The Poozies

The Poozies play The Greystones on Wednesday 4 November, their only Sheffield date that autumn. It's a Scottish all-female trad band that's been around since 1990, when Patsy Seddon and Mary Macmaster got together after working with singer Sally Barker. All-Ireland accordion champion Karen Tweed joined them later, and they burst onto the folk scene in 1991, back when folk was still mostly relegated to dingy back rooms and late-night BBC2. They set out to be an all-female group in a very male-dominated scene, and they've stayed that way ever since.

The name comes from Poozie Nancys, a den of iniquity frequented by Robert Burns. The four founders still debate whether the word's now-obvious meaning was realised at the time, though the feeling now is that it was pretty rock and roll. They were at the forefront of the wave that revolutionised traditional Scots and Gaelic music in the nineties, and they've toured worldwide since then, building a following on their eclectic choice of material, unusual arrangements and heart-tugging vocal harmonies.

It's a long-running act, so they've got a deep well of material to draw from. The set will be their usual mix of traditional Scots and Gaelic music, played with the same arrangements and harmonies that have defined them since the start. If you're familiar with the Scottish trad scene, you'll recognise the sound; if you're not, it's a good place to start.

The gig is at The Greystones on Greystones Road, Sheffield S11 7BS, starting at 7:30pm. Tickets are £24.20, which includes the booking fee.