James Yorkston began curating and hosting his Tae Sup wi’ a Fifer at Adam Smith Theatre in Kirkcaldy back in 2015. While this diverse format is not unique, it’s a shame there aren’t more shows following this format where the diverse nature of the lineup means that, invariably, the audience potentially gets to experience something new.
During the pandemic Tae Sup Wi’ A Fifer transformed into a trio of online shows and more recently took to the road as a tour. They will be on the road again touring around Scotland in July and September 2022 with another great line-up.
Starting on Thursday, July 21 at the Byre Theatre in St Andrews, the first tour will star Gruff Rhys, Salena Godden and Brìghde Chaimbeul plus James Yorkston. Starting on Wednesday, September 21 at Eden Court in Inverness, the second tour will feature Josie Long, Jeffrey Lewis and Kathryn Joseph, again plus James Yorkston. See below for a full list of dates and venues for each tour, as well as more info about the artists involved.
James Yorkston: James needs no introduction, an integral member of the much-lauded and hugely influential Fence Collective (King Creosote, Pictish Trail, KT Tunstall, Beta Band). Throughout his career, he has released a host of critically acclaimed albums both as a solo artist and as part of the collaborative project Yorkston Thorne Khan. His latest solo album, The Wide, Wide River was released in 2021 and featured on Folk Radio’s Best Albums of 2021.
That combination of closeness and mystery – a thread that runs through all of his records – is one of the reasons Yorkston is amongst the very best songwriters of his generation; The Wide, Wide River is yet another career highlight. Thomas Blake, Folk Radio
Gruff Rhys: Since first making his name as lead singer and songwriter with critically exalted Welsh psychedelic rock trailblazers Super Furry Animals in the 1990s, Gruff Rhys has gone on to become a much loved and acclaimed solo musician and creative polymath, whose bilingual work in English and Welsh spans film, books, apps and theatrical stage shows. Gruff’s seventh solo album Seeking New Gods was released in 2021. “Another idiosyncratic gem” – NME.
Salena Godden: Described as the “doyenne of the spoken word scene” by BBC Radio 3, Salena writes and performs poetry, fiction, memoir, radio drama and lyrics. Her Gordon Burns Prize shortlisted debut novel Mrs Death Misses Death was published in paperback in January 2022. “Intoxicating and life-affirming” – The Bookseller.
Brìghde Chaimbeul: Raised in Sleat on the Isle of Skye, Brìghde has devised a completely new way of arranging for pipe music that emphasises the rich textural drones of the smallpipes. Her debut album The Reeling was named as Folk Album of the Month by The Guardian, featured in Folk Radio’s Best Albums of 2019 and in Thomas Blake’s Top 10 Albums. It was nominated for the Scottish Album of the Year Award and won a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award.
Josie Long: A multi-award-winning comedian, writer, podcaster and filmmaker, inspired as much by politics and social justice as she is by silliness, Josie is a trailblazer of the UK comedy industry, as the first woman to be nominated three times for the prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Award. She’s been connected with the Scottish independent music scene for many years, even releasing cassette recordings of some of her live shows via isle of Eigg based label Lost Map Records. “The mother lode of love, joy and laughs” – The Guardian
Jeffrey Lewis: Since making his breakout as part of the New York antifolk movement in the 1990s, indie songwriter and comic artist Jeffrey Lewis has played many hundreds of gigs all over the world, both solo and with bandmates, habitually assembling different set lists for each night to weave in old songs, new songs, artwork, stories and surprises. “Thick with the evergreen anti-folkie’s charm” – Mojo
Kathryn Joseph: Kathryn Joseph’s breathtaking debut album bones you have thrown me and blood i’ve spilled won the Scottish Album of the Year award back in 2015. Since then, her ability to cast a spell over audiences with a haunting voice and melodies has grown exponentially. She’ll perform songs from her forthcoming new album for you who are the wronged, due for release in April 2022 via Rock Action Records.
TAE SUP WI’ A FIFER: ON TOUR – JULY, 2022
GRUFF RHYS / SALENA GODDEN / BRÌGHDE CHAIMBEUL + JAMES YORKSTON
Thursday, July 21 @ The Byre Theatre, St Andrews [TICKETS]
Friday, July 22 @ Mareel, Shetland [TICKETS]
Saturday, July 23 @ Eden Court, Inverness [TICKETS]
Sunday, July 24 @ Eastgate, Peebles [TICKETS]
TAE SUP WI’ A FIFER: ON TOUR – SEPTEMBER, 2022
JOSIE LONG / JEFFREY LEWIS / KATHRYN JOSEPH + JAMES YORKSTON
Wednesday, September 21 @ Eden Court, Inverness [TICKETS]
Thursday, September 22 @ Mareel, Shetland [TICKETS]
Friday, September 23 @ Byre Theatre, St Andrews [TICKETS]
Saturday, September 24 @ Eastgate, Peebles [TICKETS]
All four episodes of Tae Sup Online from 2020, featuring the likes of Andrew Wasylyk, Kris Drever, Faith Eliott, Rab Noakes, Bell Lungs, Djana Gabrielle and James Yorkston, remain available to view now at this link.
More here: https://www.taesup.co.uk/