Golspie tour date as musical duo celebrate 30 years of friendship
Donald WG Lindsay and Alasdair Roberts will be celebrating 30 years of music and friendship on a tour next month that includes a concert in Golspie.
They will be performing a variety of pipe tunes with guitar accompaniment, as well as a selection of traditional and original songs.
Donald grew up in Glasgow while Alasdair grew up in the Trossachs, and they have been pals since they were about 17. Despite what they call “many parallel adventures in music” over the past three decades, they have only rarely appeared together in concert.
This autumn they are seeking to remedy this with their first tour as a duo. They will be appearing in the Stag’s Head Hotel, Golspie, on Sunday, September 8.
Donald is best known as the creator of the “Lindsay System” three-octave keyless chanter for the Scottish smallpipes. Two of Donald’s prototypes are now on permanent display in the Museum of Piping at the National Piping Centre in Glasgow.
Although a traditional singer since his teens, Donald has rarely ventured onto the stage as a vocalist. In late 2020 he received airplay on BBC Radio 6 Music from Iggy Pop, who described his music as “beautifully played”.
Alasdair is known primarily as a singer, guitarist, writer of songs and interpreter of traditional songs from Scotland and beyond. Since the 1990s he has released several albums, acclaimed both by aficionados of traditional song and experimental music.
He has toured extensively in Scotland and around the world.
According to publicity material, “listeners can expect a thrilling evening in which rare and splendid gems of Scottish musical history and tradition will be brought to life in the hands of two unconventional masters”.
The Golspie concert starts at 7.30pm on September 8 and tickets, costing £15, are available via Eventbrite.
Paper tickets can be purchased from Lindsay & Co.
Donald and Alasdair hope to be able to take card payments on the night too, but would recommend bringing cash if buying a ticket at the door.
The tour begins at St Margaret’s Hope in Orkney on September 4.
Other destinations during September include Oban, Inveraray, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Portsoy, Aberdeen, Dundee and Stirling, as well as appearances south of the border in the Midlands.
They have further dates lined up for November, taking them as far south as Brighton and Falmouth.
