Mairearad and Anna, Edinburgh Folk Club

Although we've recently seen them both within different line ups (Anna with Blazin' Fiddles, Mairearad in the Poozies) it's been a while since we last saw this duo together, and this was a gig we'd been looking forward to for months.  The reality easily met our high expectations.

I'm not sure how many instruments Anna Massie excels on, but tonight there were only the three - guitar, fiddle and tenor banjo.  She is undoubtedly one of Scotland's greatest guitarists, and gives a pretty fine impression of being a virtuoso on pretty much everything else she has a go at.  And with the duo, who used to only play instrumentals, now adding a few songs into their set list, she also gets to show a pleasant singing voice, at it's best tonight delivering a Nancy Griffith number.  She is also one of the funniest musicians out there, with stand up a possible alternative career should she ever decide to give up the music (dire thought).

Mairearad and Anna have been playing together for more than a decade and it shows in everything they do.  Ms Green is the perfect complement to her partner, primarily on piano accordion, but with a few blasts of highland bagpipes thrown into the mix.  She gives the impression of barely brushing the keys as her fingers dart up and down like a dancing gecko.  And Mairearad, in the one song where she took the lead vocal, has a surprisingly husky voice from such angelic features.

The set includes traditional and modern material, much of the latter penned by themselves, sporting names like T Shirts in March and Malteser Madness.  There is romance, sadness, passion, drama, excitement and danciness sprinkled across the evening, a well balanced choice of tunes and songs.  Anna's accompaniments to the accordion melodies are sparklingly inventive, often a tune within a tune, and there is always something going on to keep the interest levels high.  With a lot of laughs thrown in, musically, verbally and physically.  Both performers contribute to the patter between numbers, with background information on the material and some hilarious anecdotes.  And when they start playing the constant flow of grins and laughs between them is a mark of how much they enjoy playing together.

Highlight of the night was the closing encore, with what might be the ultimate haters' combo of instruments - banjo and bagpipes together.  A rousing set of tunes to end the gig on.

All this and free M&A gin mats too....