Hebridean Celtic Festival
Review: The Saw Doctors by Ruaraidh Mackay
Back in 2004, the festival was viewed as coming of age. Whilst it had been around for eight years, there was a feeling that as a live musical festival, The Heb Celt Festival was still not viewed as in the elite.
That all changed with the arrival of the Saw Doctors. The Irish band headlined the Lewis mega party and by doing so, ushered in a new dawn of festival goers and a celebration of Celtic life. Four years on, could the Irish outfit charm the festival fans again?
The Saw Doctors as showed on Friday night that they are designed for live gigs. The sheer power and emotion blasting on the stage captured the soul of every Celtic cultured person in the crowd. This was exactly what the Doctor ordered.
“I’ll be on my way” was a particularly well sung by lead singer Davy Carton, voicing a true Irish accent which was refreshing and backed up by the crowd.
By this point, the Doctors and the now heaving Big Blue Tent were having a bit of a co-sing along with each other, with Carton really looking like he was enjoying himself.
The atmosphere had now stirred to fever pitch, as the realisation for the crowd that the Doc’s were performing at their peak, with dozens in the crowd now on their friends shoulders.
Davy Carton was particularly inspired as was Leo Moran during the song “Tommy K”, which was loyally backed up by the crowd, now jostling for space.
“To win just Once” was another anthem the Doc’s played which was greatly received by the crowd as the finale approached.
This proved to be every bit as good as the rest of the act before it, with Carton also enlisting the help of the rambunctious crowd for extra vocals and inspiration. As if he needed any.
A superb finale to what was a magnificent act. Perhaps not as well received as their 2004 Heb Celtic Festival performance, but the Doctors will be welcomed back to Lewis by the greatly impressed returning fans and new fans that they will have no doubt made on the back of this excellent performance.
