This St. Patrick’s Day, get ready to don your Celtic pride. The Harrison Festival Society has booked Tim Readman and Out Of The Green, featuring Celtic fiddler Shona La Mottee. The show will be on Saturday, March 17 at the Harrison Memorial Hall.
Vancouver's Tim Readman is a musician, folksinger, songwriter, producer and music journalist, originally from Newcastle upon Tyne, England. He is the former leader of Canadian Celtic/folk favourites Fear of Drinking and has played for years with The Arrogant Worms. He also plays guitar, sings and writes with ace Celtic fiddler Shona Le Mottee. He has produced a number of CDs for other folk acts.
The folks at the Vancouver Folk Festival have said “there are a lot of people who play folk music. Tim Readman is folk music … He knows which side he is on and why. He also understands how an artist and their music can bring a room together and make everyone feel welcome.”
Readman writes for Canada’s folk roots magazine Penguin Eggs. He was the Artistic Director for the 2008 and 2009 CelticFest Vancouver and is still with them as performer, musical host and MC. He has an extensive repertoire of original songs and can also perform everything from traditional murder ballads to more contemporary material by artists as diverse as The Beatles, Chuck Berry, Steely Dan and Madonna. He can entertain in any setting, from concert hall to campfire and makes people laugh at every show.
In Readman’s band will be long-time collaborator, fiddler Shona La Mottee. Born on the Island of Jersey in the English Channel, La Mottee moved to Vancouver at age nine. Raised by a mother from the East coast of Scotland, Shona has deep roots in the musical traditions of Scotland, Ireland and Cape Breton Island.
In 1995, Shona was chosen to join the Canadian Celtic-pop group, The Paperboys, with whom she toured extensively throughout North America for over two years. In 1997, Shona recorded the album “Molinos” with The Paperboys, which won the Canadian Juno Award in 1998 for The Best Roots and Traditional Album - Group category.
In 1998/99, Shona performed with Micheal Flatley’s Lord of the Dance in Las Vegas and Orlando. She has also performed and recorded with five-time World Champions the SFU Scottish Pipe Band, West African folk musician Alpha YaYa Dialo, Irish party bands The Town Pants and The Pat Chessel Band, and Celtic Folk band, Mad Pudding. Shona has taught fiddle music for over 17 years and is the former director and founder of the Vancouver Scottish Fiddle Club which ran successfully for six years.
Tickets are $22 and can be purchased by phone at 604-796-3664 or online or in person at the Ranger Station Art Gallery in Harrison, or Agassiz Shoppers Drug Mart.
Voodoo weekend
• Gary Comeau and the Voodoo Allstars play Memorial Hall tomorrow night at 8 p.m. This show is presented by the Harrison Festival Society, and promises hot and spicy Louisiana-inspired roots and blues. Tickets at the door, or by calling 604-796-3664.
Related story: Five spring concerts for Festival Society