Please see the Peatbogs, Session A9 and Babelfish myspace sites below.
Influences
Here are some of my heroes/influences. Donald Riddell, Alasdair Fraser, Martin Hayes, Buddy MacMaster, Rodney Miller, Led Zeppellin (in a VERY big way) various choral music composers, Rage against the Machine, Herbie Hancock, Stephane Grappelli, R.H.C.Peppers, Prodigy, Martyn Bennett, Fred Morrison, and all the people I've worked with whom I wont name individually cos there's rather a lot. Actually I really have to mention two very big influences; Andy Thorburn and Iain Copeland - for inspiration, wisdom and knowledge on the topics of harmony, rythm and many other aspects of life, the universe and everything. Some of my favourite composers of contemporary traditional melodies - Fred Morrison, Charlie Mackerron, Phil Cunningham, Ross Ainslie, Allan Macdonald, Brian Finnegan, Brendan Ring, Andy Thorburn, John Somerville, Peter Morrison, Gordon Duncan R.I.P and Martyn Bennet also R.I.P, Kevin O Neill of Rutherglen, Kevin Henderson, Gordon Gunn, and well, just all the amazing new tunes that are constantly emerging. I think we live in very (musically) interesting times!
Hello, my name is Adam. I've been playing the fiddle for 20 years. Roughly five years into that I started writing music as well. I started learning from the late Donald Riddell in 1987, and attended the Inverness Strathspey and Reel Soceity on a Monday night, which Donnie led. Shortly after he passed, I started attending a summer school which took place in the Gaelic college 'Sabhal Mor Ostaig' in Sleat, Skye. The tutor and source of huge inspiration and motivation for me and many others was Alasdair Fraser, and our family attended the course religiously for the next few years. I won a scholarship to V.O.M fiddle camp when I was 17 so we made it over there too. I had a few classical violin lessons in my teens, played in the Spectrum Centre Youth Orchestra led by Alex Sieczcarek, also sung in a cathedral choir. The choir weekly schedule: 1 hour on a tuesday, 1 hour on a thursday, two hours on a friday and two services on a sunday for 8 years. I have also spent some time at the R.S.A.M.D.
I've been travelling around the world playing being a general vagrant but also had the pleasure of playing the fiddle with many different acts for 7 years or so... Borneo, N.Y.C, Australia, Europe, and a large number of places in Britain, particularly Scotland. Bands (which to varying degrees) I've played with, roughly starting from when I started gigging; The Scottish Stepdance Co, Fire in the Bog, Croft no Five, Dochas, Babelfish, Session A9, Finlay Macdonald Band, Salsa Celtica, The Peatbog Faeries, Cuillinn Music, Frog in Throat, SJP Voyager, Treacherous Orchestra, Avernish, Waste Management Sub-commitee of Babelfish, The Nostalgia Boys, The GrouseBeaters, low-tide revelry, and a bit of 'pub-fiddle' Runrig's newest C.D. I've also had the pleasure of joining Brian Finnegan in one of his solo projects. My two biggest commitments though are the Peatbog Faeries and Session A9. Babelfish rises now and again, most recently (albeit without poet Jock) at the Rock Ness festival. Also look out in the near future for a new act in the brewing featuring the talents of box playing north sider John F Somerville - 'The Nostalgia Boys'. Cheers all !
Thanks very much re the Jakey of the Year awards. We we absolutely delighted to have been honoured in such a way. Twats look for OBE's and shit but all our dreams were fullfilled on that drunken Ullapool night. And freaking hell that jakey punch of Jocks was good!!
How you doin ma dear? Just to let you know - there's a Bevvy Sisters gig 16th Dec Leith Folk Club and then my own lot The Kaela Rowan Band at Voodoo Rooms 17th Dec. Hope you can make it along to one or all of them . Cheers ma dears Would be lovely to see you Kaela x
ahh adam!! looking forward to saturday!! woowoo!! its gonna be a nother whore on fire event for me i feel...but i'll try to keep the heckling to a minimum!!
Just stopping by to throw abuse in your general direction. You will just have to imagine it as it would be mostly unpublishable. Congrats on your upcoming award win. Tart.
Dear Adam, thanksfor your new music! A big hug from us, with early frosty winter-feelings !!! Now, it is good to have good friends !!! Love from Osiris Taurus
Mmmm, funnily enough when I was writing it I was thinking there's more chance of Inverness Caley winning the league than my lovely comment appearing on your page. You would deserve that award you know ;-)
