Already sold out, the prospect of Jack Bruce playing alongside highly rated Scottish group Lau is among the most anticipated performances of this year’s Glasgow-based festival. (Read our review of Lau at Celtic Connections last year.)#
Bruce was co-founder of 70s supergroup Cream (they had some bloke called Eric Clapton on guitar and another no-hoper called Ginger Baker on drums) and hailed as “one of the greatest bassists of all time” with hits such as Sunshine of Your Love.
Talking about how the collaboration came together, Jack joked: “We did this Artworks documentary – supposedly about me, but it turned out to be about Lau.
“We decided to do a gig because they’re so great!”
Lau’s fiddler/composer Aidan O’Rourke explained: “We were lucky enough to get asked to be involved, and it went quite well, we think.
“What Jack mentioned we could do it again at some point...”
Jack interrupted cheekily: “Are you sure it was me? I thought it was you!”
Aidan clarified: “You mentioned it, and then I agreed.”
Jack said: “I thought you mentioned it, and I agreed. We’ll fight about that later. Let’s see how the gig goes, we’ll take the credit for it then – or not.”
Aidan continued that Celtic Connections was the ideal venue for the collaboration to fully bloom. Also playing alongside Jack Bruce and Lau are percussionist Jim Sutherland, keyboardist Andy May, guitarist Taj Wyzgowski, drummer Chris Peacock, bassist Nico Bruce with the strings of Mr McFall’s Chamber completing the line-up.
Though it’s a coincidence that the gig is on Burns Night, the group will still be tackling a few of Rabbie’s classics as it would be “churlish” not to do so, alongside many more of Jack’s own.
When asked if Lau were previously fans of Jack’s great body of work with the likes of Cream, accordionist/pianist Martin Green jested: “I think we’ll let Kris answer that.”
Guitarist and singer-songwriter Kris Drever said: “I haven’t mentioned this to Jack at any point but I was actually given some Cream records before I actually started playing any music.
“Throughout all of my early music education I spent quite a lot of time playing the bass and trying to sing in the style of Jack Bruce. So you could say yes!”
Martin added: “It’s been quite good in rehearsals with Kris, because Aidan and I go through and write down the chords and Kris goes ‘D! C! B flat!’ So he had 15 years rehearsal on us.”
- Jack Bruce with Special Guests Lau & friends and Domini Màgic is on tonight at the Old Fruitmarket from 9pm. For more information visit celticconnections.com.
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