Candy Canes and Gingerbread Sheds

This week in Sugar Sheds related news...there's a further lifeline for Riverside Inverclyde; the piece here definetly suggests that some of that involves seeking lottery funding for future projects..something we have suggested around the Sugar Sheds from the very start.

Successful lottery funding requires significant and genuine local consultation, involvement and even partnership. There's a way yet to make this all start working for everyone, and lots of options to explore; there's Big Lottery's Growing Community Assets Fund; there's SCVO and Unity Trust Bank's 50million loan scheme for third sector / social enterprise business centres; and of course it's been a while since Inverclyde secured any major capital funding through Heritage Lottery Fund Scotland. Not to mention new funding available for events through Creative Scotland 2012 Year of Creativity. And those are just the top of the google search. All this of course is set against the publication of Scottish Governments new Regeneration Strategy, firmly placing local people at the heart of regeneration . Everything to play for.

So. Six months on, as the year ends, thanks very much to everyone who has helped out, kept in contact and stuck with us; a successful campaign is more than a facebook click, but from the initial flurry around that page, we've been able to get discussions with the people who can influence this situation and meet many people who've successfully fought for change elsewhere. Next year what we're after is some action. Here.

For now, festive fun...

Two of the bands who helped out with our Celebration Ode recordings have recorded Christmas tunes. I'm a sucker for Christmas tunes.

Ard Amas have "It's Christmas" and some other new tunes on their myspace.

Sneaky Pete have a new tune dropping this weekend as well.

And local band The Purple Doves have released a charity single for Christmas with all proceeds going to Ryan Ferguson's Leukaemia Fund. Buy it now on itunes.

Over on our heritage blog Tales of the Oak, we're curating our Ghost Stories For Christmas throughout December.

And on my own blog Stramashed, you can find out all about Santa's Little Werewolves.

See you all next year.
Here's a few wee sugary Christmas tunes...
Sweet.

Celebration Ode 2011

A few weeks ago, we asked bands and performers to reinterpret Celebration Ode, the poem composed to mark the occasion of the inauguration of the James Watt Dock. Its been great fun receiving these and listening to how everyone has made it their own.

The poem itself is out of copyright, but for all these reinterpretations and recordings, the copyright remains with the artists involved.

First up, we have a version from Sneaky Pete. recorded and mixed on Thursday.
Sneaky Pete's Analogue EP is out now on iTunes
Sneaky Pete - A Celebration Ode by Sugar Sheds

Singer songwriter Yvonne Lyon has been described variously as "stunning", "life affirming" and "the bees knees". Listen to (and buy!) her critically acclaimed Ashes and Gold album here. This is her version of Celebration Ode. Music written by Gareth Davies-Jones and Yvonne Lyon and performed by Gareth Davies-Jones, Yvonne Lyon, Bronwyn Davies- Jones and Steph MacLeod.
  Yvonne Lyon - Watt Song (Celebration Ode 2011) by Sugar Sheds

Life On Standby are a 4 piece female fronted electronica infused alternative rock outfit from Inverclyde, recently hitting the Glasgow live scene and working towards recording their first EP come October. 
Life on Standby - Ode To Celebration (Celebration Ode 2011) by Sugar Sheds

Inverclyde's premier pirate folk band Shinbone Al provided this rip roaring foot stomping shanty version.
Shinbone Al - Celebration Ode (2011) by Sugar Sheds

Martin Jones, a singer songwriter wanted to give the tune a bluesy, soulful feel, here's his interpretation.
Martin Jones - A Celebration Ode (2011) by Sugar Sheds

Greenock based folk rock outfit Ard-Amas made their live debut at The Sugar Sheds during the Tall Ships...as well as releasing their debut album there, so they are very much committed to the campaign!
Check out their myspace page for a preview.
Ard-Amas - Celebration Ode (2011) by Sugar Sheds

A big big thank you to everyone who took the time to be involved. Since putting them up on Saturday, we've been promised many more from other bands and performers. We'll keep posting and sharing whatever we're sent. Please check out more music from all the artists involved and support their work.

The variety and enthusiasm makes me think there's probably mileage in a whole Sugar Sheds album, we've got loads of different old folk songs, broadside ballads and poems just crying out to be reinterpreted and re-recorded. Hmmm. Watch this space.