Lanark Music Connections starts with Dougie MacLean

NOW that we’ve got the summer’s mammoth musical fests like T in the Park and Glastonbury behind us, let’s crack on with the REAL fun...our own annual Lanark Music Connections!
Caledonia kid...Dougie MacLeanCaledonia kid...Dougie MacLean
Caledonia kid...Dougie MacLean

Okay, so perhaps the yearly gathering here of mainly local musos isn’t quite as colossal as the above but it IS mostly homemade entertainment, doesn’t involve drowning in a sea of mud AND doesn’t cost a fortune to get in, most of the shows actually being free.

This year’s bash runs from Friday, August 29, to Sunday, August 31 and Lanark Connections sticks to an old tradition of doing everything differently by starting its festival with its headline act.

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This comes in the form of Dougie MacLean, who will be playing at Lanark Memorial Hall on the first night of the 2014 Connections as part of his current 40th anniversary tour, having joined the legendary Tannahill Weavers at the age of 20 back in 1974.

The bill for the weekend has now been announced, consisting of, at various venues and times detailed in coming Gazettes; Drever McGuire Young, Haggerdash, The John Coletta Band, Touchwood, Peacock Waters, Gentlemen Prefer Ledwith, The John Reilly Connection, Trilogy, BlackThorn Buck and Kid Turpentine.

There are also to be the return of popular regular events like Nick’s Traditional Session – an annual trad mini-fest within a fest – in memory of one of Connections’ founding members John “Nick” Nicol.

For more on this story pick up a copy of this week’s Carluke and Lanark Gazette which is in the shops now.

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