In August, Reem and Louis performed for thousands of enthusiastic concertgoers at performances in Glasgow and Edinburgh, in a mini-tour of Scotland. Highlights included a storming solidarity show at Transmission Gallery, Glasgow, alongside local musicians and protest singers. The fundraiser for Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! brought an activist crowd, engaging clearly with Palestinian music and stories. Gazelleband played instrumental tunes from Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon and Ireland, while the band offered reports from Gaza and musical stories of resistance.
With the enthusing energies of Glasgow ringing fresh, the duo set a challenge to Edinburgh audiences to participate vocally in music based on tarab, or ecstatic, collective feeling. At Portobello Town Hall, at a well-organised and keenly attended Welcome to the Fringe Palestine festival on 13 August, the crowd rose to the challege. Improvised oud and buzuq passages were met with whoops and other vocalisations by concertgoers, as Gazelleband outlined the vitality of Palestinian and regional music traditions.
