AN ACCLAIMED Scottish fiddle player, John McCusker is to celebrate 30 years as a professional musician with a visit to Nettlebed next week.
He is touring the country and will stop off at the village’s Folk Club on Monday, singing songs from his new Best Of album, perform four new tracks, and sign copies of his book, John McCusker: The Collection, which gathers 100 of his compositions.
Born in Bellshill, near Glasgow, John began playing fiddle and whistle at a young age, under the influence of his Irish mother and her record collection. He spent 11 years from the age of 17 with Scottish folk institution the Battlefield Band. Dubbed as a “musician’s musician” by trad music legend Phil Cunningham, John is also a longstanding member of the annual Transatlantic Sessions house band.
Unsurprisingly, his 30th Anniversary tour, has been delayed due to the pandemic, but the show is finally on the road, and sees John perform with his band: Ian Carr, Sam Kelly, Helen McCabe and Toby Shaer.
He can’t wait.
“I’m delighted to be able to get this special show on the road and celebrate 30 years as a professional musician,” John said.
“I’m looking forward to performing the highlights from my back catalogue and revisiting memories associated with those tracks.”
He added: “It’s brilliant that I’ve been able to make music and perform for 30 years and I’ve worked with so many incredible people in that time.
“I’ve never had a plan, good things have just happened and, so far, it’s worked out as well as I could possibly have dreamed of. I can’t wait to play with my friends again for audiences up and down the country.”
John will appear at Nettlbed Folk Club, in the village club on the High Street, on Monday, October 24.
For more details, or to book tickets, call the box office between 10am and 8pm on: 01628 636620, or log on to www.nettlebedfolkclub.co.uk.
For more on John, log on to: www.johnmccusker.co.uk
