Fiddler in the Loop, at Eden Court, Inverness, on the 25th of July 2015, A review.
After a brief detour where I manage to get lost on the way to the venue and a quick drink in the bar area, tickets are secured. We are ushered into the OneTouch theatre, are directed to our seats and settle down to the usual quiet muttering of the audience. About 15 minutes later, Luca Ciarla walks onto the stage.
With no introduction, he sets up a tablet, presses some buttons, and starts to scratch at his fiddle and blow quietly into the microphone. My initial thoughts are confusion and worry as to what I have gotten myself into. Who is this madman on stage who sounds worse than I do when I play the fiddle (which, by the way, sounds a lot like a cat being murdered)?
Then the loop machine does what it does, and I see a glimpse of what is to come. The scratching and blowing gets repeated, with more playing layered on top, and he starts to build up a beautiful song. It is an amazing thing to watch and to experience, as we (the audience) see each step of this fantastic music created and built upon. The highlights of the performance are his cover of ‘Elenor Rigby’ by The Beatles, and the short video animation by Keziat with Lucas accompaniment.
Luca most definitely knows his way around a fiddle, and can produce a remarkable set of sounds from the instrument. He plays it like a guitar, fiddle, cello and percussive instrument. With the help of the loop machine, a few whistles and his voice, he produces beautifully imaginative music that doesn’t really fall into any classification. Its not jazz, nor is it strictly folk. It is Luca. It is unique and it is beautifully enthralling.
Do not go and see Fiddler In The Loop expecting a traditional fiddle performance. Instead, go and experience Lucas unique and beautiful playing, and be swept up in the emotion and wonder he creates.
This madman with a fiddle and a loop machine is a genius.
Find out more about Luca Ciarla