Legendary Aberdeen venue The Blue Lamp, which celebrated its 70th birthday in November, was awarded a Landmark Award by Hands up for Trad ahead of the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards which were held at the city’s Music Hall last Saturday (7th December 2019).

Group the ‘Friends of the Lampie’ put forward the venue for the award, here’s why they think it’s so important to the city:

“The Blue Lamp in Aberdeen – and most especially its proprietor “Sandy Broon” – is deserving of recognition and special mention for life-long services to folk music, folk musicians and folk audiences from across Scotland and the World.

The Blue Lamp celebrated its 70th Anniversary in November 2019. For this entire period, it has been in the ownership of the Brown family. Sandy Broon first ventured behind the bar when he was a child and you will still find him there every night of the week.

We are unaware of a similar situation anywhere in Scotland. For much of its life, The Blue Lamp has been a focal point and hub for Aberdeen’s folk music scene (as well as for many other genres, cultural events and clubs).

It is a true folk bar; a no-pretence bar of the people. Resting gently just on the edge of the city centre, it’s a place where the lost can be found and those that find it can get lost in the music. There is no name above its door, only a solitary blue lamp...

The 70-year-old public bar (and small function room upstairs which opened in the 1960s) has played host to live music (formal and sessions) for most of its life. The “big room” opened in 1989, now having hosted thousands of live music events over 30 years and you would be hard pushed to find any prominent Scottish folk musician who has not performed, session-ed, heard-of or had a drink and a joke within its walls.

Beyond the folk and trad scene – including one of the longest running folk clubs in Scotland – the Blue Lamp is home to Jazz Scotland (Aberdeen). The extensive list of musicians, groups, bands, ceilidhs, promoters, festivals, clubs, University societies, comedy nights and charity events is too long to name in its entirety.

The richness of its cultural offering draws and engages local, national, and international musicians and audiences. As much as Sandy’s humble and laconic demeanour may belie this; it is our belief that we are not overstating his half-century’s worth and importance to Aberdeen in his role as a supporter, enabler and lover of live music, the musician and the folk person. If ever a life’s work is to be celebrated, now is the opportunity.”

Sandy Broon is pictured receiving the award from Hands Up For Trad's Simon Thoumire.