Who is Robbie Grieg?
Robbie will be very familiar to regular Ceòl attendees. A contemporary of our own Cailtin McNeill, Robbie has appeared alongside her in Canach. He has also wowed us as part of the experimental INYAL. As if being a member of INYAL wasn’t enough, Robbie is also a full time member of 2 other bands, namely Tannara and The Paul McKenna Band. His award winning fiddle playing (inaugural Neil Gow Scottish Fiddle Award winner) also sees him perform a busy schedule of deputising in bands such as Niteworks, Malinky and Talisk.
Who is Conor Markey?
Conor is a Glasgow based multi-instrumentalist with his main focus and passion being tenor banjo. He is also incredibly proficient on bouziki and guitar. He is an increasingly sought after musician and his passion and dedication to traditional folk music has seen him playing extensively through Europe, The U.S, Canada and Australia. He has appeared at festivals alongside acts such as Dougie Maclean, Declan Sinnott, Foy Vance, Four Men and a Dog, The East Pointers and Réalta. In his youth, Conor was several times an All-Britain Tenor Banjo champion and All-Ireland finalist, and has played constantly through the Glasgow folk scene since.
Why bring them to Colonsay?
The question here is not really why bring them here (they are coming as part of The Paul McKenna Band), but rather ‘why single these guys out for a special gig of their own?’ And the answer is simple: A little bit of magic! For our afternoon hotel gig, we’re always after something a little different, a little more unrehearsed, a little more seat of the pants. And these guys have the talent to pull that off. A gig not to be missed!
To whet your appetite, here’s a wee youtube video of them playing a set of slides together (but apart!) during lockdown:
When can I see them?
Robbie and Conor will be performing in the hotel at 2.30pm on Friday. This gig is free, but the comfy seating in the main performance space will be reserved for Full Weekend Pass holders. The gig will be piped into the rest of the bar, so even if you can’t see the performance you’ll be able to hear it while you enjoy a pint, a spot of lunch and a catch up with old friends. Bliss.