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A review from 5D Music & Theatre writer Maria Robertson.
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Many people have mentioned this as an amazing band to see live but the chance had never arisen until last night when one of my friends was snowed in so our mutual friend needed company for the gig. Obviously it would have been rude not to oblige, I hate seeing tickets go to waste! I am so glad I did as it was an “absolute belter” of a night!
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Beth Malcolm was supporting them, she has recently been named as Scots Singer of the Year. It was just her sat at a keyboard, but what a fabulous voice she has. Some quite quirky lyrics but sang with a smile and a lot of character.
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Niteworks burst onto the stage in a whirl of noise and excitement. It didn’t take long to get the crowd jigging away. They are a rather unique mixture of the traditional Scottish bagpipes and fiddle, with the more modern decks and pumping beats. It totally works and is a fabulous experience.
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Ellen MacDonald (of Sîan and Dàimh) joined them on stage for the second song, and several thereafter, she is a marvelous Gaelic singer and her voice carried beautifully over the funky tunes. Beth Malcom also joined them for a song later on, and indeed sings in the official video for their song John Riley. The crowd were thrilled by this collaboration and she looked pleased as punch to be there.
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Allan MacDonald plays the bagpipes and seems to have an unusual habit of looking like he’s dropping them at the end of each bout, I’m not sure if it’s connected to the fact that there’s a wire coming out of the pipes, I’ve never seen electronic pipes before! He also plays the keyboard and in one song even pulled out a tin whistle, much to my delight as that she one musical instrument I can play after attending some lessons with Fèis Obar Dheathain.
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Ruairidh Graham on the drums also seemed to be having a fun time banging away in the background. It was great to see the energy and enthusiasm that went into playing from all the band.
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The chants and feet stamping between them finishing their set, and coming back for the encore showed that the audience felt it too. The buzz in the room was truly electric!
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Further information, and 3 more Scottish dates before Christmas: https://www.niteworksband.com/
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Maria Robertson is the Chief Music & Theatre Writer for the 5D Pop Culture Website and provides reviews & coverage of local Aberdeen music & theatre gigs. She’s an experienced writer for numerous sources and is a self-confessed live gig addict ever since seeing The Counting Crows at the Barrowlands in 1994.
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