Duncan’s Blog – August 2023

Quietish, but very enjoyable summer so far.  Great night at the Kintyre Songwriter’s Festival   in early July – me Cy and Fraser – and a lovely emotional gig in Carradale Village Hall later in the month, celebrating the last of the ring net fishermen in East Kintyre.  Mostly songs reflecting the lives of the fishing community.

Diary empty now until 5 Feb 24 at Glenfarg Folk Club in Gateside, so must start looking for  other gigs.  The bit about all this that I really hate.  Any ideas, let me know!

 

Cheers

 

Duncan x

Duncan’s Blog – March 2023

Hi Everyone

Just checking in, as I do every few hundred years…..

Social media and blogging’s not really for me, but I’ve just had a bollocking from my web designer (and close pal!) Dave Arcari for neglecting updates and not renewing ‘plug-ins’ (whatever that means), so I’m trying to promise to do better……Dave’s a real professional, and really is a master at promotion and marketing, as well as a hard-working pro gigging musician and songwriter. I drive him nuts. He’s also got me linked up with www.bandsintown.com so let’s see how I do. I’ve apparently got quite a few ‘followers’ too, which is nice.

So, how are you all? I’ve hardly been busy with playing as such, since I last wrote to you, but I have had a few nice gigs since Covid, including a solo one opening for the aforementioned Dave Arcari in Eastern Loch Lomondside which was great fun, and Cy and I had a sell-out at my home village of Gartmore with our pals Chris Stout, Mike Bryan and Fraser Speirs two weeks before Christmas, and a super evening at Stirling Folk Club in January. Mike and Fraser have been a godsend to us. Mike is one of the finest acoustic guitarists in Scotland, and Fraser is of course a legendary blues harmonica maestro as well as a really good guitarist and singer himself. Both are true long-established professional musicians. Their lists of achievements and musical experiences would fill several pages, and they are true pros as well as being great fun to play and work with.

I’m really hoping 2023 will be something of a new beginning, as last year was truly horrific in terms of losing really dear friends. It started when we lost the wonderful Rab Noakes in late November and Cy’s lovely wife Mairi just after Christmas, with a further six funerals since, all people who were very important to me and Irene. An inevitable part of growing old, people say, but that thought doesn’t really help. Rab, Mairi, Neenie, Billy, Joe, John, Campbell, Allan RIP.

Anyway, Spring is here, and I’m hoping the longer days bring sunshine and a few more chances to get out to see you all. Please do get in touch anytime and better still – come along to a gig sometime!

Love to you all

Duncan xx

Duncan’s Blog – July/August 2022

Well, Covid and its various lockdowns and restrictions have put the tin hat on a number of things since I last posted here about three years ago. At the time of writing, I’ve managed to avoid the virus so far (touch wood), but I’ve lost quite a few gigs, and quite a lot of inspiration and energy to boot. We’ve managed four or five gigs over the period, but audience numbers have fallen noticeably, as many people are understandably reluctant to risk going out. playing concerts has felt a bit weird to be honest, but getting up on stage to sing and play has reminded me how important it is to me, and I know that I want to keep going. I’ll never retire, but from now on I want to concentrate on the musical adventures I really want. I always hated chasing up gigs, and got hurt and frustrated by promoters and clubs which didn’t have the courtesy to reply and acknowledge my messages. I’ve always replied quickly to anyone who contacts me for bookings, advice or just to chat. These are the folk I want to work with. Luckily there are still a few out there!

Songwriting goes on though, and Cy Jack and I are working on a few ideas just now, including a new production music album. I’m setting up a recording workstation at home, and trying to make sense of the basic technology. Unlike many writers and players, I have zero interest in recording techniques and all the technology that goes with it. I’ve been lucky to work in many of Scotland’s top studios over the years with the best engineers and producers, and they, without exception, have been able to get much more out of my limited abilities than I think I could ever do for myself. I’m very fortunate also, in that Cy is one of the most talented sound engineers in the country, and that, coupled with his superb bass and keyboard skills, lift me to a higher level than I could achieve alone.

Cy and I are currently making plans to launch a new phase of our live work, and we hope to be out playing for you again very soon, so please keep and eye on our Facebook page, and send us encouragement and support. Better still, come out and see us. Covid can’t go on forever…..can it??!! 🙂

Keep the faith!

Duncan x

Duncan’s Blog – November 2019

Goodness, has it been a year since I last posted here? No excuses – and no more promises to keep it more regularly updated, I’m just paving the streets of Hell. I’m sorry too that it took me weeks (and even months) to discover a few lovely comments that had been left on the site. I replied as soon as I saw them, but no one got back to me afterwards. Quite right to be in the huff with me, I’m very sorry….please don’t let it stop you from contacting me!

Anyway, here goes for my 2019 ramblings….

It’s been quite a quiet year for gigs. I got a bit fed up with contacting promoters, clubs and venues and getting no reply, so I just decided to accept the gigs that came in…..hence the quiet year!! I can never understand why promoters can’t take tow minutes out of their lives to acknowledge the artists who contact them (I speak to many artists who get p*ssed off with the lack of courtesy). I never send out generic emails, preferring the personal approach, so it can be a bit galling to be ignored. If your calendar is full for the next year, that’s fine – just say so! If you don’t want to book us, that’s fine also, as long as you tell us a nice wee white lie :)!

2020 is already looking busier that the whole of this year, so I’m hoping we’ll end up with one of our busiest years for live work. Try to get along to see us if you can.

Recording-wise, Cy and I are currently working on a library project of French and Italian TV/film music, which is being recorded at Chem 19 Studios later this month, and my fantastic record label, Greentrax, are releasing a Christmas single “Resurrection Road’, taken from the latest album ‘Land of Gold’. This is our own song, and its alternative title is ‘The Clydeside Carol’. The song reflects on the lives of the homeless people on our streets at Christmas, and how they often experience a small spike in everyone’s kindness at this time of the year. Maybe a fiver instead of £1 or 50p from passers-by, or maybe lunches or dinners, run by good-hearted folk in Santa hats and so on. The festive season passes, though, and the early months of the new year can be unimaginably cold and miserable. I sang the song at Newcastle Cathedral last December, alongside Lindisfarne’s Billy Mitchell, and a wonderful choir. I’ll never forget the experience. On the Greentrax single, I’m joined by my dear pal Rab Noakes, who sings lead vocal in the second verse, and the instrumental arrangement of ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ is beautifully played by the wonderful Chris Stout and Finlay Macdonald. Proceeds will be going to homeless charity Shelter. Please have a listen when it becomes available at the start of December, and download it if you like it.

Anyway, stay warm and safe this Winter, and have a great festive season. For many, it’ll be a struggle, just like the rest of the days of the year. Try to think of them when you go to vote on 12th December.

Love and best wishes

Duncan x

Duncan’s Blog – November/December 2018

Hello – back on the blog after the usual ridiculous delay.

We’ve had a few nice gigs, and the new album ‘Land of Gold’ has been selling well. Not easy shifting CDs these days, so pretty happy with the sales so far. It’s recently become available for download and streaming, and I really ought to start promoting it on social media. I find keeping Facebook and other platforms up to date pretty tedious, but I don’t do it, no one else will, I suppose. Watch this space….

The reviews have been really good, and I still think it’s the best album yet – I’m allowed to say that, as I’m only comparing it with my own previous releases!

I played my first solo charity gig in September for the Friendship Circle, in Milngavie Town Hall. I was far more nervous than I would have been at band performances, without Cy or the others there to boost the music and my confidence, but it was huge fun. The audience danced, cheered and sang along, and it was an opportunity for me to sing lots of songs I wouldn’t usually have the chance to. Breakaway Blues, anyone? It was also a chance to try out our new PA system – something we’ve needed for a long time. We’ll be able to play more small venues now that we’re self-sufficient.

Highlight of the last couple of months was my home concert in Gartmore Village Hall. Cy and I were joined by our pals Chris Stout and Fraser Speirs, and Australian-based husband and wife duo Neil Adam and Judy Turner, and it was one of the most enjoyable gigs I can remember. Jim was feeling unwell and couldn’t make it, but Chris, Finlay and Cy stepped up to the plate and played their hearts out, and the atmosphere on stage was wonderful. A real treat for me, and the audience seemed to have a great time, too.

Next project is to update and revise the website. I’ve already had a couple of photo sessions with Dave Arcari at Loch Lomond and with Steve Niblock in Arrochar. Dave’s going to be refurbishing the site for me, and he’s one of the best there is, so hopefully this will be the last blog on the ‘old’ site.

November hasn’t been all good, unfortunately. My dear pal Trevor Jenkins passed away from a heart attack in his early fifties. Trevor was a much-loved part of the music publishing scene, and as Head of Music at both Boosey & Hawkes and Music Sales he commissioned TV and film music from me and Cy. Over the twenty-five years I knew him, he became a real friend, and we spoke and met up as often as we could. Trevor was running his own publishing company, OPM, at the time of his passing, and he was loved and respected by many, many people.

Anyway, take care of yourselves and those you love, and I hope you have a happy and peaceful festive season. Hope to see many of you in 2019.

Cheers

Duncan x

Land of Gold – New Album!!

At long last the new album from Duncan and Cy was released on Greentrax Recordings (CDTRAX398) on 1st July.

Featuring six new songs from Duncan and Cy, one reimagining of their long-established favourite ‘The Surf and the Silver Fishes’ and six carefully-chosen covers, the album has been incredibly well-received, and is without doubt the strongest release so far.

As always, the album features virtuoso playing by some of the very finest traditional musicians to be found anywhere, all friends as always. Duncan, Cy and Jim are joined by :

Stevie Lawrence : guitar, bodran, percussion, sitar, mandocello, bouzouki, cittern.

Chris Stout : fiddle, viola and piano

Catriona McKay : Scottish Harp

Finlay Macdonald : highland and small pipes, whistles.

Ray Laidlaw : percussion.

Kathleen Macinnes : guest vocals and backing vocals.

Rab Noakes : guest vocals and backing vocals

Jim Jack : backing vocals

Fraser Speirs : harmonica, blues harp.

Sandy Brechin : accordion

Paul Savage : drums

Kristan Harvey : fiddle

Land of Gold was co-produced by Cy, Duncan and Paul Savage, and recorded, mixed and mastered by Paul Savage at Chem 19 Studios, Blantyre between March and June 2018.

For a full track listing and to purchase the album, please go to www.greentrax.com. It can also be purchased via the shop section on this website.

Duncan’s Blog – August 2017

It’s been a while since I last wrote on here – nothing unusual about that! I’d like to say it was because I’ve been so busy gigging, but things have been quiet over the summer.

Cy and I played our first-ever house concert at a friend Janice’s house in the lovely village of Dullatur, which was great fun. Janice had invited friends and family from home and abroad, and guest of honour was her childhood friend Janilee, who was returning home to Scotland from Canada for a holiday. Lovely people, and everyone joined in the spirit of the evening. It’s got me thinking about offering this kind of gig more widely. I don’t know if there would be a huge demand, but it might be worth a thought. Contact me through the website here if you know anyone who would be interested.

At the time of writing, I’m really looking forward to our next gig at Glenfarg Village Folk Club in Kinross on Monday 7th August. It’s our first visit to the new venue ‘Backstage at the Green’ in Kinross, and we’ve heard it’s a fantastic set up. After that, Fintry in October, so not exactly deluged with work, but there are a few irons in the fire, so keep an eye out on the gigs section.

There seems to be a real growth in the number of venues offering gigs on the basis of the artists receiving the lion’s share of the door money, which is fine in venues we know we can expect to be well supported, but it’s a bit risky in areas where we’re less well-known. I see it from both sides, though – it’s hard to take a risk if it’s a less well-known artist in your locality, but it’s equally hard for a three-piece band to appear for less than petrol money. It’s a tricky one.

Anyway, I hope this summer has been fun for everyone, despite the disappointing weather. Two weeks’ holiday for us in the West of Scotland in early July and the temperature only hitting 20 degrees twice!

Keep safe and well, and it’s always nice to hear from anyone who wants to drop me a line – other than those promising to ‘drive traffic’ to the site for a fee. They can take a hike!

All the best

Duncan x

Duncan’s Blog – February 2017

One blog a year is a pretty poor effort – I really must do better. I love it when folk get in touch via the website, so I really need to keep things up to date a bit better.

2016 ended with three really enjoyable gigs for us in Strathblane, Balerno and Gartmore, after a quiet-ish year. When you haven’t played for a while, it can have a real effect on confidence, and you begin to get really nervous, however just one live gig brings back all the enthusiasm, and you remember why you never want to give up – it’s a great feeling when it all goes well.

Big news for 2017 is that we’ll be recording a new CD album in the summer, hopefully for release be the year-end. Can’t give away too much detail just now, but I’m really excited about it, and Cy & I are in the process of writing a few new songs and sourcing both trad material and a couple of appropriate covers. I’d love to hear of any suggestions for songs that would fit in well with our catalogue – suggestions through the website, please!

You’ll notice I haven’t been updating the gig diary recently. We’ve been playing a couple of Burns nights, and I’ve been doing guest spots at other artists’ gigs, but we haven’t had a full concert so far in 2017. That said, we have bookings in for two or three folk clubs in the summer, and are planning a couple of self-promoted concerts. I’ll put these up online when full details are available.

Meantime, it’s songwriting, working three days a week (and then some…) at the day job with PRS for Music and having the occasional stab at drumming up gigs. I really don’t enjoy that side of it, but it seems that work rarely coms looking, so – needs must.

I’ll be back soon, hopefully with more to tell you. Meantime, check out the Duncan McCrone Band on Facebook, and give us a like or send us a message.

Keep warm and happy

Duncan x

Duncan’s Blog – October 2016

I’ve quite enjoyed the break from gigging over the Spring and Summer, although there’s been an album of TV and Film music to record, which has kept me from rusting up altogether.

Holidays are over now, though – grand times in Majorca, Kintyre and Lochaber – and raring to go again. Much as I absolutely love singing and playing, all the other stuff gets to me…..pitching for gigs, discussing money, trying to get everyone available on the same day etc etc. Sad fact is that the work doesn’t coming looking for you, and I don’t want to get a permanent agent, as I want to pick and choose to a certain extent.

First gig is the Balerno Festival on Friday 7th October, with Archie Fisher. One of our absolute favourite clubs – the organisers are real enthusiasts, and we always feel really welcome there.

A new venue for us is the Strathblane Village Club, in Blanefield, Stirlingshire. We play there on Saturday 5th November, and it’s a stunning small hall in a beautiful location. I’m hoping the locals miss the bonfire and fireworks to support the concert, which is for club funds, but I’m putting the word out further afield as well!

At the other end of November (Saturday 26th), we’re planning a fun evening in the Gartmore Hall, with a bunch of great pals. Watch the website and Facebook for further details.

I’m hoping to be able to announce plans for a new album, to be recorded in Spring 2017 and released later in the year. Don’t want to say too much at the moment, as plans are in the early stages, but I’ll let you know.

Anyway, until I get myself together enough to write another blog, keep safe and well, and hopefully see you at gig sometime soon!

All the best

Duncan x

Duncan’s Blog – April 2016

Well, it’s been a while – last post was in July 2015, which is very poor behaviour on my part. It’s not because nothing’s been happening (quite the opposite!) but just because I’m a lazy so-and-so.

Since I last wrote, life has changed immeasurably for the better with the birth of my grandson Roddy on the 8th of August 2015. A feisty, noisy bundle of energy with already an insatiable curiosity for the World around him, he’s an absolutely beautiful wee human being, and the centre of our universe, but I won’t go on, as every proud Papa is the same – I’ll find other ways of boring you!

We had a few nice gigs toward the end of the year, and started 2016 with an appearance in the Scotia Nova show at the Strathclyde Suite during Celtic Connections. Just one song, it was ‘The Pioneers’ which Cy and I wrote as a track on an album project for Greentrax Recordings. The album celebrates the ‘new’ Scotland (although it didn’t quite happen in 2014, sadly) with songs about the early days of a new nation. Ours is the story of the Pardesi, the immigrants from the Indian sub-continent who arrived in Scotland in the middle of the 20th century, and who transformed our culture for the better, and whose families are now second- and third-generation Scots. Based loosely on the story of the late Bashir Ahmed, our first Asian MSP, we’re very proud of the song, and feel it typifies all thats good and inclusive about Scottish society. The album ‘Scotia Nova’ is available on Greentrax, and features a number of prominent Scottish songwriters and artists.

After Celtic Connections, things get a bit quieter. We played two or three Burns events, including a fantastic wee night at Glasgow University’s Hunterian Museum and then…..nothing….our next bookings aren’t until the Balerno Festival and a concert in Strathblane, both in October. This is in part due to life being so hectic on the domestic front – gigs rarely land on the doorstep, so it’s necessary to go out and try to get them, which I just haven’t had the time or energy to do. I absolutely love singing and playing live, that hour or so on the stage is such a joy and an adrenaline rush, however I don’t enjoy the other bits so much – the marketing, fee negotiations, organising PA, making sure everyone in the band can do the dates, worrying about soundchecks, arranging leaflets, posters etc, so I’ve been lazily quite enjoying the break. Two months on from the last gig though, and withdrawal symptoms are kicking in, so I’ve started putting out a few feelers, and I’m hopeful of two or three new gigs happening between now and October, I’ll keep you posted.

On the writing front, Cy and I are a bit busier. We’re currently writing an album’s worth of acoustic music for film and TV, on commission from a London publisher, so that’s very enjoyable. It may not be as fulfilling as writing songs for ourselves, but our incidental music pops up regularly on all manner of high-profile TV programmes, such as ‘Coast’, Monty Hall’s Great Irish Adventure’, ‘Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares’ and many other programmes around the globe, so it’s always a buzz to hear something you wrote on the telly. We haven’t written enough songs for my next album yet, but I’m hopeful I can make something happen in 2017 – I’m very happy with a couple of of our recent ones, and Id like to get them out online at the very least.

With regard to my ‘day job’ looking after the PRS for Music/MCPS office in Glasgow, I decided to reduce my working day to three days per week from 1st January 2016. I’m still getting used to it, to be honest, and predictions that I wouldn’t be able to switch off on my ‘non-working’ days have proved quite accurate! The problem is that I really love my job. No two days are ever the same, and I get to spend my working life among songwriters, musicians, artists and composers, as well as record company folk, TV producers, managers and the like. Kindred spirits for the most part, and in Scotland invariably really nice, friendly people. I’m quite addicted to the job, and, while I’m enjoying having some more time to myself, I can’t imagine life without work. It may be that I’m living vicariously through the young writers and bands, enjoying the new music I hear continuously, rather than concentrating on keeping my own music flowing, who knows?

Right, I’ll make myself a (probably hollow) promise to get back on the case with my blogs, if only because it’s good exercise for me. Spring is here, and Summer not far away, so I’ll try to harness as much energy as I can and get out to play more. In the meantime, please let me know any ideas for gigs out there, we’re easy to deal with!

Enjoy the longer days, and I hope the sun shines on you all through 2016.

Cheers

Duncan x