Stay (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), Traverse

 A romcom musical with a heavy dosage of sentimentality and emotional manipulation. Sounds a bit too Hollywood for the Traverse? You'd not be far off.

Kit (Daisy Ann Fletcher) and Rowan (Craig Hunter) have met up in a scruffy public park to scatter the funeral ashes of a loved one onto a pond. It's a slightly tense encounter, what with them being past lovers. In fact they were engaged before she left him. So why are they doing this together? And are they're affections for one another still alive?

While much of the script is in natural dialogue, there are several songs - of the tune free variety so beloved by the modern musical. Even a bit of dancing. Both have decent voices, with Fletcher the pick of the pair, both for her singing and acting performances. The music doesn't really add anything, and I found myself getting bored during those parts of the action, and waiting for things to move along.

Just when it looks like we're moving towards a predictable ending a twist arrives which Hollywood would feel very much at home with), although there have been clues along the way. The emotional manipulation comes on strong at this point. There is some effort to provide a few thoughts on the subject of grief, but song isn't really the vehicle for something that serious.

There were some strong jokes scattered through the 50 minutes, and a well acted scene where some ducks exert an influence, but overall I was glad to see the end arrive.  

Lau-Land, Leith Theatre, Edinburgh International Festival

It was a clever move for the band to put themselves at the top of the schedule - their many fans turned up early and that guaranteed that subsequent acts would play to good sized crowds.  Of course the downside is having to follow one of the best bands in the world....

There was no shortage of variety on offer, as the following line up testifies :

Born to Explore Stage
LAU 7.30 pm  
Whitburn Brass Band 8.35 pm
Joan As Policewoman 9.15 pm
Nadah El Shazly 10.45 pm
James Holden & The Animal Spirits 11.45 pm
Some Chick Called Bob 12.45 am

Beasts of Trad Stage
Rona Lightfoot & Brighde Chaimbeul 9.00 pm
Alasdair Roberts 10.00 pm
RANT 11.00 pm
Landless 12.00 am

Open Trad Singing Session
with Siobhan Miller, Alasdair Roberts, Landless & friends 10.00 pm

Lau provided a predictably brilliant opening to the evening, starting with an acoustic rendition of the haunting Ghosts through to the full electronic experience including a couple of tracks from their forthcoming album.  I won't attempt to review the remaining acts as I flitted about and took in bits and pieces.  The Whitburn Band was a highlight, playing a modern orchestral piece with control and passion, and Rant were outstanding.  The Born to Explore stage lived up to the name with experimental music, and Joan as Policewoman a more conventional pop and soul presence.

It was a delight to see Leith Theatre being fully utilised, both stages occupied, both rooms packed.  Lau have created another triumph.

Celtic Connections present Julie Fowlis + Le Vent du Nord, Leith Theatre, Edinburgh International Festival

Celtic Connections in August?  In Edinburgh?  In will still be back home in Glasgow come January, but for one night it was the backer for a double bill of two outstanding bands.

First up was Julie Fowlis and her band playing guitar, bouzouki, fiddles and Julie herself on whistles and harmonium (and joined for the final few numbers by 'Mr Celtic Connections', Donald Shaw, on accordion).  Renowned as one of the country's finest Gaelic singers, she also gave us songs in English and Galician, and reminders that she's a very talented musician too.  Traditional and modern numbers, slow airs and foot tapping reels, Scots and Irish tunes.  The arrangements don't break much ground, but deliver traditional music with flair and passion, strong solos and great ensemble playing.  And a beautiful rendition of The Beatles' Blackbird, translated into Gaelic.

Fowlis is a compelling front woman, amusing, interesting, one of our great national voices, and her puirt à beul singing offers a hard to believe rate of syllables per second!  A great set to open the night.

For all that Fowlis and co are a fully fledged headline act, in terms of stage presence they still fall short of the second act of the night.  I've reviewed Le Vent du Nord gigs before, in Glasgow and in London, and there's not a lot I can add to my previous descriptions of their musicianship, style of play and ability to bond with their audience.

They're now a 5 piece outfit, with the addition of the flamboyant Andre Brunet (brother of bass and accordion player Rejean) on fiddle, podorythmie, and vocals.  Both old and new tunes stick to the Quebecois tradition, meaning there's lot's of call and response songs, rich, sonourous, muscular harmony singing, and a storming beat to get the body moving.  All this delivered with a genuine passion and a clear sense of self.  This is music that defines who the musicians are, that is a natural part of their being.  There's plenty humour too, making both the audience and themselves laugh.  It's all infectious stuff.

Julie Fowlis joined them for a few numbers (adding French to her list of languages on the night....), on vocals and whistle, clearly swept up in the joy of the moment.  As were we.  I was still buzzing hours later.  A Le Vent du Nord gig is one of the world's great entertainments.