This is just a quick appendage to the most recent Gallows Rant to update youse all with info about some upcoming gigs and most importantly, to announce the imminent arrival of a brand new CD, Suited And Booted, from my band The Malkies. Well, it’s not actually my band as such, I’m just in it but you know what I mean.

Gigs first I suppose….
On Friday 20th of June I’m on solo at The Acoustic Music Centre in Milngavie. This is a lovely wee venue about 20 minutes drive from Glasgow. It’s held in the Fraser Centre in Douglas Street and tickets are on sale now at the Milngavie Book Shop nearby. A fiver gets you in and you can book now, either at the bookshop or by calling the organiser Jason Smith on 0141 956 6947 or on 07743 885 991. Tickets are also on sale that night at the door but book early if you can, it’s a limited capacity room. Now, there’s optimism, eh?

In early July I’ll be doing the latest instalment of the Folk Music And Politics presentations with Jimmy Ross. This one, unlike the two before that focussed on individual performers (namely Pete Seeger and Ewan MacColl) is a broad sweep across the rich seam of Irish political song. We’ve titled it ‘Ireland – A History Of Struggle In Song’ and its premier is at the Marxism Festival in London on July 4th. Full details are on my website at www.alistairhulett.com. As are all the other gig details.

On July the 11th I’ll be at Korks in Otley with The Malkies for our Album Launch Part 1. Special guest for the night will be Rachel Goodwin who sang harmonies on many of the album tracks and is a fine solo performer in her own right. As you can imagine we are all very excited about this gig and counting down the hours and days. Full details are not only on my own website mentioned before but also on The Malkies site at www.themalkies.co.uk Pay us a wee visit please!

By August there should be a new Gallows Rant coming through, so I’ll just hurriedly mention that we are doing the Album Launch Part 2 in Scotland, with a full band performance on August 7th at The Star Folk Club in Glasgow and a duo set from ace malkie Phil Snell and me on the 8th at The Wee Folk Club in Edinburgh.

Then in September the whole band reconvenes at Otley Folk Festival on the weekend of the 18th to the 21st. Visit www.otleyfolkfestival.com for a full programme of events at Otley Festival.

And now folks, that long heralded Malkies Album, Suited And Booted. It’s finally done and will be available in a couple of weeks. I’ve taken the liberty of attaching the first Malkies News with this update. There you’ll find all you need to know about the album and how to get hold of a copy. There are also three sample tracks for you to listen to. We’re taking advance orders now at a reduced price, so be in quick to save those all important and ever scarcer pounds shillings and pence before Gordon Brown trousers them to pass on to his rich pals in The World Of Commerce!

I won't rabbit on about this record 'cos there's more than enough of that on the Malkies website at www.themalkies.co.uk.

To sign up for future copes of The Malkies News just go to the Malkies website and follow the instructions on the news page there.

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All the very best and mind how you go,
Ally