A fortnight before the anticipated release of an exciting new double album, progressive celtic tunesters Shooglenifty rocked a bouncing Queen's Hall crowd with their infectious enthusiasm and engaging stage presence.

The terms "folk fusion" or "acid croft" are often liberally used in an effort to categorise Shooglenifty's music.  Both fall short of describing a unique collaboration of traditional and contemporary instruments with influences as diverse as the Balkans to the Carribbean.  Constant global roaming appears to have influenced the band as they have absorbed the essence of musical sounds from around the world and distilled them into a heady mix of sound. 

The driving force of the band is the interplay between bizarre fiddler Angus Grant and stylish Tasmanian mandolin player Luke Plumb.  One appears to act as a foil for the other.  Angus Grant is a very expressive player who weaves and bobs around the stage, whipping up the crowd into a frenzy and appearing to conduct both his band and the audience simultaneously with his fiddle bow.  Like a latter day Jethro Tull the music eminating from the band appears to influence his whole body as he plays a dazzling array of styles while introducing the tracks with hilarious psychadellic annecdotes.  By contrast Luke Plumb remains cool, collected and unruffled by the organised chaos around him, face barely visible under the brim of a cowboy hat and almost stationary in his beige flared suit apart from the mesmeric blur of his fingers over his mandolin. 

Testimony to the band's engagement with the audience was the fact that they were stomped and wildy cheered back for a dazzling encore which the enthusiastic crowd seemed unwilling to let them finish.  The more outlandish the dancing, the more absorbed the band became in their tune sets until they were literally forced to stop to allow the following band to set up on stage.

Shooglenifty are a class act live, and I eagerly anticpate the release of their new double album, particularly the live tracks that are promised therein.