| Albannach | |
|---|---|
Albannach live at the Edinburgh Festival 2006 |
|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Genres | Celtic battle music |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Labels | Albannach Music (independent) |
| Associated acts | Clann An Drumma |
| Website | www.albannachmusic.com |
| Members | |
| Donnie MacNeill Kyle Gray Jacquie Holland Jamesie Johnston Aya Thorne Davey 'Ramone' Morrison |
|
Albannach, Gàidhlig for "Scottish" or "Scotsman", is a Scottish music band. Their traditional warlike tribal music is heavily percussive; driven by bass drums, bodhráns, and bagpipes.
Contents |
The band frequently performs at Highland games and Scottish cultural events being held throughout Albion and North America. Albannach calls Glasgow, Scotland home.[1]
Jamesie is the bass drummer and is responsible for some vocal work. Jamesie was born in Glasgow in 1973. He left school at an early age to become an apprentice motor mechanic. After working as a mechanic, he moved on to other forms of employment including doing some film work for various UK film production companies and the Discovery channel.
It was through this work that he became involved in the music scene and soon found himself playing the bass drum with Clann An Drumma. After working with them for 5 years he left and became part of Albannach, where he holds the title "the baron of bass."
Jamesie's musical influences are mostly rock and roll, with bands like AC/DC, Mötley Crüe, Metallica and Pink Floyd being some of his favourites. He is also very fond of classical music and enjoys the works of Bach and Yanni.
Jacquie is the bass rhythm drummer in the band and is known for her vocal skills.
Born in Paisley and brought up just outside Glasgow, from an early age she enjoyed horse riding and archery and later developed a passion for motorcycles and all things Scottish.
Initially trained in stage management and film technology, she eventually joined a Scottish Re-enactment organisation through which she met most of the rest of the band. She became involved in many different film, television and theatre productions. Music was a natural progression from this.
Jacquie is one of the original founding members of Clann an Drumma but later left with other members and formed Albannach.
"I can't put my finger on it — it just seems to strike a chord with a hell of a lot of people, whether it's letting out that pent-up aggression they feel for their jobs through the week or what, but they just let go when they come hear us."
Donnie is most famous as a bag-pipe player, but also plays drums, piano, and guitar.
Prior to joining Albannach, he played the pipes in many competitions and town halls throughout Scotland. He has toured with a previous band throughout Europe, America, and Asia.
He is also the nephew of Simple Minds keyboardist, Mick MacNeil.
Born and brought up in the Pitlochry area of Scotland, Kyle was first introduced to Scottish music when he became a highland dancer at age four which he continued until he was 14. Shortly afterward, he joined a local pipe band, The Vale of Atholl, where he spent two years on the side drum at novice juvenile level and one year as the juvenile Drum major.
Kyle studied at Perth College for a couple of years but quit in 1996 to travel in East Asia for two years, working over a year of this time in Hong Kong. After returning to college and graduating, he was asked to join a newly-formed Scottish band and soon became the lead drummer in Albannach.
In November 2009, Kyle left the band to pursue other interests.
Colin has been a musician since he was 8 years old, when he started out playing the snare drum in the Neilston & District Pipe Band, where he took part in various gigs and competitions throughout Scotland and Europe. Colin also plays many other instruments including the drum kit, percussion, Bodhran, bass guitar, electric and acoustic guitars.
For the last 5 years Colin has been playing drum kit with 'Das Contras' a Latin funk band, 'the Gus Munro band' a blues band, and other traditional Scottish folk bands, along with artists such as Paul McKenna and Finlay MacDonald. Colin has now taken up the position as Albannach's new lead drummer.
Aya is from the small town of Pitlochry. When he was 15, he became involved with the Scottish clan organisations where he met some of his future bandmates while working as an extra and “stunt fighter” on many film and TV sets. Not only did this bring him out of his shell and give him some of the most memorable times of his life, it also further fuelled his love for Scotland and its history.
He pursued his other passion, music, by studying sound engineering at Perth college when he was 19. At 21, Aya moved to Glasgow to study Dance music production at James Watt College in Greenock.
Although he had learned to play the bodhrán when he was 17, he had not played it for about two years. The prospect of picking it up again and playing in front of the band, never mind the crowds, left him slightly nervous. Now that he’s used to the crowds and playing again, Aya is enjoying every minute of his time with the band, he counts himself lucky to be doing something that combines his two major passions, music and Scotland.
Davey is a bodhran player with Albannach. He was introduced to primal pipes and drums while with Clann An Drumma. The stresses of touring eventually got to him and Davey took a break in 2004. In spring 2006, Davey was asked if he wanted to join a new band with some old friends, and after such a long break he jumped at the chance. He only plays with the band when they are touring in his current country of America.
Davey has been composing music for the last two years. He has been involved with other live acts for over ten years as a bass guitarist in Scottish folk and punk bands, impromptu folk sessions at festivals, and even spoken word recitals of the poetry of Robert Burns. He has also worked as a tattoo artist and sculptor.
|
|||||||||||