Taggart & Wright

October 2011
Due to moving house, the web site was a bit neglected for a while, but here we are again.

Angie is now singing in a trio called THIRD VOICE and they will be having their first gigs in November 2011

THIRD VOICE will be performing at the Kinross Music Festival on Saturday 19th Nov. 2011 They have two gigs. The first is at 1.00 - 2.00 at the Kirklands Hotel and the second is at 4.00- 5.00 at The Grouse and Claret.
Angie will perform solo at the Thistle Function Hotel Room in Milnathorp on Friday 18th Nov. 2011 from 7.00 - 8.00pm
Festival details can be found at www.k-m-f.org.uk

November 2009
We went to Dougie McLeans Perthshire Amber Festival on Saturday Nov 7th and appeared on the Open Mic stage. As usual the standard of performers was very high .They all get only two songs/ten minutes. Angie sang one of her own songs which she has yet to record and one from her first solo CD. The session was broadcast Live on Celtic Music Radio . That's the same radio station which was at Lomond Festival where she was interviewed for about 15 minutes.You can visit the radio on line somehow and listen to them. After her spot we went into McLeans Music Bar ( the Set Room for the Festival Theatre ) and had a good time singing for a couple of hours before going home knackered.
On Saturday Nov 14th we went to see friends in the great band Tarneybackle who organised a St Andrews Day Celebration in Blackford. It was a very friendly affair with singers from Stirling Folk Club and Dunblane Folk Club. Rob the Roadie even read a poem by Les Barker.

August 2009
Angie Wright attended a Songwriting Course organised by the Arvon Group at the Hurst in Clunton, in Shropshire. Yes, that's way down South from here. Angie had a great time on the course hosted by none other than those two greats, Willy Russell and Colin Firth. She can recomend other such courses to other budding or even accomplished song writers, such as herself to attend. It was a very intensive and enjoyable week for all concerned. No doubt many songs will result from the experience from all concerned... even the course organisers...

The course left Angie exhausted and after a brief hospital stay she is now at home recovering. Angie wants to give special thanks to Bernie, Rowena and Colin who stayed behind on the last day to look after her.

Angie will keep in touch with all those on the course so don't be surprised if she has a host of new material out soon.

July 2009
Angie had a great time at the Lomond Folk Festival on Saturday 25th July. The sun was shinning and the town was packed with festival goers enjoying themselves. We sat in the sun for an hour or two soaking up the atmosphere and listening to the bands on the Open Stage. As usual the standard was very good and it was great to have a crowd of about 300 to play to. Angie did her spot a bit later than advertised singing some tracks from her CDs and a new song she had only written about two weeks earlier. and the audience really enjoyed her set. We even managed to sell a fair number of CDs, old and new. Then as we left we were approached by Celtic Music Radio for a short interview. Of course we said yes. Celtic Music Radio is a not for profit community radio station based in Glasgow and survives on donations. It broadcasts on 1530am and is available on line at www.celticmusicradio.net Any way the interview was realy good fun and they played a track, "Farewell to Orkney" from Angies CD.

We needed a drink after all that and headed out to find a session in a bar. The first at the Doghouse was a bit lively and noisy and we were seeking a bit more low key. We found a good spot with lots of others on the decking at the back of Balloch House. We sat there and sang in the sun for almost four hours to a very appreciative crowd. Great stuff as was the food we had before setting off home.

See the gigs page for the latest gigs Angie will be doing.
And Angie will be turning up and singing at several other festival and clubs including visits to The Royal Oak in Edinburgh and the Kirriemuir Folk Festival just for the pleasure of singing.

May 2009
Anne and Angie finally met up again and chose The Holmfirth Festival of Folk as the place where it would happen. Rob the Roadie was of course on hand to tend to all their needs and keep them under control.
They had a great time so thanks to all the venues where they muscled in and did their stuff. Angie did a solo spot on the Friday night at No.11 an open mic night as Anne did not arrive until Saturday morning. A quick rehersal of about a dozen songs in the campsite and then they hit town with he roadie carrying both guitars as usual. They did a couple of songs at Stamps in a singaround then at a folk club session in the White Hart a couple more. A meal then back into the open Mic at No.11 for more. A wander around town for more victims proved difficult. The pubs were packed to the gunnels and getting in carrying TWO guitars proved almost impossible. so they retired to Stamps where they sang and drank all the beer in the pub before going back to the campsite. For some reason they never played their guitars that day although the poor old roadie carried them for mile and miles!
After a late breakfast or was it an early lunch they hit Stamps again finally giving in at about 3.30 for a proper meal and headed home after catching some of the dancing. They didn't dance, they just watched of course.
They hoped they behaved well enough to be allowed to return next year.

March 2009
Angie will be singing at The Birnam Institute on Friday March 27th during the intermission. The two plays are by singer, songwriter, actor, author,and prize winning playwrite Bob Davidson. The Plays are "Fall Back" and "The Bridge" and will be performed by the Birnam Institute Players.
TAGGART AND WRIGHT will be making a nuisance of themselves at the Holmfirth Folk Festival at as many singarounds and session that they can manage during the weekend of May 8th -10th

October 2008
We haven't posted any news for a while - sorry for being so forgetful.
However. We went through Biggar in October as they were having a festival and on the Sunday an Open Mic in the afternoon in the Corn Exchange. A very friendly and welcoming crowd. We timed it perfectly and Angie got a 25 minute spot and did 6 songs. She went down very well and now they want to book her for their folk club sometime soon. So watch this space.

February 2007
Angie will be lending her support to the MAPS Music Marathon at the Taybank Hotel on Sunday Feb 24th.
Angie will be appearing as support to Award winning Kris Drever at the Leith Folk Club on Tuesday March 13th.

January 2007
Angie has moved to Blairgowrie in Perthshire and is settling in very nicely. She is a regular at The Taybank, Dunkeld on a Friday night and ocassional Sunday afternoon sessions. She went to Celtc Connections for three days and nights, finishing about 3.00am. singing in "The House of Song" late night singarounds hosted by Doris Rougvie.
We also visited Laurie's Bar in King Street on the Monday night for a couple of hours to take part in their regular sessions. Great fun. A bit of a hike from Blairgowrie for regular visits, but we will return.

Gigs for 2007
Taggart and Wright will be guesting at The Chester Folk Festival in Late May and Angie will be returning to the Taybank Songwriters Festival at the beginning of September. Exact dates will follow shortly.
Meanwhile Angie's latest CD "Captive Heart" continues to get airplay in New Zealand.

June 2006
Anne and Angie attended the Chester Folk Festival, and supported by singing as soloist or as Taggart and Wright at many of the sessions, singarounds and Folk Club Spots in the Programme. The best two in their minds were when they appeared on the Acoustic stage in the Social club to a packed room where Angie's "Cheshire Set" was met with howls of laughter and their rendition of the lament "Farewell to Tarwathie" was met with tears of sorrow. Of course the audience gave rapturous applause for their short but excellent performance.
The other best bit was when the girls, with Anne's husband John Dixie Taggart on accordian, joined an "English Music Session" in the Farmers Arms hosted by a young band Isambarde. Also present, and a bit of a surprise for all, was Phil Beer from Show of Hands who joined in on fiddle and sang a few songs. Steve Knightley the other half of Show of Hands sat at the bar chatting to our good friend Mick Green. We shared tunes and songs with them for over two hours and had a great time. Phil Beer was impressed by Anne and Angie's singing, in particular their version of Cyril Tawney's " Grey Funnel Line" and made a point of chatting to them at the end of a realy good session.

April 2006
It was Angie's turn to be ill and after a two week stay in hospital she is up and about again. Not quite 100% but getting there slowly and surely. She is currently recording her second solo CD which is all self penned material and should be ready by late May /early June. Watch this space for further news. While up in Scotland on one of our regular forays Angie visited the Taybank Hotel as usual to see some old friends and sing some songs at thr Friday Folk Club. She also did a two song support spot at The Glenfarg Folk Club for Nick Keir. Nick is one third of the Macalmans and Taggart and Wright did a 50 minute support for them at the Lomond Festival a few years back. We returned to Glenfarg a week later to add a bit to their great folk fest. Rob the Roadie tried once again to win the World Puff-a-Box Championship but fifth place was as good as he could manage. There is still next year! With bottles of Whisky up as prizes Rob will be putting in just that bit extra training.

January 2006
Anne's son Chris is recovering and should go back to school soon.
Anne has been sneaking off for a regular session to the Union Vaults in Chester with a few friends for some time. While Angie was up in Scotland over the festive season she made an appearance at the Friday Folk Club in the Taybank Hotel where she sang a couple of her songs. Once again her version of "Guadete" went down very well. Angie also sang a few songs at the Dalguise Community Centre for those gathered celebrating New Year. There is a rumour that Angie will be going into the studio to record a CD of her own material. It is just a matter of time. Hope to get it finished for the Singer/Songwriter festival in Dunkeld in September.

December 2005
Anne has passed her exams and walked straight into a job as a result. She is settling in to her new routine but it does limit times for Anne and Angie to get together. But watch this space for new gigs in 2006.
Anne's son Chris has not been well lately. He has been in hospital for over a month and had two big ops. He should be out on Tuesday 20th in time for Christmas and on the slow road to recovery.
Angie in the meantime has been out and about making apperances at a few of our old haunts to keep her hand in. Angie did a spot at Alexanders Jazz Bar in Chester accompanied by old friends Mike Green and Graham Bellinger to a packed room. Next visit was to The Raven Christmas Party on Sat 17th Dec. This annual do always brings in a big crowd and this year was no exception. Angie sang her own version, a translation of Gaudete which is hilarious, aided by the vocal talents of Dave Russell of Full House, his wife and Richard Chaff of Solan and of course everyone else in the room.
The next night was a visit to our friends in the Open Door Folk Club in Oldham, Manchester for another Christmas party and a few songs.
As for next year, once Anne has got everything sorted Taggart and Wright will be on the road again. Watch out for them at the Middlewitch Folk and Boat Festival.

June 2005
Anne Taggart only has a week or two left of her course and look on course to pass. Anne has had her head down in her books for weeks writing up her final piece for assesment. No doubt when she finishes there will be a few ales quaffed in celebration. Anne did take a bit of a break to go to the Chester Festival and join in many of the singarounds, while her daughter who is an excellent flautist played accompanied by her father Dixie who is a whizz on accordian and when she was not playing she was up dancing. Watch out for this young musician in the future.
Meanwhile Angie with The World Greatest Roadie went up ,way up to Scotland. They stopped at Dunkeld and visited one of their favourite spots the Taybank Hotel and had a good night at the Friday Folk Club, seeing many old friends. Then it was off up to the far North to Scrabster to catch the ferry to Orkney, leaving the car behind and continuing on push-bikes. Super Roadie Rob had two very full panierson the bike and ANgies guitar on his back. Around his neck was slung another bag, this was supposed to be on Angies bike but would not fit. Angie had two small rucksacks one one her back the other on her luggage rack. Well it would take forever to tell the full story but it was a great trip ending with four days of fantastic entertainment at the Orkney Folk Festival. We are of course hoping that the organisers noticed just how good Angie sang even at 4.00am and that they book us for next year.

April 2005
Anne still has her head down in her books and is studying hard. We expect her to re-emerge late June.
Meanwhile Angie is ticking along doing solo spots here and there. Her support spot for The Emily Smith Band at the Star Club in Glasgow went well with a big crowd. The next night was a lot of fun at the Taybank Hotel in Dunkeld with old friends. A jump across to the Isle of Rum and Angie performed two big sets of songs 50 minutes long for the locals while Rob the Roadie did a 10 minute spot reading silly poetry. He is still determined to get in on the act! A week later another great Friday night at the Taybank then home. We did want to go to a few clubs in Fife but it was a bit of bad timing on our part. Angie will be back up at the Taybank for the Friday night singaround in early May.
Unfortunately we cannot get there for Sat April 23rd when good friend Nick Allmark will be giving a concert to celebrate the release of his second CD "Escape on the 220". For those interested it starts at 7.30 for 8.00. But best get there early as it will fill up fast. Another Event worthwhile noting is the RUM MUSIC FESTIVAL which is on the Friday May 13th to Sunday May 15th and has Shoolgelnifty, Daimh, Peatbog Faeries, and the Barnstormers amongst a huge list of others.
For further details email sharon@isleofrum.com tickets £30.00 for the weekend and FREE camping, great beer, good food and lots of Free Dance and Free music workshops. There you are Sandy, I have given you a plug as promised.

March 2005
Anne celebrated her birthday recently with a bit of a do in the Union Vaults in Chester. Lots of musicians turned up and we all had a great time
Anne is now in the final stages of her course having passed all the assignments to date. About a third of those who started have failed or pulled out for one reason or other, so Anne is very pleased she is doing so well. There is just one BIG assignment left and it counts as TWO so no pressure there
Meanwhile Angie is still ticking over with the odd visit to clubs up and down the country. Angie did a spot with Graham Bellinger at the Prospect Club and went down very well. They played their entire repetoire of eight songs in two sets at a singaround. The Prospect was the first club to book Taggart and Wright and is a great club for that first booking or just to go to for a singaround.. Angie has also sang at Alexanders Jazz bar at the Tuesday Open Mike, again one of the venues where Anne and Angie played early in their career.
Angie has a few solo spots in the pipeline. She is playing support to the Emily Smith Band at the Star Club in Glasgow on Thursday March 24th. when we hope to persuade the club to book T&W for later in the year. Angie and Rob are off on hols to the Isle of Muck and the Isle of Rum just after Easter and of course will be singing on both islands.

December 2004
Anne has been very very busy getting on with her Studies at Birmingham and is looking forward to a break at Christmas to spend some time with her family.
Meanwhile Angie has been out and about as usual exercising the vocal chords. Angie popped into the Penicuik Folk Festival in October for what was supposed to be a flying visit as we passed. But enjoyed it so much we stayed till gone midnight. I then had to drive up to Blairgowrie while Angie slept. We are hoping that they might just book T&W for their 2005 Festival.
On a visit to Dalguise in Perthshire we went to hear Jennifer Clarke a Canadian who sings Trad Scottish songs and of course Angie was asked to do a support spot. Afterwards it was back to Nick Allmark's house for more music and a few drams. Cheers Nick.
Our latest trip to Scotland, early in December was a bit of a music frenzy. We arrived Friday night and rushed out to the Taybank in Dunkeld to visit friends at the very friendly folk club. On Saturday it was a trip to the Birnam Institute across the river for a Taneybackle concert to publicise the release of their splendid third CD "Diamond". A packed audience enjoyed over two hours of great music and song
Sunday we went for a walk up Ben Vrackie and on the way down popped into the Moulin Hotel near Pitlochry where there was a really good session going on. After a few cups of warm coffee Angie added a few unaccompanied songs to the performance.Meanwhile I sampled the excellent beer. The hotel has its own brewery across the road.
Sunday night we could have gone back to the Taybank for an intimate concert with Rob Reid and Alan Van Sante but were to tired to move and sat at home, in front of a roaring fire with a bottle of wine.
No doubt Anne and Angie will put a few songs and laughs together for the Christmas Party at the Raven Club on Saturday Dec 18th in the Cross Keys in Chester. As for our next exploits watch this space.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OUR FANS AND FRIENDS

September 2004 News
Anne and Angie had a great time in concert with the McCalmans at the Lomond festival and at the gig at The Wee Folk Club in Edinburgh in summer.
Angie did her best at the Innerlethen Festival and put on a great show to a packed out room. Unfortunately she was pipped at the post by a banjo playing yodelling fiddler with an Appallachian clog dancer in support. We still got to see Dougie MacClean in concert. We then went to a great singaround session in a local hotel and Dougie turned up later and played fiddle in the bar till the wee small hours.
Anne is starting back at Uni next week and is getting her head into her studies again. We will try and find a few dates that do not interfere with her work too much, and of course there will always be the visits to the Ship Victory (Tues) and the Cross Keys (Sun) in Chester for a bit of practice. Meanwhile Dixie is busy playing several Jazz bands in and around Chester.

July 2004 News
Angie interviewed by Radio Merseyside 95.8 FM, after the solo CD was released. Broadcast on Folkscene at 7:05 pm Sunday 18th July.
The Glasson Festival was great - well done everyone. And this was the first one they organised. What will it be like when it becomes more established on the scene!
And Angie has got through to the final six of the Innerleithen folk festival "Music in the Folk Genre" competition!

May 2004 News
The girls did an Open Mike spot at the Chester Festival which was very well recieved. Some solo spots by Angie in Scotland went down rather well too. Angie's solo CD was released in mid April.

March 2004 News
Taggart and Wright have been very quiet for some time (impossible I hear you say). Anne has been very busy as a student at UCE which means there has not been much time to rehearse. Yes they do rehearse!
Angie, to pass the time has been writing a few more songs and recording her solo CD - Coming Through - which is in the final stages of production . All the recording is done and it getting tweaked here and there... such a perfectionist. I would think that in two or three weeks time Angie will have it all parcelled up so expect to hear a track or two on the site and get your orders in quick. Angie in did a short spot at Alexanders in Chester the other night backed by Graham Bellinger and Mick Green of Root Chords and really enjoyed it. The place was packed with lots of students.
Angie has ventured North once again. A visit to the Taybank Hotel in Dunkeld where she sang at the Friday Folk club. On one visit twelve months back while Angie was singing with our friends in Tarneybackle a certain Dougie Maclean asked to join in. How could they refuse - besides he owned the hotel.
Angie spent all day on Saturday at the recent Milnthort Folk Festival in singarounds where we met old friends from the Glenfarg Folk Club. They are expecting Rob the Roadie to try and win the World Puff-A Box Championships which will be held at their Folk Feast in April. Always said he was full of hot air.
Anne and Angie have been out together once recently and that was to go to the Northwich Folk Club to see Last Night's Fun. They were of course asked to do a couple of songs to open the second half and despite no practice for weeks put on a good show. They had Chris and Denny in rapture at their antics.
Some new gigs for 2004 have been arranged as well.

November 20003 News
Anne is settling into college life easily . Some might say too easily. Meanwhile Angie is busy writing songs for a solo CD to pass the time. Angie will be going in to the studio to start recording sometime this side of Christmas. So watch out for it escaping at Easter.
Angie was up in Scotland for a few days and after a splendid walk up on the hills in Glen Clova, we popped into the hotel for some refreshment, as you do. The door to the bar said "Musicians Wanted for a session tonight 8.00 till late." A short discussion later it was decided we would drive the 25 miles back to our cottage, shower and change, pick up the guitar drive the 25 back in time for a meal then join the session. What a storming session it was with about twenty of us squeezed into the bar. All of whom had driven at least 20 miles to be there. We discovered the hotel had a bunk-house and all had booked in for the night to save the drive home. Unfortunately we had not and at 2.00am with the music and singing starting to pick up pace we had to leave. We were told the last session went on till well after 4.00am. Perhaps that why it is only once a month!!
Angie went down to Birmingham to drop Anne off at UCE where she is studying for the next two years. Of course while they were down there they did a bit of singing. Their choice was The Jug Of Punch F.C. at the Lyndurst Hotel on Kingsbury Road. It just happened to be the club's Christmas celebration and the tables were laden with all sorts of goodies. Well that kept the roadie happy. Needless to say we had a good time and an appreciative audience packed the room. Things went on a little later than usual it would seem, and there was an endless stream thanking Anne and Angie and asking when they would be back. We dropped Anne off at her hotel and drove back to Chester in the pouring rain to hit the pillow at a bit after 2.30am. A bit far for a night out I know but it was worth it.

October 2003 News
The Kyrgyzstan "gig" went well, new heights of entertainment were reached and many mountainers praised the quality of the singing at 10,000' amsl.

August 2003 News.
Anne has been in and out of hospital recently for minor surgery and is now better. A college course she is taking will reduce the number of gigs the girls do for a while. Angie, on the other hand is off to Kyrgyzstan to climb a few mountains (none of which have been climbed before) to pass the time while Anne is at college. And to entertain the locals there at the same time.