When Norrie MacIver arrived at An Seòmar on Saturday night, it was clear this was going to be a very different experience from seeing him fronting Skipinnish. Stripped back to just voice and guitar, the evening had a relaxed and intimate feel that suited the venue perfectly.
Originally from Carloway on the Isle of Lewis, MacIver has become one of the most recognisable voices in modern Scottish folk. While he is used to playing much larger stages with Skipinnish, the solo setting allowed the songs themselves to take centre stage, with plenty of space for storytelling and interaction with the audience.
The set mixed older material with songs currently being written for MacIver’s forthcoming solo album, which will feature both Gaelic and English tracks. Several of the familiar songs were greeted with instant recognition from the crowd.
One of the most noticeable things about the night was the level of audience participation. From early in the set there was strong singing from the room, turning parts of the gig into something closer to a shared session than a typical concert.
By the end of the night An Seòmar felt completely absorbed in the music, rounding off a warm and memorable stop on MacIver’s current tour.
