As well as playing host to a kids’ TV programme, Tobermory can also boast its own rook hero in the shape of Colin Maolntyre, aka MULL HISTORICAL SOCIETY. Mark Edmundson took the ferry to see his emotional homecoming gig.
t’s a elose and soggy e\'ening on .\lu|| hut. to he lair. it had
heen torrential in lidinhurgh when l lel‘t the house. and l’or
now the dri//le has stopped. This patise in preeipitation hrings a eloud ol' midges over .-\ros Hall as teenagers pour out to eateh their hreath alter a Vigorous perl'ormanee. Soon alter.
the ho}s saunter out the haek door. pleased as puneh at their
earl} e\ening‘s i'eVelr}. Speaehless. a roek hand from the loeal
sehool. are the homegrown support l'or .\lul|'s most popular
musieal export (‘olin Maelntyre. otherwise known as .\lu|l llistorieal Soeiet}. haek on the island l’or a homecoming gig.
l’t‘e\iousl_\. .\laelnt_\'re's hometown ol 'l'ohermory had a \Vomhle namesake as its elaim to lame. .\'ti\\';itl;i}s it is hetter known l‘or its links with another ehildren's programme ~ the qua} side proViding a haekdrop for the BB("s [lulu/nor):
l'nassuming and sell'-el'l‘aeing. .\laelnt_\‘re is true to his islander heritage. and as he strolls towards the throng aeeomlmnied h} his wile and one ol‘ his lookalike uneles. he's just another .\luileaeh. He is greeted h} l'riends and family. hut little more than a familiar l'tiss is made of the local ho} returned. it hriell). to the l'old.
He looks to he an oasis of ealtn in the llurr_\ ol‘ teenage e\eitement. though later in the puh he eonlides that he had aetuall) heen a hag of nerves hel'ore the perl'ormanee. Maelntyre tnade his first live appearanee in the Arm. with his
hand Tra\. at the age of II. But he_\'ond the pressure of
perl‘orming for his neighbours. he is raising mone} for an all weather l‘oothall piteh in the name of his lather.
.\lul| llistorieal Soeiety‘s experimental pop oddit} lirst appeared on the mainland's musieal radar in lelll with the
8 THE LIST ‘9' .95 is...)
Wed 23rd June Arcs Hall 8.00pm
Tobermory Isle Of Mull
release ol‘ ‘Bareode B_\'pass'. a hittersweet lament regarding the personal el'l'eets ol‘ supermarket eXPtmsion on traditional groeers. .\ lisation with the personal and empath} tor the underdog has sinee pro\ ed to he a eomtnon theme in .\laelnt_\'re‘s work. eoneeixahl) the \estige ol‘ an islander\
isolated ehildhood. \Vithout so much as a einema l'or
entertainment. ('olin oeeupied himsell' with his own masie. .-\ multi-instrumentalist. he had penned .‘wllll odd songs hel‘ore this release. and is almost as prolilie loda}.
Thanks to .\laelnt_\re‘s mature approaeh to making pop. Mull llistorieal Soeiet} is seen h} his reeord eompan} as something of a long-term sure het. Hating had marginal ehan sueeess. his experimental approaeh to adult pop is arguahl} better suited to album l'ormat. There is no question about his
£10
HIFE
‘XH lohar