Edinburgh Folk Club, The Pleasance Cabaret Bar, Edinburgh, 20 April 2011

IT’S Ladies Night at The Edinburgh Folk Club. All-girl folk sextet, The Shee, have just about finished their set and what better way to sign off than with a new arrangement of Annie Lennox and Aretha Franklin’s ‘Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves’?

Far from being a cheesy adaptation of a feminist anthem – the BBC asked the band to cover a tune for International Women’s Day back in March – the lyrics (however clichéd) are a timely reminder that whatever the guys can do, the girls can do it better… much better.

The Shee

Currently on a nationwide tour that will take them from London to Shetland, The Shee made a welcome return to the Pleasance Cabaret Bar last Wednesday evening. With bums sat on all seats, and with many jockeying for position up the back, the brunt of the material focused heavily on new second album, Decadence, which, incidentally, folks, was arranged in Balintore.

A title that doesn’t infer self-indulgence or immorality; on the contrary, the decadence they hint at lies in the elegance and sophisticated nature of their look and musical aesthetic. As Boys From The Lough’s Cathal McConnell said during his humorous mid-show song ‘n’ whistle floor spot, they’re not only great musicians to listen to, “they’re easy to look at, too.”

Indeed. Decked out in their customary colourful outfits, each individual member of the band adds a touch of their own, personal spice to proceedings. In Lincolnshire mandolin player, Laura-Beth Salter, we have the bluegrass element; singing ‘Troubles’, she precedes it by talking of being dumped by a boyfriend, adding personal weight to what is already a heart-wringing tune.

Flautist Lillias Kinsman Blake, on the other hand, appeared tickled by the fact yet another member of the audience has visited The Drunken Duck pub – a venue that inspired one of The Shee’s most flamboyant instrumentals of the evening. Accordionist and clog-dancer, Amy Thatcher, meanwhile, impressed EFC’s Paddy Bort so much he made his feelings public – announcing that the Stockport star’s surname (she’s no relation to Maggie, rest assured) may well have discovered new-found popularity in Scotland. He’s not wrong.

The Highlands, however, is what connects the other three members of this perennially award-nominated outfit. Balintore fiddler/ vocalist, Olivia Ross, added a nice touch of Dolly Parton-esque country and western to the mix, performing a touching ode to her sister via ‘Morning Star’. Electric harpist, Rachel Newton’s Gaelic roots shone through on at least two occasions, too. The highlight, ‘Puirit’, was the best combination of Gaelic song and cute instrumental prowess this scribe has ever heard.

Shona Mooney’s highland connection, however, literally rests in a ditch. A few years back, the Borders fiddler took a wrong turn on her way to Durness. A misjudged three-point turn may have put her Peugeot in a muddy trench, but it did inspire Mooney to pen one of the band’s finest tunes (the aptly-titled ‘Down In The Ditch’) while waiting for a tractor to pull her car out of the bog.

A sexy ensemble at the peak of their powers, then, The Shee play with a cheeky confidence that can’t help but suck you in. Such over-familiarity may breed contempt in others’ hands. Under the nimble fingers of this Scottish-English lot, however, the older material is constantly evolving. More power to their elbows, as they say.

But let’s not forget the other ladies on show. Lillias’s sister, Robyn – a jeweller by trade – delivered a warming rendition of some Burns songs, aided and abetted by some finely-tuned harmonies from the audience. Rising folk-singer, Newcastle-based Lucy Farrell, too, shone during the interval with a thoughtful wee set of what she called “miserable” and “raunchy” songs.

Fortunately for our highland viewers, The Shee, will be paying a visit to Oban (Skipinnish Ceilidh House) on Thursday and Inverness (Eden Court) on Friday so do the decent thing and get yourselves down there. And if you’re lucky enough to be making your way to the Shetland Folk Festival next week, then you’re in for a treat, as these six, scintillating sirens will be performing over all six days. As the girls say themselves, they’ll be getting up to all sorts of “Shee-nanigans.” Enjoy.

© Barry Gordon, 2011

Links

• The Shee