What’s On
The advent of the Wee Bear Bar has provided us with a flexible space to showcase a variety of our interests and passions. Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the bar is an excellent place to enjoy an evening drink. We frequently host live music from nationally and internationally renowned musicians, plus evening food collaborations and a variety of exciting artistic events. All upcoming music, events and tickets are advertised here, directly from the café and via our social media pages.
Adam Holmes
Friday September 13th 2024
7.30pm | £18.00 (excluding online booking fee)
“One of Scotland’s finest songwriters”
ADAM HOLMES’ 4 albums, Heirs and Graces, Brighter Still, Midnight Milkand Dreamweaver have cast an impressive shadow across the UK Folk Scene and gained him Scottish Album of the Year Nominations (in 2014, 2017 and 2018) and BBC Radio 2 Folk Award Nominations. His songs have featured widely on BBC Radio 2 and Radio 3, BBC Scotland, Edith Bowman’s BBC Scotland Quay Sessions show and Virgin Radio, amongst many others.
Brought up in Portobello and steeped in the traditions of folk music, the staff at one of the liveliest, smokiest and most famous Folk music pubs in Britain, Sandy Bells, used to make a space at the end of the bar so that an eight year old Adam could get the best view of the singers and musicians. That was the very place that Adam first picked up the skill of learning music by ear!
As an adolescent, Adam found focus through the medium of music and his dedication to his craft led to a place in the semi finals of the BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2009. His lyrics resonate like old folk songs, set to melodies rooted in the haunting slow airs and church hymns that echoed throughout his childhood.
His masterful songwriting and enchanting voice has, over the years, seen him work and share stages with; Martin Simpson, Karine Polwart, John Prine, John McCusker, Graham Coxon (Blur), Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Martin Green (Lau), Adrian Utley (Portishead), Becky Unthank (The Unthanks), Dominic Aitchison (Mogwai), Anais Mitchell, Aidan Moffat, Karine Polwart, John Wood (Nick Drake and John Martyn Producer), Simon Heyworth (mastering engineer and co-producer of Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells) and Eddi Reader.
He has shared bills with; Laura Marling, Van Morrison, Karine Polwart, Lau, Richard Thompson, Jason Isbell, The Avett Brothers, Sturgill Simpson and Chvrches.
Keen to bring his music to smaller communities, we are delighted to welcome Adam to the Wee Bear music family! – Tickets available via the link below or directly from the cafe.
Robert Vincent Trio
Thursday October 17th 2024
7.45pm | £20.00 (excluding online booking fee)
Seriously fine singer songwriter returns to the Wee Bear with phenomenal right hand men, Danny Williams & Iain Sloan.
The Wee Bear team are buzzing at the return of Rob to the cafe, after 3 years of playing and recording some seriously great songs. Rob’s voice and the quality of his songs are only enhanced by the sympathetic support of stellar players Danny Williams (Double Bass) and Wee Bear fans favourite, Iain Sloan (pedal steel).
Touring songs from his new album, Barriers (released Friday 21st June 2024), the highly acclaimed “In This Town You’re Owned” (Americana Music Association UK’s ‘Album Of The Year 2021) and I’ll Make The Most Of My Sins (2017), this is a gig not to be missed!
Tickets available from the link below or directly from the cafe.
Rob Luft & Elina Duni
Sunday November 3rd 2024
3.00pm (matineé) | £20.00 (excluding online booking fee)
It’s sometimes said that jazz vocals are supposed to sound like the singer, not the song. Departed legends from Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald to Mark Murphy and Betty Carter have epitomised that, but few contemporary jazz-influenced singers manage to sound so intensely like themselves while drawing on such a variety of genres, languages, and cultural backstories as the Albania-born vocalist ELINA DUNI.
Multi Award winning singer Elina Duni was born into a highly artistic family in Tirana in 1981 and first sang on stage at the age of five. In 1992 after the fall of the communist regime, she and her mother settled in Geneva. Soon after, she started classical piano lessons and discovered jazz, before going on to study singing and composition in the jazz department at the Hochschule der Künste Bern.
A Time To Remember is Duni’s ninth album and second with the UK’s Rob Luft (guitar). In its mix of Duni/Luft originals with European, American, Kosovan and Albanian traditional songs, it complements the same band’s cinematic 2020 ECM album Lost Ships. But Duni’s and Luft’s travels have since taken them on expeditions to the Sinai Desert and the Red Sea, and a sense of appreciative awe touches much of this music, particularly the pair’s daydreaming, note-gliding title track and the wordlessly rapturous, cymbal-shimmering Dawn.
Renowned for his impressive rise over the past few years, award winning British guitarist, composer and band leader ROB LUFT has been propelled by his selection as a BBC New Generation Artist and his collaborations with Elina Duni. These experiences have further solidified his reputation and expanded his reach throughout Europe. Now, with his new album Dahab Days, Luft demonstrates his continuous artistic growth and musical exploration, cementing his position as one of the most exciting and accomplished jazz guitarists on the scene today.
Tickets available from the link below or directly from the cafe.
