Nifty Shoogles

On Saturday, Alette and I went to see the Scottish group Shooglenifty in concert at The Queens Hall. Those familiar with the sound of the of these shooglin' Scots will know that it was a great concert, with about 2 hours of music. It also introduced us to some cultural nuances.

According to the web site and our tickets, the doors opened at 7pm with the concert starting at 8pm. Not sure whether it would actually start at 8pm, we thought we should show up at 7:30pm, just in case. When we arrived, there didn't seem to be many people outside, and when we peeked in the Hall it seemed quite sparse. So, we figured that instead of standing alone in an empty hall, we'd go for a drink and come back at around half-past eight. As we struggled to find a pub (once picking the right direction, it was only a block away) we thought it strange that the Scots wouldn't have a bar at a concert. In any case, we figured the show couldn't possibly start at 8pm, especially if the Hall was empty at 7:30pm.

After a drink at The Quarter Gill, we headed back to The Queens Hall at about 8:15pm. When we arrived, not only had the show actually begun at 8pm, but there was indeed a bar at the back of the Hall that was apparently hiding a few hundred people before the show. With a 1/2 hour break, the show finished at 10:30pm (after a couple of encores). The Hall is actually a former church, and is a great venue for a concert, with great sound and plenty of sitting and standing room. Oh yeah, and there was a coat-check, and it was free - what a novelty.