As regular readers will know, Whisky Kiss are a Broughton-based ceilidh outfit who've developed a show that sees the band and DJ mix some of the world’s coolest tracks with the finest underground folk tunes and native instruments from Scotland, writes bassist Iain MacPhail.
While the band and DJ are producing their contemporary soundtrack (with a tartan twist), our world champion Highland dancers (the Highland Hotties) and Scottish champion breakdancers (Bboys) have created a red-hot show – a visual spectacular, where the boys dance off vs the girls, breakdance vs Highland dance, modern vs traditional, Scotland vs Rest of the World.
It’s a bit like the famous video for 'It’s like that' by Run DMC vs Jason Nevins. Or as some prefer to describe it, RunDMC vs Pat Nevins.
Why is any of this of interest to the good people of Broughton (aside from our impeccable hyperlocal credentials)?
[img_assist|nid=3168|title=Siobhan Anderson fiddles using only her left hand|desc=|link=node|align=right|width=135|height=200]Well, this past month has seen the band perform at T in the Park and at the festivities for Prince William’s 30th Birthday in Edinburgh, which were an absolute blast.
The royal engagement on 6 July was a great gig for the band to do, and we found it memorable for a number of reasons, not least because it took place at the Scottish Parliament building. We found it a really prestigious location to perform in, and were genuinely thrilled to be involved.
The event featured a massed pipe band of 400 pipers and drummers, 32 champion Highland dancers, plus Whisky Kiss. It all took place in the public space that lies between the Parliament building and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. This was, in our experience, an absolutely perfect space for a public performance. There were quite a few hundred spectators, including ones we spoke to from Brazil, Israel, Italy, Ireland and the USA.
While many people have expressed many views on the Miralles-designed Parliament building, one of the key stated aims of the architect was to engage the public with the building. Our experience of our gig there was that the covered space outside the Parliament performs this duty of the building in an exemplary manner – it is a triumph. In fact we'd recommend it be used more often for major public events. It was ideal.
The sense of connection with the people (whether connecting with a building, with a space or with the Royal household) was strongly maintained in the ranks of the massed pipe band, and with the dancers from the Scottish Board of Highland Dancing. All of these performers, nearly 500 in number, gave their time voluntarily, which is a great testimony to them, and to the pull of the occasion.
[img_assist|nid=3169|title=Massed ranks of the Scottish Board of Highland Dancing|desc=|link=node|align=middle|width=640|height=429]
The pipe band included some grade 1 pipers and drummers, the former Drum Major from the Black Watch, and it also included many enthusiasts who dream (or once-dreamt) of reaching that standard. Alongside the Lothian & Borders Police Pipe Band you had pipe bands from the Leith Boys Brigade (excellent they were, too), from places like Cockenzie & Port Seton, Scout troops and bands from various outposts in Fife. It was very inclusive, and made for the kind of event that you imagine BBC execs would purr their approval at.
[img_assist|nid=3172|title=Through a glass blurrily – dressed to party|desc=|link=node|align=right|width=200|height=166]And yet, Magnus Orr and his team, who put the event together, had done so at tremendously short notice, so real compliments must go to them for achieving everything in record time, and on a high-profile gig (it made the national BBC news).
We had first been approached about the event only a couple of weeks beforehand, and it was all hush-hush in the planning stage. We quickly learned that working across the Royal Household, the Parliament, the Police and Local Authority understandably involves such a lot of red tape that, if you laid it end to end, it would stretch round the equator three times. Possibly.
We were lucky to have a man on the inside, Magnus, who is a musician himself, and he was our go-between. We were extremely grateful for his input and understanding. Magnus protected us from being suffocated in the red tape. He did such a good job that, far from being suffocated by it, you’d say it only really got as far as mild claustrophobia, a bit like being trapped in a lift that, ultimately, you know only goes up and down one level. Mild!
[img_assist|nid=3167|title=A band's a band for a' that: the Bard and MacPhail|desc=|link=node|align=right|width=179|height=200]The day arrived, and we performed our set, in between spots from the massed Pipe Band, the Highland Dancers from the SBOHD and an impromptu performance from Rabbie Burns (or, to be more accurate, from a convincing lookalike who recites the Bard on a semi-professional basis). Part of our job was to MC the event, to relay to the assembled international crowd who was who, what they were doing, and what to look out for – as well as to properly recognise the selfless input of groups like the BBs and the Scouts.
When it came to Rabbie, we couldn’t resist a wee bit of joshing (which he took in very good humour and grace I should add). The big intro involved us pointing out that it was July, it was the year 2012, it was a royal engagement, so who could possibly be more obvious to provide a seasonal message than the Bard himself (born 25th January 1759).
When he finished, we reminded the crowd that Rabbie was from Ayrshire, where a butcher was once famously caught leaning against his radiator on a cold winter’s day. His customers came in and asked 'Is that yer Ayrshire bacon?' to which he replied 'No, I’m just heatin’ ma hauns.' Woooosh! It's fair to say not one tourist got the joke, though admittedly the band, dancers and pipe band were noticed chuckling.
[img_assist|nid=3171|title=There is a time and a place for amusing cracks, as this audience member pointed out|desc=|link=node|align=middle|width=640|height=461]
Rabbie was excellent and we were really delighted to MC such a prestigious occasion. We appreciated that it might be the first and last time we'd be allowed to hold a live microphone so close to the Parliament building, tourists, or the Royal Family!
So, it was a great day, though it did unfortunately coincide with a bunch of arrests down south of people on terrorism charges. That might explain why the local police were a wee bit on the jumpy side that day, and they were at pains to tell us there would be no dancing at this event. 'You Lothian & Borders guys sure know how to celebrate Prince William’s birthday,' we thought. How many cops live in the village of Curmudgeon anyway?
Still, we then heard about the arrests in Stoke and elsewhere and it did help us to understand why the Police just wanted the event to pass off quickly and without incident. They did a great job. They must have been delighted that we were the band ... as soon as our piper (Ewan, 21, from Newtonmore) arrived at the Parliament he threw down his pipes box (which lacked only the word 'Acme' and a lit fuse) and wandered 3 yards away from the now-abandoned box, picked up his phone to make a call (to us, asking where he should set up).
[img_assist|nid=3170|title=Ewan Duncan demonstrates one particular way to use a long handled putter|desc=|link=node|align=right|width=131|height=200]From any distance this chain of events screamed the words 'Bomb!' and 'Detonator!' but I’m delighted to report that our Highland hero narrowly avoided arrest on some serious charges and was able to complete the gig!
The security situation did limit the opportunities for the band and crowd to really meet the Royals, though we made the most of our brief flirtation with Royalty. Ewan was gutted not to have the chance to ask Pippa Middleton out. He'd perfected a chat-up line that carefully tip-toed through the viper's nest of protocol, etiquette and winning-against-all-odds. He was going to ask her simply 'Do you fancy a game of golf at Newtonmore Golf Club?' We thought it stood a good chance, but, alas, will never know.
Next time we will fill you in on our gig at T in the Park at the weekend just past, including our brush with superstar violinist Nicola Benedetti, our perfunctory stretch limo and Olympic athlete guestlist, and the pictorial evidence of a breakdancer who went barefoot in the mud-swilled festival, plus how our newest Highland Hottie Brogan sussed us out pretty quickly. Back soon with more ...