MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2016: Stonehaven Folk Club

Congratulations to Stonehaven Folk Club who have been nominated in Club of the Year sponsored by Trac Scotland in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2016. Vote now!

We asked Andy Popplestone of Stonehaven Folk Club the following questions.

Tell us about yourself
Stonehaven Folk Club was formed in 1987 by a group of enthusiastic folk music lovers who wanted to see live music performed in Stonehaven every week. Nearly thirty years on the club still attracts both local residents and enthusiasts who travel from all over Aberdeenshire to attend knowing they will be warmly welcomed. The club meets weekly taking a break only over Christmas and during July and welcomes everyone into an informal and inclusive environment where participation is warmly encouraged! The weekly programme is packed with a roughly equal mix of local session and guest nights. On guest nights a mixture of seasoned and up and coming artists, supported by local artists, are booked from all over Scotland, the rest of the UK and beyond. Session nights regularly feature a theme to prompt new songs and tunes. There are also several extended floor spot nights each year where local artists hold the floor for thirty minutes or more. Whether performing or seeing the best guest artists Scotland has to offer is your thing you will find it at Stonehaven Folk Club!

Why are you involved in Scottish music?
Folk Clubs keep traditional music alive and regulars at Stonehaven Folk Club love Scottish music!. Forging a career in live music is harder than ever and with the number of venues shrinking its important to keep the venues open that give our talented musicians the venues they need to entertain and do their own part to keep the tradition alive. With a solid core of members and regular attendees Stonehaven Folk Club has worked tirelessly over the last thirty years to provide venues and opportunities to guest and local performers alike to keep Scottish music at the top of the local agenda!

Any particular career highlights?
The club won the club of the year award in 2009 and that was surely a highlight in our history! There have been many great artists delivering special nights at the club over the years. Archie Fisher has been a regular visitor and stand out friend and always sells out helping the club celebrate its "silver" anniversary in 2012. But there are so many artists, young and not so young who have given great nights at the club. So whether its the Spiers family or Shona Donaldson, Paul Anderson or Gill Bowman, Paul McKenna or Siobhan Miller who are playing, the evening will be the best ever for someone in the audience!

What are your plans for the future?
Like all clubs Stonehaven Folk Club faces challenges keeping the club relevant to young people. We will continue to promote the fantastic young artists coming through and seek to involve the talent emerging from the local schools in the session nights providing a forum for "open mic" participation, and encouraging attendance at guests nights with subsidized or free entry. We will continue to promote awareness of Scottish traditional music through the local radio station and use Web based surveys to get feedback from those that attend on what they want to see from us to keep them coming back for more! The club is vibrant and healthy but we must continue to engage and do more with young people to make sure it is still that way in another thirty years

If you would like to come along to the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards in Dundee’s Caird Hall call the Caird Hall box office on (01382) 434940 or buy online.