Aberdeen Performing Arts presents True North – Aberdeen’s festival of music and song – celebrating the North-east's singer songwriter tradition and providing a platform for the very best music and song, from ballads to contemporary classics, taking place from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 September 2015 at The Lemon Tree, Music Hall and in various locations across Aberdeen’s city centre.
Named 'songwriter of the year' at the 2014 Ivor Novello Awards ceremony, Tom Odell will play the headline concert at the Music Hall, with support from upcoming singer-songwriter Siobhan Wilson.
The events include the opening concert from young Scottish act Fatherson; closing gig by Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat with Scottish Album of the Year Award finalist Kathryn Joseph; RM Hubbert hosting two late night sessions with special guests; an exploration of North East song with Wounded Knee; a stunning afternoon concert at Queen’s Cross Church with The Unthanks and Rachel Sermanni; and the 70th Birthday Celebration for Neil Young featuring Eddi Reader, Justin Currie, Admiral Fallow, Emma Pollock, Withered Hand, Tommy Reilly, Blue Rose Code, Rab Noakes and Zervas & Pepper which has been curated and hosted by Roddy Hart and Lonesome Fire.
True North Programme: Our True North programme is available for download in PDF format by right-clicking this link and saving. Due to the file size, it is not recommended to try to download the programme PDF via a mobile data. Alternatively, the brochure can be viewed online with our interactive reader. Follow this link to expand the reader to a full-screen view.
True North Scottish Tapas: Pick up one of our unique True North Tapas boxes from the bars at the Music Hall and The Lemon Tree before and during the evening gigs of the festival. Each box features four of your favourite tapas dishes, with a Scottish twist! Price: £7 per box or 2 for £12
Weekend Pass £75 inc. bf: Includes tickets for all events marked "Weekend Pass"
Tickets must be reserved for each individual event at time of booking, includes deals with local hotels and restaurants to be confirmed | Limited availability
Sunday Pass £49.50 inc. bf: Includes tickets for all events on Sunday 27 September 2015
Tickets must be reserved for each individual event at time of booking, includes deals with local restaurants to be confirmed | Limited availability
Out and About
Artists from across the festival will be popping up across the city over the course of Saturday 26 September 2015. See them up close and personal in unusual places across Aberdeen.
12 noon - Maritime Museum: James Blackshaw
2pm - Mercat Cross, Castlegate: Best Girl Athlete
3pm - St Nicholas Centre Bandstand: Steven Milne
4pm - Maritime Museum: Siobhan Wilson
True North Pub Crawl
On Saturday 26 September 2015, check out some of the best local acts Aberdeen has to offer in some of the city’s coolest pubs, then head down to The Lemon Tree for the second Festival Club.
Brewdog 5.30pm: The Harmonica Movement | 6.15pm: Leanne Smith
Six Degrees North 7.30pm: Ashley Park | 8.20pm: Cara Mitchell
Illicit Still 9pm: Robbie Flanagan | 9.50pm: Daniel Mutch
Friday 25 September 2015
Opening Concert
With Fatherson
Doors 7pm | The Lemon Tree Lounge
£11 inc. bf | Weekend Pass
The opening concert of True North – Aberdeen’s festival of music and song, featuring young Scottish act Fatherson and The 101.
Late Night Festival Club
Hubby and Friends Part I
Doors 10.45pm | The Lemon Tree Lounge
£5.50 inc. bf | Weekend Pass
Join Glasgow singer and guitarist RM Hubbert and fingerstyle guitarist and pianist James Blackshaw, who primarily plays an acoustic 12 string guitar, to sing the night away in the relaxed atmosphere of the True North Festival Club at The Lemon Tree.
Saturday 26 September 2015
Singing Ceilidh Family Workshop
with Christine Kydd
10.30am & noon | The Lemon Tree Lounge
£11 inc. bf | Weekend Pass
Join Christine Kydd to sing songs from the great North east songbook and to write a new one! Open to families of all ages.
Generations of Change
with Wounded Knee and special guests
Doors 12pm | The Lemon Tree Lounge
£11 inc. bf | Weekend Pass
An exploration of North East song with Wounded Knee who will be joined by Scott Gardner and others, performing and discussing song traditions from the North-east and beyond, using the Matt Armour song Generations of Change as a starting point. They will be joined by local young people who will have reinterpreted the song for life in Aberdeen today.
Headline Concert: Tom Odell
Supported by Siobhan Wilson
Doors 7.30pm | Music Hall
£33 inc. bf
Tom Odell, named 'songwriter of the year' at the 2014 Ivor Novello Awards ceremony, will play the headline concert on the second day of the three-day festival, with support from upcoming singer-songwriter Siobhan Wilson.
Late Night Festival Club
Hubby and Friends Part II
Doors 10.30pm | The Lemon Tree Lounge
£5.50 inc. bf | Weekend Pass
Join Glasgow singer and guitarist RM Hubbert with Malcolm Middleton, renowned for his work with Aiden Moffat and Bill Wells in the cult Scots band Arab Strap, to sing the night away in the relaxed atmosphere of the True North Festival Club at The Lemon Tree.
Sunday 27 September 2015
Songwriters' Circle
Doors noon | The Lemon Tree Lounge
£11 inc. bf | Weekend Pass
Featuring songwriters from three bands with a strong connection to the North-east and who have also played across the country - Rick Redbeard (The Phantom Band), Jo Anthony (Last Ones Left) and Steven Milne (The Little Kicks). All three enjoy employing different methods of writing and approaches to songwriting which they will be discussing in brief, in between playing their own material and collaborating on each other’s songs.
Relaxing Sunday with
The Unthanks and Rachel Sermanni
Doors 4pm | Queens Cross Church
£16.50 inc. bf | Weekend Pass
Relax at Queens Cross Church with this stunning afternoon concert featuring The Unthanks and Rachel Sermanni.
Long May You Run:
A 70th Birthday Celebration of Neil Young
Doors 7pm | Music Hall
£27.50 inc. bf | Weekend Pass
To celebrate Neil Young’s 70th birthday this year, a host of songwriting talent will gather at the Music Hall in Aberdeen to pay tribute to the music of one of the most seminal and influential songwriters of our time. From his band work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, through to his own stellar solo career, “Shakey” has been responsible for authoring some of the greatest songs known to popular music. Led by house band Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire, the stage will be filled with an exciting array of both established and emerging artists – all notable songwriters in their own right – who will tackle the work of that most mercurial and seeking of troubadours.
Artists Eddi Reader, Del Amitri’s Justin Currie, Admiral Fallow, Emma Pollock, Withered Hand, Blue Rose Code, Tommy Reilly, Rab Noakes and Zervas & Pepper will all perform their own personal Neil favourites to honour his genius, in a concert that promises to highlight all sides of a songwriter so inspirational, exceptional and evergreen.
Closing Concert with
Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat with Kathryn Joseph
Doors 9pm | The Lemon Tree Lounge
£11 inc. bf | Weekend Pass
True North's closing concert with Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat with Scottish Album of the Year Award winner Kathryn Joseph.