Magpie Arc

MAGPIE ARC

IAC 7th February 2025

Another of those gigs you look forward to from the moment it is announced... the return of the superb The Magpie Arc. Tonight with a bit of a difference in that Martin Simpson was unwell but they had a quality replacement in Sam Carter.

This band is pure quality all the way through.... led by the larger than life singer/guitarist Findley Napier along with Nancy Kerr (fiddle/vocals/guitar) Sam Carter (guitar/vocals) Tom Wright (drums/vocals) and Alex Hunter (bass)

The band kick off with a couple of ensemble pieces.. first sung by Findlay who has a mighty voice, strong, clear and full of character and assurance, the second piece sung by Nancy... and if you haven't been in a room and heard her sing you are seriously missing out.. .her voice is clear and sweet and totally enthralling... from then the three front line singers each did a solo,

Findlay delivering. "The Cod Liver Oil and the Orange Juice" (made famous, or notorious perhaps, by Hamish Imlach). Sam delivered one of his own excellent songs, "The Forge" and showed himself a high class singer as well as brilliant guitar player... The solo sectioned ended with Nancy singing one of her own pastoral songs... absolutely beautiful.

The band then returned with Nancy taking the lions share of the vocals...

The second half opened with a mighty band performance of "Tough as Teddy Gardner" about the 1980's miners strikes and featuring an outstanding powerhouse vocal performance by Findlay. Other highlights in the set included "The Cutty Wren" (involving a purely symbolic killing of a wren) and a ballad segueing into "Wassail", with a verse of a traditional wassail song sung by an old welsh traditional singerl inking the two.

This was an absolutely scintillating performance by a very high class band. The contrast between the three singers ensures great variety in style and feel through the show and the instrumental side of the band absolutely impeccable... driven by the superb Tom and Alex on drums and bass respectively, and with Findlays guitar, some superb guitar lines from Sam and Nancys brilliant fiddle playing making a glorious whole.

Absolutely brilliant musicianship throughout... superb singing and hugely exhilarating show... folk-rock at its very best

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