Film Forres to screen Heading West documentary about Scottish trad band Shooglenifty at the Tolbooth on Saturday, May 20 at 7pm ahead of their performance at Findhorn's Universal Hall on Sunday, May 21
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FILM Forres is hosting a special musical screening at the Tolbooth this weekend.
Film and music fans are invited to see 'Heading West' on Saturday night from 7pm - a new documentary about Shooglenifty, a ground-breaking traditional Scottish music band, which is touring cinemas thanks to support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland and Screen Scotland.
Head of Music at Creative Scotland, Alan Morrison, believes Shooglenifty’s influence on the Scottish trad scene cannot be underestimated.
He explained: "For 30 years they have pushed back musical boundaries and connected with audiences and fellow artists across the world.
"We are proud to have played our part in getting the film made and now sharing Shooglenifty’s triumphant story with cinema audiences across Scotland.”
He added: "The band’s open-hearted approach was embedded in the spirit of fiddle genius Angus R Grant and is perfectly captured in this moving and uplifting documentary."
Heading West premiered during last year's Edinburgh International Film Festival.It documents the band’s career and emotional journey to rediscover their musical style following the death of frontman Angus R Grant in 2016.
Formed in 1990 by musicians from the Scottish Highlands, Orkney and Edinburgh, the seven-piece ‘Shoogles’ (Eilidh Shaw, Ewan MacPherson, Malcolm Crosbie, Gary Finlayson, James Mackintosh, Quee Macarthur, and Kaela Rowan) have played to crowds of tens of thousands at major festivals all over the world and have released nine studio albums to date. They were the first UK band to play in Cuba, and the first Scots to perform in the Borneo Rainforest. They were also the first ever band to incite a stage invasion at the Sydney Opera House, and in 2020 brought in the bells at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay.
Starting with celebratory concerts in Glasgow and Galicia, Heading West looks back on the band’s long career, the impact that the death of their frontman took on the band members and their music, and includes a heart-moving tribute to Angus recorded at the Mehrangarh Fort in Rajasthan.
It also covers a bit of light-hearted soul searching for the band and ends with them returning to Scotland with new energy, rekindled passion, and new tunes influenced by the beats and basslines of world music.
Heading West is directed by BAFTA award-winner Don Coutts, best known for Channel 4’s live chat show 'After Dark' and BBC children’s series, Katie Morag.
It is produced by Jane-Ann Purdy, a founding director of The Soundhouse Organisation and programmer of Edinburgh Tradfest, and edited by broadcaster Michelle Lord.
Purdy said: “The film is a fascinating insight into the impact the loss of Angus had on the band both as a musician and as a friend.
"It also celebrates their influence on the traditional music scene in Scotland from when they first rose to fame in the 1990s, and why their musical style is still seen as ‘original and best’ by Shoogle fans worldwide.”
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Don Coutts and members of the band.
Buy tickets online for £5 plus booking fee at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/heading-west-a-story-about-a-band-called-shooglenifty-tickets-574514597627.
Shooglenifty will perform live at Universal Hall, Findhorn on Sunday May 21 at 7.30pm. See https://universalhall.co.uk/ for more information.
