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Biography
Battlefield Band are a Scottish traditional music group. Founded in Glasgow in 1969, they have released over 30 albums and undergone many changes of lineup. As of 2010, there are no founder members in the band.
The band is noted for its combination of bagpipes with other instruments, most notably on their cover of Bad Moon Rising and its mix of traditional songs and tunes with new material. The group tour internationally, playing to audiences in Europe, Australia, Asia, the Middle East & Canada, as well as more than 60 cities annually in the United States.
Battlefield Band were winners of 'Best Live Act' at the inaugural Scots Trad Music Awards in 2003. In 2011 they were winners of 'Best Band' at the Scots Trad Music Awards 2011.
Battlefield Band's "Compliments to Buddy McMaster" was nominated for the 7th Annual The Independent Music Awards|Independent Music Awards for World Traditional Song of the year. They have also been nominated for the 11th The Independent Music Awards|Independent Music Awards 'World Traditional Song' category for their recording of 'A' Bhriogais Uallach' (The Pompous Trousers), a track from their recent 'Line-up' album released in 2011..
They have also collaborated with other musicians including the Scottish Harp player and glass sculptor Alison Kinnaird |Alison Kinnaird MBE .
History
The band's brand of music was developed when Brian McNeill and Alan Reid (musician)|Alan Reid were joined by http://www.jenclark.net Jenny Clark (vocals, guitar, cittern, appalachian dulcimer and whistle) and Duncan McGillivray (pipes and whistle). Stand Easy , the album they recorded in 1979, still stands up as one of the band's finest. The next line-up included Dougie Pincock (bagpipes) and Jim Barnes|Jim and Sylvia Barnes , Alan Reid (vocals and electric keyboards) and Brian McNeill ( fiddle ). Alan Reid, which has been a member ever since, finally left the band at the end of 2010, concentrating on his musical duo with guitarist & singer Rob van Sante who has been Battlefield Band's sound engineer for the past thirteen years. http://www.reidvansante.com/ Alan Reid & Rob van Sante duo Web Site / Biography
Instruments and themes
Every line-up since the Stand Easy album has had at least one bagpiper. Unusual aspects of the instrumental line-up for a traditional band include the presence of electric keyboards and the absence of percussion instrument|percussion . Every album mixes traditional Scottish songs and tunes with modern (often original) compositions. Themes range from drinking, friendship and hard times to history, geography and politics.
The band's 2006 album, The Road of Tears , deals explicitly with the theme of displacement. Many of the songs deal with emigration, both voluntary and forced. Battlefield Band's 2007 album, '' Dookin' has a lighter feel, after the eloquently somber tone of The Road of Tears . Dookin''' includes a mix of vocals, with lead being shared by Alan Reid and Sean O'Donnell, and instrumentals.
Note: Sean O'Donnell replaced former Irish vocal/guitarist Pat Kilbride in July 2005. Multi-instrumentalist Ewen Henderson is the most recent addition to Battlefield Band and the youngest member.
Past members
Ricky Starrs (musician and early (founding ? ) member) - multi instumentalist gutar mandolin whistles. Played on original Arfolk recording later rereleased as Farewell to Nova Scotia .
Alan Reid (musician)|Alan Reid ( Synthesiser|keyboards / guitar / vocals / accordion ) - Alan was the last remaining founding member of the band before to leave in 2010
Brian McNeill (fiddle) - writing detective novels, teaching with the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Dance
John Gahagan (fiddle/whistle) - now working as a graphic artist in Glasgow and continuing to play music.
http://www.jenclark.net/Performing-artist.php Jen Clark (vocals, guitar, cittern and dulcimer) - among other things now running a http://www.therapy.jenclark.net psychotherapy practice and offering http://www.jenclark.net/Voicework.php voicework in Edinburgh).
John McCusker (fiddle, replaced McNeill).
Davy Steele (1948–2001) (lead vocals, writing) sang with Drinkers Drouth, Ceolbeg and Clan Alba as well as making solo albums.
Dougie Pincock (bagpipes) - now director of the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music (Sgoil Chiùil na Gàidhealtachd) in Plockton .
Duncan MacGillivray (bagpipes) - has won many piping competitions, including the Gold Medal at the Northern Meeting in Inverness in 1997.
MacDonald brothers|Iain MacDonald (bagpipes) - was the musician in residence at the Gaelic College on the Isle of Skye.
Alistair Russell (guitar, vocal) - during his 13 years in the band he claims to have travelled one million miles. Currently has a solo career.
Pat Kilbride (guitar, vocal) - lived in Brittany, Belgium then the USA. Has recorded with "The Kips Bay Ceilidh Band" and done solo albums.
Ged Foley (guitar, vocal, Northumbrian pipes) - has recorded with the House Band, Patrick Street and Celtic Fiddle Festival
Jim and Sylvia Barnes (bouzouki & vocal/dulcimer) - came to Battlefield Band via Kentigern. Jim died in 2004.
Jamie McMenemy (bouzouki, vocal) - still a very active musician and co-founder of the Breton group Kornog, now lives in Brittany.
Concert Tours
Main|Battlefield Band concert tours
Discography
1976 Farewell to Nova Scotia (album)|Farewell to Nova Scotia ( or Scottish Folk ) #01 debut studio album (first released on Escalibur label)
1977 Battlefield Band #02 studio album #02 (first released on Topic label)
1978 '' Wae's me for Prince Charlie (album)|Wae's me for Prince Charlie #03 studio album #03 (first released on Escalibur label)
1978 At the Front #04 studio album #04 (first released on Topic label)
1979/1980 Stand Easy/Preview #05 studio album #05 (first released on Topic label)
1980 Home Is Where the Van Is #06 studio album #06
1982 The Story So Far 1977-1980 #07 compilation album #1 of the 3 first studios albums released on Topic label
1982 ''There's a Buzz #08 studio album #07
1984 Anthem for the Common Man #09 studio album #08
1986 Music in Trust Vol 1 #10 Soundtrack album #01
1986 On the Rise #11 studio album #09
1987 '' After Hours: Forward to Scotland's Past #12 compilation album #2 of the five last previous albums
1987 Celtic Hotel #13 studio album #10
1988 Music in Trust Vol 2 #14 Soundtrack album #02
1989 Home Ground - Live From Scotland #15 live album #1 (a live recording of a concert in Spring 1989 in Aberdeen , Scotland )
1991 New Spring #16 studio album #11
1992 Quiet Days #17 studio album #12
1993 Opening Moves: Best Of 1977-79 #18 compilation album #3
1995 Threads (Battlefield Band album)|Threads #19 studio album #13
1997 Across the Borders #20 live album #2 (live recording of three concerts in Edinburghs Queens Hall during the Edinburgh International Festival)
1998 Live Celtic Folk Music (live recording of a concert at the 1980 Winterfolkfestival, held in Dordrecht , Netherlands ; released on a foreign label)
1998 Rain, Hail or Shine #21 studio album #14
1999 Leaving Friday Harbor #22 studio album #15
2001 Happy Daze (Battlefield Band album)|Happy Daze#23 studio album #16
2002 Time and Tide (Battlefield Band album)|Time and Tide #24 studio album #17
2002 Best of Battlefield 1976-2003 #25 compilation album #4
