Alistair Russell

Alistair Russell has loved attending Folk Week almost every year since 1968 – as booked performer (solo and with Chris Parkinson), busker, pub musician, trader, sound engineer, MC and stand-in jack of all trades. Only his hectic period performing worldwide with Scotland’s Battlefield Band in the 80s and 90s kept him away sometimes. When not an officially programmed artist, he can be found filling in here and there for missing musicians and MCs, as is the case this year.

His approach to repertoire is simple – he sings anything which touches him emotionally in some way, sometimes traditional songs from his family homeland Scotland, but anything can crop up! His delivery is straightforward, melodic and direct. His career has featured some 16 album releases, several video/DVDs, and most recently, a largely humorous autobiographical book, written during lockdown and now almost sold out of its second print run.