INTERVIEW: Red Hot Chilli Pipers soldier on
Photo: The Red Hot Chilli Pipers combine bagpipes, drums, keyboards and guitars to create “bagrock.” Photo courtesy of the band / Provided by press page with permission.
These days will go down in history. With a devastating flu pandemic crippling the world and its economies, global populations are hunkering down and practicing social distancing.
This has put a dent in the concert business, and one band that is getting used to the new normal are the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, a bagpipe extravaganza featuring traditional Scottish music and new renditions of rock/pop anthems. The band was intended to make a visit to the State Theatre in Easton, Pennsylvania, but that gig has been postponed. No doubt much of their North American tour has been reconsidered given the saddening news.
The eight-piece ensemble features pipers, guitarists, a keyboardist and drummers. Ever since their founding in 2002, the Red Hot Chilli Pipers have been touring the world over and over again. Their music is best described as “bagrock,” and they have become known for new interpretations of “The Flowers of Scotland,” “The Hills of Argyll,” Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck,” among other tunes.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Willie Armstrong, a piper with the band and also its director. He answered questions before the full gravity of the pandemic. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
Where did the idea for a ‘bagrock’ band come from?
Twenty years ago, three pipers and two drummers got together with an idea to perform at corporate events. We had to change the way we thought. Most corporate clients would have very little interest on how the bagpipes sounded. We started to experiment with different genres to keep the interest of those crowds. We learned very early on that whatever you’re doing, whatever your musical tastes and integrity may be, you’re there to basically entertain a group of people placed in front of you at a given time. Because we played some rock tunes, we put the two genres together and named it ‘bagrock.’
Were you nervous in the early days that people might not accept this mashup of musical styles?
Yes, a wee bit. It was all experiments in those days. One thing we kept standard was listening to and watching the audience reaction. We thrived on that and made the things that worked better and quickly discarded the things that didn’t.
What do you love about the bagpipes? When did you first start playing?
Their emotion. A well-tuned set of pipes can evoke sadness, joy, euphoria and melancholy. When you consider that we only have one octave, plus one note, that’s pretty amazing. I also think bagpipes transcend nationalities and cultures. Remember it’s considered to be the national instrument of Scotland, I think that’s pretty special. I started playing when I was 10, so 30 years ago. Kidding, it was actually 45 years ago!
What can fans expect on this year’s tour?
Lots of new tunes, we’ve added an amazing vocalist, and the light show is to die for.
Has the coronavirus impacted any of your touring around the world?
Not really so far. I’m afraid the writing is on the wall though. Every day it seems to be getting worse. The airports are certainly way quieter, which is nice. But the underlying reason is getting more worrying by the day. You have this feeling of media hype. Even if you get it, they say it’s a bit like a heavy flu, but I worry for older people and those with underlying health conditions. They’re talking about banning mass gatherings, and that will obviously impact on musicians, especially as it comes up to the summer festival season. If it gets any worse, I see a lot of these festivals being canceled. So far, they’ve held off. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried though.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Red Hot Chilli Pipers create a sound known as ‘bagrock.’ Click here for more information.
