Music player on Dan's website ׀ Download photos ׀ A3 poster ׀ Brochure copy and short bios. ׀ Full Living Tradition review ׀ www.danmckinnon.ca
"Dan McKinnon is a brilliant Canadian folk musician with unparalleled song writing and interpreting skills and a voice that could in fact fill a castle! But what’s more…he connects so beautifully with his audiences, he engages, and respects them, and you will be brought on a wonderful storytelling journey from start to finish. Guaranteed! Dan tours throughout just about the entire UK each year in addition to a busy schedule across the Atlantic, and every show is a special treat. Songs from the heart, many maritime, many from the land, written with respect for the folk tradition(s), and every one of them stories you won’t forget." - Larry Kaplan
"Undoubtedly the hit of Cleckheaton Festival this year... "
Though he can trace his family back to the Skye McKinnons, only a few generations removed from Scotland, Dan himself hails from Halifax, Nova Scotia, in the Canadian Maritimes, an area rich in the musical and cultural traditions of the North Atlantic.
"A special night with Dan McKinnon. Marvelous powerful voice delivering many thought provoking original songs with great story telling to set the scene... Very accomplished guitar accompaniment using several different tunings to great advantage... Just lovely..."
- - Cramlington Folk 2022
Dan's warm baritone voice, superb guitar arrangements and original compositions have won him widespread praise. Dan's thoughtful compositions and smooth melodies cover the entire folk spectrum, with themes traditional, historical, contemporary and universal.
A gentle unassuming man - one of nature's gentlemen, in fact - who travels around the UK by train and bus with a backpack and a guitar on his annual tours from Canada. Dan has tremendous stage charisma and engages an audience - both hearts and minds. He's equally happy on a large festival stage or a small venue or folk club, telling stories in song. And what stories... tales of the British war brides of Canadian servicemen in the 1940s... the story of how Canadian merchant navy sailors eventually got the recognition they deserved for their war service - sixty years late... tales of his own grandfather and learning about Aesop's fables as a child... the true tale of a bride who wanted the best wedding dress and lost her beau by chasing her dream...
Download the Living Tradition article about Dan (pdf) or Read as a jpg
"An excellent night of music from Dan McKinnon at Catshill last night. Great songs sung with a truly awesome voice and introduced with interesting and entertaining chat. A true master of his craft."- Bob Bignell, Brosgrove Folk Club and Festival
"One hell of a treat to see. He's a great singer, great songwriter, and a great performer." - Mick Peat, BBC Radio Derby
Here's a full concert set from Dan's home to Northwich Folk Club during the 2020 lockdown.
"Dan put down nothing short of a stunning night for us at the Old Oak. Warm, humorous, immensely talented guitarist and a splendid singer of his own songs. A very special performer indeed." - Keith Kendrick, Old Oak Mini-concerts.
Dan is picking up an enormous amount of airplay from all over the world for tracks from his CDs and he's received nominations for two MIANS Awards: Folk/Roots Recording of the Year & Male Artist Recording of the Year! People keep giving him other awards, too: As far back as 1998 he was given the AMTEC Award of Merit in the audio category for the album Between Wind and Water and he was the Nova scotia winner in the tenth and final CBC Atlantic Song Contest for the song, "Lakes of Bras d'Or."
With half a dozen TV and video credits, hundreds of airplays, seven CDs to his credit, Dan is well established in his native Canada and has an enthusiastc fan base in the UK and airplay across the world.
Tours booking now:
Oct-Nov 2024
and
March-April 2025
OCTOBER 2024
Tue 1st
Dartford Folk Club
Dartford WMC, Essex Road, Dartford, DA1 2AU
Sat 5th
Craigie Folk Club
Craigie Village Hall, Craigie Village, by Kilmarnock
Mon 7th
Stirling Folk Club @
Stirling Rugby Club, Bridgehaugh Park, Causewayhead Road, Stirling, FK9 5AP
Sun 13th
Bothy Folk
The Bijou Cinema, 8 Post Office Avenue, Southport, PR9 0US
Mon 14th
Mansfield Folk Club
Forest Town Arena on Clipstone Road West, Mansfield, NG18 0ED
Wed 16th TBC
Carrington Triangle
he Gladstone, 45 Loscoe Road, Carrington, Nottingham, NG5 2AW
Thur 17th
Newport Folk Club
Newport Fugitives Athletic Club, Off High Cross Road, Newport, NP10 9AD
Sat 26th
Hungate Church, Hungate, Beccles, NR34 9TL
Mon 28th
Grand Union Folk Club
The Horse & Trumpet, 4 Barrow Road, Sileby, Leicester, LE12 7LP-
Wed 30th
Cottingham Live,
The Back Room 173 Hallgate HU16 4BB
Thu 31st
Bromsgrove Folk
Catshill Social Club, 13 Meadow Road, Catshill, Bromsgrove B61 0JJ
NOVEMBER 2024
Fri 8th
Northwich Folk
Royal British Legion (Social) Club, Firth Fields, Davenham, Northwich CW9 8J
Sun 10th
Folk on the Moor
The Moorland Hotel, Wotter, Plymouth, PL7 5HP