Dàimh

2 Jul 2012 in Gaelic, Highland, Music, Showcase

One Touch Theatre, Eden Court, Inverness, 30 June 2012

FOUR Dàimh-ers stroll on stage and, with a lift of fiddler Gabe McVarish’s eyebrow and a nod of guitarist Ross Martin’s head, launch straight into their first set at a cracking pace.

Dàimh

Dàimh

Living up to their name (Dàimh means ‘kinship’), they’re musical brothers in arms, enviably tight musically – but it seems impossible that they’ll be able to sustain that level of energy all evening. A couple of sets later, they get a bit of a breather when Calum Alex McMillan joins them to sing the first of several Gaelic songs threaded through the set list; but though the pace is slower, the energy levels remain high and the interplay of his voice with the other instruments, particularly Angus Mackenzie’s whistle, is quite beautifully judged.

And so the sets proceed, each one full of fine tunes, some discovered in old collections, many written by the band’s talented tunesmiths. There have been several lineup changes in recent years – the addition of Calum Alex in 2010, the departure of bodhranist James Bremner and the arrival of Damian Helliwell in place of founder member Colm Rua on banjo and mandolin last year. Helliwell is already contributing several sets’ worth of very fine tunes, opening the second half with an Eigg-y tune about a Rabbit and a green banjo.

There is more to a great gig than selecting the right music and playing it with great technical skill. Less obvious but no less vital skills include devising arrangements which use each instrument and its player to interpret and explain the heart of the music. There’s also the art of shaping and pacing the programme. Any aspiring young musician would be well advised to watch and learn.

All too soon it’s over and the OneTouch audience shows its appreciation for an invigorating evening of music which is a clear vindication of Dàimh’s claim to be a “Gaelic supergroup’.

© Jennie Macfie, 2012

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