Performance : Howlin’ Fling, Isle of Eigg

6 Sept

Sometimes the only way you can give yourself a fighting chance against the void is to head off to a remote, soul cleansing spiritual retreat and take a wee nibble on some @pictishtrail mix. Thank you Lashey Dee and Lost Map Records legends for restoring my faith in humanity.

One of my very favourite weekends of this year (no offence to my wedding clients) was a trip to the Isle of Eigg to creep about a wee Lost Map weekend.

I’ve photographed a couple of Lost Map all dayers at a local space I kinda hoped to help get more gigs in to but that didn’t really work cos turns out I can’t deal with committees and paper shufflers very well. Anyways…I got to snap some favourites so it’s all good.

My pal and sometimes colleague Alix often disappears off to visit pals on Eigg for ceilidhs and has raved about it. Around 10 music things I was meant to do this spring didn’t happen for various covid reasons so I filled all the gaps in my summer work with music to make up for it.

Can’t say I’m a seasoned camper but I was well looked after by pals. It was the biggest treat to dance about with a daft lad grin on my face all weekend and play with film and toy cameras shooting some portraits and candid stuff. Hug breaks should feature in all DJ sets.

One thing I really miss about not working at gigs is being able to witness the relationship between the performers and their audience so it was fucking great to be the creep in the corner watching that all unfold. Never seen a promoter get up on stage mid-set and stop the band from playing just to ask them to come do a gig elsewhere before. A bold move. Also, I was too busy trying out tricks when Courtney Marie Andrews played to notice until the end of her set that she had half the crowd in actual tears. Lovely stuff all round.

Can’t say I’ve visited any other remote bits of Scotland where locals will stop you mid donder to tell you they think you are a ray of sunshine and they must hug you immediately but I’m here for it happening elsewhere too.

I was also travelling with a wonder who I shared a hospital room with when we both had our kids by c section. Small world and all that.

The journey home was the stuff of legends. Lots of love to the Lost Map family who are all the lushest of humans.