The Howlin’ Gaels come stormin’ back!
6th December 1991 – John O’Groat Journal
A few short months after being blown off course by a road accident, a talented Thurso rock band are picking up where they left off.
The Newmarket Bar in Thurso was the venue last Sunday for the awaited comeback of the Howlin’ Gaels, the local blues/rock band regarded by many as perhaps the town’s brightest new musical prospect.
Sunday afternoon’s session had been billed as Johnny Fats but a last minute switch saw the Gaels back in action together in public for the first time since their musical aspirations nosedived along with a van carrying their equipment, bass player Billy Wares and drummer Martin Sutherland. The accident at Berriedale 11 weeks earlier following a gig at the Aultnamain Inn could easily have ruined the band. Billy landed in hospital with a broken shoulder and three cracked ribs, while, for the second time in a year, the band were assessing the extent of the damage to their equipment.
Fortunately, a mattress in the back of the van limited it to a few smashed valves in Billy’s amp. The inquest, however, caused a few ructions.
“We did fight to begin with” admitted Billy (29), of The Bungalow, Scrabster Farm. “But the whole thing has actually brought us closer together.”
Ironically, the turmoil followed the band’s best run since getting together in February 1990.
The present line-up dates from a few months later when Martin (25), of Holburn Avenue, replaced Henry Mackinnon on drums.
When Lou Martin, ex-Spiggy Topes, Rory Gallagher and now Blues ‘n’ Trouble, guested with the Gaels during their supporting act at Thurso’s Scapa House in the summer, the band’s popularity soared. “Playing with him made us get the finger out,” said Billy, nephew of Johnny “Fats” Sutherland. “We tried really hard after that and went into a really good spell.”
More bookings outwith Caithness soon followed, and the night after their last slot at the Aultnamain Inn, on the Struie road, the Gaels had been due in Fort William – the furthest they would have travelled together as a band. Inverness the following week was to have been their next outing.
“Now we know we can handle a gig again, we’re hoping to get back in touch with that circuit,” said Donnie Williamson (24), the kilted, harmonic-playing vocalist and frontman with the Howlin’ Gaels.
The band did not expect to be back playing live until the week before Christmas. Billy, however, despite recently undergoing an operation to his shoulder, wanted back as soon as possible.
Monday saw him nursing a few aches and pains but no worries. “It was a bit stiff afterwards,” admitted Billy. “But I’m really delighted.”
The band are determined to make up for lost time, hopeful that the misfortune which has dogged them this year is a thing of the past. In February, a fire at Billy’s house damaged the drums and burned the speaker cabinets.
“We’d like to thank everyone for their concern and help to get us back on the road,” said Donnie.
“We’re working towards going full-time,” added Billy, who, like Donnie, is a self-employed freelance musician. “we need to build up a fair bit of work before then, though.”
The bands own creative talents are filtering through into their own material, such as Two-timing Theresa, written by Donnie and set to the music by the band. “We just jam until we find something we like,” explained Billy. Plans are also in hand to release a cassette.
The band, the fourth member of which is lead guitarist Alex Macintosh (32), of Claredon Place are next due on stage at a charity gig at the Weigh Inn on December 20. They’re back in the Newmarket two days later and return to the Weigh Inn on December 27.
In a short space of time they’ve worked hard to recapture the exhilarating form interrupted abruptly back in September. Their first public outing last Sunday suggested it won’t be long before their climbing the ladder to success once more.
But after being blown off course in the recent months, the very least the Howlin’ Gaels deserve is a few decent breaks, and a change of luck would certainly help. Roll on 1992…
Colin Punler