Emily Smith Band
Item Posted: Wednesday 28th March , 2007
Emily Smith Band
This review appeared in 24/7 Scottish Music
SELL OUT AT LOCH GOIL
A full house greeted the Emily Smith Band at their recent Loch Goil concert. Within a couple of sets an appreciative audience realized why she had won the Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician of the Year in 2002. Her strong, pure and emotion-packed singing voice gave the audience Scots song at its best. Emily sings Scots traditional ballads, adding in some of her own compositions, which are very much in the style of the older tunes. In time maybe few people would be able to distinguish between the old and the new! Well on the way to becoming a major song lyricist, she joked that as Scots song seems almost exclusively about betrayal, death and the Clearances, she was forced to write some cheerful tunes to relieve the misery.
With a breathtaking voice that captures the essence of Scots song, Emily is bridging the gap between the old and new traditions of Scottish folk music. Together with her band, their fresh approach to songs and instrumentals are setting the Scottish folk scene alight.
Purists might be most moved by the songs which she sang unaccompanied, her eyes closed and, clearly and with no artifice, moved by the music. But generally the quality of backing was perfectly pitched. Too often singers are drowned by their musicians, but her line up is now both professional and self-effacing. Emily has the ability and charisma to lead from the front. Steve Byrne on bouzouki and guitar, whom many of the audience know through his membership of Malinky, is multi-talented and has a dry wit which complements Emily’s engaging stage personality. Emily has the ‘michael’ gently taken out of her by the band for her tendency to long-winded introductions to songs; which is both humorous and engaging for the audience. Jamie McClennan, originally from New Zealand , makes up the trio, on fiddle and flute. Quite capable of pyrotechnics on the fiddle, he too understands when it is appropriate to take a back seat and allow the lead singer to shine through.
Their choice of sets was ideal for a general audience who appreciate traditional music, but are not necessarily connoisseurs of Scots song. They added in rousing instrumental sets which allowed Jamie to show his exuberance, and Steve to come more to the fore. It is not often that a top performing singer can also shine as an instrumentalist, but Emily also impressed on the keyboards and the accordion.
The Emily Smith Band now have a great line-up of top quality musicians, an outstanding singer, and a blend of stage personalities that should ensure enthusiastic audience response wherever they go, but this band’s days at small village halls like ours might be numbered. Living Tradition magazine said of her Celtic Connections performance ‘ she is a star of the present day and it will be a major shock if she gets booked to play smaller venues for much longer.’ If this turns out to be true, the Loch Goil audience were particularly fortunate.
The Fiddle Workshop, who arranged the concert for Loch Goil, is increasingly involved in partnerships with groups in other villages and towns –mainly in Cowal. They are holding concerts in Cairndow, Strone, Strachur, Inverarary, Ardrishaig, and Tarbert. More details can be found on www.fiddleworkshop.co.uk
The concert was sponsored by ScottishPower renewables and Footstompin’ Records, who produced Emily’s first CD. The growing band of locals and visitors who are attending the year’s concert series, really appreciate these sponsors’ help in continuing to help us access such quality musicians. A raffle was also held on the night which raised much needed money for the Lochgoilhead Primary School computer fund.