The blues is strong within Falkirk ... and now Stirling too

In Britain, musicians like Eric Clapton, John Mayall, Peter Green, Rory Gallagher and Gary Moore paid homage to their blues heroes while rocking it up a notch and in America you had the likes of Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield, Johnny Winter, Robert Cray, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Joe Bonamassa ploughing on in the blues field during some pretty lean years.

Closer to home the committed crew at the Falkirk Blues Club have also done their bit to make sure the musical form remains fresh and vital and in the forefront of folks’ minds.

Their monthly musical mecca celebrated its third birthday last month with sets from club stalwarts Stuart Blackwood and Last Tango in Memphis, featuring Falkirk Blues Club founder member Jim Rennie on bass.

Starting off in Baristas in Grahams Road back in 2014 and now based in the Wine Library in Princes Street, the club has gone from strength to strength, attracting top turns like the Tommy Bentz Band all the way from the USA, The Simon Kennedy Band, Reece Hills and the Brian Rawson Band, as well as long established local blues warriors like the Smokehouse Blues Band.

Thanks to the success of the Falkirk branch, organisers have now launched Stirling Blues Club at Allan Park South Church, aka The Big Red Door, in Dumbarton Road.

A Blues Club spokesbloke said: “Falkirk Blues Club was set up with the aim of establishing a live monthly blues gig. After three successful years this has well and truly been achieved.

“The club has played host to many well-established blues acts as well as acted as a launch pad for up and coming bands and younger blues performers. The club prides itself on paying all performers – with all the door money collected split equally between acts.

“Not content with finding a new venue at Falkirk Wine Library to accommodate a growing and appreciative audience, we are also spreading the word of all thing blues by establishing Stirling Blues Club.”

Continuing its ongoing mission to boogie, Falkirk Blues Club will host the Al Brown Band tonight (Thursday) from 8pm.

Visit www.facebook.com/falkirkblues and www.facebook.com/stirlingbluesclub for more information on both clubs.