‘If I take this wave to sea,’ sings Rachel Sermanni as she opens the penultimate gig in King Tuts Summer Nights series. It’s an apposite line as song after beautiful song proceed to lap gently before us. She is flanked by two violinists, with everyone in the band minus the drummer (male) clad in exquisite dresses and looking wonderful. On looks alone they are a thumbs up but the songs are what’s really striking. The quieter moments harness Sermanni’s vocals, which work particularly well with the plucked violin notes and low key backing. When things get louder the Celtic purr underpinning the music becomes a roar and the foot-stamping boisterousness is great fun.
It’s pleasing to see a full house from the very first band and an enthralled crowd stay put as Washington Irving take to the stage. This is a different proposition altogether, a stage full of bodies wielding guitars, mandolins and a flute. The ensemble is the thing here and the band are built to make a glorious din. As songs reach their conclusions arms strum wildly, lungs are exhausted and fingers blistered to create a sound that is truly captivating. The only dampener is that every songs seems to drift along the same path and all roads lead to crescendo. Without a doubt, however, there is charm enough to make for an enjoyable set that keeps up the momentum of the night.
When The French Wives reach the stage they find a crowd bursting at the seams. With festival appearances and more gigs that anyone can remember the Wives are becoming firm favourites in Glasgow but tonight’s set is a little different. It’s distinguished firstly by the presence of four new songs that fall neatly into the repertoire. Big Brave Boy has a darker, minor chord feel than the material we’re used to and hits the ground running whilst the newest of the bunch is quick paced and exciting, a perfect precursor to Me v Me.
And then there’s the crowd. It’s testament to Tuts and the organisers of the evening for matching up the bands so neatly and selling the place out but the atmosphere is really something. Clichés they may be, but when a band asks the crowd to sing along and they do and then asks them to clap and they do then they are doing something right. The relationship between band and audience is strong and the appeal and enjoyment in the songs is matched by the onstage persona of the band. The night ends on a dance-laden high and it’s blindingly obvious that the Wives are on top form. I’m tempted to end with an ‘Oh.... those Summer Nights’ joke, but I won’t. I would only spoil a perfect gig.
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