, Featured, Opinion No Responses »

May 012015

Lemon Tree 26 April 2015; it’s been snowing, most people are cancelling their plans to stay home and be warm. The result is an audience size below what was expected for Wire. But completely undaunted and unphased, they air their new album Wire to Aberdeen’s hardcore, devoted live music fans. Suzanne Kelly reports. Pictures by Dod Morrison.

I wish I’d stayed until the end. I wish I’d stayed until the end. Having to leave this show early is a huge regret a week later.

With a new album to promote, long-running, ever-evolving punk/art/rock act Wire played a, well – sweet and strong set to an audience that loved it.

The Lemon Tree was not packed, but almost everyone I’d ever met in Aberdeen who loves music was there.

One proud fan had bought everything the merchandise stall had to offer. A beautiful silver foil on black poster, signed by Wire, was his prized possession.

The geometric graphic was composed of many smaller elements making a striking, elegant, strong overall design. And that’s kind of how I see their music as well. Complex, perfectly executed percussion layered with bass, guitar and vocals combine; and rock-solid, cohesive and compelling music is the result.

As another person who loved the show said:

“they’re artists; this is art.”

Wire formed around 1976 and today are Colin Newman (vocals, acoustic guitar , electric guitar, keyboards, and more); Graham Lewis (bass, effects, keyboards, vocals, backing vocals); Robert Grey (drums) and since 2012 or so Matt Simms (electric guitar, 12-string electric guitar, lap steel guitar, effects, keyboards)

Of this new album they’ve said:

“Their 13th studio album — simply titled ‘Wire’— comprises material that was written with the album in mind, but toured extensively first, as well as songs that Newman introduced to the group in the studio just prior to recording.

“The idea was to get the most spontaneous reaction possible from the musicians, and far from the rough and ready results one might expect from such a tack, Wire is full of swooning pop melodies with a ’60s tinge and an irresistible, near motorik rhythmic momentum. One can recognise certain melodic inflections, guitar and bass motifs, and drum rhythms from Wire’s idiosyncratic vocabulary but it has a remarkable freshness.”
http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2015/02/12/wire-new-album-tour-dates/

The new guitarist Simms in particular seems to be enjoying himself and is smiling at his bandmates and the crowd; other than that the rest of the act seems focused on every note. I wonder how they’re feeling: it’s the end of the UK tour; it’s Sunday night; it’s snowing; they’re probably shattered. But they’re here and we’re glad of it.

A sound engineer is darting all over the place; some said as I left the vocals could have been higher in the mix and brighter, but I’ve no complaints myself.

No point in pretending I know what the new songs were or what the complete set list is. (If someone out there wants to share the set list, please do weigh in). What I did hear was infectious and beautifully delivered. Know the names of the songs? I wasn’t sure whether I was in the 1980s 90s or the future. But I liked it a lot.

If you want a sample, here is Joust & Jostle.

I’d not previewed the new album; this show was mainly dedicated to tracks from this their 13th album, the self-titled ‘Wire’. As my friend said later:

“They’ve finally put out an album named ‘Wire’ – its brilliant, it IS Wire.”

I find them crisp, smart, sharp; the drummer is absolutely amazing; at one point I’m not at all sure how Simms is getting his guitar to create the most amazing sounds; I’m a bit mesmerised by this and several other passages.

My phone’s SoundHound app didn’t recognise any of the new pieces, which I thought I’d try for a variety of reasons; but I was far too busy listening to them to worry about it. But I’m sure that once this album’s been properly launched, everyone, even SoundHound will be familiar with this impressive new material. Aside from the people who came and stood directly in front of me after the third song and didn’t’ stop talking once, it was a gripped and attentive audience.

By the time this review is out, the UK tour will have finished; the band will tour the US in May. If you can’t get there, I’d get the album.

Is it punk? Is it new wave? Is it PostPunk? Is it electronica? Is it rock? Yes. And I’d like more of it.

Album and Wire info here: http://www.pinkflag.com/

Mark Olson – Blue Lamp, Sunday 26 April

Articles, Featured, Opinion No Responses »

Apr 232015

With thanks to David Innes.

In another major coup for Martin Raitt of the city’s Almost Blue Promotions, Americana giant Mark Olson will grace The Blue Lamp stage on Sunday 26 April.

Olson is the founding member of pioneering country rock legends The Jayhawks, who are universally cited as being among the most influential bands from the 1990s with their albums Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow the Green Grass high on the must-have lists of Americana fans.

Olson’s new album, Goodbye Lizelle, is his first solo project for five years and features his Norwegian wife, Ingunn Ringvold on vocals.

It has been attracting hugely favourable reviews, and Mark’s visit to the city displays Alost Blue’s determination to bring the highest-quality acts to the NE, reflected in online interest and impressive ticket sales.

Opening the show is Stonehaven loon Colin Clyne, now back in the NE after a 10 year stay in Southern California where he built a sizeable following. Clyne combines Scottish influences with his love of American music, and has been recorded and produced by Grammy award winning Engineer Alan Sanderson, best known for his work with The Rolling Stones and Burt Bacharach.

http://markolsonmusic.com
http://www.colinclyne.com

Almost Blue’s May gig will feature Cahalen Morrison and Eli West, no strangers to the NE, but who seem to love coming here and putting on ever more skilful and uplifting shows.

Simply put, they are two of the most innovative and subtle roots musicians touring and recording today.

Their music draws from old folk sources, but it sounds vibrantly alive.

Cahalen Morrison writes songs that sound like a Cormac McCarthy novel, simple, beautifully-crafted, and giving the impression that they’ve been formed from raw natural elements.

Eli West brings jagged, angular arrangements based in bluegrass and old-time, but refracted through a 21st century lens. Like Ansel Adams’ photography, their music is instantly accessible and built from the simplest materials, but at the same time seems to transcend its base fundamentals.

Together, Cahalen and Eli tap the root of the old country and bluegrass duets. As the sparse landscapes of Cahalen’s vocals reflect the warm glow of Eli’s voice, it’s clear that this duo was made to sing together.

http://cahalenandeli.com
https://aberdeenvoice.com/2013/04/cahalen-morrison-and-eli-west/

Almost Blue gig listing 2015

Mark Olson supported by Colin Clyne
The Blue Lamp, Sunday 26 April

Cahalen Morrison & Eli West
The Blue Lamp, Wednesday 6 May

JP Harris & The Tough Choices
The Tunnels, Saturday 23 May

The Red Dirt Skinners
The Blue Lamp, Friday 7 August

Greg Trooper
The Blue Lamp, Tuesday 22 September

Ben Rogers
The Blue Lamp, Friday 23 October

Tickets for all shows are available from See Tickets, Aberdeen Box Office or www.almostbluepromotions.com

www.facebook.com/AlmostBluePromotions
www.twitter.com/AlmostBlueGigs

Comments enabled – see comments box below. Note, all comments will be moderated.

Tunnels Date For The Stevie Nimmo Trio

Articles, Featured, Gigs and Concerts, Opinion No Responses »

Apr 232015

With thanks to David Innes.

Some fantastic blues acts have played in Aberdeen so far in 2015. Ian Siegal, Laurence Jones and King King graced the Jazz Festival and Robin Trower, with Joanne Shaw Taylor in support, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd all excelled at The Lemon Tree in April.

Then Seasick Steve, supported superbly by My Baby, delighted the Music Hall audience last weekend.

Graham Robertson of Blues Rock Aberdeen is keen to point out that the blues action continues, with the Stevie Nimmo Trio booked to play an afternoon show at The Tunnels on Sunday 3 May at 1500, a perfect way to celebrate the May Day weekend.

As one half of Scotland’s highly respected Nimmo Brothers, Stevie Nimmo has built a deserved reputation over 15 years of touring and recording, and is a well-respected musician throughout the blues and rock scene.

Following a successful Nimmo Brothers gig in Aberdeen in 2014, Stevie now brings his trio line up to the Granite City for a full-on electric gig.

Stevie’s critically-acclaimed Wynds Of Life solo album in 2010 featured top Texas musicians, and now the first Trio album is on release to coincide with the tour. Songs previewed live during 2014 received great audience reaction.

Virgil and the Accelerators will return to The Granite City playing at The Tunnels on Friday 15 May.

Tickets are available from www.aberdeenperformingarts.com

Comments enabled – see comments box below. Note, all comments will be moderated.

A Night In The Mooring s With Joe Lynn Turner

Featured, Opinion No Responses »

Apr 102015

The Moorings continues to bring acts to Aberdeen which command attention. Joe Lynn Turner’s not-to-be missed acoustic evening was something else again. Suzanne Kelly reports; photos by Still Burning – aka Julie Thompson and George Mackie.

If you were of a certain age, and living in the US, you loved rock and metal. Particularly English metal.

Every guy wanted to be in a band; some great musicians came out of the 70s in the US. UK bands filled giant arenas and played to capacity crowds. Led Zeppelin reigned supreme (and for many of us still does, not least with the re-release of Physical Graffiti on its 40th anniversary – but I digress).

If you worked at it long and hard, you became a halfway credible guitarist.

If nature had particularly gifted you and you worked at it, you could sing passably. If you could play remarkably well, had a perfect voice for rock, and could write, then you could only be Joe Lynn Turner.

This was the guy from New Jersey who joined Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow for much of the 80s and was on Deep Purple’s Slaves & Masters.

This guy from New Jersey who played to tens of thousands in stadiums invited us to have a nice, warm intimate show at the Moorings. And we loved it.

JLT is touring; it’s an acoustic show with two other guitarists. Being able to hear music stripped down to an acoustic essence is a good way to figure out if you’re just listening to someone who can deliver a few power chords via some distorting electronics or someone who can play with some subtlety and skill.

I dare say he’d won us over before he was through the first few measures of his opening piece ‘Stone Cold.’ He finishes, tells us he ‘looks like a criminal’ under the bright lights, and asks us to just shout out any questions as he goes along.

He then tells us about a recurring dream and a face that haunted him – and ‘Street of Dreams’ is next. People have brought along their treasured memorabilia; he promises to sign these later. Soon he mentions Ronnie James Dio and sings Catch The Rainbow.

He’s doing material that showcases his considerable gifts. He’s taken tracks from Slaves & Masters; he’s covered the Beatles’ Blackbird and When I Saw Her Standing There; he’s done Van Morrison.

This night is more like hanging around with your friend who plays guitar, as you talk.

I’d never imagined this would turn out to be such a warm, friendly, down-to-earth evening – but it gets even more so.

We wind our way to the last few songs. Deep Purple’s Hush is near the end; and by now most of us are singing. But as the show nears its end, we get the extraordinary treat of an acoustic Smoke On The Water. I’ve seen Flash in the room; he’s grinning from ear to ear. I think that every single person was singing along. Remembering this moment makes me want to sing it aloud again now.

He’s off; he explains the band have an early plane to catch. All I can say is thanks for a great evening, and if you find out that Joe Lynn Turner is heading your way, I’d suggest you get there.

On a personal note.

I never thought I’d see a show quite like this; JLT virtually made a friend of everyone there. When he mentioned Ronnie James Dio, I was catapulted back to the late 70s when groups like Elf, The Rods and The Numbers were swelling up in Dio’s hometown, and the impression they made on me then which lingers.

Somewhere I have an old cassette tape (is there any other kind?) of Dio singing before he broke big. I must find that tape.

Jazz For All Ages At Aberdeen Jazz Festival

Aberdeen City, Featured, Information No Responses »

Mar 202015

Cindy Douglas presents two unique shows at this year’s Aberdeen Jazz Festival

With thanks to Cindy Douglas.

Scottish jazz vocalist Cindy Douglas presents two unique shows that promise concert-goers something extra at this year’s Aberdeen Jazz Festival, which runs from 18-22 March.

In a tribute to the musical pairing of Billie Holiday and Lester Young, Cindy and award-winning saxophonist Konrad Wiszniewski revisit the music of these two jazz giants. The show, called ‘Lady Day & The Pres’, debuted at last year’s Edinburgh Jazz Festival to great acclaim and this year’s performance coincides with Billie Holiday’s centenary, Billie Holiday and Lester Young met early in their careers and founded one of the most enduring musical partnerships jazz has ever seen.

Both sensitive people, easily hurt by the hard knocks of the music business and the racism that was a way of life in those years, they found solace in each other.

Cindy says about the show:

“Billie Holiday is a legend, but not everyone knows the fascinating stories behind her life and that of her soul mate Lester Young. In that way the show is far more than just a concert. Anecdotes between songs make the music come alive.”

Lady Day & The Pres takes place at the Carmelite Hotel in Stirling Street on Sunday March 22nd, at 7.30pm and tickets include a 3-course dinner. In addition to this performance, Cindy is bringing a second show to the festival, specifically aimed at families with children.

As part of the ‘Jazz on the Green’ outdoor programme, the jazz singer will perform a unique family-friendly show called ‘Get your Groove on!’ to introduce children to jazz and live music and to “get the whole family up and dancing”. Tunes will include songs from popular kids’ movies like Snow White, Pinocchio, Toy Story, Cars, Monster Inc & 101 Dalmations.

Jazz on the Green is a free afternoon event taking place in the city’s Merchants Quarter on Saturday 21st March, with live jazz performances outdoors on the Green and in venues around it.

Cindy says about ‘Get your Groove on!:

“The kids’ show is so much fun, everybody loves it and it is great to see the kids enjoying their favourite songs performed by a live band rather than watching it on DVD.”

Cindy Douglas, who is based in Aberdeenshire, gigs regularly in Scotland and has developed a broad repertoire that ranges from swing to post-bop and encompasses everything in between.

She has studied with some of the world’s leading jazz vocal educators, including Mark Murphy, Sheila Jordan, Jay Clayton, Anita Wardell, and Liane Carroll and her singing style has been described as exuberant, mesmerising and versatile.

In 2012, Cindy released her first album, My New Jive, which was recorded in London with pianist Tim Richard’s trio.

Lady Day and the Pres
Sunday 22nd March, 7.30pm
Carmelite Hotel, Stirling Street, Aberdeen.
£20 inc 3 course dinner.
Bookings made directly with the Carmelite Hotel on 01224 589 101.

Get Your Groove On!

Saturday 21st March, 1pm

Carmelite Hotel, Stirling Street, Aberdeen.

FREE.

Green Light For New Exhibition Centre Plans

Aberdeen City, News No Responses »

Mar 132015

Steve Harris, Chief Executive of VisitAberdeen – Copyright: Newsline Scotland

With thanks to Stevie Brown, Tricker PR.

Plans for a new state-of-the-art £333m Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC) have been approved. The planned 15,000 capacity conference and concert venue, will almost double to capacity of the current AECC which has a maximum capacity of 8,500, and will include conference facilities, a concert hall, two hotels and a green energy plant, aimed at offsetting costs.

Planners are in discussion with Aloft Hotels and Hilton regarding the construction of two onsite hotels which would provide up to an additional 350 rooms for the city.

Subject to planning permission, the new venue will be based in Dyce near Aberdeen International Airport.

Steve Harris, Chief Executive of VisitAberdeen says,

“The announcement that the plans for the new Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre have been approved can only strengthen the international event and conference product Aberdeen offers. The AECC contributes over £80m to the north-east economy each year, which increases to approximately £140m during the biennial Offshore Europe exhibition.

“Aberdeen has a strong conference product, and was ranked in 11th position in The British Meetings and Events Industry Survey in 2014 for business tourism and events. The new exhibition centre will address the need for a bigger purpose built facility, to accommodate the requirements of the conference and entertainment event industry, and without it, Aberdeen will most certainly lose out on future events and the economic benefits that they bring to the city.

“The new location of the centre positioned near Aberdeen International Airport is a significant move, and will make travel to and from the venue even easier than the existing site for international visitors. The state-of-the-art conference centre is a hugely valuable investment to Aberdeen and we look forward to welcoming even more corporate and leisure events to the city.”

VisitAberdeen is a partnership between Aberdeen City Council and the industry including Aberdeen City and Shire Hotels Association and Aberdeen Inspired. For further information contact VisitAberdeen on 01224 900490 or visit www.visitaberdeen.com.

Comments enabled – see comments box below. Note, all comments will be moderated.

[Aberdeen Voice accepts and welcomes contributions from all sides/angles pertaining to any issue. Views and opinions expressed in any article are entirely those of the writer/contributor, and inclusion in our publication does not constitute support or endorsement of these by Aberdeen Voice as an organisation or any of its team members.]

Older Entries Newer Entries