Scottish Fiddle Orchestra to Perth

Jul 15 2011 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

ORGANISERS of Perth’s popular Southern Fried Festival are urging music lovers to snap up tickets as soon as they can as gigs are selling out fast.

Every year, the Southern Fried Festival in Perth Concert Hall, Perth Theatre and other venues, gathers together a top quality collection of international and UK musicians to celebrate the best in American Roots Music.

The fourth annual Southern Fried Festival next weekend (July 22-24) is no exception with Lyle Lovett leading a line up which also includes the legendary Stax band, Blind Boys of Alabama, Iris Dement, Justin Townes Earle, former Mavericks front man Raul Malo and more, plus free workshops, smaller gigs and singalongs as well as the legendary Southern Fried soul food.

Saturday night’s Late and Southern Fried gig in Perth Theatre with Raul Malo and the Savoy Family Cajun Band is sold out as is the Iris Dement and Dean Owens concert in Perth Theatre on Saturday afternoon. There are just a handful of tickets left for Friday’s Late and Southern Fried with Justin Townes Earle and Abigail Washburn.

Fans of the rarely seen Iris Dement still have the opportunity to see her perform when she supports Blind Boys of Alabama in the opening gig of the festival in Perth Concert Hall next Friday as some tickets remain for this. Balcony tickets can still be had for Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group in Perth Concert Hall on Saturday night and there are still tickets for Stax and Phantom Limb in Perth Concert Hall on the Sunday.

There are still tickets for the smaller gigs, workshops and open mic.

Festival director Andy Shearer said: “We’ve got a diverse line up this year which I think appeals just as much to general music fans as to true Americana lovers.”