A review of Edinburgh based band Dante as they played Hootananny on the 3rd of October, 2013.
Hootananny is the epitome of everything people love about traditional Scotland. So when Dante took to the stage, it just felt right. Their sound is a rock/folk mix up with a unmissable strong Scottish influence. I can’t think of anywhere else in Inverness that could possibly have been more perfect for them to showcase their music.
Right from the start it was clear that their sound is very different to any other band emerging from Scotland just now. They’re certainly not afraid to grab hold of their heritage with both hands and run with it, whilst still throwing in the loud guitar/drums that we all find so irresistible. Sitting there watching them, I couldn’t help but be drawn in and love every minute.
Their well sculpted sound was only made more enticing with the added male/female vocals. The music itself goes through mood swings, one minute they were treating us to dark and brooding music, the next we were involved in the liveliest ceilidh in town. There were definitely hints of a Frightened Rabbit influence – but at the same time its almost impossible to compare them to any other band.
It is without doubt that they won everyone in Hootananny over on the night, there was a buzz of excitement in the air and a few people made their way to the front of the room to flaunt their skills in Scottish dancing.
They’ve made promises to return to Inverness, and when they do I would highly recommend you head along to see them.
