Blazin Fiddles Aidan O'Rourke, Andy Thorburn, Allan Henderson, Catriona Macdonald, Iain MacFarlane, Marc Clement,
String trio
Anna Massie, Christine Hanson
MacGregor, O'hEadhra and Brechin
Brian O'hEadhra and Sandy Brechin
Influences
I was taught by the late great Donald Riddell. He was a fantastic man with an enormous wealth of music and history. As well as being a great fiddle teacher, he also made the instruments, had been a pipe major (Lovat Scouts) during the second world war, was a fluent Gaelic speaker and a very fine composer. I owe all my musical talent to this man.
From then on it's been a wide and varied bag
From Silly Wizard to Battlefield Band to Hank Williams to Bob Willis. I'm a real sucker for a lonesome melody or a fiery strathspey, just depends on the weather, but also big fan of AC/DC. What that says about my personality I have no idea! Really into Del McCourey and Steve Earle at the moment.
Born and brought up in Inverness I played fiddle from the age of 8. It's been a great learning experience and without doubt the best way in the world to meet new folk, travel interesting places and to give yourself high blood pressure, cholesterol and a dodgy liver.
I finished Edinburgh University in 1993 ( A really useful Degree in Ancient Italian and Byzantine History followed by a business post grad degree, and if the truth be known I only went there because they were the highest placed University rugby team - not a great reason for picking your university I know).
I had absolutely no intention of being a full time musician and to this day I am not entirely sure how it happened!
I met Marc Clement (Blazin Fiddles guitarist) whilst we were busking on opposite sides of the Inverness street one day. That was over fifteen years ago! We played in a rather bizarrely named band "Eat the Donkey" which was a great laugh. I worked for BBC radio Scotland for seven years, again a unique experience. This allowed me to make programs on two great Scottish musical treasures, Captain Simon Fraser and the "King" James Scott Skinner (both programs winners at the Celtic Film and TV festival).
In 1998 I asked the Highland Festival if they would let me put together a show that would highlight the various styles of fiddle playing still existant in the Highlands and Islands. So together with some new friends we started Blazin Fiddles for a one off tour ! Ten years later we're still here!!
The same Highland Festival saw the beginnings of Gaelic group Cliar with which I toured and recorded for four years before the schedules started to clash and I had to leave. That was a great time we recorded two CD's during that time - Cliar and Gun Thabh.
In 2000 Liza (my wife) and myself set up "Blazin in Beauly", the Blazin Fiddles annual fiddle school. It has been a great success - (winning the Trad music award for Best event in 2005)- far better than we ever anticipated
I recorded my first solo CD with the help of Old Blind Dog main man - Jonny Hardie. 101 reasons to do nothing came out in 2001 and featured a whole host of great musical friends including Jonny, Phil Cunningham, Marc Clement, Chaz Stewart, all three singers from Cliar (Mary Anne, Arthur and Maggie) Ingrid Henderson, Christine Hanson, Finlay MacDonald, Kris Drever, Paul Jennings and my wife Liza Mulholland.
I recorded, a second album "Loch Ness", a commissioned album by the Jacobite Experience and produced by Phil Cunningham.
I've also recored and toured with the Clunes Collection - an album of music all composed by my mentor Donald Riddell, along with Iain MacFarlane and Duncan Chisholm. I also toured and recorded with the first line up of the Unusual Suspects. Quite an experience. In 2006 along with the Blazers I put together a project called "With Strings Attached" which had Blazin Fiddles, Eddi Reader, Justin Currie and Colin MacIntyre as well as a five piece brass section, James MacIntosh on drums and Kevin McGuire on bass with Christine Hanson on cello and Derek Urqhart on guitar all under the musical direction of the inimitable Rick Taylor. That was great fun and I wish we'd recorded it.
I was also involved in a very fine project "The Cremation of Sam McGee" -music composed by Christine Hanson for the poem by Robert Service. A fantastic show if you get a chance to see it.
I've been wrapped up in a family business development for the last two years (Bogbain Adventure and Heritage Farm- a farm shop, restaurant, gift shop, clay pigeon shooting, kids adventure area, arts studio etc ). It's been a real challenge but I think we're getting there - we won "Best New Business" at the recent Highland Food and Drink Awards and are nominated for "Best New Business" for the Highland Tourism Awards. If you are heading out of Inverness we're the farm on the top off the hill on the A9 - pop in I might even be waitressing.
It has made me go very grey.
I've also been doing a fair bit radio presenting for BBC Radio Scotland - The Highland Cafe, The Firm ( a 6 part series on family businesses....as if I hadn't had enough of them!) and sat in the legendary Robbie Shepherd's chair to do Take the Floor on occasion. I also write a monthly column for a magazine Inverness City Advertiser - it is meant to be about the lifestyle of a professional musician. I was the closest they could find.
However I've decided to get a bit more balance in life and to get back to the music. So I'm getting together with Sandy Brechin and Brian Oh'Eadhra (see www.myspace.com/brucesandybrian) for some songs and some classic tunes and the other, string trio, is with cellist Christine Hanson and guitar/fiddle/mandolin wizz Anna Massie.
I have regrettably had to retire from rugby (for the 15th time) More retirements than Frank Sinatra so the saying goes....I haven't thrown the boots out yet though.....
You know what I miss most about living in Ireland - the rise and fall of the tunes. Sigh! It was nice to drop by and hear some. Hope you are all very well. AlythXXX
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