REVIEWS OF BLAS 2011
Blas Grand Finale - review by Iain MacDonald
Now, that's what I call a BIG finish.
What was good about the last night was the craic. And the music. And that an Eden Court Inverness audience - admittedly seeded with West Highlanders and islanders - nearly went apeshit.
What was good about the last night (in no particular order) was:
Aonghas Dubh being pithy (I think that's the word): the Feis Kids, who just did Eilidh and Calum Alex and the crew proud by being fantastically self-assured and confident and alone on the stage and just there on merit:
Mànran being Gaelic's answer to the Boy Band and also dynamic and full-on and very, very good. Norrie's voice reminds me of being on an Atlantic beach on the west coast of Lewis, if that's not too fanciful. There were girlie screams, sympathy for Kingussie and they played Latha Math. Take that.
Dàimh were excellent. Calum Alex's stage presence continues to get better and better. So does his voice, which started from a pretty high base, anyway. Father Seumas, who was allegedly still at school when he was 28, beat his last bodhran with them, and Ross Martin told several very long stories. The one about the sound man who hit an ostrich on the side of Loch Ness, and thought he'd killed a dinosaur, was probably the best.
And then there was Cherish the Ladies. Did anyone need to be told that Tropical Storm Joni Madden came from the Bronx? I don't think so. She's a phenomenal musician, which you might miss behind the massive personality. She dragged Dàimh on to do an encore, and most of them hid from her on the other side of a grand piano. This was the band who'd earlier suggested they were the male version of Manran. Cojones appeared to be shrinking in the shade of the piano.....though Father Seumas and Calum Alec DID make it out front into the Joni Madden force field.
She was balanced out by guest singer Don Stiff, who has a great classic Irish folk voice. Bring him back to Blas, please.
Then there was the Irish dancer from Birmingham, his feet a blur, from when he leapt onstage to when he bounced off it. And the little old lady who sought him out afterwards to tell him he was the star of the show. While he was having a fag. Which gives hope to us all........
I've never known the lobby at Eden Court buzzing after a gig as much as this one did.
What was good about this gig? Oh, just about everything. Worship the Women.
And let's do it again next year.
Iain MacDonald
What was good about the last night was the craic. And the music. And that an Eden Court Inverness audience - admittedly seeded with West Highlanders and islanders - nearly went apeshit.
What was good about the last night (in no particular order) was:
Aonghas Dubh being pithy (I think that's the word): the Feis Kids, who just did Eilidh and Calum Alex and the crew proud by being fantastically self-assured and confident and alone on the stage and just there on merit:
Mànran being Gaelic's answer to the Boy Band and also dynamic and full-on and very, very good. Norrie's voice reminds me of being on an Atlantic beach on the west coast of Lewis, if that's not too fanciful. There were girlie screams, sympathy for Kingussie and they played Latha Math. Take that.
Dàimh were excellent. Calum Alex's stage presence continues to get better and better. So does his voice, which started from a pretty high base, anyway. Father Seumas, who was allegedly still at school when he was 28, beat his last bodhran with them, and Ross Martin told several very long stories. The one about the sound man who hit an ostrich on the side of Loch Ness, and thought he'd killed a dinosaur, was probably the best.
And then there was Cherish the Ladies. Did anyone need to be told that Tropical Storm Joni Madden came from the Bronx? I don't think so. She's a phenomenal musician, which you might miss behind the massive personality. She dragged Dàimh on to do an encore, and most of them hid from her on the other side of a grand piano. This was the band who'd earlier suggested they were the male version of Manran. Cojones appeared to be shrinking in the shade of the piano.....though Father Seumas and Calum Alec DID make it out front into the Joni Madden force field.
She was balanced out by guest singer Don Stiff, who has a great classic Irish folk voice. Bring him back to Blas, please.
Then there was the Irish dancer from Birmingham, his feet a blur, from when he leapt onstage to when he bounced off it. And the little old lady who sought him out afterwards to tell him he was the star of the show. While he was having a fag. Which gives hope to us all........
I've never known the lobby at Eden Court buzzing after a gig as much as this one did.
What was good about this gig? Oh, just about everything. Worship the Women.
And let's do it again next year.
Iain MacDonald
Jim Gilchrist preview in The Scotsman of Heisgeir
http://news.scotsman.com/entertainment/Folk-jazz-etc-Julie-Fowlis.6831776.jp
Sue Wilson review in Northings of Heisgeir
http://northings.com/2011/09/12/blas-2011-heisgeir/
Kenny Mathieson review in Northings of Balach na Bonaid
http://northings.com/2011/09/15/balach-na-bonaid-the-boy-and-the-bunnet/
Sue Wilson review in Northings of Karen Matheson Band
http://northings.com/2011/09/15/blas-2011-karen-matheson-band/
Sue Wilson review in The Scotsman of Inverness Airport event
http://news.scotsman.com/entertainment/Gig-review-The-Outside-Track.6835848.jp
Sue Wilson review in The Scotsman of Fèis Rois 25th Anniversary
http://news.scotsman.com/gig-reviews/Folk-review-Fis-Rois-aig.6835209.jp
Sue Wilson review in The Scotsman of Heisgeir and Celebrating the Regal Pipe
http://news.scotsman.com/gig-reviews/Festival-review-Blas-Festival.6835217.jp
Sue Wilson review in Northings of The Outside Track
http://northings.com/2011/09/14/blas-2011-the-outside-track/
Sue Wilson review in Northings of Angus Grant concert at Invergarry
http://northings.com/2011/09/16/blas-2011-aonghas-grants-80th-birthday
Kenny Mathieson's review in The Scotsman of Hallaig in Inverness
http://news.scotsman.com/entertainment/Folk-review-Hallaig--A.6838593.jp
http://news.scotsman.com/entertainment/Folk-jazz-etc-Julie-Fowlis.6831776.jp
Sue Wilson review in Northings of Heisgeir
http://northings.com/2011/09/12/blas-2011-heisgeir/
Kenny Mathieson review in Northings of Balach na Bonaid
http://northings.com/2011/09/15/balach-na-bonaid-the-boy-and-the-bunnet/
Sue Wilson review in Northings of Karen Matheson Band
http://northings.com/2011/09/15/blas-2011-karen-matheson-band/
Sue Wilson review in The Scotsman of Inverness Airport event
http://news.scotsman.com/entertainment/Gig-review-The-Outside-Track.6835848.jp
Sue Wilson review in The Scotsman of Fèis Rois 25th Anniversary
http://news.scotsman.com/gig-reviews/Folk-review-Fis-Rois-aig.6835209.jp
Sue Wilson review in The Scotsman of Heisgeir and Celebrating the Regal Pipe
http://news.scotsman.com/gig-reviews/Festival-review-Blas-Festival.6835217.jp
Sue Wilson review in Northings of The Outside Track
http://northings.com/2011/09/14/blas-2011-the-outside-track/
Sue Wilson review in Northings of Angus Grant concert at Invergarry
http://northings.com/2011/09/16/blas-2011-aonghas-grants-80th-birthday
Kenny Mathieson's review in The Scotsman of Hallaig in Inverness
http://news.scotsman.com/entertainment/Folk-review-Hallaig--A.6838593.jp
