FabricationsHQ - Putting the Words to the Music
  • Muirsical Thoughts, Muirsical News Last update: June 18th
  • Latest Articles (links)
  • Jakko M. Jakszyk - Son Of Glen
  • Rigid Soul - Rigid Soul
  • Robin Trower - Oran Mor, Glasgow
  • Gypsy Pistoleros and The Outlaw Orchestra - DreadnoughtRock, Bathgate
  • Ned Evett (May 2025)
  • Bill Nelson - Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam (Deluxe Edition)
  • Don Airey - Pushed to the Edge
  • Gypsy Pistoleros - Church Of The Pistoleros
  • 2025 Reviews>
    • Dean Owens - Spirit Ridge
    • Félix Rabin - Blue Days EP
    • Simon McBride - Recordings 2020-2025
    • Dim Gray - Shards
    • Steve Hackett - Live Magic At Trading Boundaries
    • James O'Hurley - A Certain Stranger
    • Mud - The Rak Years 1973-75
    • Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado - House Of Sticks
  • 2025 Featured Album Reviews >
    • Erja Lyytinen - Smell The Roses
    • The Damn Truth - The Damn Truth
    • The Adventures - Once More With Feeling
    • Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks - Live Perpetual Change
    • Jason Bieler & The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra - The Escapologist
    • Black Eyed Sons - Cowboys In Pinstriped Suits
    • Dream Theater - Parasomnia
    • Jethro Tull - Curious Ruminant
  • 2024 Reviews >
    • Robert Fleischman - Emotional Atlas
    • Lazarus Heights - Papillon
    • Toby Lee - House On Fire
    • Innes Sibun - The Preacher
    • Ned Evett - Strange Kind Of Freedom
    • DeWolff - Muscle Shoals
    • The Southern River Band - D.I.Y
    • MYPD - Basssik
    • Toby and the Whole Truth - Look Out! Vol.1
    • Blue Nation - The Ordinary People
    • The Round Window - Fram EP
    • Mike Ross - Electric Smoke
    • Mississippi MacDonald - I Got What You Need
    • The Dictators - The Dictators
    • Matt Steady - Flight Of The Raven
    • Various Artists - Tributes : Songs For Neil Vol 5
    • The Sheepdogs - Paradise Alone EP
    • Then Comes Silence - Trickery
    • Caitlin Krisko & The Broadcast - Blueprints EP
    • Deep Purple =1
    • Arielle - Reel To Real
    • Raintown - Acoustic Heart
    • Ivan Drever - Covered
    • Rich Young - Prozac Diary
    • The Dave Foster Band - Maybe They'll Come Back For Us
    • Mr. Big - Ten
    • Jill Jackson - Curse Of The Damned
    • Daryl Hall - D
    • John Oates - Reunion
    • Gagarin - Komorebi
    • Paul Mallatratt - The Planets; Screaming Thru Heartache
    • Quinn Sullivan - Salvation
    • Edit The Tide - Reflections In Sound EP
    • Attic Theory - What We Fear The Most
    • Stone Angels - Up In Smoke
    • Ramblin' Preachers - Sins & Virtues
    • The Treatment - Wake Up The Neighbourhood
    • Ben Hemming - Darkness Before Dawn
    • The Now - Too Hot To Handle
    • Kelowna - Better Day EP
    • Tom Killner - Borrowed Time
    • Beaux Gris Gris And The Apocalypse - Hot Nostalgia Radio
    • The Milk Men - Holy Cow!
    • The Toy Dolls - The Singles
    • Turbulence - B1nary Dream
    • It Bites FD - Return To Natural
    • Blue Öyster Cult - Ghost Stories
    • Hawkwind - Stories From Time And Space
    • These Wicked Rivers - Force Of Nature
    • Alice Di Micele - Interpretations Vol 1
    • Walter Trout - Broken
    • Silveroller - At Dawn EP
    • Jack J Hutchinson - Battles
    • Little Lore - Seven Stories EP (Part One & Part Two)
    • Elles Bailey - The Night Owl & The Lark EP
    • Blue Nation - Reflections EP
    • Rick Wakeman - Live at the London Palladium 2023
    • Chris Wragg and Greg Copeland - The Last Sundown
    • Sons Of Liberty - The Detail Is In The Devil
    • EBB - The Management Of Consequences EP
    • Thunder - Live At Islington Academy 2006; Live At Leeds 2015
    • Robby Krieger And The Soul Savages
  • 2024 Featured Album Reviews>
    • Austin Gold - Ain't No Saint
    • Cats In Space - Time Machine
    • The Outlaw Orchestra - La Familia
    • Mojo Thunder - The Infinite Hope
    • Beth Hart - You Still Got Me
    • Eclipse - Megalomanium II
    • Al Stewart - Past, Present & Future (50th Anniversary Edition)
    • Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Dirt On My Diamonds Volume 2
    • Scalet Rebels - Where The Colours Meet
    • Robert Jon & The Wreck - Red Moon Rising
    • Elles Bailey - Beneath the Neon Glow
    • Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks - True
    • The Commoners - Restless
    • Brave Rival (Fight Or Flight)
    • Al Di Meola - Twentyfour
    • Focus - Focus 12
    • Big Wolf Band - Rebel's Journey
    • Robin Trower - Bridge Of Sighs (50th Anniversary Edition)
    • Vanden Plas - The Empyrean Equation of the Long Lost Things
    • Troy Redfern - Invocation
    • Amigo The Devil - Yours Until The War Is Over
    • Preacher Stone - V
    • Bison Hip - Welcome To The Rest Of Your Life
    • Waysted - Won't Get Out Alive 1983-1986
    • SiX BY SiX - Beyond Shadowland
    • Dan Patlansky - Movin' On
    • Jane Getter Premonition - Division World
    • Today Was Yesterday - Today Was Yesterday
    • Steve Hackett - The Circus And The Nightwhale
    • Mama's Boys - Runaway Dreams 1980-1992
  • 2023 Reviews
  • 2023 Featured Album Reviews >
    • Blue Deal - Can't Kill Me Twice
    • THEIA - The Wet Die Young EP
    • The Round Window - Everywhere & Nowhere
    • Long Road Home - Are We Invisble?
    • Dolly Parton - Rockstar
    • Various Artists - Shake That Thing! The Blues In Britain 1963-1973
    • Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Dirt On My Diamonds Vol. 1
    • The Blue Lena - Darkwood
    • LALU - The Fish Who Wanted To Be King
    • Celebrate It Together : The Very Best Of Howard Jones 1983-2023
    • Stray - About Time
    • Skinny Knowledge - twentytwo
    • Robin Trower (featuring Sari Schorr) - Joyful Sky
    • Trevor Rabin - Rio
    • Vega - Battlelines
    • Downes Braide Association - Celestial Songs
    • High Pulp - Days In The Desert
    • Starlite & Campbell - STARLITE.ONE
    • Matteo Mancuso - The Journey
    • Oli Brown & The Dead Collective - Prelude & Prologue EPs
    • Extreme - Six
    • Bison Hip - Older Stronger Better
    • Joy Dunlop - Caoir
    • Mike Ross - Third Eye Open
    • Martin MIller - Maze Of My Mind
    • Cruachan - The Living and The Dead
    • King Kraken - MCLXXX
    • Heavy Metal Kids - The Albums 1974-1976
    • Anchor Lane - Call This a Reality?
    • Doomsday Outlaw - Damaged Goods
    • Hayley Griffiths - Far From Here Hayley Griffiths Band - MELANIE
  • 2022 Reviews
  • 2022 Featured Album Reviews >
    • Moon City Masters - The Famous Moon City Masters
    • Steve Hill - Dear Illusion
    • Kira Mac - Chaos is Calling
    • EBB - Mad & Killing Time
    • The Commoners - Find A Better Way
    • Rebecca Downes - The Space Between Us
    • Erja Lyytinen - Waiting For The Daylight
    • Chris Antonik - Morningstar
    • The Milk Men - Spin The Bottle
    • SiX BY SiX - SiX BY SiX
    • Jeff Berlin - Jack Songs
    • Keef Hartley Band - Sinnin' For You The Albums 1969-1973
    • Toby Lee - Icons Vol.1
    • Montrose - I Got The Fire : Complete Recordings 1973-1976
    • Orianthi - Live From Hollywood
    • Valeriy Stepanov Fusion Project - Album No. 2
    • Dan Reed Network - Let's Hear It For The King
    • Ali Ferguson - The Contemplative Power Of Water
    • Edgar Winter - Brother Johnny
    • Joe Satriani - The Elephants Of Mars
    • Dave Cureton - State Of Mind
    • Larry McCray - Blues Without You
    • Tears for Fears - Tipping Point
    • Kris Barras Band - Death Valley Paradise
    • Dan Patlansky - Shelter of Bones
    • Black Lakes - For All We've Left Behind
    • Wille & The Bandits - When The World Stood Still
    • LALU - Paint the Sky
    • Various Artists - Revolt Into Style 1979
  • Selected 2025 Gig Reviews >
    • Erja Lyytinen - Nice N Sleazy, Glasgow
    • Troy Redfern - Backstage, Kinross
  • Selected 2024 Gig Reviews>
    • Silveroller - Backstage, Kinross
    • Dave Arcari - Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine
    • Jack J Hutchinson - Bannermans, Edinburgh
    • Gypsy Pistoleros - Bannermans, Edinburgh
    • Kira Mac - Oran Mor, Glasgow
    • Sari Schorr; Matt Pearce & The Mutiny - Oran Mor, Glasgow
    • Dan Patlansky - Oran Mor, Glasgow
    • The Davey Pattison Band - Backstage, Kinross
    • Verity/Bromham Band - Backstage, Kinross
    • Moving Pictures - Venue 38, Ayr
    • The Countess Of Fife - Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine
    • Connor Selby - Backstage at the Green, Kinross
    • Rebecca Downes - Backstage, Kinross
  • Selected 2023 Gig Reviews >
    • Ben Poole - The Ferry, Glasgow
    • Moving Pictures - The Garage, Glasgow
    • Hamish Stuart & James Bown Is Annie; Hamilton Loomis - Darvel Music Festival
    • Amigo The Devil - The Classic Grand, Glasgow
    • Davey Pattison Blues Band - DreadnoughtRock, Bathgate
    • Joe Satriani - O2 Academy, Glasgow
    • Walter Trout - Oran Mor, Glasgow
    • Dan Patlansky - Stereo, Glasgow
    • Sari Schorr - The Classic Grand, Glasgow
    • Focus - The Ferry, Glasgow
    • Elles Bailey - The Caves, Edinburgh
    • The Blackheart Orchestra - Hotel Utopia UK tour
    • The Wilson Brothers - Backstage at the Green, Kinross
  • Selected 2022 Gig Reviews >
    • WinterStorm Rock Weekender - Troon
    • Jack J Hutchinson - Bannermans, Edinburgh
    • Paul McCartney - Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury 2022
    • Daryl Hall - Ryman Auditorium, Nashville
    • Joe Bonamassa - SEC Armadillo, Glasgow
    • Dan Patlansky - Oran Mor, Glasgow
    • Eric Gales - Oran Mor, Glasgow
  • Muirsical Conversations 2025>
    • Sandi Thom (February 2025)
  • Muirsical Conversations 2024>
    • Mississippi MacDonald (December 2024)
    • Walter Trout (October 2024)
    • Albert Bouchard (August 2024)
    • Robert Berry - August 2024
    • Troy Redfern (May 2024)
    • Dan Patlansky (March 2024)
    • Connor Selby (February 2024)
  • Muirsical Conversations 2023>
    • Del Bromham (November 2023)
    • Sari Schorr (October 2023)
    • Suzy Starlite & Simon Campbell (September 2023)
    • Ali Ferguson (August 2023)
    • Leoni Jane Kennedy (August 2023)
    • Joy Dunlop (May 2023)
    • Dan Patlansky - April 2023
    • Hayley Griffiths (February 2023)
    • Steve Hill (January 2023)
  • Muirsical Conversations 2022>
    • Rebecca Downes (December 2022)
    • Chris Antonik (November 2022)
    • Pat Travers (October 2022)
    • Robert Berry (August 2022)
    • JW-Jones (August 2022)
    • Mike Ross (July 2022)
  • Selected Muirsical Conversations From The Archive>
    • Bernie Marsden (December 2021)
    • Robin George (November 2021)
    • Dennis DeYoung (June 2021)
    • Robert Berry (March 2021)
    • Dan Reed (February 2021)
    • Steve Hackett (January 2021)
    • John Verity (September 2020)
    • Steve Hackett (July 2020)
    • Gary Moat (March 2020)
    • Steve Hackett (October 2019)
    • Rebecca Downes (May 2019)
    • Ben Poole & Wayne Proctor (January 2019)
    • Dan Reed (November 2018)
    • Del Bromham (October 2018)
    • Brian Downey (September 2018)
    • Raintown - Paul Bain & Claire McArthur Bain (May 2018)
    • Hamilton Loomis (December 2017)
    • Alan Nimmo (October 2017)
    • Erja Lyytinen (September 2017)
    • Suzi Quatro (September 2017)
    • Biff Byford (August 2017)
    • Dan Patlansky (June 2017)
    • Graham Bonnet (May 2017)
    • Simon Thacker (April 2017)
    • Sari Schorr (March 2017)
    • Stevie Nimmo (February 2017)
    • Dan Reed (February 2017)
    • Adam Norsworthy (January 2017)
    • Colin James (December 2016)
    • John Lees (October 2016)
    • Sari Schorr (August 2016)
    • Mike Vernon (August 2016)
    • Wayne Proctor (July 2016)
    • Laurence Jones (April 2016)
    • Chantel McGregor (March 2016)
    • John Young (January 2016)
    • Michael Schenker (November 2015)
    • Martin Barre (October 2015)
    • Chris Norman (September 2015)
    • Joanne Shaw Taylor (August 2015)
    • Fee Waybill (July 2015)
    • Ian Anderson (June 2015)
    • John Lodge (June 2015)
    • John Lawton (May 2015)
    • Steve Hackett (May 2015)
    • Manny Charlton (April 2015)
    • Ben Poole (April 2015)
    • Alan Nimmo (February 2015)
    • Popa Chubby (December 2014)
    • Paul Young (July 2014)
    • Bernie Shaw (June 2014)
    • Lee Kerslake (December 2013)
    • Pat Travers (September 2013)
    • Steve Hunter (August 2013)
    • Joy Dunlop (March 2013)
    • Gwyn Ashton (Dec. 2012)
    • Greg Lake (October 2012)
    • Ned Evett (August 2012)
    • Steven Lindsay (July 2012)
    • Dave Cureton (June 2012)
    • Jon Anderson (May 2012)
    • Jeremey Frederick Hunsicker (March 2012)
    • Amy Schugar (Feb. 2012)
    • Robert Fleischman (November 2011)
    • Ivan Drever (Sep. 2011)
    • Michael Sadler (June 2011)
    • James Evans (April 2011)
    • Alyn Cosker (Nov. 2010)
    • Scott Higham (Nov. 2010)
    • Kevin Chalfant (Oct. 2010)
    • Francis Dunnery (Sep. 2010)
    • Duncan Chisholm (Aug 2010)
  • Muirsical Articles >
    • 2019AB?
    • All the World's a Stage (and people falling off it) – 2015 in Review
    • The Fool Guitar - The Fool Story
    • Alex Harvey - Framed in Words. And pictures
    • Home of a Ramblin' Band (Allman Brothers Band Big House Museum)
    • Journey - That Time Forgot
    • Laser Love - Blue Oyster Cult Glasgow Apollo 29-04-78
    • Phil Lynott - Remembering Pt. 3
    • Freddie Mercury - The Days of His Life
    • Gary Moore - Last Exit
    • Mott - Without any of the Hoople-la
    • Muirsical Six of the Best
    • Music Town: A Decade of the Darvel Music Festival
    • Pat Travers - The Forgotten Power Trio
    • Playing Tribute
    • Preaching to the Glasgow Choir Slade 26-03-1982
    • Gerry Rafferty - Humblebum to Multi-Million Seller
    • Cliff Richard - The Rock and Roll Juvenile
    • Slade - Thanks For the Memories
    • The Sweet - A Cut Above the Rest
    • Talon - On Eagles Wings
    • Wild Horses - Thoroughbreds or also-rans?
  • A Personal Journey: Definitive Edition (eBook)
  • Steve Perry (vocalist): One in a Million (eBook)
  • A Writer's Muirsings >
    • Superbowl XLVII MVP: Beyoncé (February 2013)
    • Michael Jackson: The Alternative Verdict (Nov 2011)
    • True Colours (November 2010)
    • It's a New Language, Old Bean (October 2010)
    • Finger Pointing (July 2010)
    • Suffer the Little Children (April 2010)
    • Hey 'Banker', can you spare a dime? (February 2010)
  • Author Bio & Site Info
  • Contact FabricationsHQ
It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Want to Folk 'n' Roll)...
​(or: The Dumfries & Galloway world tour)
Picture
​Folk music has quite the musical history and a community spirit about it – in short, while it will never scare the bejesus out of the Beyoncés and Biebers of this world as regards chart success and arena tours there will always be an audience for the genre.

Truth be told however FabricationsHQ and this music fan/ writer are not exactly the folksters who live on the hill where guitars, fiddles, pipes, accordions and whistles play and sing in perfect (and sometime imperfect) harmony.
In fact quite the opposite
– the folk brigade of hey nonny nonners or those who sing about great disasters at sea (the truth of the matter is usually a singer in an Aran sweater with a finger in his ear whose most "dangerous waters" episode was dropping his harmonica down the toilet bowl) are about as far removed musically from FabricationsHQ as those Beyoncé and Bieber characters mentioned earlier.

But when traditional meets contemporary as crafted by the likes of one of Scotland’s leading singer songwriters Dougie MacLean... or instrumental airs and reels as performed by Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham... or the folk ‘n’ roll of Wolfstone… that stirs the musical biorhythms and the Celtic blood.

The recent run of solo albums from Orcadian folk stroller and ex Wolfstone singer songwriter Ivan Drever (father of noted contemporary Scottish folk musician Kris Drever) have been no strangers to FabricationsHQ’s review table, primarily because the musician’s smoky baritone vocal and Orkney meets country musicality create warm, charming and distinctly Celtic tonal textures, whether that be foot-tapping folk-pop, songs of poignant melancholy or Drever’s equally well-crafted instrumentals.

Ivan Drever’s latest solo album, Revisited (featuring acoustic reinterpretations of some of Wolfstone's finest moments), was extremely well received; it’s no surprise therefore that Drever is currently recording Revisited II.
While the sequel will include a number of Wolfstone tunes the emphasis this time around is on featuring some of Ivan Drever’s earlier, pre-Wolfstone songs along with a couple of tunes from other band projects.

In February, following a January Celtic Connections appearance, Ivan Drever played three dates in what was jokingly referred to as the "Dumfries and Galloway world tour," part of a small set of Scottish dates that also saw the musician play in Edinburgh, Kirkcaldy and Hawick.

FabricationsHQ went on the road with Ivan Drever for two of the D&G dates, in Stranraer and Dumfries.
As it turned out both dates were significant in terms of the events themselves and for the sighting of a couple of ear catching D&G singer songwriter talents.

Picture
The Stranraer date in the music room of The Grapes live music bar turned out to be a sell-out crowd for a good cause; Stranraer Lowland Gathering chairman Ronnie Brown generated additional interest for the gig by having it double as a fund raiser for that very body – the Stranraer Lowland Gathering is a community led organisation set up to host, and keep, pipe band competition in the town.
(it’s not all about rock 'n' roll, kids; bringing live music events back to towns and communities across the entire UK, no matter the genre, should be applauded, supported and championed).
 
Supporting Ivan Drever at The Grapes was local singer songwriter Angela Whitelaw, more used to fronting a full band and playing her first large crowd solo set.
​
After a nerve settling couple of numbers it was obvious this is a singer with not just a voice (carrying both a contemporary phrasing style a la Suzanne Vega and a purer Joni Mitchell vocality) but an ability to write intelligent and thought provoking lyrics on subjects as dramatically different, and difficult, as adultery ('The Phoenix and the Wolfpack') and dementia (the touching 'I Remember Me'), over simple but highly effective pop-folk refrains.

Picture
Both 'I Remember Me' and 'Phoenix and the Wolfpack' feature on Angela Whitelaw’s current four-track EP release; a second EP is planned for later in the year.

As much as it’s a pleasure to hear and help support talented artists it’s also a pleasure to be in the company of like-minded individuals who turn musical passion in to musical promotion.
Daniel Gillespie, a young man who is as likely to talk to you about his fondness for the music of Ivan Drever as he is to be seen wearing an AC/DC t-shirt, was responsible for setting up Drever’s three-stop tour of Dumfries and Galloway while also organising Spokefest 2 at The Venue in Dumfries.

While not a sell-out as had been The Grapes gig the night before, Spokefest 2 presented a great opportunity to enjoy another Ivan Drever set as well as performances from five acts local to the area.

Blues standards and twelve bar rhythm and blues from The Strumsum Blues Band and The Wise Guys featured as did a high-energy opening set from Daz McCormick, a singer who not so much plays his acoustic guitar as punishes it in a manner akin to Lindsey Buckingham in full-on, 'Big Love' live style
(Buckingham is also, clearly, a musical influence on young Mr McCormick).


By contrast the delicate and high-voiced vocal of Darcy DaSilva (accompanied by whistle and fiddle) produced an equally delicate and very traditional set while the acoustic folk-blues delivered by Lewis Fergusson was a genuine sit up and take notice highlight.
​

Each of Fergusson’s songs had something to offer, from the floating, melancholic notes of 'Nothing To Be' to the country-folk blues of 'The Bore Tide' which, for this listener, instantly conjured up images of Riverboats and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  


Lewis Fergusson’s second EP, A Flower in the Dark, also helps show why his songs have been heard on BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio Cambridgeshire and South West Sound Radio (Fergusson has also performed at The Cambridge Folk Festival, The Wickerman Festival, in Holyrood Castle and on STV Glasgow).

​The music business is… well, it isn’t, quite frankly – what we have now is an entertainment and marketing business where music is made to watch and mediocrity sells for maximum profit.

Beyond the established names and those that get X-Factored or virally YouTube’d to a career it’s a long way to the top if you want to rock ‘n’ roll – and it’s an even longer way to the top if you want to folk ‘n’ roll.

But that’s never been the goal for the majority of those plying their singer songwriter trade in the Celtic and folk-blues genres where, for generations, it’s been about the music and the sharing and playing of that
music – and not a folk is given for what is top of the charts or who this year’s manufactured star will be.


Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ


Ivan Drever website:
http://www.ivandrever.co.uk/

Angela Whitelaw:
http://www.smartindie.co.uk/angela-whitelaw/

Lewis Fergusson:
https://www.facebook.com/lewisfergussonmusic/

​Stranraer Lowland Gathering:
http://www.stranraerlowlandgathering.org/

Angela Whitelaw photo credit: © Julia MacDonald
Lewis Fergusson photo credit: Andy Jardine
Website and text contents © FabricationsHQ and Ross Muir
All Rights Reserved