Celtic Connections

Luka Bloom, Mitchell Theatre, Glasgow

Rob Adams

FOUR STARS

Luka Bloom struggled to think of a suitably themed song that would warm up the audience after the Mitchell Theatre had to be evacuated due to a fire scare during the interval. In truth, the Irish troubadour doesn't need to go to such lengths. He radiates a warmth of personality almost as soon as he appears onstage, in this instance still dressed for a Glasgow winter after standing outside like the rest of us.

To get the family connection over with quickly, Bloom has a famous brother, Christy Moore, and the fraternal resemblance becomes more marked with the passing years. They share a similar vocal tone and clarity of delivery and whereas once Bloom might have shown a determination not to play on the link, these days he's relaxed enough about it to make a series of phone conversations with big brother into a brilliant preamble.

Christy eventually learned the song he was phoning about, changed some of the lyrics and even changed its title (to Where I Come From) and Bloom's animated telling of the tale, palpable delight heightened by fond exasperation, was worth bearing the extended interval for all by itself. He's great company as a raconteur and a superb teller of a story through his own songs as well as being (another family trait) a marvellous interpreter.

His singing of John Martyn's Head and Heart, accompanied as each song was by warm, fluent guitar playing, captured the original with added personal soulfulness, and Ewan MacColl's The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face was delivered by someone who'd apparently experienced every thought and every emotion behind every line.