Sunday, May 04, 2008

Telephones, the folk festival and guitar madness




To the Hillswick Hall (just across the road from The Radiocroft) for the local outpouring of Shetland Folk Festival activity. A fine night too, bright and calm. The hall was absolutely packed - most events at the festival sell out quickly - and a good night was had by all. I was particularly impressed by Lissa Schneckenburger from Vermont and her band (featuring Crooked Still's Corey DiMario on bass) and by the astonishing, not say bonkers guitar playing of Andy McKee from Kansas (pictured). Corey's comments about 'people in Shetland not having phones' met with good natured forbearance at the sublime ignorance of visiting Americans. I could have shouted out something like: 'A national network radio programme is broadcast using digital telephony from that run-down cottage across the road, you idiot' but didn't. However, it does seem that British Telecom want to get rid of our remaining telephone boxes, as we're all so mobile-ridden these days. A shame. This is the one on the seafront at Hillswick. Pure 'Local Hero'.

4 comments:

Corey DiMario said...

Hi Tom,

Corey DiMario here. Glad you liked the show. We had a great time too and it's so wonderful to be back in Shetland! I meant no offense with the phone comment. I'm sorry it was taken the wrong way. I was trying to be funny, but my attempt simply failed. Hope to see you at the shows tonight!

Tom Morton said...

Hey Corey!
Loved the show, bass playing was magnificent and truly inspirational for my bassist son James aged 17.
You'll always be welcome to use any phone in Shetland!

Hugh McMillan said...

Down here in Dumfries and Galloway they've already got rid of a lot of phone boxes but most of the remaining rural ones don't take money anymore, only cards. You can imagine the anger if you're in the mniddle of some drink fuelled crisis or your car's broken down and you walk miles to an effing phone box you can't use.

PS I don't know why the crisis has to be drink fuelled, but in my experoience they usually are.

TFATDHQ said...

Wish i'd seen mckee