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This gig was another that felt a bit like being an extra in an episode of Dr Who, you know it’s 2022 but you are handing over a ticket for a show in 2020! Yup, this show has been hit by Covid on two occasions, so it was a very relieved capacity crowd that packed the hall for a long overdue ceilidh. Up until Covid hit this double header had become a bit of a post-Christmas fixture in Stirling and tonight both bands had 70 minute sets with Skerryvore kicking off the hoolie.
The guys took to the stage and set their stall out early with ‘Put Your Hands Up’ which the crowd duly did. They then took us on a ‘Trip To Modera’ with pipers Scott Wood and Martin Gillespie blowing up a storm. Frontman Alec Dalglish then introduced the very aptly titled ‘Together Again’ which is a celebration of being able to get together and party again with friends and the Albert Hall crowd did just that.
The Ginger Grouse then made an appearance with the band raising the roof once more with ‘The Ginger Grouse Jigs’. This saw the first of tonight’s celtic rock ‘mosh pits’ with random outbreaks of ‘Strip The Willow’ style dancing breaking out across the hall!
Things were then taken down a notch with the slow lament of ‘At The End Of The Line’ with a heartfelt vocal from Alec Dalglish and some help from the assembled crowd with many a mobile phone light held aloft.
Alec then reintroduced the dynamic duo on the pipes for ‘The Showman’ with the twin bagpipe attack leading the driving melody and a tasty guitar solo from Dalglish in the mid-section. The full pelt closing section once again had the crowd on their toes and dancing along. ‘Live Forever’ then gave Alec a chance to show off his fretboard skills with the crowd again providing backing vocals on the chorus.
More jigging then ensued with ‘The Exorcists’ before the pace was dropped again with ‘Waiting For The Sun’ with the crowd once again in good voice on the chorus. ‘The Rut’ then provided another full-on stomp, ably demonstrating the musical talent in the band.
Recent single ‘You & I’ followed which went down well before Craig Espie took the spotlight with his violin blazing for the ‘Angry Fiddler’. Unfortunately, the track had to be cut short due to a medical emergency in the hall which saw a short hiatus to proceedings, fingers crossed it was nothing too serious and best wishes to those involved.
That only left time for one more track, and only one song could close out the set. ‘Take My Hand’ provided the crowd with another opportunity to raise their voices and sing along which they did willingly. The band left the stage to well deserved cheers and a feeling that the long wait had been well worth it.
The last time both Skerryvore and Manran appeared on the same stage was a few weeks prior to tonight’s show at the Hoolie In The Hydro, billed as Scotland’s biggest ceilidh. The show was the dream of Manran mainstay Gary Innes and proved to be a huge success, so much so that there is already a date in the diary for 2023. I may have to look out my dancing shoes for that one!
Tonight may not be a hoolie of such magnitude, more like a stramash in Stirling, but the packed hall was more than ready for part two and Manran were more than ready to provide the soundtrack. In the two year enforced hiatus Manran kept themselves busy with recording and releasing a new album ‘Urar’ which is the first to feature new vocalist Kim Carnie.
The band opened with Kim at the mic for ‘Ailean’, the opening track on the afore mentioned album. That then led into the familiar strains of old favourite ‘Oran na Cloiche’ with Ewan Henderson stepping up for vocal and fiddle duties.
The set proved to be a good mix of older tracks and songs from the new album and it was another new song which was up next. ‘The Loop’ is a fast paced instrumental that once again had the crowd jigging for all they were worth.
‘Alpha’ then kept the dancefloor full before we returned to the new material, the highlight being the haunting ‘San Cristobal’ with Kim on lead vocals. The pace then rose once again with ‘MSR’ which went down a storm.
One of the highlights of the new look band is the vocal sparring between Ewan and Kim on the fast Gaelic sections with both voices well suited, in perfect harmony and used to good effect over the course of the set.
More new tracks followed with ‘Crow Flies’ and ‘Crossroads’ both keeping the pace and temperature up. Ryan Murphy then took centre stage on the Ullieann pipes for a rendition of ‘Speybay Switch’ which once again saw the ‘reel pits’ open up across the hall!
‘Puirt Urar’ found Kim back on vocals and the track built from a slow, quiet start into another dance floor filler of epic proportions. It was then back to the band’s debut album for the closing duo of ‘Chasing Daylight’ and ‘Puirt’ which rounded of a great set in fine style.
After a quick trip off stage Manran then returned for an encore and were joined by Skerryvore for a set of jigs that really got the floor moving. With not a hand left unclapped or a foot left unstomped both bands took a well deserved bow from an appreciative crowd.
This may have been a very delayed gig but it was well worth the wait. With the promise of more dates in the coming year from both bands and a new album, Tempus, due from Skerryvore in late April, it looks like a bumper year in store for celtic rock.
I recommend you grab your dancing shoes and hit the dancefloor with either band, you won’t be disappointed, or even better, head to the Hoolie In The Hydro in Glasgow at the end of the year, it’s sure to be one hell of a party!
Review and photos by Dave Wilson
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