Shetland-Music.com

Despite having played many single festival gigs on the mainland in previous years, Shoormal had yet to undertake their own tour. The release of their 3rd album 'Turning Tide' on Greentrax Recordings was the spur to the band to go out on the road for 6 high profile shows at some of the country's flagship venues.

Even with the addition of a new backline of Jonathan Ritch on bass and Archer Kemp on drums the band quickly got into its stride during the first two shows at Aberdeen's Lemon Tree and the Stirling Tolbooth. Singers Joyce McDill, Freda Leask and Donna Smith cast amazing spells of vocal harmony and democratically take alternate lead vocals throughout the sets. Guitarists Trevor Smith and Gordon Tulloch have incredible interplay between them and along with Gregg Arthur on keyboards create the truly definable 'Shoormal sound'.

So when they took the stage at the Queen's Hall in Edinburgh to a crowd who were really rooting for them, they produced easily the best performance of their career so far. The band played tracks from all their three releases in a confident, joyous and polished manner. New material from 'Turning Tide' was played as if they'd been doing it for years with songs like 'Camera Obscura', 'Full Circle' and the beautiful title track, sung in Shetland dialect, emphasising that the band have become one of the country's most unique acts.

Further dates, including their first ever performance in England, at the Alnwick Playhouse and an appearance at Glasgow's Big, Big World Festival were also rapturously received and they finished the tour at a packed Glenfarg Folk Club in Perthshire.

Shoormal have always come across as a very confident band on CD, this tour confirmed them as a must see vital live act. Make sure you check them out on their next outing.

Iain McQueen