David Byrne's Night @ King Tut's, Glasgow, 21 Jan

This should be a match made in heaven. Oversized-suit-wearer of note David Byrne, and Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, together in one night of celebration. The Talking Heads frontman was famously born in Dumbarton, so why not host a birthday bash for the Bard by celebrating all things arty and angular?    

It’s a fantastic idea which never quite finds its feet, despite being cheered on by an energetic and enthusiastic crowd at a sold out King Tut's. The house band do a sterling job of recreating the riffs and quirks of New York’s finest. Despite the valiant efforts of the soundman, however, the one-song-and-you’re-off format never allows the guest vocalists to settle into a rhythm. The nuance of acts like The Joy Hotel gets lost in the mix, and as the temperature rises, and the volume goes up, some of the less practiced acts veer into karaoke territory.

All is not lost however, as a trio of homegrown performers tap into the magic of the source material to stunning effect. Lizzie Reid takes on Burning Down the House with a confident swagger missing from some of the other vocal turns, quickly followed by Dancer’s Gemma Fleet, who injects Wild Wild Life with her trademark offbeat charm.

And so, to the main event. Hamish Hawk, a man fond of a cover version at the best of times, has brought his A-game to this show. His blistering run through of Life During Wartime serves as something of an object lesson on how to do these things properly. Hawk isn’t just covering the song – he’s conjuring up the spirit of everything that Talking Heads were all about. The weird, the wild and the wonderful.

We know these formats can work. Roaming Roots Revue is a Celtic Connections staple precisely because audiences love the thrill of wondering what’s going to happen next. Here’s hoping that Byrne’s Night is back next year for another shot.