What’s on at Hootananny and Mad Hatters

To listeners, Ali Levack’s firebrand whistle playing sounds as though it owes as much to the influence of the great jazz wind players as it does to his roots in Scottish music. It’s a long way from the tradition in which he grew up, where learned his craft as a Highland bagpiper at the feet of masters. The mastery has translated; he pushes his instrument to new heights, with fiery improvisation and total virtuosity. Some bands/musicians who Ali plays and has played with include: Project Smok, Mischa Macpherson Band, Levack/Stewart/Irving, Greg Russell and Ciaran Algar and many more. Joining Ali will be Charlie Stewart on bass and fiddle and Luc Macnally on guitar and vocals. Charlie is the winner of the 2017 BBC Young traditional Musician of the year award and is regarded as being one of the top jazz/traditional musicians in Scotland. He is in his final year of studying jazz at the Royal Conservertoire of Scotland and plays in several bands, including: Dosca, Snuffbox, Sketch, Ross Miller and Charlie Stewart and many more. Fellow band member of Charlie (‘Dosca’ and ’Snuffbox’) is guitarist and singer Luc Macnally. Luc’s versatile range and ability make him one of Scotland’s busiest and most sought after traditional accompanists. This is evident through some of the people and bands Luc performs with; Snuffbox, Dosca, Suas, Iona Grace Fyfe, Hannah Rarity and many more. Tonight the trio look to draw upon their eclectic mix and styles, to bring together a wide range of genres from strong Scottish traditional roots, to jazz influenced contemporary folk, whilst stopping off somewhere in between for a few songs and sing alongs!

Yung Fellas revisit the illustrious Hootanannys!

Yung Fellas are a trio of avant-garde neo trad bards from the Highlands; dancing and drams are guaranteed 🎉

4 piece band from Ross-Shire for all your favourite rock and roll covers.

Calum is a warm, down-to-earth, young man from the West Coast of Scotland who fell in love with the accordion at a tender age of 7. As a young boy with the desire to learn more, he spent more years learning the rudiments from the best accordionists in the Highlands until he eventually created his unique style. Though he hailed from Fort William, Calum moved to Inverness in 2007 where he strived to focus on his technique.

Calum is an energetic musician who has performed in Italy, Belgium, France, and Germany. Now he is coming to Hootananny for a night that can not be missed!

Free entry.

Hailing from Inverness the capital city of the Scottish Highlands Schiehallion are a Scottish Folk/Ceilidh band who have spent the last number of years both at home and further afield building an impressive ardent fan base, this has culminated in them being deserving of their widely held reputation as a fiery and passionate must see live music act. 

Consisting of founding member Kenny Jamieson Vocals – Guitar & Bodhran, Stuart Mackintosh Accordion, Cy Mutch Cajon & when required Calum MacGillivary on Bag Pipes, Schiehallion are ever present on the live music venue and festival scene.  

Immersed in Scotland’s culture and music traditions Schiehallion’s ability to engage and transfix their audience time after time has justifiably led to their richly deserved status as one of Scotland’s top bands in their musical category and genre.    

Skidaddle are a Scottish two-piece consisting of a highly experienced and reliable guitarist and fiddler – modern and traditional songs and ceilidh dances. This energetic duo will preform all the ceilidh songs you know and love, to keep you dancing in the heart of our Scottish bar.

Born in Cameroon and given a local name, Moteh Parrott (short for Mnkongmoteh) is a Scottish artist with a distinctive modern indie-folk-rock sound, complementing reflective, uplifting lyrics with raw electric guitar and cello. His music has been described as having a sound comparable with “…a Highland wilderness with all the sweeping colour and spirit which that encompasses.” (leedsmusicscene.net). The self-produced ‘Afterglow’ Acoustic EP was released in late 2018, and Moteh is currently working towards his first album, having released three EPs with his previous band, Red Kites.

Eilidh Steel and Mark Neal will be performing at Hootananny Inverness as part of their UK Spring Tour 2019.

Positive vibrations from Glasgow city, inside to outside!

Inverness based tuition in traditional music, Gaelic & Art.

One of the UK’s most accessible soul-funk-jazz artists, James Brown Is Annie met in a piano bar, rehearse next to a sex shop, and take their name from an Eddie Murphy Saturday Night Live sketch.

Supported by National Arts body, Creative Scotland, the group’s two albums (JBiA I and JBiA II) were produced by original Average White Band members Molly Duncan (2015) and Hamish Stuart (2018).

Regulars on Scottish national television and radio, JBiA’s second single, Get Up To Get Down, was a BBC Radio Scotland ‘Single Of The Week’ in April 2016.

The only band to have headlined two different stages at the famous Edinburgh Hogmanay Street Party (Waverley Stage 2012, Mound Stage 2017), playing to over 80,000 people, the Scottish sextet have shared stages with some of music’s top recording artists (Average White Band, The Family Stone, Kaiser Chiefs, Electric Six, etc.) at some of the country’s most prestigious venues, selling out many along the way.

‘The funk is strong with these ones’ – DAILY RECORD

‘Proof that Scotland has the funk’ – THE HERALD

‘A perfect example of just how much fun funk can be’ – THE SCOTSMAN

‘Seriously funky’- JAZZ FM

‘Super-tight horns, funky rhythm section, and cool vox’ – THE TIMES

‘Really cool’ – BBC RADIO SCOTLAND

‘An infectious beat that is hard to resist dancing to’ – THE SUN