Fiddle, flute, whistle, guitar, and bodhran; five simple ingredients, mixed in such a way by Scottish band Gnoss to truly blow the socks off the audience at Stirling’s Tolbooth.
Scottish folk band Gnoss kicked off the Scottish leg of their current tour on Wednesday, 7 May, with a cascade of phenomenal folk music. The band, made up of Aiden Moodie on guitar and vocals, Graham Rorie on fiddle, mandolin, and electric tenor guitar, Connor Sinclair on flute, whistle, and vocals, and local man Craig Baxter on bodhran and percussion, brought their heart and soul to the stage in the form of original folk music.
With three successful studio albums behind them, the setlist consisted of familiar tunes from albums ‘Drawn from Deep Water’, ‘The Light of the Moon’, and ‘Stretching Skyward‘, combined with new and upcoming releases. No matter the time period, Gnoss successfully pulled a myriad of reactions from the crowd, whether they wanted to make you stomp your feet or start crying. It was a night of musically induced emotion, of catching smiles from the band, and audience interaction and involvement.
Gnoss seemed glad to be greeted by fellow Scots, having come fresh from the South of England. Humorous audience interaction made for a personable live music experience, and the boys drew some brilliant laughs from the audience. They appeared perfectly natural and funny on stage, relaxing the audience into truly engaging with what their music has to say.
And wow, does their music say a lot.
Gnoss reveals the power of a proper live music experience
The live experience of Gnoss takes the power of their proper folk music up a thousand notches. Hearing their twisting, turning, wild and free melodies from the band themself, rather than a modern smart speaker, creates a wave of emotion that is hidden by the act of streaming. Feeling Baxter’s bodhran and Sinclair’s whistle fill a room, accompanied by Moodie’s passionate strumming and Rorie’s free-feeling fiddle, unlocks a new layer of understanding and passion in the music.
As the band played together, they laughed, smiled, and danced, reflecting the passion and depth of their tunes through a free, happy body language that was transfixing to watch.
Gnoss created a truly magical atmosphere. Seats shook as the audience failed to fight a stomping foot. Hands became sore from clapping, yet the pain was numbed by the irresistible, joyful rhythm that filled the Tolbooth from floor to ceiling.
We were treated to some upcoming releases, including the now-released single ‘Hjop’, which combined what we know and love about Gnoss’s style with new and fresh sounds. Taking inspiration from the history of Orkney and personal experiences, and going out of their way to make pronunciation harder for the English among us, the track is powerfully new and perfect, and yet pays a confident homage to Gnoss’ past sounds.
It is rare that you attend a small gig and come away with no negative comments. In this case, Gnoss put on a 10/10 gig, confirmed by a standing ovation from a whooping crowd.
Tickets are on sale for the rest of their Scotland leg. It is with confidence that I can confirm you will have a brilliant, foot-stomping, smile-inducing night out with Gnoss on this tour.
You can read more of Brig’s music news and reviews here.
Featured Image Credit: Helena Cochrane
Journalism student at the University of Stirling & BRAW Magazine editor 24/25 and 25/26 🙂
You can see my portfolio here: https://www.clippings.me/alicepollard
