Folk duo The Sorries bring their rousing take on the Scottish songbook to Cottiers next month.
Douglas Kay (vocals, guitar, mandolin, bodhran) and Martin Philip (vocals, guitar, tres cubano, bodhran) will play to a Glasgow audience for the first time in nearly two years when they take to the stage in the West End on October 1.
The friends formed the band 15 years ago over a shared love of The Corries’ music.
A burgeoning career has seen them playing from Brighton to Moscow with plenty of stops across Scotland along the way including regular billing at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh.
Martin said they wanted to play more shows in Glasgow starting with Cottiers.
He told Glasgow West End Today: “We have played a number of small gigs in Glasgow over the years but we haven’t played a proper gig that is open to the public.
“We have just played the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for the 12th year.
Celtic Connections
“We thought we would put on our own show at Cottiers and get ourselves known in Glasgow.
“We would love this to lead to a slot at Celtic Connections.
“In the meantime, we would just love to play Cottiers and other venues in Glasgow more regularly.”
Martin and Douglas started out playing at friends’ parties before taking up residency at The Hebrides Bar in Edinburgh.
They have recorded six albums together over the years.
Before the pandemic hit, the duo were playing bigger venues such as The Byre Theatres in St Andrews and Carnegie Hall in Dunfermline.
Martin says their music is inspired by the legendary folk duo - but they are not a Corries tribute act.
“We don’t pretend to be The Corries but the idea was inspired by The Corries.
“We play a lot of the songs in their style and we play songs you might expect to hear in a Corries set.
“Ronnie Browne the surviving Corrie came to see us a few years back and has been really supportive of us.
“He saw the gig and said that he liked it most when we were ourselves.
“We doff a cap to The Corries and the name does that, but at the same time we try to do a different spin.
“We don’t do the same arrangements. We have our own arrangements.
We don’t pretend to be The Corries but the idea was inspired by The Corries
Martin Philip
“We also have tunes that they didn’t play.
“And we have written new verses for Johnny Lad which the Corries did.
“When people come to a gig, we hope they hear some of the old favourites, and may be hear one or two tunes that they didn’t know.
“Above all, we hope they enjoy themselves and have a good laugh.”
The duo played in Moscow a few years back after they were spotted in Edinburgh.
“That was a really insane.
'Great fun'
“We got that through the Fringe.
“We played to 800 screaming Russians, which was great fun.
“It’s just great to be back after lockdown - and we can’t wait to show Glasgow what we’re about.”
Reviews:
- 'Authentic, lively and hugely, hugely enjoyable' ***** (Broadway Baby)
- '...a must for lovers of Scots songs.’ **** (Edinburgh Spotlight)
- Deliciously infectious…this show is riotous fun that affirms just how alive Scottish folk music is.” ***** (Three Weeks)
- “Authentic, lively and hugely, hugely enjoyable.” ***** (Broadway Baby)
- “A must for lovers of Scots songs.” **** (Edinburgh Spotlight)
- “Songs both rousing and reflective… entertainingly true to a noble, public-figure-swatting tradition.” (The Herald)
