Get Connected: SWH!’s Pick Of Celtic Connections 2018…

“January, sick and tired you’ve been hanging on me”, sang Edinburgh’s Pilot in 1975 and even if you’re not quite sure what it means, you get the gist. For me, a year doesn’t get going properly til Celtic Connections begins. A festival which never fails to deliver, and which continues to grow in terms of number of gigs, breadth of music, and international stature – deep, and wide and tall.

This year is the 25th anniversary, which is worth celebrating in itself, but which would mean little if the quality wasn’t maintained. Have no fear as Celtic Connections shows no signs of slowing down.

As always, we’d like to point you in the direction of lesser known gems which can be found at the festival alongside the headliners and more well-kent attendees, which this year include Shelby Lynne & Allison Moorer, Kate Rusby, Shawn Colvin, Kathryn Williams, Beth Orton, Joe Henry and The Mavericks!

You can peruse the full programme at your leisure at Celtic Connections, and receive all the up-to-date news by following on Twitter, and Facebook.  But before you rush away to do so, here are Scots Whay Hae!’s Top Picks, (complete with links to further details), or, what we like to call, ‘the best of the rest of the fest’…

Findlay Napier’s Glasgow – 20th Jan, The Mackintosh Church

SOUNDING Modern Studies & Lomond Campbell with The Pumpkinseeds Chamber Orchestra – 21st Jan, Saint Luke’s

Last Night from Glasgow: Carla J. Easton, Zoe Bestell and The Miss’s – 25th Jan, The Hug & Pint

Lizabett Russo – 27th Jan, Oran Mor

Last Night from Glasgow: Sister John, Annie Booth and Andrew Nicol – 28th Jan, The Hug & Pint

Northern Flyway – 29th Jan, Tron Theatre

Eugene Kelly (The Vaselines) and Special Guests – 29th Jan, The Hug & Pint

James Yorkston and Sarah Hayes & Sara Kazmi – 30th Jan, The Glad Cafe

Colin Macleod and Wallis Bird – 1st Feb, Saint Luke’s

Sound of Yell, Ilk and Aby Vulliamy – 2nd Feb, The Glad Cafe

Siobhan Wilson with the Demi Octet and Jamie Sutherland – 3rd Feb, The Mackintosh Church

Out Lines and Hamish Hawk – 4th Feb, Saint Luke’s

Hopefully see you at at least one of the above…

#JamesYorkston #TheMisss #EugeneKelly #SarahHayes #SoundOfYell #ColinMacLeod #SisterJohn #AnnieBooth #CelticConnections #ModernStudies #NorthernFlyway #SiobhanWilson #FindlayNapier #CarlaJEaston #OutLines #LomondCampbell #ZoeBestell #LizabettRusso