Review by Jennie Macfie
Under One Sky
Ironworks, Inverness, 29 November 2008
John Tams (Photo - Paul Campbell)
Is this really the Ironworks? Cafè-style candlelit tables, black drapes over the walls – full marks for trying to soften the hard edges of this cavernous auditorium, which despite having been purpose-built has the awkward, industrial feel of a converted power station.
But, I hear you ask, enough about the dècor, what about the music? A year or so ago, multitalented performer, composer and producer John McCusker assembled a dozen very fine musicians from England and Scotland, from the trad, folk and pop scenes, and put them to work on a project entitled Under One Sky, which was jointly commissioned and showcased at the Cambridge Folk Festival and Celtic Connections, and is finally out on tour under the auspices of the Scottish Arts Council’s Tune Up scheme.
The line up was impressive. On the backline, Capercaillie’s Ewan Vernal on double bass, peerless Ian Carr on guitar, Fairground Attraction’s Roy Dodds doing his best on percussion as a substitute for Shooglenifty’s James Mackintosh (on tour in Canada), and the Battlefield Band’s Iain Macdonald on pipes and whistles. The frontline included Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake, Idlewild’s Roddy Woomble, Andy Cutting from the Kate Rusby Band and Her Excellency Julie Fowlis, our new Ambassador of Gaeldom.
But of this stellar assembly, the three musicians who stood out were all English and, at least to this reviewer, less well known. Jim Causley from Devon is blessed with a natural, classic English folk voice which rang out true and clear, especially on ‘Will I See Thee More’.
Emma Reid played a sparklng solo fiddle set in a style that owed much to her half-Swedish heritage, and displayed a mastery that was simply breathtaking. However, the surprising star of the evening was veteran songwriter, composer, producer and Albion Band stalwart John Tams.
His first solo of the evening, ‘Hold Back The Tide’, was full of passion and regret. It was, incidentally, written at Crask of Aigas (with a little help from Phil Cunningham) for Bill Bryden’s play and elegy to the Govan shipyards, The Ship. Julie Fowlis sings like an angel, of course, Roddy Woomble sings a fine tune as well, and Norman Blake has a voice to conjure with, but the honesty and richness of Tams’ voice knocked the audience for six and made him many new fans.
The set list wandered from England to Scotland and from old to new, including the eponymous track which is very lovely indeed, and even though there were times when the energy flagged a little, the next tune always revved it back up. Three dates into the tour, the band were evidently enjoying themselves, and even up on the comparatively remote heights of the Ironworks stage the good humour was irresistibly infectious. If you weren’t there, kick yourself, hard. This was not a gig to miss.
© Jennie Macfie, 2008
