Reviews / Pioneering folk idols enthral Mareel crowd
FOR THE first time since the late 1980s, legendary Scottish folk troupe the Battlefield Band took to the isles on Wednesday night for a concert at Mareel.
As deserving of their reputation, another famed folk band of the past half century opened the night. Hom Bru took to the stage a man down, although appearing as a trio did little to stem the bubbling energy synonymous with the name.
Playing many local tunes well known to the Mareel audience, they went from hauntingly tranquil in Serendipity to tongue-in-cheek charisma and energy in Da Trowie Song, which was met with understandably raucous applause.
Following them came the Battlefield Band, who came to the stage with a hushed excitement over the crowd. They were by all means eccentric – be it fiddler Alasdair White’s tweed suit or piper Mike Katz’s Norse-god-like beard – but enchanting nonetheless.
Originally formed in Glasgow in 1969 by folk luminaries Brian McNeill and Alan Reid, among others, the Battlefield’s line-up has been an ever changing one since, and has included the likes of John McCusker, the late Davie Steele, Dougie Pincock, Alastair Russell and Karine Polwart, to name but a few.
The Battlefield Band are seen as genuine pioneers in the Scottish traditional music world, with much of today’s vibrant scene able to be traced back to their mould breaking approach 40 years ago.
That pioneering approach remains intact and unbowed, with the band still regularly winning awards such as best album and best live band at the Scottish Traditional Music Awards.
Switching instruments as needs be helped expand Battlefield’s already diverse sound. Katz changed to bouzouki or tin whistle dependant on set, and pianist Hamish Napier added the flute and his vocals to the fray.
Guitarist Sean O’Donnel likewise took to the microphone for singing, and the songs performed were definite highlights. Be it the wishing of pox upon an unrequited lover or a tale of a misleading mistress, the quartet had the audience belting out choruses with ease.
The cohesion of the group in tones and harmonies was outstanding – the rich fiddle tone blended well with the boot-quaking bagpipes, while the piano and guitar played intriguing chord lines mixed with melody.
When tin whistles and flutes were added into the mix, they provided a fantastic contrast to the more bassy tones from the band. Battlefield’s prowess, individually and collectively, can never be brought into question.
In contrast to the Scottish independence debate rumbling on next door at the Shetland Museum, there’s a clear audience consensus when it comes to the Battlefield Band, as suitably demonstrated by the audience’s uproarious demands for an encore.
All that Shetland can hope for is it won’t take another quarter of a century for the folk idols to return to the isles.
Iwan MacBride
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