Dick Gaughan - Quay Arts Centre , Newport on Thursday 16th March, 2000

Both Sides the Tweed . . .

Well Virgil Philpott deserves a major round of applause for putting on this one.After a false start due to Dick's car breaking down on the mainland, this rescheduled gig was worth the wait.

The opening act of The Grannies Boil the Washing were on and off before you could utter their name. But they were ok, Steve Goodman's City of New Orleans, Lindisfarne's Meet Me On the Corner, and a really good unaccompanied number which they started with was their brief offering.

Dick Gaughan entered the Anthony Minghella Theatre and immediately you new it was going to be a good show. Unplugged, standing straight he took us off into a world of politically charged introductions, which are interspursed with stories about his pride of being Scottish.

Great songs which included the wonderful Song for Ireland, Both Sides The Tweed , a song about Tom Paine (not the Fairport one ) and a Rabbie Burns song mixed with his thunderous guitar playing which matched his physique and a Scottish nasal voice left the audience roaring for more at the end.

Back he came to finish with Tom Joad a mark of respect to Woody Guthrie, and the evening was over, a most enjoyable one at that.

Rob Roy