A NEW documentary telling the story behind Celtic fusion band Shooglenifty is to show at The Tower in Helensburgh.

Heading West, which was premiered during the 2022 Edinburgh International Film Festival, documents the band’s career and the journey to rediscover its musical style following the death of frontman, Angus R Grant, in 2016.

Formed in 1990 by musicians from the Scottish Highlands, Orkney and Edinburgh, the seven-piece (Eilidh Shaw, Ewan MacPherson, Malcolm Crosbie, Gary Finlayson, James Mackintosh, Quee Macarthur, and Kaela Rowan) have played to crowds of tens of thousands at major festivals all over the world and have released nine studio albums to date.

Jane-Ann Purdy, producer of Heading West, said: “We’re delighted to be touring Heading West to Helensburgh this year. The film is a fascinating insight into the impact the loss of Angus had on the band both as a musician and as a friend.

“It also celebrates their influence on the traditional music scene in Scotland from when they first rose to fame in the 1990s, and why their musical style is still seen as ‘original and best’ by Shoogle fans worldwide.”

Heading West looks back on the band’s long career, the impact that the death of its frontman took on the band members and their music, and includes a heart-moving tribute to Angus recorded at the Mehrangarh Fort in Rajasthan.

It also covers a bit of light-hearted soul searching for the band and ends with members returning to Scotland with new energy, rekindled passion, and new tunes influenced by the beats and basslines of world music.

The documentary is directed by BAFTA award-winner Don Coutts, best known for Channel 4’s live chat show After Dark, and the award-winning BBC children’s series Katie Morag. Producer Jane-Ann Purdy is a founding director of The Soundhouse Organisation and programmer of Edinburgh Tradfest, and it is edited by broadcaster Michelle Lord.

It is supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland and Screen Scotland.

Malcolm Crosbie, from Shooglenifty, said: "It was an honour to make this film. Planned as a documentary of the recording of our collaboration with our Rajasthani musician friends, it evolved into a  record of our efforts to deal with the loss of our great friend and fiddle player, Angus.

“We had the realisation during the making that we still loved creating music together and that the film will always be a reminder of that.”

Shooglenifty was the first UK band to play in Cuba, and members were the first Scots to perform in the Borneo Rainforest, as well as being the first band to incite a stage invasion at the Sydney Opera House. In 2020, the band brought in the bells at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations.

The Shooglenifty documentary will show at The Tower on March 12 at 3pm. Buy tickets online.