Leith based singer/songwriter Kevin Gore, a regular performer at the Edinburgh Fringe and a well know figure in the Capital’s folk music scene, has displayed his talents in far flung places all over the world – but his most recent overseas excursion to Switzerland came about through particularly unusual circumstances.
The genesis for Kevin’s Swiss trip began when Jonny Lee, a Mancunian who teaches English at a high school in Basel, visited Edinburgh and, in his own words, ‘stumbled’ into the Captain’s Bar, a small pub on the Southside, where Kevin was performing.
Impressed, he purchased Kevin’s CD and took it back to Switzerland where he used the lyrics of the song Freedom Fighter as the basis of a lesson for his students. They were so impressed that, as the academic year drew to a close, they decided to provide Jonny with a surprise present by clubbing together and arranging to fly Kevin over to Basel to perform the song at their end of term celebration!
“They said to me they wanted to give me a present I’d never forget, and during the course of a celebratory meal which they’d arranged, they introduced a special guest from Scotland”, Jonny recalled.
“Into the restaurant walked Kevin with his guitar, playing Freedom Fighter. It was a top ten moment for me, really emotional, and one of my students said she had never seen my jaw hit the floor like that!
“Kevin’s songs really touched me when I saw him in Edinburgh, and I found Freedom Fighter to be especially powerful. He sang a few more after he’d had a meal with myself and my students with the entire class listening intently then joining in as he sang Independence Day, another great song from his CD.”
Kevin, who, along with fellow Edinburgh musician Bobby Nicholson recently played a six night run of sold out shows in the Czech Republic as part of the Prague Fringe, was delighted to be, once again, given the opportunity to perform in front of a European audience.
“It was an honour to be brought over to the beautiful city of Basel by the students to play at such a wonderful occasion and to take part in the tribute to their teacher,” said Kevin. “I was overwhelmed at how familiar they were with my music as they took part in singing my songs.”
Kevin and Bobby will be performing their show ‘Gone Native’ at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. Performances at 6.30 pm nightly from 2nd-26thAugust at the Royal, Oak, Infirmary Street, Edinburgh.
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