'On The Great Silk Road'
UK tour 2005
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Friday
20th May
An early start as we are off to Edinburgh and the
Usher Hall – a fantastic venue for its size,
acoustics, architecture and proximity to the Blue
Blazer (pub); my former employ. So after the sound-check
it's off for a few pints with Alasdair, My Missus,
Murray Munro and some of my auld neebors. The music
tonight sounds and feels great: Everyone is settling
in to what's happening and going for it more and more.
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Rob
survived the Abdulachat
Abdurashidov Experience... |
It
is great to see Allan Macdonald and Cathal McConnel
at the concert as I was hoping that they could witness
the brilliance of these Uzbek musicians. I keep referring
to these men as “Uzbek Musicians”. This
is because that although they play together at home
often, they are not a “band” as such -
although they do play together frequently –
merely the best musicians in Uzbekistan. We have this
prevalent culture of band names and perhaps we should
have invented a name for these lads. “The Tashkent
All-Stars”, “Ilyas and the Pacemakers“,
“The Abdulachat Abdurashidov Experience”,
or perhaps “The Gremlins” when the toasting
with neat vodka gets over-zealous. Another possibility
would be an umbrella name for the entire company –
“The Uzbeks v. The Boozebeks” or maybe
just “Bek” although I think this name
might be just about taken. After the show the Uzbeks
repair for kebabs while a portion of us retire to
the Blazer.
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Saturday
21st May
Ardrossan is a port on the Ayrshire coast: gateway
to the Isle of Arran –“Scotland in Miniature”
just in case Scotland isnae small enough for you.
Again the sun shines on us and the Uzbeks arrive just
in time for the tail end of a local orange march.
We take the lads for a look at the sea and adjacent
wind farm. Uzbekistan is some one-thousand miles from
the nearest ocean so the coast remains a bit of a
novelty. |
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This
concert was organised by John Slavin, the graphic
designer who designs our record covers, John
is also a keen piper and this concert is a fundraiser
for the Caledonian Pipers Club; A local association
devoted to the teaching of piping to players
of all ages an abilities. John has done a fantastic
job and the show is sold-out. The boys give
us a few tunes before we go on, though not before
a quick 'Whisky Polka' – a pre-match ritual
which may or may not be self-explanatory –
and the concert is a great success, well received.
To compound this euphoria, CSKA Moscow win the
UEFA cup tonight, much to the delight of Maxim,
our interpreter and football fanatic.
Once
again we are driving home tonight and whilst
doing so through the rural Ayrshire roads of
modest width, an oncoming lorry liberates the
Uzbek van of its driver’s side wing mirror
to much enthusiastic tutting. Tutt tutt tutt…
bad boy.
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main
man Maxim
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Sunday
22nd May
We are off to sunny Galashiels and the Volunteer hall
for tonight’s concert. For me this is a great
opportunity to see my university chum Pete and his
wife Sandra who is a Breton journalist, so after a
few pints and an interview for a Breton magazine,
whisky polka, and a smashing gig, it is off to Edinburgh
for a couple of days off.
In
theory we are off for a couple of days but there is
still socialising, ferrying and feeding to do. One
highlight here is the Champions league final between
Liverpool and A.C. Milan who are heavily favoured
to win. The chosen venue for this festival of sport,
barbecue and drink is Ewan’s house and it is
a glowing success. Before the match, Ilyas promises
Ewan that Liverpool will win and this looks increasingly
unlikely at halftime as they have fallen behind by
three goals. But as most of you know, Liverpool came
back to win on penalties so we will endeavour to take
Ilyas to Cheltenham next year as he is an obvious
natural pundit. So whisky polka, outrageous football
and no gig – superb.
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Saida |
We
also have a private function to play before our next
concert. Wedding - no: Birthday - no: Bar Mitzvah -
certainly not. We are playing today for the inmates
at Saughton Prison in Edinburgh. Most of us have little
if any experience of prison and the first thing that
strikes me is the generic, institutional feel to the
architecture: This could be an army barracks, a council
office, or a school although the fences are higher and
there are more locks. This proves a great concert with
a good turnout. These people are starved of entertainment
and generally very bored so it is great to see them
genuinely interested in the music and especially the
beautiful Uzbek dancers. Who would have thought the
art of dance was so popular in prison? |
Nargiza
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Thursday
26th May
Darlington is famed for having the world’s first
steam railway and in my experience, some of the best
curries in England. Unfortunately we have a long drive
tomorrow so we are returning home, sans curry, after
the concert tonight at the Darlington Arts Centre. Again
the blazing sunshine gives a glow to the surrounds reminiscent
of the 1950’s British Rail holiday/tourist films.
“Make your holidays in sunny Darlington”
suggests the well modulated voice of the narrator, himself
clearly having never ventured north of Peterborough.
This is a fine establishment with a good technical crew
so the rapid sound check affords us the time to take
in the local sights. |
Friday
27th May
Off to Aberdeen for a press call for 'North Tonight',
Grampian Television’s Evening news program. This
consists of some quick shots of the entire ensemble,
including dancers, and an interview with me. This and
the sound check are completed by early afternoon leaving
us free until showtime at nine o’clock tonight
and as the hotel is only a two minute walk away, this
is potentially a dangerous proposition. Well the only
thing for it is to adjourn to The Grill on Union street
– Aberdeen’s finest pub. While I am speaking
at length, ever so eloquently on the television in the
corner of the pub, the auld wyfie working behind the
bar says to Alasdair, who himself has appeared only
fleetingly among a large band of golden-fleeced Uzbeks
, “I’ve seen yous on the telly son.”
She completely ignores me, standing next to Alasdair,
replete with hirsute visage and equity card. It is this
attitude what makes Scotland great.
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Eventually
the concert commences and a great night ensues. This
is the biggest and most enthusiastic crowd I have
played for at the Lemon Tree so obviously having Alasdair
flashed through the homes of the north-east like a
subliminal message has worked a treat. BUY BATTIES.
BUY BATTIES. After the concert we adjourn to the Blue
Lamp pub and music venue around the corner in the
company of Dod, the punk piper. Dod is a great character
whom I met many years ago while busking in Edinburgh
and it is great to see him after such a long time.
He used to play very late at night as the night clubs
were chucking out their customers – the busker’s
back shift perhaps. Once the Blue Lamp finally closes,
there is only time for some late night pies and off
to the hotel.
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Nargiza
& Saida in the distillery |
Friday
28th May.
Tonight we play Eden Court Theatre in Inverness. Today
however we are making a detour to the Grant’s
distillery in Dufftown on the kind invitation of the
manager Ian Millar. Grant’s is home to the Glenfiddich
and Balvenie single malt whiskys and is the oldest,
and possibly only, family owned distillery left in
Scotland (i.e. not owned by a multi-national corporation).
Ian furnishes us with a superb tour and generous tasting.
This is evident in tonight’s spirited performance,
which thankfully we filmed and recorded (watch this
space for news of the upcoming DVD). |
Khusan
performs the Whisky Polka
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Before
the show, Khusan informs me that “piva (beer)
bad, whisky good” when it comes to playing.
As the Doyra is a physically taxing instrument to
play, surely this constitutes scientific proof that
whisky makes you strong; a truism pipers have maintained
for centuries. |
Akhmadjon
& Donald John, flanked by clan Katz |
Also
at tonight’s show is Iain MacDonald, expert
cooper from Grant’s. Before and after the concert
we make our way to Hootananny’s (www.hootananny.com)
– Inverness’s music bar – and quite
a bill today: Fraser MacLean and his dance band all
the way from Tore in the afternoon and at night a
mighty session featuring our very own John Sikorski
on the feet. This is another opportunity for me to
see rakes of in-laws and so its off to the black isle
to fortify ourselves with whisky courtesy of Isobel
and Donald John MacRae.
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