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Blazin' Fiddles to appear at The Junction this Saturday




Blazin Fiddles
Blazin Fiddles

The multi award-winning Scottish fiddle band will be performing as part of the Cambridge Summer Music Festival, supported by the Cambridge Independent.

Blazin Fiddles
Blazin Fiddles

One of the world’s most prolific fiddle groups, Blazin’ Fiddles are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year.

A fiddler in the current line-up, Shetlander Jenna Reid, said: “We’ve been having a busy year. It’s our 20th anniversary year, and it was an amazing start.

“We had a big celebration at the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow in January, where we invited back all the former members of Blazin’ Fiddles – there were 13 fiddles on stage and two pianos, two guitars...

“It was really fantastic and we had a brilliant party, just to celebrate and catch up with old friends again.”

Jenna continued: “We had a tour in March and then following that we’ve been doing some summer festivals in Scotland.

“Performing at festivals is so different to touring. With touring you’re in a van for a week or 10 days, and at summer festivals you get to meet other bands and you do a shorter set usually – there’s time to enjoy some summer weather.”

Fiddlers Bruce MacGregor, Rua Macmillan and Kristan Harvey, along with Anna Massey (guitar) and Angus Lyon (piano), complete the present incarnation.

On the band’s longevity, Jenna said: “I’d put it down to Bruce MacGregor, our founder member. He is a force to be reckoned with. He has amazing energy and just a great sense of fun and get-up-and-go.

“I think that goes for every member of the band – not taking ourselves too seriously and enjoying good Scottish tunes.

“We’re all from different areas of Scotland so it brings together quite an array of musical inspirations. I think that’s a pull, if you like, for concert-goers – you get to hear a sway of different Scottish fiddle music.”

Jenna notes that although Blazin’ Fiddles’ shows are lively and full of banter, the group are serious about the music they play. “I haven’t done 20 years – just to point that out!” she laughed.

Jenna has been part of the long-running collective for 10 years. “It’s a fantastic group of people,” she said, “and it’s fun writing new music.

“That’s one of the things that I personally enjoy: getting together and writing music for new releases, and then you enjoy it on the tours – it’s something fresh and it helps keep everybody’s energy up.”

Blazin’ Fiddles – whose latest album, The Key, came out in November last year – have previously performed at the Cambridge Folk Festival. “The folk festival is massive and the band have played there a few times,” she said.

“It’s a really high point on a calendar if you’re doing the Cambridge Folk Festival. It’s a wonderful audience and they come from far and wide to hear the music.”

Tickets: £26.50 (including booking fee), students £12.50.

Box office: cambridgelivetrust.co.uk



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