IAN SINCLAIR draws attention to the powerful role that literature plays in foreseeing the way humanity will deal with climate crisis
Piratical folk
PETER MASON relishes a band whose live gigs make for a night to remember

Mad Dog Mcrea
Creative Scilly Festival, Isles of Scilly
IF you’re looking for a quiet night out, then best avoid Mad Dog Mcrea. Considered reflection is hardly their bag — at least not in a live setting.
Plymouth-based and West Country-proud, breakneck piratical folk is their stock in trade, and even the “slow ones” finish at a frenetic pace.
It’s drink-along, singalong music, with a ragbag of influences spanning everything from country rock to music hall and back.
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