Wang Dang Delta - Blues and Beyond

2010 in Photographs - Wang Dang Delta

2011-02-05T14:24:00.003Z

Orkney Blues Festival Photos

2009-11-02T20:11:00.003Z

It's taken a wee while, but here are some of the edited highlights of our trip to Orkney. Everyone we met in Stromness was so welcoming, I'm sure we will return some day.

Thunder in the Glens 2009

2009-09-01T23:31:00.005+01:00

Here are some photos courtesy of Jake the Singing Biker!

Dundee Blues Bonanza 2009 - Thanks

2009-06-28T21:08:00.003+01:00

The Load In

Thanks to all who came to our Dundee Blues Bonanaza gig last night in Fat Sams. It was a great venue for us and hopefully we rose to the occasion. We're now taking a few weeks off to prepare for the various festivals/rallies scheduled for August/September. Thanks to Steve for the onstage photos.

See http://www.myspace.com/wangdangdelta for details.

The Load Out

The End!

Delta Road reviewed in ""Blues Matters"

2008-12-06T10:57:00.003Z

The November 08/January 09 edition of award winning specialist blues magazine Blues Matters has a review of the second Wang Dang Delta CD "Delta Road (The Blues Foundation, in Memphis, awarded Blues Matters the Keeping the Blues Alive (KBA) Award for 2007, in the Print Media category).

Cracking stuff and as the magazine is clearly a beacon of good taste who have described us as "one of the more original bands on the UK scene" we are happy to commend this magazine to you.

it is 164 pages of sheer blues from cover to cover - all in colour!

The link is http://www.bluesmatters.com/ if you want to investigate further.

Blues at the 'green

2008-11-17T19:39:00.006Z

Wang Dang's illustrious guitarist Pete Caban has been packing them in at a regular come-all-ye blues session at the Pitcairngreen Inn, just outside Perth. There have been 4 so far and some of the sounds have been awesome.

To whet the appetite until you can manage along to one of the sessions here are some photos.

Thunder in the Glens Rally - Aviemore

2008-08-26T21:56:00.010+01:00

Had a real blast at the annual Thunder in the Glens Rally in Aviemore last weekend. The event was attended by around 2000 folks and this was the first time they had run a couple of satellite venues on the rally site - one blues venue and one country venue.

We shared the blues stage with local heroes "Big Bob's Blues Band" (pictured right) who brought the house down with their stomping blues classics.

The Humble Hobos (pictured left) put in two great shifts in the country venue.

Aviemore itself was jumping! The Cairngorm Hotel had two full days of music open-air and it was good to see the inimitable Gilly (pictured right) strut his stuff. The Black Isle Rock Orchestra (BIRO) also put on a blistering show.

Remember that blurred is an attitude! Fuzzy IS the new sharp! Wang Dangography is an undiscovered artform and yes, our drummer really is that small!

Delta Road - Review

2008-08-06T09:48:00.003+01:00

The following link takes you to the review by Andrew Welsh published in the PA on 29th July.

The review says that the band "prove themselves to be a sophisticated proposition" and that the CD makes for " perfect late-night listening"

Read the whole review by clicking on the link.

http://www.perthshireadvertiser.co.uk/entertainment-perthshire/gigs-music-perthshire/2008/07/29/album-review-wang-dang-delta-delta-road-73103-21419966/

"CLASSY sounds prevail on the second album from Perth’s own Wang Dang Delta.

Anyone not familiar with the Fair City six-piece’s output is in for a pleasant surprise on hearing Delta Road.

Putting the band's somewhat wacky name to one side, the Wangs prove themselves to be a sophisticated proposition with the emphasis on soul as much as their oft-repeated devotion to all things blues.

Silky smooth album opener Well Runs Dry recalls Average White Band and Steely Dan, and sets the tone for what follows. With lead guitarist Pete Caban setting a carefully controlled pace with some finely honed melodies and solos, the band touch on funk and jazz in an enjoyable set that makes for perfect late-night listening. Vocalist and main songwriter Ian McLaren impresses with his refined croon, while Pete Nicol (bass), Pim Pirnie (drums) and Alan Sutherland (keyboards) can all be heard playing effective parts in a crystal clear production job developed at Dunkeld’s Butterstone Studio last winter.

Key to the Wangs' fluid style, and the real revelation on here, is harmonica player Jim Harcus, whose work brings an inventive and lively edge throughout the laid back proceedings.

The 11-track album will appeal to fans of most musical genres and is sure to boost WDD's prospects of making a commercial breakthrough."

Wang Dang Delta - Delta Road CD Launches

2008-07-13T15:05:00.007+01:00

The band have just finished a series of gigs to promote our new CD entitled Delta Road. Three tracks from Delta Road have been posted on www.myspace.com/wangdangdelta and there is also a Youtube link to a live performance of one of the songs.

Here are a selection of photos from the gigs.

Ian Wang Dang in glorious "blurred is the new sharp" moment!

Post-gig at Moulin (with QE2 looking on!)

Rod Webster

Lady Miss Emma

Roberto Cassani

Wang Dang Delta rip it up!

Jimmie Nelson with Gav Munro after the Desperadoes set

Wang Dang Delta - Rampant Lion Rally 2008

2008-05-07T12:13:00.000+01:00

Wang Dang Delta - Like a Rolling Stone?

2008-02-23T13:36:00.001Z

Famous Bein Inn - RIP

2008-02-19T18:14:00.003Z

They say a week is a long time in politics, well it would appear as if 3 weeks is a long time in rock and roll.

Just 3 short weeks ago the Famous Bein Inn was shortlisted for the prestigious "UK Music Venue of the Year" Award. This was a testament to the many years of hard graft which David Mundell and Pete Dickson had put in to attracting world renowned artists to the tiny Perthshire village.

Todays news, highlighted on http://www.mundellmusic.com/index.php as "The day the music died!" indicates that due to a very sudden change of policy, there will be no more music at the now"once famous" Bein Inn.

Mundell Music have moved concerts scheduled for this week and next by Denny Laine, Henry McCullough, and John Jorgensen to the nearby Glenfarg Hotel. Others, including $outhpaw, Iain Matthews, and Paul Jones/Dave Kelly will have to be rescheduled.

From a Wang Dang point of view, this is a sad turn of events and we wish Mundell Music all the best along the road in the Glenfarg Hotel.

Merry Christmas from Wang Dang Delta's Representative on Earth

2007-12-24T19:26:00.000Z

Loneliness of the Long Distance Harmonica Player

2007-11-22T21:59:00.000Z

Here is a wee pre-gig snippet from our October Perthshire Amber gig as Jim removes the fragments of haggis from his blues harp to avert any potential foreign object ingestion risk.

Wang Dang Delta back in the Studio

2007-11-18T21:59:00.000Z

Wang Dang Delta are back in Butterstone Studio recording our second CD - 11 new songs, all original and taking shape at a frenetic pace.

September and October have been preparatory downtime with a few choice gigs to iron out the rougher edges.

October saw an impromptu performance at Perthshire Amber on the Saturday before our "Perthshire Blue" gig in Pitlochry Town Hall with the Marie McCormick Blues Band.

Here are a few studio pics to help you monitor progress!!

Wang Dang Delta Live at Moulin

2007-08-20T19:43:00.000+01:00

MAP Summer Music Sunday - Pitcairngreen

2007-07-21T11:11:00.000+01:00

WANG DANG DELTA - PETE AND ALAN (Pic I FLEMING)

WANG DANG DELTA - THE ENGINE ROOM (Pic I FLEMING)

WANG DANG DELTA WITH FELIX AND CLARK GUESTING

A great day out was enjoyed by all last Sunday 15 July. Over 1000 people attended and the quality and variety of music was stunning. Good press coverage was given in the Press & Jounal and the Courier. Here are a selection of photos of the day to give you a flavour (photographs courtesy of Ian Swan - many thanks to Ian and all others who have provided us with ahuge collection of photographs, of which a generous selection will find their way onto the soon to be revamped MAP website http://www.musicacrossperthshire.com/ - check back in 2-3 weeks).

SOLID GOLD ROCKING OUT

BLUES ON TAP

ON THE WAGON

DAVE AMOS TRIO

HEAVY DUTY BOX CO.

HAVANA SWING

SOUTHPAW

Another Great Bonanza of Blues

2007-07-01T09:10:00.000+01:00

Thanks to all who packed out the Social in Dundee on Saturday afternoon. What a funky venue!! Great stage, great audience and a great time had by all. What more could you ask for? When the place started to fill up 45 minutes before showtime, a real buzz developed and it was great to see some new faces as well as the trusty "Wang-ers" who give us such great support throughout the year - the length and breadth of the county (or should that be country?)

We've included some pictorial highlights of our day as a wee slide montage. If you were there and you want to leave a message you can do so by signing up to blogger or by visiting http://www.myspace.com/wangdangdelta

How far would you go to miss Wang Dang Delta?

2007-06-29T08:16:00.000+01:00

The following message appeared on the Dundee Blues Bonanza website. Fair warms the cockles.

Thanks Davy!!

"Hope you lads have a great weekend just wish i was back hame to hear you PS your CD has never been aff the stack in the car great sound lads
Davy fae Kirkton
But now in Windy Wellington
New Zealand "

Sunday Gig at the Glassie Bunkhouse and Dundee Blues Bonanza Preview

2007-06-25T19:59:00.000+01:00

The five remaining members of Wang Dang Delta currently in the UK - The Professor of Prog (aka John Inman's taller brother) is currently on tour as part of the Dougie MacLean Band USA tour - played an impromptu gig at a stunning venue last night.

The Bunkhouse, Glassie farm sits high in the hills overlooking Aberfeldy in a stunning setting.

See http://www.thebunkhouse.co.uk/index.php for details.

High point of the evening for the band was the magnificent show of footwear during a track from our upcoming CD called "The Ultimate Shoe".

Great night all in - great setting and some great music. Thanks to Rod for organising.

Saturday sees us playing the Dundee Blues Bonanza for the 5th consecutive year and its shaping up to be a real corker. We are playing in The Social in South Tay Street with a 3.30 start. Following us is the remarkable Tracy Conover from Texas who plays Texan Blues with attitude.

Have a listen to her tracks on http://www.myspace.com/tracyconover and stick around after our gig.

There are some great bands and acts on offer over the Saturday and Sunday and it takes impeccable timing to schedule your blues to the max. Some Wang Dang faves include Blueshouse, Dave Arcari, and Marie McCormick.

See you there.

Dundee Blues Bonanza 29 June to 1 July 2007

2007-06-16T11:31:00.000+01:00

The Dundee Blues Bonanza website has now been updated with all the schedule information - bands and venues etc. It is shaping up to be the best yet and Wang Dang Delta are proud to be a part of it for the 5th consecutive year.

All the vital information is available on http://www.dundeebluesbonanza.co.uk/index.htm

Why not drop by and leave a message on the forum.

We will be looking forward to hooking up with "Wang-ers" old and new at The Social on the Saturday. In the meantime, to whet your appetite, here are some photos of previous appearances.

More Wang Dang Delta Photos

2007-06-04T22:31:00.000+01:00

Thanks to Kyle for these photos.

Wang Dang Delta - Scottish Fireworks Championship

2007-05-27T12:53:00.000+01:00

Blues Across Perthshire

2007-05-26T15:58:00.000+01:00

Had an absolute ball at the Music Across Perthshire (MAP) promoted Blues Across Perthshire gig last night.

The broad cross section of blues based influences meant that the audience were stretched to the limits.

Thanks to all the musicians who contributed to making this and the Folk Across Perthshire gig a great success.

A review of last night's gig can be read on the following blog.

http://linshoneyman.blogspot.com/

Thanks also to Sandy Black (of Black and Kay fame) for the following photos (and some great harmonica work).

Folk and Blues Across Perthshire

2007-05-20T09:43:00.000+01:00

Friday night's folk gig was a veritable musical feast. Alan Jordan and Gina MacLeod kicked things off with some very smooth sounds. Possibly the smoothest blend to hit Perthshire since "The Famous Grouse Scotch Whisky" was bottled in Kinnoull Street.

Next up were Wingin' It who wowed the audience with the kind of fun-packed instrumental journeys that won them a prestigious Danny Kyle award at this year's Celtic Connections festival. As the MC for the evening for the evening (yours truly) said- What might have happened if Stevie Wonder hooked up with Britney Spears and introduced her to the delights of Jimmy Shand as interpreted by Richard Thompson on the way to a Mahavishnu Orchestra gig!

After the break, Pete Clark accompanied by Jack Evans threatened to play "one set of Strathspeys and 25 minutes of slow airs!" As it happened, they played a blinding and varied set including Pete's delightfully titled compositions The Slippery Slope / Wullie’s Wopper / Tam the Bam.

The evening closed with Jim Malcolm who delighted those present with a wee trip through his considerable back catalogue including Lochanside, Battle of Waterloo and Lochs of the Tay before coming back on for an encore of Auld Lang Syne (original tune) with Jack and Pete (who were happy to accompany despite Jim "confusing" them with Jack and Victor of Chewing the Fat fame.

It all augurs well for the Blues gig next week which I'm sure will maintain the high standards set and confirm why Perthshire continues to be at Scotland's musical forefront.

Wang Dang Delta - Photo from Birnam Institute Gig

2007-05-05T23:52:00.000+01:00

Here is a photo we picked up from the following blog site http://thathideousman.blogspot.com/2007/04/wang-dang-delta.html

The photo features Felix guesting on sax.

See also http://linshoneyman.blogspot.com/2007/04/wang-dang-delta.html for a review of that gig if you missed it.

Thanks to the guys for their blog-tastic commitment

Folk and Blues - Getting Perthshire on the “MAP”!

2007-05-03T22:03:00.000+01:00

Music Across Perthshire (MAP), which is a broad-based group established in 2003 with the aim of encouraging music within the Perthshire community have organised a brace of exciting concerts timed to complement this year’s Perth Festival of the Arts programme.

The concerts provide an opportunity to showcase a cross section of the range of musical talent represented in the membership of MAP.

Both concerts will be held in the AK Bell Library Theatre.

The first concert, to be held on Friday 18 May is billed as “Folk Across Perthshire” and features acclaimed singer/songwriter Jim Malcolm, Pete Clark and friends, Wingin’ It, winners of a prestigious “Danny” award at this year’s Celtic Connections and Gina Macleod and Alan Jordan.

The second concert, to be held on Friday 25 May is billed as “Blues Across Perthshire” and features Perthshire favourites Wang Dang Delta, Dave Arcari, Muthill based duo Black and Kay, and Mary Leaver.

Tickets are already selling fast and are available from Bandwagon Music, St Paul’s Square, Perth (telephone 01738 637714).

These concerts continue MAP’s successful track record of taking music to the Perthshire community. Events such as the Blackford Music Day in 2006, the annual Dreich End Festival and the Songwriting Competition run as part of the Perthshire Amber Festival at Pitlochry Festival Theatre have been enjoyed by local residents and visitors alike and have helped new and established artistes expand their networks and perform their music to fresh audiences. Such events have encouraged exciting cross-collaborations and helped spread awareness of the vast range of musical talent across Perthshire.

Friday Night at the Clachaig and Upcoming Gigs

2007-04-07T11:13:00.000+01:00

Thanks to all who made us most welcome at the Clachaig last night. As usual the joint was jumping and Wang Dang Delta had a great time.

Upcoming gigs are at the Birnam Institute on 21 April and I'll shortly post a couple of biggies fro May. In the meantime check out www.myspace.com/wangdangdelta for further details.

Festive Fun And Frolics - Clearwater trounce Bandwagon

2006-12-27T19:25:00.000Z

I was honoured to be asked back to host the second annual Rock Quiz between Clearwater Studios ( http://www.clearwaterstudios.co.uk/ ) and Bandwagon Music ( http://www.bandwagonperth.co.uk/home.php ). Competition between the two is fierce and Bandwagon were looking to turn things around after last year's shock defeat after team leader Pete Caban caught flu just before the event.

Pete concedes defeat as Gavin JD Munro looks on modestly

Unfortunately Pete's presence was countered by the Clearwater secret weapon, one Turkey Bones of the Wild Dogs fame, whose encyclopaedic knowledge of soft rock made you wonder how he survived as front man of the famed garage/goth band feted by, amongst others Nick Cave.

Gavin accepts the trophy ably supported by Turkey

The final score was 57 to 53 and the evening ended with Bandwagon staff being packaged up, no doubt to be forwarded to the knackers yard to think again.

The triumphant Clearwater team enjoy the glory

Tess and Steve get ready for "Return to Sender"

See members of both teams playing outdoors at Dunkeld on 30 December as Wang Dang Delta and Southpaw play sounds to warm the soul.

Yuletide Wang Dang Delta Sessions

2006-12-15T20:31:00.000Z

The band are ending the year in style with a couple of local gigs.

First up is an open air gig (in December? In Highland Perthshire?) at the Taybank Hotel in Dunkeld on Saturday 30 December. It's a double header with our good friends $outhpaw. Obviously there will be the usual inter-band rivalry and unfriendly banter about who goes on first until we finally relent and give in to their pedal-steel like whining and allow them on first so they can get back to the bar. All in all its shaping up to be a great night.

The following night it's Hogmanay in Brennans in Perth. Bring in the New Year in style. Advance tickets available from Brennans (01738 623969).

Big Village - November Gigs

2006-10-21T00:26:00.000+01:00

The band have been pointing out to me that I've been neglecting the blog since the USA trip. Fact is I've been waiting for some photos from our appearance at the "Drams in the Field" Festival to keep things all tidy and chronological!

We are playing a couple of village hall gigs in November.
Forgandenny Village Hall, Saturday 11 November. Licensed bar. Doors 8.00pm. Tickets (01738) 637714.
Moulin Village Hall, Saturday 18 November, Bring your own bottle. Doors 8.00pm. Tickets (01738) 637714.
Hope to see you there.

See our myspace site on http://www.myspace.com/wangdangdelta to check out some of our sounds and see what some of our ever-growing number of contacts worldwide are saying about the Wang Dang sounds.

Some More USA Photos

2006-08-23T21:42:00.000+01:00

Here are a few more photos of the Wisconsin trip. Thanks to Susan Alexander for the permission to use these photos and special thanks to Dan and Debs Aukofer and the regulars of the "It's a Beautiful Day Cafe" for giving me such a great welcome.

Ian And Dan in full flow.

Debs, Ian and Dan say cheese!!

Time for a half-time sip of iced water. "Call yourself a Scotsman?"

The enigmatic Mayner Greene of the Guitar Gallery at La Grange who numbers amongst customers Sting, Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins, Rick Neilson of Cheap Trick and Randy Bachman. Thanks for the strings, Mayner!

A satisfied customer done with howling at the moon!

It's a Beautiful Day - Part 2

2006-08-03T22:19:00.000+01:00

Honoured to be asked back to the Beautiful Day Cafe to their monthly open mic night and even more honoured to be asked to headline the night. As usual Dan was holding it together with his solid yet flowing percussion with an extra dollop of enthusiasm. It was a pleasure to play the Wang Dang songs backed by Dan on percussion, Kenny on Taylor semi-acoustic and Scott on Washburn mandolin and Guild acoustic. The place was packed out and the crowd were really appreciative, joining in with some great communal chorus singing.

Such nights really foster young talent and give aspiring singers and players a performance space to hone their skills and considerable credit must go to Dan and Debs for their vision and enthusiasm in providing such a platform. If you’re in the Pewaukee area be sure to support their Cafe. May it thrive for a long time.

Rocking the Night Away - Wisconsin Style

2006-07-27T06:21:00.000+01:00

Just got back from playing a gig in the "It's a Beautiful Day Cafe" in Pewaukee, just outside Milwaukee. Great crowd and all the Wang Dang material went down really well in its stripped back solo format. Dan and Debs the owners are really great folks. Debs is a great singer and joined me for a John Prine number towards the end of the second set. Dan is a phenomenal percussionist and accompanied me for most of both sets.
The crowd were really responsive and as luck would have it the two front tables were occupied with folks just back from vacations in Scotland and Ireland respectively. I was able to give the extended anecdotes as introductions to all the songs and also played a few new songs just written.

More Dundee Blues Bonanza Photos

2006-07-02T13:46:00.000+01:00

Thanks to Morna for these photos of the band in action at the Yard, Dundee as part of the Dundee Blues Bonanza 2006.

Dundee Blues Bonanza Photos and Musings

2006-07-02T13:15:00.000+01:00

Thanks to all those who packed the Yard for our Blues Bonanza appearance. Our worries that the attendance would be affected by the fact that some football match was on were unfounded and the band had a great time.

The band also had an opportunity to soak up some of the unique Dundee ambience whilst watching Marie McCormick turn in an awesome performance in Loyds, Black and Kay in the Star and Garter, Stumble in the Yard (hey! great title for a song!) and finally after sampling some curry, Red Dawg in the cavernous Starz which wins the Wang Dang Delta award for being the tackiest bar in town - think neon, Elvis statuettes, moving life size Blues Brother figures and more! I clould not resist including these photos of the urinals in the Gents toilet and Elvis to illustrate the point. Also check out the curtains behind drummer Derek.

We should be able to post more photos in the next few days.

Results of Study - How Pete Hits Those Notes plus Blues Bonanza News

2006-06-25T07:45:00.000+01:00

After a study lasting many years, scientists have finally discovered the secret of the Caban technique. Forget Hound Dog Taylor, the famous blues slide player with six fingers - our esteemed lead guitarist actually has ten fingers on his left hand, affording him endless possibilities in the plank-spanking stakes.

Come along and witness this for yourselves at the largest street-level blues festival of its kind in the UK, the Dundee Blues Bonanza which runs from 30 June to 2 July. Wang Dang Delta are on in the Yard, Seagate on Saturday 1 July with a 4pm start. Details of all 80+ bands performing can be found at http://www.dundeebluesbonanza.co.uk/index.htm

Just to whet your appetite here is a photo taken from a previous bonanza performance taken by our good friend Dave Arcari.

Scribbler's Picnic - A Wee Report

2006-06-20T22:41:00.000+01:00

Wang Dang Delta were fortunate enough to be asked to play once more at the Scribbler's Picnic on 18 June. It's a full scale outdoor charity gig that is run by a team of volunteers with all proceeds going to five cancer related charities.

The logistics of running such an event do not seem to phase the organising committe because the Scribblers seems to be going from strength to strength.

This being Scotland in June (and officially "summer") it obviously rained from start to finish but this failed to dampen the spirits of the boisterous crowd.

As well as ourselves on the main stage, the crowd were treated to great sets from the Hazey Janes, Vivamelodica, Jack Daniels Experience and (my personal favourites for the day) Mr. Tubaob'u, a really refreshing ska/reggae band who really got the crowd going.

Our own set was brief but well received and it was great to see a few "weel-kent" faces in the crowd including the incredible Box o Bananas boys.

Great stuff was also going on in the Random Rhythms Rock Tent, the Stirling Folk Club Tent and at the Acoustic Stage.

Reflections on Moulin Gig

2006-06-04T20:13:00.000+01:00

Many thanks to all who attended the gig in Moulin Village Hall last night and contributed in making it a great night for all concerned, band included.

Highlights and lowlights were as follows

Great turnout with folks travelling from as far afield as Airdrie, Larbert and Laurencekirk to join with locals in experiencing that "Wang Dang Thang"!
Broken string in the first number - great timing.
Cowboy boots in the air for the "Ultimate Shoe" challenge.
Some inspired sounds.
Great demand for the CD.
Warm atmosphere and frantic banter!

We are keen to do more of the village hall circuit as the network of these halls is seriously under-utilised. Keep an eye on our gig listings section on www.myspace.com/wangdangdelta . It could be your village next!

It's been a while!

2006-05-27T08:50:00.000+01:00

Been difficult keeping up with this blog thing over the last month. New material to finish, gigs to play, life to live. The list goes on. May contained a couple of personal highlights. The Sradfest weekend in Gairloch was a hoot from start to finish. The Friday gig was good, the Saturday jam session with members of the Dave Amos Band was inspirational, the staff in the Millcroft Hotel showed great hospitality and our friend Charlie who provided and drove transport to and from Gairloch all served to make to a weekend to remember.

The following weekend saw us make our first appearance at MAMAS in their new premises in Crieff. Following this gig the Perthshire Advertiser published an excellent review with many quotable comments such as

"a pleasure to watch a band who obviously enjoy what they do and do it well"
"huge range of musical moods and styles"
"well crafted lyrics"
"combination of musicianship and banter to leave everyone going home happy".

Thanks to reviewer Norman Gray for these kind and encouraging words.

June sees us playing in the Moulin Village Hall, by Pitlochry on Saturday 3 June with doors open at 8.00pm. Full details can be accessed on www.myspace.com/wangdangdelta .

We will also make a guest appearance at the annual Scribblers Picnic in Stirling on Sunday 18 June. It's a family based charity event which is run annually and details can be accessed http://www.scribblerspicnic.com/mambo/

Some Gigs in May.

2006-03-30T22:24:00.000+01:00

After some good gigging in March and some more new songs in the can, the band are playing a few gigs in May as follows.

Birnam Institute, By Dunkeld on Saturday 6 May at 8.00pm.

Sradfest in Gairloch (with Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Box o Bananas, Dave Amos Band and others) on Friday 12 May at 8.00pm.

Crieff Hotel, Crieff (a MAMAS event) on Friday 19 May at 8.00pm.

Further details on all phone (01738) 637714.

See also the new Wang Dang myspace site with sound samples http://www.myspace.com/wangdangdelta

Upcoming Gigs - March 2006

2006-02-17T15:30:00.000Z

The ebb and flow of the band continues as we waltz into March with a series of gigs to whet the appetite. The band have been working on more "stripped back" material and Alan has been inspired following his recent gigs with Dougie MacLean to dust off his Crucianelli (Hold it right there, officer, it's an accordion!). The new songs are definitely developing a "Jack Emblow meets Larry Adler on the way to a Rocking Dopsie and the Cajun Twisters gig" kind of feel.

Anyway, enough rambling - why don't you come and hear for yourselves at the following venues
Sunday 5 March at the Famous Bein Inn, Glenfarg as part of the Dreich End Festival. See http://www.beininnmusic.com/gig_guide.php for further details.

Friday 10 March at the Tolbooth, Stirling (with Stevey Hay and the Ray Vons) . See http://www.stirling.gov.uk/tolbooth/press_releases-2.htm?m=3&id=761 for further details.

Saturday 18 March at Dexters, Castle Street, Dundee from 5pm as part of the regular Saturday Dundee blues sessions run throughout the year which culminate in the magnificent Dundee Blues Bonanza in early July. See http://www.dundeebluesbonanza.co.uk/index.htm for details.

Wang Dang Delta and the FBI (the Famous Bein Inn that is!)

2006-01-08T11:54:00.000Z

Here are a few photos from out gig at the Bein Inn in Genfarg last night. It was a real pleasure to be playing in such an intimate environment. The place is a veritable cornucopia of amazing rock memorabilia and it was real fun browsing the many signed Strat scratchplates and photos of some of the greats who have played there including Albert Lee and John Martyn. The gig itself was split into two halves - acoustic and electric, and it was encouraging to witness how the new and as yet unrecorded material went down. As always the CD material was warmly received and it was particularly good to welcome a few new folks to the Wang Dang fold. For the band the two stand out songs were "Like a Boomerang" which was taken at breakneck pace to create a new musical genre called "bluesgrass" and "Alone in this Land", a new jazz shuffle being given its first airing. Thanks to all who took the trouble to hang around for a chat at the end. Its your feedback that really makes a difference.

Wang Dang's What He Sang - Santa Claus He is the Man!!

2005-12-26T10:03:00.000Z

A Merry Christmas to Wang Dang Delta supporters far and near. Hope Christmas delivered all that you hoped it would. As we are about to put the wrapping on an event-filled 2005, here's a reminder that the band are playing a double header on Thursday 29 December at the Grampian Hotel, Perth with Fife 9-piece "Lights Out By Nine". It promised to be a great one and is likely to be packed out.

Cool Yule for Wang Dang

2005-12-06T04:17:00.000Z

Look out for THE festive gig of the year on Thursday 29 December, 2005. Wang Dang Delta are playing a double header with "Lights Out by Nine" (with the added attraction of a wee solo spot from LOBN's enigmatic lead singer Al Hughes). The venue is the Grampian Hotel, Perth with doors open 8.30pm.
Wang Dang Delta are also lined up to play on Saturday 7 January in the acclaimed Bein Inn ( http://www.beininnmusic.com/ ). This was voted UK Music Venue of the year 2004 and provides a unique opportunity to see the Wang Dangs in a truly intimate setting.

The Hunt for Blues - October?

2005-11-05T17:25:00.000Z

October proved to be a quiet time of reflection and writing as Wang Dang members took some time out to travel to continents far and wide. This has seen CDs winging their way to Florida, Wisconsin, Slovakia, Hungary and the Canaries amongst others!

Blew the dust off the instruments to perform an acoustic spot at the open mic event at the inaugural "Dougie MacLean Weekend" (see www.perthshireamber.com ) held over three days at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre. This was a cracking event held over three days and nights and the afternoon session provided us with a good opportunity to inflict some songs from the CD on an unsuspecting folk-roots orientated audience. We did this as an unplugged five-piece with Alan away playing harmonium with Dougie at the Crannog Centre (see www.crannog.co.uk ) at the same time.

We've also been completing some brand new material including a song that's shaping up great called "Cross my Palm with Silver" - real moody blues funk. That song and others will definitely get an airing at our gig in the Birnam Institute on Friday 18 November (8.00pm start). Tickets are already selling well and if you've not already done so contact the Box Office on 01350 727674 for details.

Tomorrow (6 November) sees us doing a Sunday afternoon session in the Westlands Hotel in Dunblane. Its our first time in Dunblane but our good friend Jim Chadwin of the Jack Daniels Experience assures us it is going to be great. 3.30pm start.

News, Reviews and Playing the Blues

2005-09-20T04:05:00.000+01:00

The week started well with a good crowd in the Bread, Dundee. As always, the folks in Dundee proved to be a responsive bunch.

On to Tuesday 13 September and the Perthshire Advertiser published a review of our CD in which Paul Reoch called it "a class apart" and describes the title track Paper Boat as an "absolute gem". Pass on Through also comes in for some attention as a "real stand-out track which highlights the expertise of Wang Dang Delta" and following similar comments on Scottish Internet Radio we may be onto something here!

Friday's gig in the Grampian with Blues on Tap was the perfect end to the week. Good blues, good company, good craic. What more can you ask for?

If it ain't Wang Dang it ain't Delta!!!

2005-09-10T20:53:00.000+01:00

Can't believe it's 5 weeks since the launch! Gearing up for a return to one of our favourite gigs - the Bread in Dundee (Saturday 10th @ 5.30pm). It's always a good appreciative crowd and they seem to respect our diversity and the fact that we enjoy what we do.

Last week saw a rare promotional appearance in the Bank St Gallery in Kirriemuir for Jim, Bassman Pete and me (Wang Dang Lite?) during the annual Traditional Music Festival. Thanks to those in attendance. Played most tracks from the CD and folks were very welcoming.

Speaking of the CD it has been the featured album of the week on Heartland FM with 2 tracks each day Monday to Friday. Feedback has been very positive. Also the longest track on the CD "Pass on Through" features on Scottish Internet Radio's Blues Connection Show this month (access through www.internetradio.co.uk ) with one listener posting a message on the discussion forum saying that it is "one of the best I've heard this year"!

Next week sees us playing a hometown gig in the Grampian Hotel, Perth supported by local band "Blues on Tap" (Friday 16 September, 8.30pm start).

Album Launched!!

2005-08-05T09:04:00.000+01:00

Just back from a great night at the Grampian Hotel in Perth where we held the CD launch for our CD "Paper Boat". The place was packed to overflowing with standing room only and it was great to see a number of blasts from the past. The night was opened by our good friend Gill Hunter who was in great voice as she shared a number of her beautiful self penned numbers with an appreciative audience. Colin and Jinny who followed played a brilliant set of original songs on guitar, congas and great harmony vocals.

All our songs went down well and we certainly appreciated the number of people who came to hear the songs from the CD.

All in all, a night to remember and one which will no doubt spur us on to new songwriting heights for CD2!

To all those who purchased the CD, please fell free to leave your comments as we would be happy to have your feedback.

A Veritable Bonanza of the Blues

2005-07-05T05:48:00.000+01:00

Saturday night in the Doghouse! Sounds like a great first line but yup that's exactly where we were as part of Dundee's 11th annual Blues Bonanza. For those that have't been is reputedly the largest street level free festival in the UK and featured 80+ bands over some 30+ venues.

The Doghouse is a great rock venue and the band had a great time. The place was packed despite Live8 and even the Beer Garden was bursting at the seams.

The band had a whale of a time and are already looking forward to next year.

Getting Back on the Horse

2005-06-26T19:45:00.000+01:00

Long time, no post. Gigging has been put on the back burner whilst we put the finishing touches to our CD which will be available from next Friday 1 July (see www.wangdang.com for details). As a result we have been quiet on the gig front but are ready to burst back into action with a gig at the Dundee Blues Bonanza next weekend. We have been lucky to get a good slot at one of the bigger venues - it goes to show hard work pays off! The venue is the Doghouse and we are due to close the night there from 9.00 to 11.30. We will of course feature all 10 original tracks from the CD plus all the usual favourites.
Further details of the DBB can be found at www.dundeebluesbonanza.co.uk . Why not make a day of it? There are some great bands and solo acts.

Back to the recording. The sessions were recorded at Butterstone Studios near Dunkeld and were engineered by Jamie MacLean who used his keen ears to help us when we couldn't see the wood for the trees. All CD cover photography was by Roben Antoniewicz whose work can be viewed at www.raphotography.co.uk

Friday Night in 'Nam

2005-05-01T20:15:00.000+01:00

Spent Friday in the company of soul legends "The Dave Amos Band" in the Birnam House Hotel. The gig was in the huge baronial hall - one of these huge places not designed for amplified music. As a result Charlie the soundman had his work well cut out but got on top of things by midway throught the first set. At the break there was a guest spot from Gillie (well known exiled Irishman now domiciled in Carrbridge) who gave us some really strong original material ably accompanied by Gill Hunter on keyboards, Tony Hoey on trumpet and the Wang Dangs' very own Pete Caban on blistering (yet surprisingly sensitive) lead guitar. The venue was packed to the gunnels and as a result the Guide Dogs for the Blind charity will have benefitted handsomely.

Specs, Hot Dugs and Rock and Roll

2005-04-21T05:12:00.000+01:00

Wang Dang Delta have evolved into one of the tightest bands on the Tayside scene and serve up an eclectic mix of self penned material together with classic blues and boogie from the likes of BB King, Robert Cray, Eric Bibb and Eric Clapton.

The 6-piece line up features guitarist Pete Caban together with top-drawer vocals, bass, drums, keyboards and harmonica from some of the finest blues musicians Perthshire has to offer. Ian McLaren’s songs demonstrate folk, jazz, roots, rock and funk influences and mean that an evening with Wang Dang Delta is an inventive and challenging proposition that pushes at the boundaries of blues music. The result is not without its moments of chaos and humour and should not be missed.

The band are currently writing and recording a CD of their original material and trying to fit in some gigs meantime. Next gig is on 14 May 2005 at the Birnam Institute Arts Centre, by Dunkeld. The Centre holds about 150 and was a sell out last time so here's hoping!

Welcome

2005-04-12T04:03:00.000+01:00

This is the weblog of the "blues and beyond" band Wang Dang Delta, a 6 piece operating out of Perthshire in Scotland playing a heady mix of self penned material together with classic blues and boogie. The blog will be periodically updated with key events in the band's ongoing development. Watch this space.