Rura, TradFest, Summerhall

They're still very young, but Rura are already a well established force on the folk scene.  This was their first gig without vocalist Adam Holmes, but they had an excellent replacement in Dallahan's Jack Badcock.   As they also did with Holmes, the singer doesn't take the stage for the opening sets of tunes, only joining the others for the songs.  This does lend a curiously disjointed feel to the performance at times.

Which does nothing to detract from the music itself.  Right from the start this band show they know how to raise the spirits.  Well balanced sets of tunes, a mix of traditional and modern, varied tempos and instrumentation, and imaginative arrangements make for high octane traditional style music.  Adam Brown's guitar provide a solid backing to the melodies of fiddle, whistles, flute and highland bagpipes.  Add in David Foley's subtle bodhran playing and you have driving rhythms and powerhouse sound.

Badcock's voice is softer than that of Holmes, and the sound man wasn't doing him any favours at times, but the band have chosen well and he fits right in.  Even those already familiar with Adam's delivery of establish Rura favourites like Mary and Allegory could have no complaints about Jack's renditions.  Brown and fiddler Jack Smedley took on most of the introductory duties to give us a bit of background to the numbers, and Foley provides some amusing interjections.

Rura are developing into one of the best live acts on the folk scene delivered an exciting night of music.  There's nothing quite like the rousingly muscular sound of the bodhran and pipes to get the blood pumping.