Jarvis Cocker to appear at Celtic Connections

INDIE icon Jarvis Cocker is to make his debut at Glasgow’s biggest music festival next month.

Jarvis Cocker will appear at Celtic Connections. Picture: Jayne Wright

The former Pulp frontman has been announced in the Celtic Connections line-up for a special tribute concert for the late singer-songwriter Ewan MacColl.

The 51-year-old singer, whose band shot to fame at the height of the “Britpop” era in the mid-1990s, will be joined by Kate St John, Dick Gaughan, Martin Carthy, Eliza Carthy and Karine Polwart for the Burns Night concert.

It is being staged to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the birth of Lancashire-born MacColl, who is best known for songs like Dirty Old Town and The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.

This year’s Celtic Connections festival will open with a special tribute concert to the ground-breaking Scottish musician and composer Martyn Bennett ahead of the 10th anniversary of his death at the end of January.

Among the festival headliners are Fairport Convention, Craig Armstrong, Eddi Reader, Carlos Nunez, Blazin’ Fiddles, Shooglenifty, Lambchop and King Creosote.