Monthly Archives: April 2018

Mair Tunez – New and Auld

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I’ve added a few more tunes to my tunes page. Most of these are tunes that were commissioned through the Old Blind Dogs Pledgemusic campaign. Some lovely people commissioned these tunes, helping us fund our latest album, Room with a View. You can check this out at…..https://www.oldblinddogs.co.uk

There is also one very special tune I’ve added. This is a tune, which i only found last year, that was written by my Great, Great Grandfather, Pipe Major Donald Kennedy. Posting this tune is bittersweet for me. Over the last 3/4 years I’ve been slowly finding out little bits about Donald. It’s a bizarre experience for me. A lot of musicians on the folk scene are brought into playing music through the connections that they share with their ancestors. Music is generally passed on, and nurtured through the generations. I didn’t have this connection. Which makes my choice to play the pipes at such a young age, even more weird. Id like to think that this musical connection between my GG Grandfather, and myself, was sub conscious, that he gifted me this without me knowing. It also makes me think a lot of my Grandfather, who a year ago passed away. He was the one who really encouraged me to follow my heart, and who nurtured my fascination with the Bagpipes. I was propelled on to find out more about Donald as it became a great subject of conversation between myself, and my Grandad. The sad thing about this is that it turns out that his 1913 Henderson pipes, and a lot of his music were taken by my Grandfathers cousins. They were aware that i was learning to play the pipes, and yet they chose to take all of his belongings. I have since found out that these Pipes were sold in Perth at an auction in 2005. Strangely, the pipes were sold by my Grandad’s cousins, to a man who’s granddaughter i knew through playing in the Vale of Atholl. He was a bagpipe dealer, and bought them for a reasonable price and sold them on for a larger sum of money. The pile of his music, including compositions and arrangements were found in a skip in Dundee. Thankfully someone found them and handed them into the Black Watch museum. Some of these can now be found in the Black Watch book of Pipe music. Now that i know what i know, and there are a lot more in’s and out’s to the story, i understand why my Grandad was so apprehensive in telling me all about Donald. It’s my dream to locate these pipes. It would be a beautiful thing to find them, and would honour the memory of my Grandfather. Who know’s, maybe they’ll make their way home some day.

Donald Kennedy. Pipe Major and piper to the Gaelic Society of Perth.

Great grandfather Donald Kennedy chatting to the Duke of Atholl.

SYMBIOSIS SPRING TOUR – Album Launch.

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Yippee Ki Yay People of Earth, and any of those from beyond…..

Myself, Ross and Andrea are currently pinging about the UK doing a few wee gigs to promote the release of our new album, SYMBIOSIS 2 – the sequel. We began our adventure down in Southport, in the Atkinson theatre, then on to FIBfest in Canterbury. We had the lovely Jimi Troup on Sound for these 2. Both venues we’ve played before with Treacherous Orchestra. In fact last time time we were in Southport with TO, we were so RAJJJJJ that the PA exploded into flames. Then there was Padgate in Canterbury, which I won’t go into. So, I’m overwhelmed that we were even allowed back to these lovely venues. For this, we are much appreciative!! On the first leg (if two gigs amount to a whole leg???), we were joined by the mighty Owen Sinclair of Tannara and Inyal. Not only is he a mega musician, he also moonlights as Connor Macgregors stunt double. We all know it’s not really Connor taking those blows!! He’s a big pussy cat.

Check out Owens music here……https://tannaramusic.com

http://inyalband.com

This week we belted it down to LANDAN TAN. We began this substantially meatier leg (3 gigs), in Kings Place, London. This was the official debut of some material from the new album, and I have to say, it wisnae shite. It’s put us in good stead for the big band gig, album launch, oh ya hoor ye, extravaganza on the 28th. We then went onto Belper where we played a gig that was put on by Andy Inns of Black dog radio. Andy hosts a brilliant internet radio show promoting a wide range of brilliant folk music. http://black-dog-radio.com. Thanks a million to Andy, Lynne, Bob, and Mia for arranging a rocking gig, and putting us up, well, putting up with us. We had a great night! Next stop was Kendal Brewery Arts Centre. This was another lovely gig. We’re very luck that we have had such amazing, warm, welcoming audiences. All that turned out have made it incredibly comfortable and a lot of fun to play. During this chunk we were joined by the Queen of Garlic, the most organised person on the folk scene…..Jenn Butterworth……honorary member of the SYMBIOSIS band. Jenn is a very talented, and hard working folky. She teaches full time at the RCS, and also plays in several mighty musical outfits. You can check Jenn’s music here …….http://www.jennandlb.com

http://www.kinnarisquintet.com …….keep an 👁 out for this album. It’s gonna be a thing of great beauty!!!

We’re now all in a secret bunker somewhere in Glasgow, in submerged regeneration pods. They will be unlocked and we’ll be hatched again on Thursday, just in time for our next hefty burst of 4 gigs. We’ll be heading to Stornaway, Glenbuchat, Isle of Man, and Perth. Then the last gigs will be Skye, and back home to Glasgow for the BIG album launch. The official fling will be held on the 28th of April in the Drygate, Glasgow. We’ll be joined by the full band, consisting of Duncan Lyall, Steve ‘the Shtickleback’ Byrnes, Martin o’ Neill, Jenn Butterworth, Gus Sicard, and a string section led by Patsy Reid. There will also be support from the incredible Project Smok. https://projectsmok.com

Check out our dates at https://m.facebook.com/rossandali/?locale2=en_GB

We also have special Drygate ticket bundles here …..https://rossandali.bandcamp.com

Tix can also be bought here ….https://www.drygate.com

We’d love to see you along the way……if you have nothing better to do!!