Review: Shooglenifty – Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

Despite the fact that the band has been on the go for around 30 years, Shooglenifty do not tour a great deal, limiting themselves to a handful of headline dates each year and a similar number of festival slots. So it is a rare privilege to be able to hear them play in Edinburgh on a windy Saturday evening for the final stop of their Dig Deep tour. So writes Catherine Coutts for theQR.co.uk…

Mindful that the audience would largely be a certain age, raked seating had been provided. However, the stairs were extremely steep, and there was no handrail! Grabbing onto random things to ensure I didn’t fall over, I was directed to the middle of the middle row: A bench-type seat for two people, which made an Easyjet flight look as though it had spacious leg room (and I’m 5’4” – I dread to think how a taller person would have felt). It may seem like I’m rambling here, but I’ll come back to this point later.

I have to confess, dear reader, that as it grew closer to the start of this gig, I became grumpier and grumpier. Although I had some prior knowledge of Shooglenifty and had done some online research before the concert, I was hoping/assuming that there would be something available in the way of a press kit, giving background information on the songs which would be played and the band’s creative process. No such luck. Thankfully, the lady at the merch stall texted me a copy of the set list. No photos, either – so it was down to my trusty but decrepit Samsung Galaxy S7 to provide a few fuzzy images. I wonder if the editor would buy me a Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra or an Apple iPhone 17 in case this problem recurs? OK – now I am rambling! (Editor’s Note: I shall be copying Catherine into a prompt email to Santa, and trust the elves have her firmly on the good list…)

Shooglenifty lead a joyous evening of uplifting music and dance

Fortunately, Shooglenifty themselves, when they took to the stage, instantly blew me away and had me bopping in my seat as much as I was able. The evening opened with the Black Dog set from Acid Croft Vol 9. Despite the name, this was the perfect opener – an energetic slice of what the band describes as “hypno-folkadelic”, with a great groove and beautiful lyrics, delivered in Gaelic by Kaela Rowan.

Fortunately, Shooglenifty themselves, when they took to the stage, instantly blew me away and had me bopping in my seat as much as I was able.

Vocalist Rowan is married to drummer James Mackintosh, who – unusually – acts as MC for the evening. Mackintosh and Malcolm Crosbie (guitar) are the only remaining original members, which gives Mackintosh an easy and humorous connection with the audience and his colleagues, who chip in now and then. For me, an essential part of the toolkit is Mackintosh’s drum machine, which is a large part of Shooglenifty’s hypnotic sound and drive.

They are joined by Eilidh Shaw on fiddle, Ciaran Ryan on banjo/mandolin and Euan McLaughlin on bass – the man described by Mackintosh as having “the best hair in Scottish music” (and he really does!) Someone somewhere – I think Ryan – is using a sampler or similar to add a more contemporary layer to the traditional instruments. Guests Heather Macleod and Gina Rae from the Bevvy sisters join twice, providing an ethereal feel with their beautiful voices.

Two dancers bravely moved from their seats at the front and started dancing whilst the band moved onto Stamina Island and My Old Pal Aonghas – written for original fiddler and frontman Angus R Grant. We’re now used to music fusing different genres and traditions so it’s easy to forget that when they first formed, Shooglenifty were pretty ground-breaking and – despite their tongue-in-cheek descriptions of themselves as “acid croft” – what they are is a fantastic blend of world, modern and traditional music which you can’t help but dance to.

Dance music for a seated audience

By this point, the entire front row and those at the sides had jumped up and were dancing with abandon. This was where the dichotomy came in for me. Shooglenifty clearly make music for dancing, so a setting with a dancefloor and some seats at the side (typical of venues such as Glasgow Art House, where you can find young whippersnappers like Face the West who have a similar sound but a youthful following) would have been perfect.

**Shooglenifty in action at the Traverse Theatre – (c) Catherine Coutts**

I was unsure if the audience members who didn’t join in with the dancing – which was most of them – felt that their joints wouldn’t take it or if like me they found the prospect of trying to squeeze out of their seats and down the stairs too difficult and terrifying. Or maybe they just don’t dance? The amount of head bopping taking place suggests that’s not true.

By this point, the entire front row and those at the sides had jumped up and were dancing with abandon. This was where the dichotomy came in for me.

Rowan gives her vocals a stretch with some puirt à beul (mouth music) towards the end of the first half. She is clearly an excellent singer with great technicality, and I would have preferred to be able to hear the intricacies of the song a capella as she was somewhat drowned out by the rest of the band. We get back in the groove with oldie Rod’s Doorway and then it’s time for a break.

New Stuff versus Old

Mackintosh tells the audience that we will be listening to a lot of “new stuff”, by which he means music from Shooglenifty’s tenth studio album, currently under development. I’m pleased to report that the “new stuff” seems infinitely danceable and that the band’s new output seems at least equal to their previous recordings. One such new recording is Bairns for Gaza (which is part keening (or lament), part lullaby). This was written by Rowan and released by the band “for all children affected by war, and especially those in Gaza”. All proceeds from the EP will go to Medical Aid for Palestinians (there were also buckets at the end of the show for the charity).

Empty Life Syndrome, Jog Yer Bones and Up the McFud finish the evening. Before the latter, the band make a few cracks about encores and advises that they WILL be playing one. That encore is the Flick It Up And Catch It set from 1996’s A Whisky Kiss, an uplifting end to a joyful evening. I wait until the row I am in has cleared and then stagger up the steps with as much dignity as I can muster and a huge smile, my head still bopping.

Featured Image: Shooglenifty – (c) Shooglenifty