Sun shines on Valtos’s ‘bucket list’ Gathering

Valtos, The Gathering | Bught Park, Inverness | Saturday, June 1

There’s a lot to love about a one-day festival and The Gathering in Inverness has always had the town centre location to make it easy to get there, through the gate and into a celebration of traditional and contemporary music, until this year.

In the grey and gloomy days leading up to the festival last week, with the site shifted from the Northern Meeting Park to the Bught Park a bit of an unknown, it was easy to fear the worst.

Would people turn out for a different Gathering, as the planned works at the Northern Meeting Park made the usual site a no-no this year?

But the sun shone down on Saturday, an amazing hot day ensuring the place was packed and the event had a real summery feel.

Once you heard the crowd lapping up traditional teatime favourite Highland Girl from Torridon, it was easily time to fall for a new band, even one that’s not so new really, and with music you know quite well.

But it was like watching a friend’s kid growing up to catch up with Skye band Valtos, moving on with the ideas that have been with them since their first single and long before – and debuting at an event they have called their ‘bucket list’ festival.

Ceol Dannsa, with its irresistible gravelly soundbite from Runrig’s Donnie Munro – what a way to start.

Glancing round the crowd, Valtos – Martyn MacDonald and Daniel Docherty – have found their people.

And the dance feel of the tracks fuses with the traditional, re-presenting classic moments of bands and names and sounds of yesterday like a greatest hits to reassess, all remixed in the signature style of Valtos and their prodigious gang of musicians and singers.

It’s a brilliantly simple idea that has also powered The Gathering since it started, bringing classic names such as Capercaillie and Wolfstone and The Peatbog Faeries to the big Inverness stage, then add the upcoming new generation – Project Smok and Cala – to showcase the present and future too.

With Valtos it isn’t a history lesson for younger ones or a heads up for the more mature, it’s a genuine fusion of times and sounds. Peatbog Faeries to Elephant Sessions, and constant nods to past and present. Llive, it’s a fun, festival experience with the odd bit of choreography for the crowd and knowing the band will wheel out really special, special guests.

Blowing the speakers was added drama… As the music went strangely quiet, Daniel Docherty piped up to suggest his theory, but soon everything was back, sound restored.

“Any Project Smok fans in the house?” – yes, there were, as a big cheer built after Ceitidh’s and Liberate, the track the two bands have made together.

The warm-up into the set had been impeccable. Home connecting the concept of city life and the pull of familiar landscapes, setting the beats and the sound of Euan McLaughlin’s fiddle.

Their track with Elephant Sessions, 1990, added a new depth to the set – and made you long to hear the two bands onstage together.

And finally, the teased special guest – Julie Fowlis – miraculously appeared to perform April’s A’ Chuthag (The Cuckoo), dark glasses and dance moves with both regular singers Eilidh Cormack and Lana Pheutan, adding to the disco/ trance feel. And the three clear voices together was a revelation, though admiring Julie’s pointing upwards dance move, you suddenly realised a short way in that she was actually asking for the sound to be turned up! But the track was a live highlight of a set that reeled them out.

Peatbog Faeries’ Marx Terrace brought an announcement we were about to hear the late great music legend Fergie MacDonald – with punters urged to “raise a glass”.

And when it came to a final fling, after a few quick rehearsals, Valtos decided we were good enough to let our choruses of “A-l-ba!” to be let loose on their track.

It was a full energy way to end the ultimate festival set.

Thanking everyone and everything at the end, Valtos added – “Thanks to the sun for coming out!”

You had to admire the futile cries from the crowd for “one more tune!” to keep this vibe going a little longer when festivals rarely have the time to linger.

Besides there is a summer full of ‘festival Valtos’ sets – rain or shine – still to come. MC

Catch them at the Eden Festival, Dumfries, (June 16), Gairloch Gathering on June 29, HebCelt on July 19, Stornoway Lorient Interceltic on August 12 before a return to the Highlands for the Black Isle Calling on September 14.