Alt.rock group Grant Lee Buffalo have been forced to withdraw from Glasgow’s Celtic Connections festival after the band’s singer, Grant-Lee Phillips, tore his achilles tendon on stage in Oslo.
Phillips is presently undergoing tests to determine if surgery is going to be required, and is expected to be back on his feet in four to five months time.
Grant Lee Buffalo were due to reform this January for three performances including a concert at Glasgow’s Old Fruitmarket on January 14 as part of the big annual midsummer bash. Unfortunately, as a result of Phillips’ injury, the band has been forced to cancel their appearance at the event and reschedule their London and New York performances.
As Celtic Connections takes place in January only, it has not been possible to reschedule the Glasgow date.
But the development has created a major opportunity for West Virginian hot shots, The Fox Hunt, who have been added to the Celtic Connections programme on January 14.
The four-piece play a wild and fresh brand of American roots music that “recalls the early days when Hank was hungry and living out of a suitcase”.
Earlier this year, they teamed up with The Henry Girls from Co Donegal in a transatlantic song-writing collaboration that struck gold. Both went on to tour together and made festival appearances in Ireland and, having kept the creative partnership going, will premiere the latest material to emerge.
The Fox Hunt played in Japan this year and The Henry Girls – sisters Joleen, Lorna and Karen McLaughlin – have performed in America and won an Irish Film & Television Award nomination for the score they wrote for the film “A Shine of Rainbows”.
Of the injury that brought about the cancellation, Phillips says regretfully, “It’s an awful disappointment. I know a lot of people, all of us, were looking forward to these shows this winter. I certainly wish this could have been avoided and I apologise for the inconvenience.”
The Fox Hunt say they are thrilled to have been given a slot on the programme and are excited to be playing in Scotland again after touring there before.
