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Returning to Celtic Connections in 2019, The Afternoon Show features live performances and interviews with some very special guests from across the Festival! The annual folk, roots and world music festival , is in full swing and runs 'til the 3rd of February with an incredible range of events across Glasgow - featuring big and small names in the Scottish and international Celtic community.

Some of our favourites are coming along to Glasgow’s Cottier Theatre to give us a wee taster of the festival; performing in a relaxed ‘unplugged session showcase’ , we are very excited to welcome America's cherished folk icon Loudon Wainwright III - With many, critically acclaimed albums and a Grammy to his name, his songs encompass dark humour with direct and honest observations of his life experiences as a family man, traveller and musician. Among his classics are The Man Who Couldn’t Cry, recorded by Johnny Cash, and the infamous Dead Skunk!! (and his is acting career includes appearances on the long-running television series M*A*S*H, as singing surgeon Captain Calvin Spaulding!!)

The brilliant Grammy nominated, Nashville singer-songwriter Gretchen Peters will be on hand too - she has accumulated accolades as a songwriter for artists as diverse as Etta James, Bonnie Raitt, The Neville Brothers, Patty Loveless, George Strait, Bryan Adams and Faith Hill.

The Telegraph named her one of the greatest 60 female singer-songwriters of all time!

Festival Manager Jade Hewat, will provide an overview of this year’s Festivities… and Irish Folk Singer Karan Casey will also be playing live too - one of the most innovative, provocative and imitated voices in Irish traditional and folk music. Her career has spanned twenty five years from the early days as a jazz performer in George’s Bistro in Dublin to her heady days in New York with the band Solas to her now established solo career and she has sold over half a million albums!

All that and Scottish Songsmith, Findlay Napier, alongside Music Writer Graeme Thomson, will be discussing the work of Iain David McGeachy - AKA John Martyn – who attended Shawlands Academy!

Findlay will even be performing his classic song 'May You Never' live for us (!) so don’t miss it