Idlewild at Ullapool Village Hall

We were excited to see Idlewild perform this evening at Ullapool Village Hall, but I was horrified on arrival to find that the gig was standing only. I like dancing at concerts but I prefer to have a seat in case I want a wee rest. Oh well, we were among the first to arrive, so we stood at the barrier right at the front, which gave me something to lean against. The support act was Iona Zajac, who has a lovely voice and went down very well with the audience. By the time Idlewild arrived the hall was full to capacity and very hot. From our vantage point right at the front it was interesting to observe the band getting hotter and hotter as they sang and leaped about the stage; soon they were dripping with sweat and their hair was plastered to their heads. Idlewild is an indie rock band, and although I only knew a few of their songs I really enjoyed their music. Quite a few of their lyrics have literary references, particularly the song “Scottish Fiction” which includes a poem written for the song by Edwin Morgan. 

The reason that the band wanted to play in Ullapool is that it’s twenty years since they wrote their most successful album, “The Remote Part” in a cottage in Inchnadamph, so they wanted to play the album in full as close as possible to where they wrote it. When the concert was over we emerged into the delightfully cool air of the evening only to find ourselves partially deaf, with our ears ringing. Let’s hope that our hearing returns to normal soon!