Music

Our fair city has produced some brilliant bands. Whether you’re discovering these classics for the first time or harking back to the good old days,  sit back, relax and listen as we pack in more nostalgic musical moments than a sentimental granny’s Facebook page. Saint Jude’s Infirmary: We’re still scratching our heads as to why Saint Jude’s Infirmary didn’t make it big – but perhaps you get what you ask for when you name your…

Boyzone are no strangers to Edinburgh Castle. The Irish man band played a sell-out show at the stunning esplanade in the summer of 2008 – and on July 25, they’re back for seconds. “We have had a wonderful love affair with our Scottish fans over the past 20 years, so we can’t wait to see them all again in the magnificent surrounding of Edinburgh Castle,” says lead singer Ronan Keating. Mark Mackie, director of Regular…

You might not be familiar with his name, but there’s a good chance you’ve heard some of Jace Everett’s music. Certainly, if you’ve ever tuned into HBO’s sexy, supernatural series True Blood you will have – his track, Bad Things, is the theme-song. He also co-wrote Josh Turner’s No.1 single, Your Man. As it happens, the Indiana-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter is a lot better known on the other side of the pond, and he has five…

Call The Vamps anything you want – just don’t compare them to One Direction. “We don’t really care about the comparisons, but our music is very different,” says singer James McVey, whose band kick-start this year’s Castle Concerts series, taking to the famous Esplanade on Saturday, 18 July. “We play instruments and write. However, they are probably the most successful band in the world, so we wouldn’t say no to their success. Nor, it seems,…

If there’s one man guaranteed to get your jazz hands waving this July, it’s George Benson. A bona fide Jazz Master (as recognised by the National Endowment Of The Arts), the 72-year-old guitarist and singer makes his first-ever appearance at the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festivalon Sunday 26 at the Festival Theatre. Nice! One of few jazzers to crossover to the mainstream, Benson has as many Grammy awards as he has fingers, releasing over 30…

Some jazz and blues artists consider themselves lucky to get a gig at the Edinburgh Jazz And Blues Festival. In Davina And The Vagabonds case, they’ve managed to bag not one, not two, not three – but four performances at this year’s ten-day extravaganza. Yes, folks, they are that popular. And if you’re not lucky, you might miss out on seeing the American jazz-blues outfit, as one of their gigs has sold out already. So…