Battlefield Band

Inspired by their rich heritage of Celtic music and fired by the strength of today's Scottish Cultural scene, which indeed they have done much to create and fuel, Battlefield Band perform a music of rare passion and joy under the banner "Forward With Scotland's Past". Refusing to be limited musically by suffocating antiquarianism or the 'music business', they have mixed the old songs with new self-penned material, playing them on a unique fusion of ancient and modern instruments - bagpipe, fiddle, synthesiser, guitar, cittern, flute, bodhran and accordion.
Named after the Glasgow suburb of Battlefield, where the group was formed by four student friends, Battlefield Band have been on the world''s roads for just on 30 years now, distilling their own unique form of the Scottish spirit and bottling it in concert and onto disc - Germany, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, Syria, Jordan, India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, U.S.A., Canada, Uzbekistan and the U.K. They have broken down barriers and pioneered many new directions which others have followed. Angry, joyful, raucous, contemplative, their music is most importantly - accessible to all. "Not seen them yet? Shame on you" Kaye McAlpine, Edinburgh Evening News During those years there have obviously been line-up changes and indeed the band are remarkable for the smooth and organic way in which these changes have taken place. Their continued creativity, freshness and enthusiasm is due to the positive way they have viewed, and used, these changes - and of course the new musicians themselves have been of prime importance. Musical evidence of these changes can be heard on their many albums made over the years. This is the band they all measure themselves against. After 30 years they still lead the way for Scottish music - all the time introducing new musicians, new music; always involving their ever widening audience, as they travel the world. As one recent reviewer said: "The Battlefield Band is turning into a national treasure, and exemplifies the ongoing nature of Scottish musical tradition". " The Batties stature will surely only develop further, and enter one of their most rewarding periods." Rob Adams, Glasgow Herald