Red Hot Chilli Pipers

Last updated

Red Hot Chilli Pipers
Red Hot Chilli Pipers Logo.jpg
Background information
Origin Scotland
Genres Celtic rock
Years active2002–present
LabelsREL Records Ltd
Members
  • Kevin MacDonald
  • Willie Armstrong
  • Malcolm McEwan
Past members
  • Stuart Cassells
  • Steven Graham
Website rhcp.scot

Red Hot Chilli Pipers are a Celtic rock band from Scotland. Formed in 2002, they became popular internationally in 2007 after winning the BBC talent show When Will I Be Famous? [1]

Contents

The band's lineup features three highland bagpipers and traditional marching snare, backed by a five- to seven-piece band. The band's live show also features vocal performances and highland dancing.

History

Since their formation the Red Hot Chilli Pipers have combined guitars, keyboards, drums and their bagpipes to create 'bagrock' sound. The Red Hot Chilli Pipers perform a fusion of traditional pipe tunes and contemporary pieces. Notable covers performed have included "We Will Rock You" by Queen, "Clocks" by Coldplay and "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple as well as "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol, "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey.

In 2004, the group appeared on the main stage at T in the Park with the headline band, the rock group The Darkness. They appeared on BBC Radio 1 on the Greg James show in July 2013 [2] and The Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw in 2014. [3]

The group appears on the soundtrack of How to Train Your Dragon 2. [4]

Discography

The band's first studio release The Red Hot Chilli Pipers (2005), was their least successful. Their 2007 album Bagrock to the Masses went platinum in Scotland and silver in the rest of the UK. Their third album and first live album, Blast Live (2008), went triple platinum in Scotland. Their fourth release Music for the Kilted Generation, The Red Hot Chilli Pipers' most successful International record to date, reached Number 2 on the US Amazon Chart. [5] behind Adele's record-breaking album, 21 . Breathe was released in July 2013 on CD and iTunes.

Tours and performances

Red Hot Chilli Pipers in Koblenz 2011 Koblenz im Buga-Jahr 2011 - Eroffnung Kultursommer Rheinland-Pfalz 1.jpg
Red Hot Chilli Pipers in Koblenz 2011

The group's highest profile performance's have been on the Main Stage at T in the Park in 2004 where they performed alongside The Darkness, and in 2014 when they performed on the Main Stage again in their own right.

When Will I Be Famous

In 2007, the Red Hot Chilli Pipers appeared on the BBC show When Will I be Famous? [6] hosted by Graham Norton. The band were in the episode and competed against seven others. The eight contestants were paired into a head-to-head showdown in which the winner would be decided by 101 preregistered viewers who were dubbed the "Armchair Judges". The four winners of these head-to-heads would then compete against each other in the second show with the winner being decided by an open public phone vote. In their first head-to-head showdown, The Red Hot Chilli Pipers were pitted against the "Stringfever", a four-member string quartet. The Red Hot Chilli Pipers won the head-to-head 51–50 and went on to win the weekly prize of ten thousand pounds.

After TV appearance

In September 2008, the group performed a Scottish-flavoured medley of songs during the opening of Eurovision Dance Contest 2008 in Glasgow. [7] In 2010, The Red Hot Chilli Pipers completed an 11-date sold-out tour of Scotland, as well as an 11-week tour of Germany and a 7-week tour of America. They also toured Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, India and most of Europe. They performed concerts in New York and Beijing as well as at the Hebridean Celtic Festival in Stornoway.

Musicianship

With a total of four degrees from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, many of the band members past & present have competed at the highest level of bagpiping and drumming for many years. Founder and former Musical Director Cassells received BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician in 2005 and became the first person to attain a degree in bagpipes [8] from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (Formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama). The snare drummer and percussionist, Grant Cassidy is an 8 time Juvenile Solo World Drumming Champion and in 2016 placed 7th in the adult section of the World Solo Drumming Championships held in Glasgow, Scotland.

Former members

On 23 September 2011, founder and frontman Stuart Cassells, left the band. Prior to leaving, Cassells had been struggling with 'focal hand dystonia', more commonly known as writer's cramp since 2008. Speaking to The Daily Record on the subject, Cassells said, "My left hand refused to stay on the chanter. It was like my left hand wasn't my own, it wouldn't stay still, like someone else was controlling it. I knew in my head how I wanted to play but I couldn't because my hands would curl right up and tense up and move involuntarily. They weren't doing what they were supposed to do. The brain was sending far too many signals to my hands." He tried various treatments throughout this period, including surgery to release a trapped nerve, physiotherapy and botox injections into his arm to relax the muscles. In efforts to help him play the bagpipes, he had McCallum Bagpipes manufacture him a custom chanter that uses flute keys to cover the holes instead of requiring the player to cover them. However, he was still unable to play them and left the band. A recent World Pipe Band Championship winner with the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band, Kyle Warren, replaced him. [9] [10]

Awards and nominations

Scottish Live Act of the Year

YearNominee / workAwardResult
2007Red Hot Chilli PipersScottish Live Act of the YearWon
2010Red Hot Chilli PipersScottish Live Act of the YearWon

BBC's 'When Will I Be Famous'

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bagpipes</span> Woodwind instrument

Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, Northern Africa, Western Asia, around the Persian Gulf and northern parts of South Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pipe band</span> Class of musical ensembles usually in Scotland

A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. The term pipes and drums, used by military pipe bands is also common.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mull of Kintyre (song)</span> 1977 single by Wings

"Mull of Kintyre" is a song by the British-American rock band Wings. It was written by Paul McCartney and Denny Laine in tribute to the Kintyre peninsula in Argyll and Bute in the south-west of Scotland and its headland, the Mull of Kintyre, where McCartney has owned High Park Farm since 1966.

Gordon Duncan was a Scottish bagpiper, low whistle player and composer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jori Chisholm</span>

Jori Lance Chisholm is an American professional bagpipe player and teacher who lives in Seattle, Washington. Chisholm is a successful solo competitor winning the United States Gold Medal four times and has placed in the top three in Scotland's Argyllshire Gathering Gold Medal competition. He played with the six-time Grade One World Champion Simon Fraser University Pipe Band and was a featured solo performer for the band on multiple occasions. Chisholm has performed in front of sold-out audiences with The Chieftains and with ex-Grateful Dead rocker Bob Weir and his band Ratdog, and has been featured as a soloist or band member on over 20 recordings. His debut solo album Bagpipe Revolution was nominated for Album of the Year by Pipes|Drums magazine. He writes the "Sound Technique" column for the National Piping Centre’s bi-monthly Piping Today Magazine. The New York Times featured Chisholm's online teaching program, BagpipeLessons.com, and described him as a "top-tier teacher" in a front-page story about the growth of Skype music lessons. A cover story in American Profile Magazine named Chisholm one of the "world's elite pipers."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)</span> 1975 single by AC/DC

"It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" is a song by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It is the first track of the group's second album T.N.T., released only in Australia and New Zealand on 8 December 1975, and was written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott. The song combines bagpipes with hard rock instrumentation; in the middle section of the song there is a call and response between the bagpipes and guitar. The original recording is in B-flat major, but it was played live in A major.

The Scots Trad Music Awards or Na Trads were founded in 2003 by Simon Thoumire to celebrate Scotland's traditional music in all its forms and create a high profile opportunity to bring the music and music industry into the spotlight of media and public attention. Nominations are made by the public and in 2019 over 100,000 public votes were expected across 18 categories.

pipes|drums is an independent, not-for-profit publication for Highland pipers and pipe band drummers. A combination of free and subscription-based content, the site is the world's most frequented news and features outlet serving piping and drumming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Morrison</span> Musical artist

Fred Morrison is a Scottish musician and composer. He has performed professionally on the Great Highland Bagpipes, Scottish smallpipes, Border pipes, low whistle, Northumbrian Smallpipes and uilleann pipes.

<i>When Will I Be Famous?</i> (TV series) 2007 British TV series or programme

When Will I Be Famous? is a British variety television show hosted by Graham Norton which first aired on BBC One on Saturday 3 February 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Millin</span> Bagpiper during World War II

William Millin, commonly known as Piper Bill, was a Canadian-born Scottish bagpiper, and was personal piper to Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat, commander of the British 1 Special Service Brigade at D-Day.

Roderick 'Roddy' (R.S.) MacDonald is a pipe major, living in Brisbane, Australia, and a composer of tunes for the bagpipes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prydein (band)</span>

Prydein is an American Celtic rock group formed in 1999. They are notable for their use of bagpipes in a rock band setting. They were formed in Burlington, Vermont, and have released five albums to date. Prydein has played many major festivals up and down the East Coast and the Midwest United States, including the Celtic Classic, New Hampshire Highland Games, and the Detroit Highland Games, and have been featured at the Eastern States Exposition for five years and the New World Festival for 10 years.

The Regimental Band and Pipes was founded on the Citadel campus in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1909, with marine general Harry K. Pickett in command. The marching band makes up one of the twenty-one companies of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets. In 1991, the band participated in the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Scotland, becoming the first military college selected for the honor. They returned in 2010 as the only unit from the United States to appear at the Silver Jubilee of the Tattoo and appeared again in 2015 and 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skerryvore (band)</span> Scottish Celtic rock band

Skerryvore are a Scottish Celtic rock band originally formed by Daniel Gillespie and Fraser West in Tiree, Argyll and Bute in 2000, after the two began playing ceilidh music together at various functions. Named after the Skerryvore lighthouse which lies 12 miles (19 km) off the coast of Tiree, the band have released six studio albums, a compilation album, and a live album. Currently based in Glasgow, Scotland, Skerryvore have toured Europe, the United States, the Middle East, and China. Their earlier work was inspired by the music of their native Scotland. Later influences include rock, pop, jazz, Cajun, and country.

Willie McCallum is Scottish Highland bagpipe player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McCallum Bagpipes</span> Scottish business

McCallum Bagpipes Limited is a company that manufactures Great Highland bagpipes. Founded in 1998, it is based in Kilmarnock, Scotland. The company has worked with bagpiper Willie McCallum to design several products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Band of the Ceremonial Guard</span>

The Band of the Ceremonial Guard is an ad hoc military band that is attached to the Canadian Forces Ceremonial Guard in Ottawa. All members of the band are fully trained members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and consists of personnel principally from the two Foot Guards regiments and has even since 2007 been manned by a pan–Canadian Forces approach that is inclusive to musicians from the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force. The band forms a separate company within the CG and rely on the Headquarters Company for administration and support personnel. In full composition, the band is active from April to August.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lathallan School</span> Scottish independent school

Lathallan School is a co-educational all-through private school at Brotherton Castle in Scotland, UK. It also offers outdoor learning programs and an on-site farm on its 60-acre campus.

Michael Grey is a Canadian musician, composer, and author. He is known for highland bagpipe music. He is the Pipe Major of the 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band.

References

  1. ↑ Gavin Cumine (31 May 2008), "Bagrock with the Red Hot Chilli Pipers: it's a total blast", The Times , archived from the original on 30 August 2008
  2. ↑ James, Greg (9 July 2013). "Here We Go Again..." BBC. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  3. ↑ "Red Hot Chilli Pipers cover Avicii's Wake Me Up". BBC. 1 February 2014.
  4. ↑ Composer John Powell talks How To Train Your Dragon 2
  5. ↑ Taylor, David (7 August 2012). "Red Hot Chilli Pipers No2 in US chart – Daily Record". Daily Record .
  6. ↑ Anon (March 2007). "BBC – When Will I Be Famous? – Contestants". BBC. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  7. ↑ "It gets serious!". 9 September 2008. Archived from the original on 9 September 2008. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  8. ↑ Anon (2013). "Royal Conservatoire Graduates". rsamd.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 23 December 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  9. ↑ Anon (23 September 2011). "Stuart Cassells leaves Red Hot Chilli Pipers". The College of Piping. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  10. ↑ Coventry, Laura (9 August 2010). "Medical condition almost cost me my career, says Red Hot Chilli Piper founder Stuart Cassells – Daily Record". Daily Record . Glasgow. ISSN   0956-8069. OCLC   500344244 . Retrieved 20 July 2013.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Red Hot Chilli Pipers at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.