From reaching millions on TikTok to just a lucky few in Stirling, NATI brought the thunder to Tolbooth on 15 November. The crowd were audibly delighted to see the viral social media creator in the flesh. Their joy only escalated when they realised she sounded just as good- if not better- in concert.
Before NATI, however, there was an opener whose wit and charm was as excellent as his performance. Joe Goodall, 19, delivered an acoustic set stroke comedy gig in his roughly half hour slot. Emotional songs and covers were sandwiched between jokes about his own performance and just general humour about the show. The audience were more than entertained; they laughed, applauded, and sang when they could.
His EP releases on 24 November, and I’m sure the capacity of Tolbooth are anxiously waiting to stream it.
Then, NATI took to the stage like a fireball. Bursting out from the back with her guitar and launching into song, the crowd were awestruck. Most seem surprised at the difference in sound, as her TikTok includes a lot of acoustic, gentle folk.
This set, however, was full of loud, angsty folk backed by a band with as much passion as NATI herself. Singing covers, songs in English and Gaelic, going acoustic and going full throttle; NATI delivered on all fronts.
Of, course the gig was full of laughs too. A pantomime-esque audience didn’t scare NATI off, and she dished it out just as good as the (friendly) hecklers did. The Fifer also soothed the audience, hyped them up and got them dancing.
The venue provided a similar intimacy as her TikToks; overall, fans got exactly what they were hoping for and unfamiliars got some excellent midweek entertainment.
Feature image credit: @the_spirit_of_photography on Instagram
