So, what’s a ceilidh band doing here in the American –roots music infused pages of Blabber’n’Smoke? Much of it is down to simple intrigue. Skyrie, who recently performed at Celtic Connections’ Danny Kyle stage might play traditional Scots music but two of their members have what might be termed rock’n’roll backgrounds playing with acts as diverse as Nazareth, Big Country and Shirley Manson of Garbage.
The band are composed primarily of a trio, Lesley Thompson Smith on fiddle and whistle, Jimmy Anderson on guitar and bass, and Chris Smith on drums and bodhran, but often play live with an expanded line up. Ceilidh-Celi, their latest release was Celtic Music Radio’s Album of the Week back in September of last year and having listened to it we can understand why. It’s a grand listen, even without the benefit of a ceilidh floor to get up and dance to it.
When on stage the band have been described as being “Hotter than a goat’s butt in a pepper patch!” but the album is somewhat more restrained although there are moments when it’s hard not to at least get both feet tapping furiously, not least on the boisterous Virginia Reel where the band reach out across the ocean to add some Appalachian tones. Much closer to home is the Auchtermuchty Hat Dance, the title alone enough to draw you in but an excellent fiddle tune with Thomson Smith skirling and bowing as if possessed while Chris Smith’s bodhran is assisted by his skilful full drum set up giving the tune a propulsive beat. From the start, opening with a tune called Whisky on which Thompson Smith and Anderson display their respective skills quite excellently and there’s much joy to be had when they both take their turns to indulge in short solos. However, it’s when the band are truly locking step that the tunes are most infectious. In this they are ably supported on the disc by the award winning multi instrumentalist Fraser Fifield.
With tunes indulging in most of the favourite traditional ceilidh styles – reels, military two step, Gay Gordons and Strip The Willow – this album is just about all you need for a home made ceilidh. Roll back the carpet, get the drinks in and turn it up loud.
Blabber 'n' Smoke 