TONY
KINGSBURY RECOMMENDS
September
07
I've been out and about again, this time to the Byre Theatre in St Andrews to see a five piece band called Malinky. New to me but not new as they said they'd been going for nine years - I can be slow to catch on.
For me they were the band that Karine Polwart used to be in! Ms Polwart has been replaced by the very fine singer and cellist Fiona Hunter, performing alongside John Bews, Mark Dunlop, Mick Hucknall lookalike Steve Byrne and Ewan MacPherson
Most of the material was traditional interspersed with a few self penned tunes. Most of the material was so traditional it originated pre 19th century.
This is a seriously good band, one that I would seek out again. It must be said that the performance was marred by poor sound mixing on the vocals - I'm afraid this was down to the Theatre. As ever I threw caution to the wind and invested in a CD, 'The Unseen Hours' which seems to be their third. I am pleased to report that the sound is perfectly mixed on the CD confirming the suspicions from the concert that this is good stuff. It must be because fRoots said the album 'might prove to be their best yet' (might not as well I suppose - never mind we know what they mean).