Niteworks, Glasgow review: 'rapturously received'

Niteworks | Ryan Buchanan

Niteworks, Academy, Glasgow ★★★

Farewell then, Niteworks, alas we hardly knew ye. Feted for their unique fusion of traditional Scottish music, electronica and thundering techno beats, the Skye-based collective announced their early retirement last year.

It’s an entirely amicable split, they just have more personal responsibilities to take care of since they formed the band as teenage schoolmates back in 2008. Such is life.

So this was, to all intents and purposes, their last ever show. And it was a good one, a rapturously received celebration of everything they’ve ever stood for.

Core members Allan MacDonald (bagpipes/keys), Innes Strachan (keys), Christopher Nicolson (bass/keys) and Ruraridgh Graham (drums) were joined on stage by Kinnaris Quintet fiddle player Fiona MacAskill, who here played an absolutely key role in the Niteworks sound, and some of the exceptional singers they’ve worked with over the years; namely, Ellen MacDonald, Eilidh Cormack and Ceitlin Lilidh from traditional Gaelic harmony group Sian, and the similarly acclaimed Scottish singer/songwriter Beth Malcolm.

Their striking vocals provided some of the show’s best moments, chief among them being a typically iconoclastic yet utterly respectful version of the traditional folk ballad John Riley, the madrigal trance of Teannaibh Dlùth, and, to close, a touching choir-backed recital of the title track from valedictory album A’Ghrian.

The indisputable highlight, however, was Somhairle, a powerful synth-driven instrumental which samples the great Hebridean poet Sorley MacLean issuing a grave warning for the future of Gaelic culture.

Backed by haunting footage from an early 1980s documentary about Skye and its people, it remains the ultimate Niteworks statement, a heartfelt political tract you can dance to. That fusion will be their abiding legacy, and it’s something to be proud of.