The Bluebells - Live & in conversation

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Join us at the Tolbooth Stirling for an exclusive intimate evening with The Bluebells live in concert and in conversation on 17th August!

About The Bluebells - Live & in conversation

Listed Under Nights Out Events / Music Events / Talks and Lectures Events

Presented by Tolbooth as part of the ‘What Presence: the Music Photography of Harry Papadopoulos’ Exhibition, in association with Street Level Photoworks, as part of Stirling Photography Festival.

The Bluebells currently have a new highly acclaimed album available titled “The Bluebells In The 21st Century” available from Last Night From Glasgow . The Bluebells in the 21st Century (lastnightfromglasgow.com)

The Bluebells enjoyed a whirlwind career spanning the early 1980’s with a recording output including three U.K. hit singles. “I’m Falling”, “Cath” and “Young at Heart”made with a procession of producers. Guitarist and ex-fanzine publisher Robert Hodgens (aka Bobby Bluebell) wrote instantly memorable classics in collaboration with the two McCluskey Brothers who completed the Bluebells’ essential troika and Kenneth McCluskey sang them in a likably unaffected voice, making every track count

With the release of their debut album “Sisters” in 1984 on London Records, the band toured widely in Europe and North America developing their live sound and signing to Seymour Stein’s Sire Records in the U.S.

Robert and the brothers parted company amicably in 1986 with Ken and David forming and releasing records as the McCluskey Brothers while Robert concentrated on song writing duties for various other artists including Texas and the late Sinead O’Connor as well as his own group The Poems.

In 1993 when “Young at Heart” hit the U.K. No 1 spot following its use as a T.V. advert for Volkswagon the chaps met up for some fun Top of the Pops appearances.

The Bluebells are delighted to be playing again having recently received two premier Scottish Music Business Awards including “The Tartan Clef Award for Song Writing.” at the star studded Nordoff –Robbins charity annual fund raiser at Glasgow Barrowlands.

Following the re-release of the Classic album repackaged “Sisters” album on the Last Night From Glasgow The Bluebells were encouraged by the label and fans to record new material which has manifested itself in the excellent new album “The Bluebells In The 21st Century” released in April 2023.

For this show they will be performing a variety of acoustic numbers as a three piece.

Panel Discussion:

In addition to the live performance, Nicola Meighan (BBC Scotland) will host a panel discussion on the photography of Harry Papadopoulos and will be joined by members of The Bluebells Ken McClusky and Robert Hodgens (Bobby Bluebell), as well as Malcolm Dickson (Director and Curator, Street Level Photoworks Glasgow). Some of Harry’s work is currently on show in Tolbooth Gallery (presented Street Level Photoworks, as part of Stirling Photography Festival) and there will be an opportunity to see the work before this event and during the interval. More here: https://stirlingevents.org/tolbooth-event/stirling-photography-festival-streetlevel-photoworks/

“Harry got a job on Sounds magazine as a staff photographer and he got a flat in London that was a home-from-home for all the Glasgow and Edinburgh bands like the Fire Engines, Orange Juice, the Bluebells, Aztec Camera and Joseph K. There would be sleeping bags all over his floor.”

“He was gung-ho and would be right up on stage, He was a guerrilla photographer. In the live shots you get lots of the sweat and frenzy of the time. There was no airbrushing. That’s why they have lasted the test of time.” Ken McCluskey

Header Image Photo Credit: The Bluebells, © Harry Papadopoulos, courtesy Street Level Photoworks

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