Pomp rockers Damian Wilson and Adam Wakeman return to Kinross tomorrow for the first time in over three years.
The acoustic duo last headlined at the Green Hotel in January 2020 and make their comeback at the Muirs venue with a brace of new solo albums to plug.
Vocal maestro Wilson’s latest offering Limehouse To Lechlade is his first LP under his own name since 2016.
Known for dabbling in different musical genres – he fronts Iron Maiden acoustic tribute Maiden United – the 13-track album covers folk-rock, power pop and a few Pink Floyd-style guitar solos.
Musical pedigree
His long-time collaborator Wakeman – son of Yes keys wiz Rick Wakeman – recently released his fifth solo effort A Handful Of Memories, which falls into the contemporary classical piano bracket.
An accomplished keyboard player and guitarist, Adam’s also released three albums with Wakeman snr.
He is known for co-penning Ozzy Osbourne’s 2010 album Scream, as well as a turn on grime star Stormzy’s Gang Signs And Prayer debut album.
Now 48, he leads prog outfit Headspace and hard rockers Snakecharmer, and has worked with artists as diverse as Annie Lennox, Slash, Travis, Ozzy Osbourne, Take That and Strawbs.
He also founded the cheekily named Jazz Sabbath, which sees him play jazz-style classics by Black Sabbath on piano, backed by upright bass and drums.
Wilson and Wakeman will showcase highlights from both new releases at the Green, while also delving into their back catalogue as a duo.
Toronto troubadour
The Kinross venue also hosts Canadian singer-songwriter Julian Taylor on Wednesday.
After two decades at music’s coalface, the Toronto-based troubadour went viral in 2020 when his acoustic album The Ridge earned more than two million Spotify plays.
The LP’s title song hit top spot on his home nation’s Indigenous Music Countdown, with Julian subsequently named solo artist of the year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards in 2021.
Of combined Mohawk and Caribbean ancestry, Taylor is something of a musical chameleon, straddling the gulf between electrified rhythm and blues and heart-rending folk.
James Yorkston in Fife
In Fife, Cellardyke troubadour James Yorkston gets his tour with Swedish collective The Second Hand Orchestra up and running a stone’s throw from his home patch on Tuesday.
The folkster’s just released the album The Great White Sea Eagle with the seven-piece, and they’re playing a sold-out gig at Futtle in St Monans, where Cardigans frontwoman Nina Persson will be joining them.
She is primarily known for her vocals on the Scandi popsters’ classic ’90s singles Lovefool, Erase/rewind and My Favourite Game, and an epic performance on Manic Street Preachers hit Your Love Alone Is Not Enough.
Nina says she jumped at the chance to sing with Yorkston – despite not knowing anything about his previous work.
“James and I had a friend in common from a long time back, named KJ – he’s also involved with the record – and he was the one who introduced us,” she says.
“I got to hear some of the songs from the record and I said, ‘yes’ immediately, pretty much.”
Following St Monans, Yorkston and co play four further Scottish gigs in as many days, including Stirling’s Tolbooth on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Kirkcaldy indie-pop upstarts Mosaics make their headlining debut at PJ Molloys tonight, with support from Dunfermline-raised songstress Raab and promising acoustic hopeful Eve Davidson.
And more besides…
Tomorrow night there’s a first-time headline set on home turf at Canmore Street from alternative four-piece Sex On TV, with Alloa riff-meisters Tonto opening.
Elsewhere, Newcastle hardcore punk outfits Wise Up and Aggrieved are joined by Dundee-based noiseniks Wreaking Joy and Truth Ruiner at Conroy’s Basement tonight.
Also coming up at Meadowside is a metal blitzkrieg on Thursday headed up by headbangers Volcano X.
The Satanic five-piece will be joined at the opening show on their Power Of Metal tour by Vini Bonnar and Jed Potts, aka Under-Volt, plus breaking emo four-piece Jungle Cats.
The tour moves on to Coadys in Dunfermline next Saturday, when it’ll be Bastyon, Solar Sons and Segadeth providing back-up, with the latter named also involved at Methil’s Purple Cat next Sunday along with Grufus and Under Volt.
Separately, it’s Edinburgh combo Robin Robertson Blues Band at Perth’s Twa Tams tonight, with Perthshire-based Sophie Staniforth also playing.
